Battery cable building. This is the correct thread sorry for the repeats.

[Truckman4life]

Thought I might put this here for others to learn that haven't ever built battery cables since I remembered to take pics. I was taught by the guys at the truck dealership I worked at right out of tech school and have built tons of cables for semis over the years. Others might have there own or better ways. Obviously this bigger cable costs more but I had some leftover at work.
the crimper I like heavy duty adhesive lined heat shrink I always crimp then heat up with propane torch and fill the cable end with about a foot of rain core solderfactory size one compared to 2/0 new one tools needed, nothing too spendy hopefully this will fit the starter fine. I bent a straight lug the inserted cable and bent and trimmed the end to get it right before adding solder. Once you solder it will wick up the cable enough that you can't really bend it too easily at the lug later on. Battery end, same thing crimp and fill with solder. stripped back about an inch or so I like red on the positive and black on the negative cables. old and new. I put loom on my positive cables and tape every 12" . If the negative can rub I'll do the same with it. On this truck it just runs straight over to the alt bracket. cable cutters I like. I think they are Kline but they sell therm many places. Work good up to 4/0 which is a little tough but rarerly used.
Thanks

 

[blazinzuk]

I've had good luck using solder slugs.

No crimping. But I use adhesive lined heat shrink like you

 

[Bent77]

Somebody say Bent?

 

[cuervo]

I've had good luck using one of these type of hydraulic crimpers, then solder and shrink wrap.

 

[454Sub]

I didn't have a crimper when I did mine. I just smashed it in with a flat nose chisel, then filled it with solder. Been working for 8 years. Works great too.

 

[diesel4me]

I've made my own cable lugs out of copper tubing many times when I wasn't able to get any (like on a sunday ,when stores were closed around here in past years)...just flatten it with a hammer,drill a hole in it,crimp & solder it on...

 

[6872xtc]

I do crimp and solder too, but I don't know what rain core is......

 

[diesel4me]

"Rosin core" is what I think he meant..another "spell correct" error probably..

 

[FOR MUD]

Spend the extra money on good cable ( More threads the better ) I use a thick wall fitting and just crimp. Adhesive shrink tubing is defiantly the way to go.

 

[Big Ray]

good info. I need to build a set for my 6.2. Hell, both my trucks. The size difference is incredible. I bet the performance difference is significant also.

 

[blazinzuk]

good info. I need to build a set for my 6.2. Hell, both my trucks. The size difference is incredible. I bet the performance difference is significant also.

Ray the cranking speed difference on my Jimmy was amazing. All I did was change the cables and man it spun a whole lot faster

 

[diesel4me]

My pickup could probably use some new cables--they look original and I think they are the 4 gauge aluminum/copper type that weren't so great--long cranking periods in cold weather trying to get a balky 6.2 to fire up most likely cooks the cables and makes them get higher resistance and age & corrosion takes a toll also..

A few weeks ago my truck refused to crank,it would just "click" when I turned the key...feared the batteries had died,they were in it when I got it in 2003...but all it took to get it to crank was to grab the side post terminal on the passenger side battery,and move the positive one up and down,I guess it was corroded...

When I got home I removed all 4 cables at the battery and there was a lot of powdery green crap all over the battery post itself and the cables,and threaded hole where they bolt up..

I used a dremel tool and wire wheel to grind everything shiny again and what a difference,it now whips over like it has new batteries...(I am not expecting the ones in it to last much longer --its a miracle they still seem OK after so long!)..

Someone made new cables for my '85 6.2 Suburban before I got it--they used 1/0 welding cable by the looks of it--its twice as thick as the cables on the pickup and has fine strands--that seems to whip over a lot faster than my truck will,provided the batteries are fully charged..the burb needs to be cranked at full speed for quite a while before it'll start--my pickup is just the opposite--as long as it cranks fairly fast,it'll usually fire right up...the burb may have some cylinders with low compression I suspect..

 

[Truckman4life]

I've had good luck using solder slugs.

No crimping. But I use adhesive lined heat shrink like you

That's actually what the top post lugs were but I melted the solder out of them and did it my way cuz that's how I like too.

 

[Truckman4life]

I do crimp and solder too, but I don't know what rain core is......

Damn auto correct on my phone!

 

[cybrfire]

Pretty much exactly how i make cables. Learned it from a rescue truck place i worked for a lifetime ago.

Piece of angle iron in a vise and a dulled rounded chisel for the punch works for the crimp. Usually takes extra hands. Hold the cable hold the end, hold the punch and the hammer.

 

[cybrfire]

To those that dont crimp, heres the rub.

If you get that cable hot, cranking on the engine, long winch pulls and so on, at some point the solder can reliquify and run out of the cable end. With the right adhesive lined heat shrink, you might be ok. Relying on the heat shrink alone to keep the solder in place till it cools and resolidifies, however, you might not.

The cucv im currently driving has this exact problem. You can tell there was solder there at some point but its all gone. Heat shrink has cracked and dried out. A couple of the cables were held together by hopes and dreams. Looking at the cables they seemed fine but little actual connection there.

To each his own. Ill always crimp.