investinwaffles

CLIFF NOTES:
Stock battery tray is destroyed - any good upgrades, or just replace with the stock crappy plastic one??

Hi guys,
So the other day was on my way to work when my "check gauges light" came on, and my battery voltage pegged to 19v and the jeep started running really rough. Pulled over, and the car had barely enough juice to power my LED dome lights, let alone restart (stupid of me to shut it down before figuring out what was wrong). Battery just packed it up on the spot.
Luckily my roommate was at home and gave me a quick jumpstart.

Hauled *** to Autozone (I was already late for work), and remembered reading that a size 34 battery would fit if you mod the battery tray a little. Hood barely closed without modification (one edge was sitting on the 1" lip of the tray). Got home last night, and cut the battery tray without removing it from the vehicle. Test fitted the battery and I needed to get the corners more flush, but my dremel wouldn't really fit to get it done properly. I cracked the **** out of the stock battery tray while trying to remove it, AND snapped the bolt holding the tie-down to the radiator core-support.
I managed to ziptie the battery in place for the moment, but I am afraid of them breaking and the battery sliding into the engine (I cut the lip on the engine-side of the batt tray).


SO, I looked for a replacement today but couldn't find anything universal (due to the stock bolt-location which is recessed under the tray). I found one replacement at the local junkyard but one of the tie-downs was broken on the tray. Are there any good METAL replacements so this doesn't happen again??
I would make one myself, but I only have hand-tools and a dremel

I found this metal tray for only a little more than a new stock replacement, but how do I mount it without the recess in the tray for the stock bolts? I think it would fit my battery:
http://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com/...g/ODDSNGL.html

Anyone have any other suggestions?? The stock tray will work just fine for me, but I just dont like plastic. New to the jeep scene and dont know that many small fabricators to look at, and googling hasnt been much help. My old battery was a ****ty Napa with that was just over 2 years old. I really like Duralast gold batteries, plus my friend is a manager at Autozone and he will always take care of me so I kind of want to keep the Duralast 34.


And because everyone loves pics;