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Battery wiring upgrade

The easiest way is to Buy marine grade cables and crimp your own ends on. It took me about 2 hours to do all the cables including the junction box. It did cost about $50.00 for the cables in marine grade.
 
5-90 sells them, or you can make your own if you feel comfortable 2/0 or 1/0 welding cable. Search for more.
 
I don't believe they are actually hard to make, but I thought it over long and hard and I'm going to get 5-90's.

Here's my rational:

-He makes them himself.
-He depends on his product for income, so if his product sucks; he's in trouble.
-He has made a lot of them. Experience counts. The cost to buy them from an experienced guy like him is probably about the same (or probably cheaper) than buying all the materials and TOOLS you need to DIY.
- Because of the fact that he makes so many of them, he has specific details about each year of vehicle and any changes that you may not know about.
- Not to mention, he has good quality professional tools and materials. the stuff you can't justify buying unless you are going to make several sets.
- He knows his stuff. I just bought his power manual, and I am in awe.
- If you have any special concerns or problems, I'm sure he'll fix it or do whatever needs doing to get you back on the trail.

Besides, he's a great guy and a fantasticly knowledgable memeber of NAXJA.

No I don't work for him, and I don't get a commision for any sales that might come from this post before you ask :).

He just runs the kind of company that I think should be supported, because it's the kind of company that will support you.

Here's the link: http://www.geocities.com/JeepI6Power/
 
They are a good set-up, but welding cable is not the same as battery cable. Battery cable has a different vinyl covering, if you look at any old welding cable you will notice the covering cracking and it also does not have the same chemical resistant properties at all, but welding cable is half the price of top quality MARINE CABLE.
 
[FONT='Verdana','sans-serif']The important difference between most "battery cable" and welding cable is that the battery cable is tinned, which helps to reduce the risk of corrosion when you are running in a salty marine environment. The insulation is, as far as I know, brand specific. If the ends of the cable are sealed, crimped and protected well enough, which isn't impossible or very hard to do, it should not be a problem unless you submerge your vehicle in salt water frequently and don't rinse it off later. The welding cable has more and finer individual copper wires in the braid that make it up, the fact that the larger diameters are available and comparatively inexpensive (2/0 or 1/0) combined with its makeup, means less intrinsic impedance and a better functioning grounding and charging system for the price. I made my own cables because I would just rather buy the tools and DIY now so I can fix it properly by myself later, if need be. I also put aux. batteries in the cargo area so I had custom work to be done anyway. I used 2/0 welding cable and it has worked just fine for a while now, no regrets, and glad I didn't spend any money on "battery cable". :lecture: [/FONT]
 
FordGuy said:
They are a good set-up,
1) but welding cable is not the same as battery cable.

2) Battery cable has a different vinyl covering, if you look at any old welding cable you will notice the covering cracking and it also does not have the same chemical resistant properties at all,

3) but welding cable is half the price of top quality MARINE CABLE.
Click to expand...

All true - but let me handle them in the order presented...

1) Very true. Welding cable has finer stranding (for easier handling) and a thicker jacket.

2) Also very true - especially considering that battery cable is covered with vinyl or vinylidene chloried, and better welding cable (like Trystar, for instance) is covered with a variant of neoprene (with similar properties to butyl rubber, nitrile rubber, and Viton - all chemical-resistant synthetic elastomers.) I'd hate to tell you what I've put my welding cable through as a sample before I started using it, but I'm pretty sure it was more than anything you're ever going to put it through...

3) True - which is why I use welding cable vice marine cable. Welding cable is also easier to source.

Most of the insulation cracking you see on "old" welder cables is due to heat and ultraviolet exposure - both are very intense around welding setups. Larger cables carry more current - and more current in the arc will mean more heat and more UV (and more insulation degradation.) Welding cable is still massively overbuilt for underhood environments - as is marine cable, but not the typical "battery" cable.

I've no trouble if you want to DIY - you can get measurements from my site as well. Expect to spend whatever the cable costs (if you go mail-order, there is usually a minimum order,) plus whatever you spend for the lugs (typically sold in batches of ten, so you're going to have leftovers for a DIY,) and then buy the crimper (you can find a "hammer crimper" for about $25-30 with a little looking, or you can do what I did [when it was a deduction for me] - get a "press crimper" that runs about $400. I got mine because I needed it for the job I had at the time, and I usually buy my own tools.)

I'd also be happy to answer any questions you have - as long as you ask them backchannel, please. JeepI6Power AT yahoo DOT com is the addy I use for WiP comms, so you can hit me there. Just know one thing - whether you get the from me directly, or you get advice and tips from me - if I wouldn't do it on my rig, it won't get done on yours. That is my primary standard.
 
You are right about welding cable being tough but, what the single most important difference between them is welding cable is not designed for long term high temperatures as Battery cables. I have rewired many auto-cranes with both and the welding cable which we used because its less than half price was deteriorating after a couple years where the marine battery cable will probably outlast me.
 
http://www.olypen.com/craigh/charge.htm
The high amp stereo crowd needs heavy stuff and advanced/auto zone places sell large clear coated cables to satisfy that market. They are a good bang for the buck if you can find an off the shelf cable that will work. If it were me I call the 5-90 dude and ask for everthing. By the way 5-90 Do you make one huge kit for everthing including headlights and anyerthing else that is an electrical issue fo a 98? I like to do it all at once and did I read that Nappa has a bolt on higer amp alternator I could bolt up at the same time?
 
I've been running 5-90 cables for a few years and it is good chit. I bought all the cables at the battery and ground straps.

There is no cracking or any deterioration of any kind on my cables.

I really like the terminals I got from him. I can disconnect either battery terminal by removing a wing nut instead of removing the actual terminal clamp.

I'd buy from him again.
 
Dirk Pitt said:
I've been running 5-90 cables for a few years and it is good chit. I bought all the cables at the battery and ground straps.

There is no cracking or any deterioration of any kind on my cables.

I really like the terminals I got from him. I can disconnect either battery terminal by removing a wing nut instead of removing the actual terminal clamp.

I'd buy from him again.
Click to expand...

x2

One year later, still good as new.
 
Stumpalump said:
http://www.olypen.com/craigh/charge.htm
The high amp stereo crowd needs heavy stuff and advanced/auto zone places sell large clear coated cables to satisfy that market. They are a good bang for the buck if you can find an off the shelf cable that will work. If it were me I call the 5-90 dude and ask for everthing. By the way 5-90 Do you make one huge kit for everthing including headlights and anyerthing else that is an electrical issue fo a 98? I like to do it all at once and did I read that Nappa has a bolt on higer amp alternator I could bolt up at the same time?
Click to expand...

Getting there. I've had to extend the prototype cycle on my headlamp harness due to logistical concerns (we're getting ready to move house, and I don't want to lose anything in the shuffle...) but I need to get the prototypes back for a "destructive analysis" before I can refine them to offer. It's in the works, tho.

As far as higher-output alternators, I know that you can use an alternator from a Durango to go up to 138-140A output, and Rod at San Jose Generator does high-output units as well (he's done mine.) I don't recall the ratings for his offhand, but they're on my site under "San Jose Generator." Advantage there is when you talk to him, you're talking to the guy who does all the rebuild and testing. The best warranty is one you don't need - and I've never needed his.

As far as physical wire size, unless you're going to get absolutely stupid with drawing power for long periods of time, 1AWG is already overkill and will take about twice what you're usually going to put through it. I don't see any need to go larger unless you plan to do something like a 400-500A draw for hours on end. (Yes, I reviewed this very carefully before selecting a wire gage. "An engineer is a man who can do for a dollar what any fool can do for ten.")

Of course, that doesn't mean it can't be done - I'm not afraid to handle customs (in which case, let's definitely take discussion backchannel! It's going to take some effort to hammer out a custom job...) or one-offs - but a large part of what I do is trying to keep you from spending more money than you have to on an upgrade that is, in fact, and upgrade.
 
I built my own, but only because I work for a battery ditributor and we have all the shit to build them. I did them overkill because I could. My main power and ground wires look like garden hose LOL. 5-90s setup is very well priced. Mine didn;t cost me a dime but It was still a decent sized job even with the proper equipment.
 
Sorry to bump a very old thread but I'm trying to get my hands on some cables anyone know how to get ahold of 5 90 his inbox is full, or possibly another place to get some good quality ones
 
All you need is some 2 ga welding cable, terminal ends and a terminal smasher from amazon. A little patience and you can make some.
 
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