Basic Battery Terminal Upgrade Tech

[04 Rocko Taco]

Just a basic tip for swapping or upgrading your battery terminals to make life easier and clean up some of the wiring issues I've seen on the trail.
As some of you know, I was a casualty of the aforementioned wiring issues about a year ago and started a very small under the hood fire, neccesitating the creation of some new battery cables. My battery cables are now AWG 4 (primaries - starter and engine ground) and AWG 6 (secondaries - fuse box, and chassis ground).

After some wrestling with my old battery terminals this morning, I was determined to make this an easier process. I headed off to the store and picked up a set of brass Marine Terminals. They consist of a wrap around style battery terminal with a small post (M8 or smaller) at the rear of the terminal with a wing nut on it.

You simply install the terminals onto your battery posts, and attach some ring or spade connecters to your battery cables and slip them over the posts, and tighten down the wingnuts.

It really cleaned up some of the wiring under the hood of my rig, and should help keep it that way, and make my life easier going forward. They are really simple for quick disconnecting, and for adding anything new.
To go one step further, I put some heat shrink on all the connections with the new ring terminals on the cables, and the positive cables have a red vinyl wrap at the cable ends to prevent any slipups on reconnection.

Just thought I would share.

[troyboy162]

very nice! our stock ones are so cheap. i ended up throwing a quick disconnect on mine as well but i dont know the condition of alot of my wiring like you do.

[04 Rocko Taco]

unfortunately, I don't know the condition on to much of my wiring, I am little by little cleaning out a lot of crap wiring down by the PO before I got the rig, and there are a lot of unnecesary wires which are coming out, and a lot of problems to get fixed, and a lot of empty connectors which really leave me with nothing but questions... Definitely an on-going process.

[X-Tool Pimp]

I did kinda the same thing......
Got these terminals from my local vato zone, ran power lead to a dist. block which runs my hot leads for lights, radio etc.
[img width=800 height=598]http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc245/tonytoolpimp/bee/P1010009-1.jpg[/img]
[img width=800 height=598]http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc245/tonytoolpimp/bee/P1010008-2.jpg[/img]

[04 Rocko Taco]

I have a disty block, I've been thinking of doing the same thing...

[corax]

. . . . ran power lead to a dist. block which runs my hot leads for lights, radio etc.
[img width=800 height=598]http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc245/tonytoolpimp/bee/P1010008-2.jpg[/img]

one other option is a heavy duty circuit breaker - no hard to find fuses to worry about. when the truck sits for a while or I don't want anyone starting/moving it I press the red "test" button and kill the entire electrical system. I think mine is a 120A, but Ive also seen 150A and possibly 200A breakers like this (make sure the battery cable won't melt before the circuit breaker trips)

just forward of the MSDs and "fan" relay with the fat red cable going to it - from there I in-line fuse and distribute to the accessories

[CJM]

I ran all my access like lights and CB off a disty block, some 10ga wire and some ring ends did wonders. I also wired in a simple 40amp breaker, dont have to be nothing special imho.

I like the marine terminals, simple and effective. What I would do if I didnt drive my truck at all would be to install a disconnect switch-the kind with a key and enjoy them trying to steal it.

[Bob98SR5]

CJM,

thats what i did: i installed a twist off disconnect. virtually eliminates any parastic leaks (which i have not troubleshot in years) and prevents theft

[CJM]

^ Indeed Bob, I love those disconnects for the aforementioned reasons.