Were the tabs soldered to the batt? You pried the tabs loose with what? I will be doing this next tire. change and wondering what is safer, a soldering iron or a pry bar.
The tabs were laser welded with one or two tiny spots on each tab, and a very small flat blade screwdriver easily pops them off the battery. The act of prying the tabs off leaves a rather pointy surface to engage the new battery, so I think it will not be prone to develop resistance from oxidation. Sort of like those star washers that get a good bite on a wire terminal that's bolted to a car fender, etc.
Add a small dab of battery terminal grease just to be sure.