For those that have moved there battery up front under the spare tire what have you guys rigged up to hold your battery in place?

I just screwed down the spare and it holds the battery in place.....I do have a Subaru 15" wheel spare setup and the battery cannot move. Obviously, the cables connect on the front side of the battery......

Same here, the tire is the hold-down.

I have the same type of rubber "clamp" installed at the rear of the battery as is used with the OEM battery tray. When I had my Formula inspected (because it was brought up from the States), they also insisted I had some way of preventing the battery from moving at all side-to-side. So I just used some chunks of high density foam stuffed into the 1"(?) gaps on either side of the battery and the box. Autocrossed the Formula for years and the battery was rock solid.

Although I don't believe my battery can shift around with the spare locked in place on top of it....I think I will install some foam blocks on the sides just to make sure it can't have any....un-authorized "fun" in there.....Great idea Patrick!

I would like to mention that I did not want the Large positive lead energized next to the gas tank ("Booooom!!!!")...So I installed a separate starter solenoid up front that actuates when you energize the starter....I then ran a separate smaller wire back to run the car. I ran both the ground and the power wires in schedule 40 tubing to protect it, and the smaller power wire has a large fuse in it so that if I get "high-centered" it will simple shut off the power. I actually have a wiring diagram of my setup...but I am a dunce so I can't post it here.....Patrick? Could I send it to you and have you post it here?

quote Originally posted by cvxjet: I actually have a wiring diagram of my setup...but I am a dunce so I can't post it here.....Patrick? Could I send it to you and have you post it here?

I cropped the width of your image as I didn't want to shrink the text any more than necessary. It's still quite small.

quote Originally posted by cvxjet: I would like to mention that I did not want the Large positive lead energized next to the gas tank ("Booooom!!!!")

I've always been more concerned with the live positive lead IN the gas tank that powers the fuel pump.

[This message has been edited by Patrick (edited 04-01-2019).]

Thanks Patrick.....I bragged about how safe it was to have the gas tank in the middle and how hard it was to HIT it.....for years back between 1985 to 1990.....in 1990 I was driving on the Buckhorn Summit in N. CA and hit a piece of firewood- which dented the heck out of my gas tank!

A couple of other ideas for you. I used a battery tray and hold-down clamp from a '90's GM front wheel drive vehicle( they are all very similar). They are bolted to the car with a couple of bolts, and the battery hold-down clamp bolts to the new battery tray. I also installed a 12V junction box under the hood near the battery, and a battery cut-off switch also under the hood in the Negative cable. Makes for a convenient place to attach a battery charger or jump start, add accessories, etc. Using the cut-off switch allows for easy maintenance without having to remove the battery or spare to disconnect the battery, and can also be used as a theft deterrent or for storage. If you want to get fancy, they make a version of the cutoff switch which is automatic every time you leave the vehicle ( has special connection for radio and ECM for memory). Uses a Fob to re-energize...

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'87 GT , '00 3800 Series II SC, 4t65e, Vue Power Steering. (SOLD)

I used a couple eyelets and a bungee cord. Oddly enough, the spare tire on top of the battery wasn't good enough for autocross tech inspection, but the bungee cord was? *shrug*

I am not using a spare tire at the moment. My archie brakes wont work with a stock spare and I have not gotten one that fits. I did a makeshift hold down using advance auto parts stuff. Was just curious what others were doing.

I converted my 85 SE V6 to 88 rear suspension/brakes....Then finally converted the front to 88 brakes w/12" Vette discs....The spare would not fit....So, after some research I found that certain Subarus have spares that are on a 16" wheel....Went to the local JY and found one.....the Tire size is 115/70-16....I can't remember what years Subarus have that size......

(Note; I incorrectly stated "...15"..." in my earlier post but just went out and checked the Tire size....so I should have stated "...16"...")

[This message has been edited by cvxjet (edited 04-02-2019).]

quote Originally posted by cvxjet: So, after some research I found that certain Subarus have spares that are on a 16" wheel...

The bolt pattern/spacing is the same (5x100), but isn't there an issue with the center bore size of the wheel? Fiero is 57.1 mm whereas Subaru is 56.1 mm.

I have a '98 Impreza which is why I'm aware of the specs.

[This message has been edited by Patrick (edited 04-02-2019).]

I have a 16" Subaru spare rim for my Fiero.

I Dremeled out (by hand) the hole in the Subaru spare rim to permit it to slide over the Fiero pilot.

I tried to make the grinding uniform by using a large-diameter grinding stone, by moving around the Dremel in circles, and by moving myself around the spare rim in circles.

One isn't supposed to drive fast on a spare tire, so having the wheel slightly off-center shouldn't cause vibrations. Plus, you still have the tapered seat lug nuts to center the wheel on the hub.

quote Originally posted by pmbrunelle: I Dremeled out (by hand) the hole in the Subaru spare rim to permit it to slide over the Fiero pilot.

I like the fact that I can swap aftermarket wheels back and forth between my Subie and Fieros simply by using a different set of inexpensive hubcentric rings in the center bores.

Some aftermarket wheels (including ones I considered for my Fiero) that are marketed for Subarus have the 56.1 mm bore machined directly into them, which makes things a bit tricky for someone wanting to install such a wheel on a Fiero.

On the front of a Fiero (84-87; I can't comment on 88s), I like the high offsets (as in +48 mm) offered for wheels marketed to Subaru folks. This reduces the scrub radius and hence the kickback in the steering on bumps.

SSR is an aftermarket wheel manufacturer that makes some nice 3-piece wheels (fully customizeable in widths and offsets) that I like for Fieros, but they're slightly pricey. One day... I may take that plunge.

[This message has been edited by pmbrunelle (edited 04-02-2019).]

I "Thought" I checked the fitment of the spare- I remember clearly checking clearance of the brake caliper inside the suby spare.....But I don't reNember getting the center bore ground out.....Hmmmmmm.......

quote Originally posted by cvxjet: I "Thought" I checked the fitment of the spare- I remember clearly checking clearance of the brake caliper inside the suby spare.....But I don't reNember getting the center bore ground out.....Hmmmmmm......

And that's why I thought I better mention it.

quote Originally posted by pmbrunelle: Some aftermarket wheels (including ones I considered for my Fiero) that are marketed for Subarus have the 56.1 mm bore machined directly into them, which makes things a bit tricky for someone wanting to install such a wheel on a Fiero.

Well sure, that only stands to reason. Aftermarket wheels that don't use swappable hubcentric rings for the center bore have much fewer compatibility options.

The following picture is of my Subie sporting 16" American Racing wheels (Estrella) that I had previously used on my '86 GT.

[This message has been edited by Patrick (edited 04-02-2019).]