Slave Cable Install ?

[Recovry4x4]

What are the odds of re-cabling a slave plug completely? I have one with just horrible cable.

 

[rmgill]

Bjorn, wouldn't all those connections to the neg terminal be a problem on the terminal? Better to build a bus bar or single ground point that has a good solid current return path to the negative terminal.

 

[JDToumanian]

My deuce, as well as all the deuces at Walker's, had the one long / one short cable. The short side was literally only about a foot long, and was connected with a bolt to the sheet metal of the rear cab wall, at one of the soft top hooks... I sure wouldn't want to jump a dead truck with a ground connection like that!!!

I ordered a new slave cable receptacle from Saturn... The cables are not exactly the same length, but both now go through the floor and the negative is long enough to reach to the main battery ground at the frame and the positive reaches to the + side of the battery nicely. I am pleased and would now confidently give or receive a slave start.

Jon

 

[cranetruck]

Bjorn, wouldn't all those connections to the neg terminal be a problem on the terminal? Better to build a bus bar or single ground point that has a good solid current return path to the negative terminal.

Ryan, you are correct, but it helps to know what the ideal wiring should look like. Two connections at each battery post should be the limit IMHO.

 

[cranetruck]

What are the odds of re-cabling a slave plug completely? I have one with just horrible cable.

Good question, I have never tried to take one apart, I have one with burnt connectors and may give it a try one day.
On another, I plan on using butt splice connectors to extend the cables, since the insert is in good condition.

 

[wdbtchr]

Just add a longer cable runnning from the short cable that you grounded to the cab down to the battery ground. That way you have a good ground for the cab and slave. Cables with lubs on both end are cheap and avialable(usually much cheaper than battery cables).

 

[dabtl]

Mine has a short cable that is perfect to connect to the frame and negative ground for the batteries. The longer connects just right to the positive front battery terminal.

Should this work fine?

 

[RICE670]

You can push the terminals out the back of the plug.Be prepared to hurt yourself as they come out hard. I had a bunch without cables and these were preloaded with solder , heat insert cable and jam into the housing.The fit is a groove on the terminal that fits a raised rib on the hard rubber insulator.

 

[rmgill]

Bjorn, wouldn't all those connections to the neg terminal be a problem on the terminal? Better to build a bus bar or single ground point that has a good solid current return path to the negative terminal.

Ryan, you are correct, but it helps to know what the ideal wiring should look like. Two connections at each battery post should be the limit IMHO.

So doubling up would be the best thing with the slave cable since you're going to be feeding heavy current over it. A paired connection from it to the cab sheet metal AND to the frame would be good because that'd allow for two paths (redundancy is good). The frame's probably the best ground to maintain because it should be good all over the truck (heck of a grounding busbar).

 

[dabtl]

I finally finished the install today.

Learning from the posters here, I carefully Dremel clean the bolts to make a good ground and clean the star washers in the same manner.

Good to go voltage wise.

 

[littlebob]

I don't remember which issue of MV magazine had Bjorn's article, but he did an awesome job on the grounding system. It was very timely for me because thats where I am now, Mounting the gauges and remounting fenders , light brackets and everything that needs a good ground to operate properly. So far the only place I have found the correct washers described in his article is Graingers, and they come in Quantinties of 100 for each size. I am thinking of putting a ground
terminal on the firewall like I did on the transom of my boat and running a lot of seperate ground wires to each accessory. I think my ground cable on my slave reaches the battery
directly and if you have one that only reaches the sheetmetal, I would definatly run another cable to either the frame or the batteries directly that is tied to the same point on the sheet metal. Every DC problem I've ever had was due to either a bad ground or just a high resistance bad conection.
littlebob

 

[ken]

Are the 2 pin cables still avalible? I could only find nato style. So i converted everything to the nato plugs. Sure is easier hooking them up in the dark to.

 

[sermis]

Are the 2 pin cables still avalible? I could only find nato style. So i converted everything to the nato plugs. Sure is easier hooking them up in the dark to.

You need to make the trip. I think I have a couple of the 2 pin.

 

[dabtl]

Are the 2 pin cables still avalible? I could only find nato style. So i converted everything to the nato plugs. Sure is easier hooking them up in the dark to.

Saturn has the two pin to NATO adapter. Should work in reverse. $18

A little rust on mine.

 

[dabtl]

I am going to Grainger today to pick up some of the star washers. Anyone wanting some for 1/4, 5/16, 3/8 or 1/2 let me know and we can work up something. The washers will be in on Tuesday.