How To make New Battery Cables

[ForBruce]

I've started this thread so people all over the forum can do an easy title search....


I've been soldering since i'm 12 ( gray hair now) a licensed radio amateur for years and in commercial dish washing with high current flow experience in heating elements.. enough said

sometimes it's easier to buy a pre made set of battery cables ...even spending more money in the hopes of getting high quallity.... in that case you can go to "scotty".

but if your like me making your own is what it's all about......

the cheapest place i've found is

for Battery lugs
http://www.delcity.net/store/Standar..._92017.a_1.t_1

and for Battery wire
http://www.delcity.net/store/25!ft-C...e/p_179649.a_1

while crimping to some is good enough....soldering is important in the long run.

You can measure the resistance of completed crimped Battery cables but that is not a true indication of future CURRENT CARRYING ABILITY...

A meter uses about 3 volts of electricty at less than 1/8 of an amp....so even a poorly constructed crimp will conduct ...( here's the secret) AT THAT LOW CURRENT FLOW...

when you get into higher current flows and the crimp AGES you loose a degree of current carrying ability due to the corrosion caused when passing a current thru 2-metals (even similar types )

corrosion is also caused by acid fumes in the battery compartment

And if the connection should heat up causing the wire to turn COLOR and CRISP... it will loose some current carrying ability.

that happens often in my line of work where we have to cut off and shorten wires going to CONTACTOR Terminals that have burnt due to loose connection. The wires at these connections are no longer any good even if we tighten the connection again ....because the wire has CHANGED physical characteristics due to OVER HEATING and will again heat up.

SOOOOOOO bottom line is CRIMP and SOLDER.....and walk away clean

just like in plumbing...you can't get good soldewring without first cleaning the connection.....

I use a small round file to SCRATCH the inside of the terminals SHINNY before I place the wire in them.

1....scratch inside terminal shinny
2....place small amount of flux inside the terminal
3....dip wire end into the flux paste
4....slip on heat shrink tubing
5.....insert wire into terminal
6.....CRIMP TERMINAL
7.....apply heat to ring portion if using gas torch ( staying away from insulation)
8.....let the solder flow and fill up
9.....let solder cool
10...apply hair dryer heat shrink tubing

Yup I agree with all you CRIMP ONLYS.....this is a lot of work.....

But I hate having to do things twice

but what do I know....I'm only the 800 pound gorella in the room

[Coltf1991]

Very nice write up and information. I purchased mine from Scotty and just find it easier that way. His cables are gorgeous and just look so clean! Thanks Bruce

[TahoeDawgZ71]

Yeah call Scotty he makes GREAT cables!