Battery cable question

I have a bunch of battery cables hanging on the wall. But it seams that every one of them are loose on the smaller post of the battery. I was in the auto parts store today and all of the ones they have are one size fits all. I was looking to find some of the old style ground cables that are a bare braded strap with the right size clamp end for a ground post. Seams like after a cable end has been reamed out for cleaning a few times it is too big for the small post. The ones on this site don't say if they are for the hot or ground. I like for the hot cable to be red in color. What have you guys done?
 
I have taken the bolt completely out. Pry the clamp apart (where the bolt smashes it together where it can't smash any further). Pry that far enough apart, that you can get a file in between. And then commence to filing off as much as you like. Since it is led your filing off, it files off pretty easy. Don't take long. Put it back on. It should tighten back up on the post. If not, you didn't file enough off.

If the clamp breaks trying to pry it apart for the file, it's probably time for the trash then. Or recycle.

One battery post is bigger than the other. Make sure your not trying to use a cable for the big post, on the small post. The cables are made different, according to which size post they were made to fit.

And one more thing. Since some of the earlier stuff (pre 1965 or so) was positive ground, it's possible to run into cables that will be the wrong color for what they fit. If you run into a red cable, that fits the negative post of a battery, that cable was made for a positive ground system. Like wise, a black cable fitting the positive post. It was made for a positive ground system.

Now, if you got your mind wrapped around all of that so far, you can go to a place that carries new cables for both systems, and buy new cables that will fit the way they are suppose to, and be of the right color. But if your dealing with a bunch of odds and ends stuff you just happened to have at home, and who knows where it came from, your just going to have to live with whatever color it is. It might very well be the wrong color, for what you are trying to get it to fit. Because, that's going back to the whole positive/negative ground thing. Putting a cable on the wrong system.
 
I have a hydraulic hand held press for putting new cable ends on. I bought a assortment of cable ends off the internet add some quality heat shrink and you can replace those pesky cable ends. The local auto parts store also sells the ends and the heat shrink.
 
I also prefer red + cables and black - ........Like others I remove the bolt and modify the cable end so it fits better and as/if necessary I add washers on the bolt, easy peasey no cost.........In addition when I use the felt protective washers under the cable ends PLUS the red battery terminal spray Ive never had problems later.......Good heavy high ampacity cables with good ends and good ground connections cures a lot of problems.

John T
 
I brought the tools and supplies to roll my own, someone in your hood should be able to make you up a nice cable. A cheap way out is to use marine battery cable ends they make them for positive and negative post then add a copper lug to the cable.

Stay away from compression are clamp style ends they are trouble.
Those cables hanging on a wall are trouble also. NAPA should be able to sale you a Belden cable for the application.

Lets see if this link works

Napa wire and cable

I think battery cables start at page 1012

This post was edited by Hobo,NC on 05/11/2022 at 04:50 am.
 
I had to buy battery post adapters to go from side post to top posts. I got mine from Menards.

My 2007 GMC came with side posts.
Most sealed batteries sold today have gone back to top posts.
The adapters were two sizes. Larger for + and smaller for -.

Same with buying replacement clamps, two sizes..
 
(quoted from post at 04:30:01 05/11/22) You can get post specific battery terminal clamps from
industrial suppliers such as Del City or Waytek.

That's fine if you live near one, but there are about 50 places that sell battery clamps that are closer and easier to deal with.

I've been in those industrial supply places. They don't want to deal with you unless you're a BIG customer ordering thousands of dollars of product a month. They especially don't want to deal with you in person.
 
I try (if at all possible), to avoid replacement ends.
Developing bad connection at the post, is bad enough, without adding more misery and headache to the cable.

My experience with add on ends. Sooner, or later you'll run into a bad connection problem. Caused by corrosion, or whatever.
Not all that big of a deal, if it happens right outside your shop at home, where you got all your parts and tools to fix it.
Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to ever be where it happens out. It's always at the fuel pumps at a (self service) gas station. Or in the parking lot after church. It never fails, it always happens in places like that.

Another beef I got with replacement ends, everytime you put one on, it basically requires you to clip the old end off. If nothing else, clip some of the cable off to get back to some fresh cable to apply the new end to. We all know that, original cables are none to extra long. So then you are fighting the whole cable being barely long enough to get on the battery post thing when done.

I just avoid replacement ends if I can. About the only time I consider them, is if it is going to be a heck of a lot of grief to replace the whole cable.
 
Dump the pots on the next battery and go to the stud top 31's no more fussing with clamps and stripped out side posts and all that nonsense. No cleaning hardly maybe once in the life of the battery. Yup they are pricey now days for the 1000 amp at 142.20 today when I bought one.
 
Yep, I have some red electrical tape as well. That part is easy. I just don't like to have an extra connection anywhere if I don't have too. I have resized some as well. But some are just too far out. Thanks for all of the good info!!!
 
I use ordinance type ends for top post batteries. The cable themselves have lug ends. That way I can use post or stud terminal batteries.
 

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