Any recommendations? Cheap is good.:D

Just go buy some 1/0 welders cable, lug ends, available at Napa, and borrow a crimper and you're in business. :D
I made my own and they work great. Not to long or short.

i bought a crimper from my welding supply store. the kind you hit with a hammer. it makes factory quality ends. it was around $20.

10-4 on the 1/0 multi strand welding cable. better than any store bought battery cable. a must have for winches.

Iv'e used the welding cable before,It has too fine a strand and the rubber was too soft. It don't stay put as well as the normal type of battery cables.
You can get battery cable at your local Car Audio store,they have it on reels and you can buy it buy the foot.

As far as the terminal connections go,.. I solder on copper ring terminals and buy those cool battery connecters that you can bolt to,they're great for adding auxillary cables to.

Originally posted by BossGrip
Iv'e used the welding cable before,It has too fine a strand and the rubber was too soft. It don't stay put as well as the normal type of battery cables.

That's what zip ties are for! I would be more concerned with voltage drop than the cable "staying put". The fine strands conduct a helluva lot more electricity than the thicker strands that battery cables have.

Originally posted by cmegoup


That's what zip ties are for! I would be more concerned with voltage drop than the cable "staying put". The fine strands conduct a helluva lot more electricity than the thicker strands that battery cables have.

no kidding...

I bought some 2/0 welding cable for my rig. I have the batteries under the bed so I wanted the extra heavy duty wire.

Now, they are tearing apart machines at work and I am getting 1 ga and 3/0 guage wire. Longs lengths with terminals on the ends. Talk about over doing it :smokin:

www.delcity.net

Go to Napa, they'll crimp them up for you.

Originally posted by cmegoup


That's what zip ties are for! I would be more concerned with voltage drop than the cable "staying put". The fine strands conduct a helluva lot more electricity than the thicker strands that battery cables have.
Hey to each thier own...... I Just gave my opinion I didn't tell him what size to buy....
That fine strand Crap didn't work for me It tended to corrode faster and voltage drop is a factor when that shit is happening,
and reguarding "electricity" I'm more concerned with amperage...
....zip ties are for Junk I prefer a cleaner method with fewer straps.....and if you loose a zip for what ever reason (and I have) the wire don't "stay put". Just my opinion...take or leave it.

Originally posted by Benny Boy
I bought some 2/0 welding cable for my rig. I have the batteries under the bed so I wanted the extra heavy duty wire.

Now, they are tearing apart machines at work and I am getting 1 ga and 3/0 guage wire. Longs lengths with terminals on the ends. Talk about over doing it :smokin:
Now that some serious wiring.......

I just bought 6 feet of 2 gauge and 6 crimp-on connectors for $16 at Battery BIlls in Sacto. FInd you local battery store that sells RV and marine batterys, and you will be in luck.

SeanP

You need the right tools for the right job.

I bought a Thomas & Betts battery cable crimper. $300 off eBay, and it does a heck of a nice job. Second choice is the $20 crimper (sledge hammer style), they do a decent job.

Solder really does't work all that well, unless you have a solder pot (yes, I have one) and STILL crimp the connection. Been there, done that. Lots of argument in the electric vehicle conversion world, but we have lots of battery acid (vented, flooded batteries), moisture, and TIME... amazing what a 0.010 ohm resistance will do with 300 Amps flowing through it (I can spot those poor connections by feeling the terminal, due to the heat generated).

Just spotted this guy on ebay: Thomas & Betts Crimper (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2031275353)

Just spread a little Noalox into the terminal, and CRIMP the sucker. Good for the next 10 years. :D Of course, check those RV stores for the custom battery cables.

For the LSLC folks, just bring your terminals and cable to the next LSLC meeting, and I'll bring along the crimper! Easiest and cheapest method (last time I loaned out my crimper, took me three months to track it down :mad3: ... no way do I ever let it out of my sight!)

Tom :usa:

Thanks guys. It looks like I'll be going out to my local Napa for some.:)

Originally posted by roundrocktom

Solder really does't work all that well, unless you have a solder pot (yes, I have one) and STILL crimp the connection

I'd crimp them too If I had a $200 Crimper...:D ...and you don't need a pot of lead just solder,flux,an extra (larger) terminal and a torch....put both terminals in a vice,fill the larger terminal with lead while heating it from the outside with the torch, dip the cable end in the flux then dip it in the lead,...heat the other term. fill it half way with lead and dip the previously tinned cable in the new terminal until cool....
add sticky shrink wrap and that sucker will never give you problems....
It works for me for about $20 in materials and I already have a torch