View Full Version : Trunk mounted battery cables
Tom.A
11-20-2008, 12:31 AM
In the past when I used a trunk mounted battery I ran the cable along the frame however I have seen some guys using bulkheads and going through the interior of the car. Looking for opinions and or any concerns through the interior.
Thanks,
I don't see a problem running it through the car. I'd recommend looking into a mega-fuse located the battery like American Autowire offers. :thumbsup:
Vegas69
11-20-2008, 08:58 AM
Tom....I ran mine through the car as well. Worked out perfect. Let me know if you need some photos.
parsonsj
11-20-2008, 09:16 AM
Through the car with a firewall bulkhead here too. The only downside is that 00 cables are bulky and don't like to turn and you've got two of them. Hiding them under carpeting can be difficult without a lump showing.
jp
Vegas69
11-20-2008, 09:20 AM
Can't tell mine exist where I routed mine.:unibrow:
http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa251/Payback1969/IMG_0773.jpg
http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa251/Payback1969/IMG_0757.jpg
Then I installed 3/8 jute on top of my sound deadener and cut it around the cable so they were recessed. If you want you could even tape over them with aluminized tape like I sealed my joints with on the jute. Didn't think it was necessary. Then I used a bulkhead for the positive on the flat shelf above the kick board. Grommet for the negative.
http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa251/Payback1969/IMG_1150.jpg
parsonsj
11-20-2008, 09:22 AM
Well, you'll have to look pretty hard to find mine... but it wasn't easy.
I routed my cables almost exactly the same way. :)
jp
MarkM66
11-20-2008, 09:58 AM
Why are you guys running your ground all the way up to the engine bay?
Why not just ground to the rear frame?
parsonsj
11-20-2008, 10:01 AM
I ran separate ground cables for all devices... I'm not using the car body as a ground.
jp
Tom.A
11-20-2008, 10:28 AM
Thanks for feedback and pictures :thumbsup: I will follow your guy's same route and go inside the interior.
Vegas69
11-20-2008, 11:35 AM
Your main ground should be on the engine. I then have a ground strap to the body from the engine. I'm sure it would work grounded to the frame but from my research running the cable to the engine is superior.
Your main ground should be on the engine. I then have a ground strap to the body from the engine. I'm sure it would work grounded to the frame but from my research running the cable to the engine is superior.
I did the same thing. I have a ground from the battery to the block and another to the body. I know grounding to the body would have been good enough, but I chose to run both based on personal experience.
:cheers:
Apogee
11-20-2008, 01:26 PM
Through the car with a firewall bulkhead here too. The only downside is that 00 cables are bulky and don't like to turn and you've got two of them. Hiding them under carpeting can be difficult without a lump showing.
jp
There's a company that makes really nice large gauge wire called "Arctic Ultraflex Blue" made by Polar Wire (http://www.polarwire.com/) that uses higher quantities of smaller strand wire and a special jacket to make remarkably flexible wire given it's size. It makes routing much easier and the stuff is really nice to work with if not a bit spendy. I learned about it when researching a rear mounted winch my my early Bronco.
Tobin
parsonsj
11-20-2008, 01:35 PM
damn! I wish I'd known about that when my car was under construction. I'll remember it for next time.
jp
Tom.A
11-20-2008, 01:51 PM
There's a company that makes really nice large gauge wire called "Arctic Ultraflex Blue" made by Polar Wire (http://www.polarwire.com/) that uses higher quantities of smaller strand wire and a special jacket to make remarkably flexible wire given it's size. It makes routing much easier and the stuff is really nice to work with if not a bit spendy. I learned about it when researching a rear mounted winch my my early Bronco.
Tobin
Thanks for the link. It seems the remote mount kit I bought is #1 gauge and #2 gauge for the ground plus it is short. I guess I will buy a replacement again. John I recall a post you did some time back about "Buy parts as you need them" man is that so true. Live and learn :)
parsonsj
11-20-2008, 02:04 PM
Wow! I didn't think anybody paid any attention to that. I even wrote a column about it:
Stockpiling is for Squirrels (http://www.maxchevy.com/columns/parsons/iii_3-parsons-1.html)
jp
907rs
11-20-2008, 02:39 PM
There's a company that makes really nice large gauge wire called "Arctic Ultraflex Blue" made by Polar Wire (http://www.polarwire.com/) that uses higher quantities of smaller strand wire and a special jacket to make remarkably flexible wire given it's size. It makes routing much easier and the stuff is really nice to work with if not a bit spendy. I learned about it when researching a rear mounted winch my my early Bronco.
Tobin
Cool. Those guys are located about two blocks from my shop.
Mick Mc
11-20-2008, 02:47 PM
John
Nice to meet you at SEMA, and Mike Norris too...
How do I break my stock piling habits?
I still have the battery cables, positive and negative, that I purchased from Del City, just waiting to be installed, and my car is far from being ready for electrical.
I have quite a few parts and supplies gathering dust, sometimes you're there and you might as well get it now, it's on sale or the deal is just right, I know I'm going to need it for the project sometime...
Sometimes I think the 'just in time' purchasing of parts is at the expense of getting a deal on the parts, when you really aren't ready in the project timeline.
Don't laugh at my Magneisum Corvette wheels still sitting in my living room waiting to be installed, I got a good deal on them.
Mick
parsonsj
11-20-2008, 02:57 PM
Hey Mick! Nice meeting you too. Love the story about the wheels in the living room. My bedroom has a hood, bumper, and fender (my car is down for A/C) in it. My wife has begun the nag routine, so I've only got a week or so to get them back on the car!
No doubt you can get deals on parts that might not be there if you followed a "just-in-time" approach.
My argument is that the savings on that gets overwhelmed by all the parts you buy that you never use.
Plus, even if you do eventually use them, you have to store them and be able to find them when the time comes. :) Storage of parts costs money and productivity.
And finally, stockpiling parts reduces your liquidity: you've got car cash tied up in parts that you can't use yet, and maybe even keeps you from being able to afford parts you can install.
The other side of the coin is that a JIT strategy requires decent planning skills and patience. Otherwise you'll always be paying overnight fees to make progress. :)
jp
Vegas69
11-20-2008, 02:59 PM
There are some things that are just good enough regardless. The wheel hasn't been reinvented. Now wheels, subframes, suspension.....now that's a different story.
Mick Mc
11-20-2008, 03:40 PM
Hey Mick! Nice meeting you too. Love the story about the wheels in the living room. My bedroom has a hood, bumper, and fender (my car is down for A/C) in it. My wife has begun the nag routine, so I've only got a week or so to get them back on the car!
No doubt you can get deals on parts that might not be there if you followed a "just-in-time" approach.
My argument is that the savings on that gets overwhelmed by all the parts you buy that you never use.
Plus, even if you do eventually use them, you have to store them and be able to find them when the time comes. :) Storage of parts costs money and productivity.
And finally, stockpiling parts reduces your liquidity: you've got car cash tied up in parts that you can't use yet, and maybe even keeps you from being able to afford parts you can install.
The other side of the coin is that a JIT strategy requires decent planning skills and patience. Otherwise you'll always be paying overnight fees to make progress. :)
jp
John
I'm turning over a new leaf. "Just in time" from now on.
Plus I need to install or finish with the collection of parts currently residing in my garage and 'house'.
As the economy gets tighter I'm trying to spend less, watch were the pennies go, increase my liquidity, not spend money on stuff I don't need right away.
My planning is great, but sometimes that leads me to far out in the process, I need to tighten my plan to more current tasks.
My patience or ADDD is always a kicker...
My girl friend just smiles at my collection of parts, or something I just brought home. Maybe because she knows if I'm bringing home parts and things that require an ignition key I won't be spending anything (dollars) or anytime at Sapphire's...
There is a fully polished 256 blower and intake for a big block on the end table in the living room. Great conservation piece when the latter day saints stop by for a chat. Sometimes those guys don't get past the 'Protected by loaded Guns" sticker in the front window. I've seen them come up to the front door and a few seconds later they're shuffling down the drive way, like they saw a ghost.
You can't imagine how tall 39 Super Swamper Boggers on 12 wide Welds are, when you stack them up, maybe I should install them 'just in time' for winter.
Mick
MarkM66
11-21-2008, 08:24 AM
There's a company that makes really nice large gauge wire called "Arctic Ultraflex Blue" made by Polar Wire (http://www.polarwire.com/) that uses higher quantities of smaller strand wire and a special jacket to make remarkably flexible wire given it's size. It makes routing much easier and the stuff is really nice to work with if not a bit spendy. I learned about it when researching a rear mounted winch my my early Bronco.
Tobin
Did you buy 100' of it? I don't see smaller lengths.
Vegas69
11-21-2008, 09:23 AM
I used the DSE cables.....very high quality and small strand. Seem plenty flexible. Last place to cut corners is on battery cables. Especially when you are running them the length of the car.
deuce_454
11-21-2008, 09:27 AM
i got a small roll from a guy that works on the railroad... the diameter of teh copper is atleast 1/2 inch!! and the quality is top notch... welding ground wier also works great, and can be found cheap on metal scrap yards.. i buy it by the pound for the going rate of the copper scrap
parsonsj
11-21-2008, 10:15 AM
Last place to cut corners is on battery cables. Especially when you are running them the length of the car.And especially if you have pull the carpet out to get to them!
jp
JETSET700
12-17-2008, 10:09 AM
Grounded to engine here too. Especially on a modern engine with FI &
ignition controls. Mine is 01 fine strand in car to a proper bulkhead connector.
(a must) & the ground is strap bolted through trunk to 01 routed along framerail into trans tunnel to back of head.
My + is in the sill just like tail light harness on the driver side.
Peter
gearheadgarage
12-18-2008, 11:28 PM
With a little extra effort, the positive cable can generally be run through the factory sill trough, passenger side is easiest since there are no other wires there, most guys mount the batt on the passenger side & the starter is also on the pass side. This makes things a lot cleaner when laying the carpet & installing he upholstery. **definitely suggest a master fuse of some sort, like AAW
In the last few FI cars we've built, we didn't run a ground all the way to the front. We ground the battery to the trunk floor @ the wheelwell & ground the batt directly to the frame rail in the rear. Multiple ground straps up front (engine to frame, frame to body, engine to body) will do the trick. We ALWAYS weld subframe connectors in, so the rear framerail ground coincidentally ties in through the frame rails to the front.
Firewall bulkhead is the way to go.....consider a quality audio distribution block in the pass compartment to tie in additional leads: stereo, power window relays, HID lights....
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