Upgrading the battery cables

[Mudderoy]

Recently I thought about upgrading my alternator from the stock 90 amp to the GC or Dodge truck 140 amp. Then I thought, why do this before replacing those thin battery cables?!?!!?

If you have upgraded your battery cables how about sharing what you did and how.

I've never done my own cables before. I've just swapped in parts, you know whole cables, and never on a Jeep.

Do they make over sized cables pre-made?

[4.3LXJ]

Tony, you can get heavier cables. But finding them at a parts store might be hard due to having to search a database that is not meant to be searched that way. You can build your own however by getting the end pieces in a solderable form and using a propane torch to heat them and solder them. I did that with 0 gauge cable when I put my batteries in the rear of the rig.

[Mudderoy]

Tony, you can get heavier cables. But finding them at a parts store might be hard due to having to search a database that is not meant to be searched that way. You can build your own however by getting the end pieces in a solderable form and using a propane torch to heat them and solder them. I did that with 0 gauge cable when I put my batteries in the rear of the rig.

How did you handle the connections on the alternator? I haven't looked at it recently but it seems it was some sort of OEM style special connector.

Where would I find 0 gauge wire? I don't know of any welding shops near by.

[NW99XJ]

There's a guy thats been doing this for a number of years that makes pre-made, pre-terminated cables that will outlast the life of your Jeep....
Tailored specifically for the Cherokee's and has been trusted in the Jeep community for many years. The prices are a little high, but these are the last cables you will EVER have to buy, and they WILL make a difference.
http://www.kelleyswip.com/
On some forums I think he goes by "5-90" ...and has one helluva reputation.

You COULD try to make your own. But you had better have a decent hook-up for getting 2 or 4 guage wire for cheap....thats whats going to eat most of the cost.
The ring terminals at the ends are about a buck or two a piece, and you still need a heavy duty crimper, and heat shrink tubing to seal it. All said and done, you're still going to be into it for a good chunk of change.
I'm actually going thru this whole project right now, (ZJ ALT, and wire upgrade) and will do a full, pic-heavy write up when i'm done.

[EZridaz]

Thats who I bought mine through and couldn't be happier with them. They are a little pricey but well worth IMO. John is VERY knowledgable and makes a quality product. I know there isnt much to look at, but if you need pics of them, let me know and I'll snap some and show you what you would be getting.


There's a guy thats been doing this for a number of years that makes pre-made, pre-terminated cables that will outlast the life of your Jeep....
Tailored specifically for the Cherokee's and has been trusted in the Jeep community for many years. The prices are a little high, but these are the last cables you will EVER have to buy, and they WILL make a difference.
http://www.kelleyswip.com/
On some forums I think he goes by "5-90" ...and has one helluva reputation.

You COULD try to make your own. But you had better have a decent hook-up for getting 2 or 4 guage wire for cheap....thats whats going to eat most of the cost.
The ring terminals at the ends are about a buck or two a piece, and you still need a heavy duty crimper, and heat shrink tubing to seal it. All said and done, you're still going to be into it for a good chunk of change.
I'm actually going thru this whole project right now, (ZJ ALT, and wire upgrade) and will do a full, pic-heavy write up when i'm done.

[NW99XJ]

Well just picked up supplies to make my own.
I'll be taking pics, along the way and doing a write up afterwards.
Stay tuned!

[4.3LXJ]

How did you handle the connections on the alternator? I haven't looked at it recently but it seems it was some sort of OEM style special connector.

Where would I find 0 gauge wire? I don't know of any welding shops near by.

On my alternator, being a Chevy motor, I just crimped an eye on 8 gauge wire from there to the starter and run separate wire to my bank of circuit breakers in lieu of fusible links. But the battery cable I used is the stuff used for services in house. Insulation is a little stiff, but the wire is stranded copper. The connectors for the battery cable comes in two styles. Crimp and solder. In fact my local Napa store which caters to farmers makes some really heavy stuff in the back shop. They use solder connections. It is fast and easy.

[thesupercroc]

I upgraded my negative to ground body, negative to engine block, positive to starter and positive to EDC from the stock wire to 2 gauge wire.. I still need to upgrade the alt and wire from the alt to EDC.

I bought the wire and and connectors and assembled them my self I have pictures up in my build thread.

Ii you do not want to build them your self http://www.kelleyswip.com/ is were I would go to. right now i have more time then money so making them my self worked best.

[XJ Wheeler]

I've been researching this topic as well.

From what i understand there's two places that sell upgraded cables- Jeepers Creepers or Kellyswip (the one Josh linked).

Making them seems easy enough, but if you want to crimp on the connectors you'll need a crimper tool. Also, finer strand wire is better.

This is just what I've been reading on various websites.

Just got the Jeepers Creepers link. http://www.jeepersandcreepers.com/10701.html

[thesupercroc]

I've been researching this topic as well.

From what i understand there's two places that sell upgraded cables- Jeepers Creepers or Kellyswip (the one Josh linked).

Making them seems easy enough, but if you want to crimp on the connectors you'll need a crimper tool. Also, finer strand wire is better.

This is just what I've been reading on various websites.

Just got the Jeepers Creepers link. http://www.jeepersandcreepers.com/10701.html


if you have a vise then You don't "need" a heavy duty crimper just a nail you get them started with a pair pliers then crimp them down with the nail between one of the jaws and the piece to be crimped.

For wire some wall marts have 2,4 or 6 gauge battery cables that you could use for wire.

[XJ Wheeler]

I heard a long time ago that its a good idea to fill in the connection with solder, is this true?

[4.3LXJ]

Yup

[NW99XJ]

I heard a long time ago that its a good idea to fill in the connection with solder, is this true?

Partially..... Solder adds a second connection, the first and most important would be the mechanical connection (the crimp)...Soldered connections work great for anything inside the vehicle, but once you get outside (or in this case the engine bay) the rules change slightly. A solder joint over time can become "cold" ....ever hear the term "a cold solder joint"? ...the solder will basically pull back away from the metal, especially over hundreds of heat cycles, and the excess vibration that is found near the engine. The likelihood of this happening is dramatically increased on solder joints that are unprotected, or not sealed. Solder can oxidize just as any other metal, so if you have a soldered joint and expose it to say, salty water from road spray...oxidation will happen even faster. I explicitly trust soldered connections inside the vehicle, but in the engine compartment, I personally would forgo the solder, and stick to a good solid crimped connection. In any case, sealing and protecting the connection is a good idea.

[XJ Wheeler]

Partially..... Solder adds a second connection, the first and most important would be the mechanical connection (the crimp)...Soldered connections work great for anything inside the vehicle, but once you get outside (or in this case the engine bay) the rules change slightly. A solder joint over time can become "cold" ....ever hear the term "a cold solder joint"? ...the solder will basically pull back away from the metal, especially over hundreds of heat cycles, and the excess vibration that is found near the engine. The likelihood of this happening is dramatically increased on solder joints that are unprotected, or not sealed. Solder can oxidize just as any other metal, so if you have a soldered joint and expose it to say, salty water from road spray...oxidation will happen even faster. I explicitly trust soldered connections inside the vehicle, but in the engine compartment, I personally would forgo the solder, and stick to a good solid crimped connection. In any case, sealing and protecting the connection is a good idea.

Thanks, that clears up some stuff. Never knew that about the cold solder connection, just always assumed soldering was better. So, for the upgraded battery cable application, would it be worse to add solder after crimping due to the heat factor?

[NW99XJ]

Not necessarily, just make sure you get a good solid crimp.
Solder wont hurt, I just wanted to make sure I conveyed the point that people shouldn't rely on it exclusively.

[XJ Wheeler]

Not necessarily, just make sure you get a good solid crimp.
Solder wont hurt, I just wanted to make sure I conveyed the point that people shouldn't rely on it exclusively.

Gotcha, another question that might help not just me but others as well. What gauge wire should be ran for this application. I assume bigger is better here. I personally plan on having a very heavy draw eventually. I already think its probably a good idea for mine and i'm nowhere near done adding electrical components.

[NW99XJ]

Draw is just as important as feed.... you gotta remember here that most of what we're talking about is the wires that handle the feed from a lager alternator.
150 amps and under you'll want to use 4 awg (gauge)
For 150-200 amps you'll want to use 2 awg
And for anything over 200 amps use 0 awg (pronounced as Ought Gauge)
ALSO...its important that those of you who have upgraded your charging system
...that you have put in-line some sort of fusible link to protect the PDC (Power Distribution Center) and anything down chain from there.
So lets say you went from an 80-90amp stock alternator to a 136amp ZJ alternator, you'd want a 150amp fusible link.
I personally am a big fan of ANL Fuses for this purpose...relatively easy to come by, and inexpensive (for the most part.)
...these are sold in increments of 50. (so 50....100....150...200....250...etc)
These would go in-line from the Alternator to the PDC.

Now as far as draw goes, thats a different story.
There IS a mathematical equation to determining proper gauge wire fro specific amperage draws.... but honestly an ounce of common sense will play a big part here.
Obviously you wouldnt try to jump your Jeep with a length of speaker wire.... and you wouldn't run welding wire to your speakers....
So lets say you got some boom in the back, a sub or two, and you're running an amp to power them. If that amp is around 100-300 watts, then your fine with 10 or 8awg wire to power it. AS LONG AS ITS FUSED AT THE BATTERY!!!
(all power supplies should be fused withing 1-1.5 feet of the battery or less.)
But lets say you have a 1000watt amp back there, well you'll want to be running 4awg wire for that. Anything more than that, and the benefits are negligible.
Multiple amps get multiple runs. PERIOD.
Grounds should ALWAYS be as short as possible - no matter what.
Lights are a different story,....you can run a pair of lights off the same feed, and probably get away with the (usually) supplied 16awg wire. I'd personally like to see 12awg or at the very least 14awg wire ran for any lighting application unless its LED's....they have a very small amperage draw and dont require the larger gauge wire that HID's/XENON/HALOGEN's do.
Again for something like lights, ALWAYS use a relay.
You dont have to worry about this with amplifiers, as they have this circuitry built in.

I hope I have addressed you're concerns and answered any questions you may have had.... I kind of went off on a few tangents there.

[XJ Wheeler]

Draw is just as important as feed.... you gotta remember here that most of what we're talking about is the wires that handle the feed from a lager alternator.
150 amps and under you'll want to use 4 awg (gauge)
For 150-200 amps you'll want to use 2 awg
And for anything over 200 amps use 0 awg (pronounced as Ought Gauge)
ALSO...its important that those of you who have upgraded your charging system
...that you have put in-line some sort of fusible link to protect the PDC (Power Distribution Center) and anything down chain from there.
So lets say you went from an 80-90amp stock alternator to a 136amp ZJ alternator, you'd want a 150amp fusible link.
I personally am a big fan of ANL Fuses for this purpose...relatively easy to come by, and inexpensive (for the most part.)
...these are sold in increments of 50. (so 50....100....150...200....250...etc)
These would go in-line from the Alternator to the PDC.

Now as far as draw goes, thats a different story.
There IS a mathematical equation to determining proper gauge wire fro specific amperage draws.... but honestly an ounce of common sense will play a big part here.
Obviously you wouldnt try to jump your Jeep with a length of speaker wire.... and you wouldn't run welding wire to your speakers....
So lets say you got some boom in the back, a sub or two, and you're running an amp to power them. If that amp is around 100-300 watts, then your fine with 10 or 8awg wire to power it. AS LONG AS ITS FUSED AT THE BATTERY!!!
(all power supplies should be fused withing 1-1.5 feet of the battery or less.)
But lets say you have a 1000watt amp back there, well you'll want to be running 4awg wire for that. Anything more than that, and the benefits are negligible.
Multiple amps get multiple runs. PERIOD.
Grounds should ALWAYS be as short as possible - no matter what.
Lights are a different story,....you can run a pair of lights off the same feed, and probably get away with the (usually) supplied 16awg wire. I'd personally like to see 12awg or at the very least 14awg wire ran for any lighting application unless its LED's....they have a very small amperage draw and dont require the larger gauge wire that HID's/XENON/HALOGEN's do.
Again for something like lights, ALWAYS use a relay.
You dont have to worry about this with amplifiers, as they have this circuitry built in.

I hope I have addressed you're concerns and answered any questions you may have had.... I kind of went off on a few tangents there.

Its cool, i'm always up for learning. There's a lot in there i didn't know.

Do you know of a good source (free) i can delve deeper into learning about this battery cable topic further?

[NW99XJ]

5-90 is one of the best, not sure of his professional background, but he knows his stuff,
There's a fair amount of good info on his website:http://www.kelleyswip.com/
Dont hesitate to send me a pm or keep posting here if you have any questions.
I may even make this a topic of discussion or in the Electrical & Audio Tips segment on an upcoming podcast!

[thesupercroc]

I may even make this a topic of discussion or in the Electrical & Audio Tips segment on an upcoming podcast!

Please do ! that and alternator up grade info would be nice!

[XJ Wheeler]

5-90 is one of the best, not sure of his professional background, but he knows his stuff,
There's a fair amount of good info on his website:http://www.kelleyswip.com/
Dont hesitate to send me a pm or keep posting here if you have any questions.
I may even make this a topic of discussion or in the Electrical & Audio Tips segment on an upcoming podcast!

That would be great! I'm sure i'll have plenty of questions, i always do.:D

[Cheromaniac]

Tailored specifically for the Cherokee's and has been trusted in the Jeep community for many years. The prices are a little high, but these are the last cables you will EVER have to buy, and they WILL make a difference.
http://www.kelleyswip.com/
On some forums I think he goes by "5-90" ...and has one helluva reputation.

You COULD try to make your own. But you had better have a decent hook-up for getting 2 or 4 guage wire for cheap....thats whats going to eat most of the cost.

I fabbed my own cables from heavy gauge welding cable using John Kelley's write-up as a guide. John's done a lot of good stuff and I admire his work. Here's my own write-up:

http://www.angelfire.com/my/fan/Power_Cables.html

[oderdene]

I made mine, welding cable, solder etc

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_51ciAr6dNJM/TRyjyFz6CLI/AAAAAAAABZ4/oWp1YmavPxc/s1600/IMG_4906.JPG

alternator (GC, 136A) output, little trimming of connector

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TVQkWMcKTTs/T6cuQGOHcBI/AAAAAAAABy4/oI0dkxm465U/s1600/IMG_4115.JPG