gonecrazyi
Full Access Member
When I crimped my last set of battery cables for my idi I used a bolt cutter. Worked perfectly and has held up just fine for the last year or so.
Close Call tonight!!!!
- Thread starter gatorman21218
- Start date
zpd307
Registered User
X2, i was thinking of getting new cables for the 99 from him...... until i went to his website. his cables for the 90 were built well.
gatorman21218
Registered User
Yeah i checked him out and decided I can wait 5 weeks for cables. NAPA has a roll of 2/0 cable for ~165 bucks and I think I am just gonna go that route.
Is there any reason Why I cant switch the cable around? So instead of my passenger battery being in the middle I could have my driver side be in the middle? This way i can avoid welding my battery to my coolant filter.
Is there any reason Why I cant switch the cable around? So instead of my passenger battery being in the middle I could have my driver side be in the middle? This way i can avoid welding my battery to my coolant filter.
If your cables are still useable just take some rubber hose and put a slice down the side so you can slip the hose over the cable. At least that could give you enough time to do the proper research for getting excellent cables made for a great price
I needed a battery cable to power the winch on my GN. Went to Azone and bought a 20FT jumper cable for $40 they are 2/0 copper. Cut off the clamps and split the cable for length,made me 40 ft then, used 2/0 butt and ring connectors, I did solder them on. Bought a gold plated positive battery post connector that has two places for cables 90* apart. Worked just great,and cheap.
gatorman21218
Registered User
My cable is shot. done. kaput. got a lousy cell phone pic but its basically melted halfway through and there is no jacketing on it only 5 layers of electrical tape. Well it lasted 2 years I think I am going to go find a crimper somewhere and buy the cable from Napa. Is there anything wrong with my idea of switching the batteries around (running the drivers side to the starter)? I may use a little more cable but I have to buy 25ft of it anyway and its either going on my truck or sitting in the garage. Also how do I attach the smaller wire that goes to the solenoid?
RLDSL - There is not a truck pro in the state of Virginia and I am going to look locally for a crimp tool before I pay to have one shipped across the country.
Oldbull- again I think jumper cables are glorified welding cable and therefore cannot be used anywhere my engine. To say my engine is oily is like saying Michael Jordan is good at basketball-- a massive understatement.
I dont like spending hard earned money like the rest of yall but I want this done right. I avoided doing the cables two years ago by wrapping them up real good with tape and now the tape is failing and almost set my truck on fire. I do not want to do a cheap fix for this I want to make good battery cables that will fire my engine and not set fire to my truck. I do however want to keep my duralast gold batteries. Lets not open up this can of worms but they have done me right and are only three years old. so dont take this the wrong way and i appreciate the responses but I'm not using welding/jumper/speaker wire and im not using anymore tape/rubber/paper clips to hold this together.
I think I am going to go find a crimper somewhere and buy the cable from Napa. Is there anything wrong with my idea of switching the batteries around (running the drivers side to the starter)? I may use a little more cable but I have to buy 25ft of it anyway and its either going on my truck or sitting in the garage. Also how do I attach the smaller wire that goes to the solenoid?RLDSL - There is not a truck pro in the state of Virginia and I am going to look locally for a crimp tool before I pay to have one shipped across the country.
Oldbull- again I think jumper cables are glorified welding cable and therefore cannot be used anywhere my engine. To say my engine is oily is like saying Michael Jordan is good at basketball-- a massive understatement.
I dont like spending hard earned money like the rest of yall but I want this done right. I avoided doing the cables two years ago by wrapping them up real good with tape and now the tape is failing and almost set my truck on fire. I do not want to do a cheap fix for this I want to make good battery cables that will fire my engine and not set fire to my truck. I do however want to keep my duralast gold batteries. Lets not open up this can of worms but they have done me right and are only three years old. so dont take this the wrong way and i appreciate the responses but I'm not using welding/jumper/speaker wire and im not using anymore tape/rubber/paper clips to hold this together.
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You can get the crimp tool through Oreilly or Napa. Usually same will carry the large size heat shrink, if not, tractor supply or local farm store will. You want to make sure to seal that end on air tight.
Your engine isn't going to care which battery is hooked up first, just make sure they are neg to neg and pos to pos and good solid cables to ground
Can't remember how the starter wires hookup at the moment
Your engine isn't going to care which battery is hooked up first, just make sure they are neg to neg and pos to pos and good solid cables to ground
Can't remember how the starter wires hookup at the moment
damac
Full Access Member
Go to this website and make your own with their supplies, a vice on a bench and a cheap propane torch from your local hardware store. We used them to wire up our trailer last year, makes it easy to order for newbs like us.
It is really easy to make your own that way if you have a helper. They have the flux and little pellets to size of solder to put into the lugs and heat up. You can get some shrink after that to tighten up the joints. You can even get some cheap conduit from them to keep all your runs safer.
We redid our clunker a couple months ago because we got some free wire, but from the replacements I have seen that place can save you money.
We also put those marine style lugs on so you can just take the wingnut on/off with ease and connect new stuff later, and every wire is seperate. Just make sure the size you get corresponds to the posts on your battery and the bolts match up to the lugs you pick, etc.
And if you don't feel comfortable with making your own, they will make your runs for a small fee and ship them to you.
Depending on your starter though, you might need a custom lug on that end depending on the angle. We had to make a 90 with ours so the big ass wire would come off straight into its run besides the engine and up to the battery.
It is really easy to make your own that way if you have a helper. They have the flux and little pellets to size of solder to put into the lugs and heat up. You can get some shrink after that to tighten up the joints. You can even get some cheap conduit from them to keep all your runs safer.
We redid our clunker a couple months ago because we got some free wire, but from the replacements I have seen that place can save you money.
We also put those marine style lugs on so you can just take the wingnut on/off with ease and connect new stuff later, and every wire is seperate. Just make sure the size you get corresponds to the posts on your battery and the bolts match up to the lugs you pick, etc.
And if you don't feel comfortable with making your own, they will make your runs for a small fee and ship them to you.
Depending on your starter though, you might need a custom lug on that end depending on the angle. We had to make a 90 with ours so the big ass wire would come off straight into its run besides the engine and up to the battery.
gatorman21218
Registered User
Website? also I dont want to solder them because as ive heard solder wicks up the cable making it stiff and it is prone to vibrating loose
gatorman21218
Registered User
You know what after watching this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXDkNMDDrBs&NR=1 I think I am going to solder. I have a MAPP torch but nothing to crimp with (well 22-8 AWG but not 2/0). That cable was expensive enough without shelling out 50-200 bucks for a new tool ill only use once in a blue moon. Can I use regular old paste flux like the kind I used for sweating copper pipe?
Electric solder and pipe solder are two different things and require different fluxes.
You can get a crimp tool for about $24 from that one cable place and when you look at what you are saving at making your first set, the tool pays for itself on the first set of cables you make and puts itself into profit mode before you even finish the second cable, every cable you make after that is pure gravy. It's worth buying the tool
Yup thats the way to do it. Paste flux is good, just don't use acid core solder or flux. If you can't get the slugs, just use rosin core solder, cut off short lengths and stick them in the connector. Melt the solder, then I kind of carefully heat the cable a little before putting it in the connector, just enough so the insulation don't bubble that melts the paste flux.
For the connector that goes on the starter, make sure and get one that has the correct size bolt hole and cable size.
That wire AWG 12, comes off the relay mounted on the fender, the ring terminals, relay end a 1/4" bolt hole, starter end #10 bolt hole. Just wire tie to the battery cable a few times.
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gatorman21218
Registered User
Yeah that guy is having problems, he is not making cables and I doubt he will be able to ship me that tool within the week. As of right now the solder slugs come in to Napa at 430 and I should be done with this project by 6.
Old bull here is how I plan to attach the aux wire to the starter solanoid. http://www.napaonline.com/Search/Detail.aspx?R=NW_728268_0063685508 Think of a military style terminal with a reg crimp type barrel on it
So should i go to radio shack and pick up some electrical flux?
Old bull here is how I plan to attach the aux wire to the starter solanoid. http://www.napaonline.com/Search/Detail.aspx?R=NW_728268_0063685508 Think of a military style terminal with a reg crimp type barrel on it
So should i go to radio shack and pick up some electrical flux?
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