Birty Dastards Jeep Club
Tech Forum => Workshop => Topic started by: JamesH on June 18, 2015, 04:23:49 PM
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Next job on the list is batteries in the middle of the Jeep and wiring to the front, cut-off switch, junction block and then wiring to fuse box, winch etc.
Question is what size cable to run from middle of Jeep to front (2-3m I guess)? My winch is wired with 50mm2 but I see some challenge trucks use 70mm2 for all winch wiring. On this basis I'm trying to decide between 50 and 70mm2 cable (or do I need bigger :icon_eek:)
I know there are members who do electricity stuff and I'm hoping they can help so I don't get the GCSE physics formulas out and start crunching numbers for myself. Also, I know bigger is always better but copper cable seems to increase in cost quite significantly with diameter so I'd rather not spend out when no real benefit will be felt.
Thanks :greggmo:
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Think I did 60 when I did it but if you can get 70 and the crimp on terminals to fit that gauge then I guess bigger is better.....
Getting the crimp on terminals that are big enough was the prob I had as you don't want to trim the cable ends down to fit as that would be self defeating....l
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Stateside I see most recommend welding cable, thick as is practical for you, can't be too thick. If I remember most of my CJ has 50mm2 welding cable for the heavy stuff.
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Tri-rated cable, thick insulation and oil resistant, welding cable normally has a silicon style weak insulation on it that splits far too easily for my liking.
If you know what you need i have the tooling to crimp the ends on, we can go up to 400mm if you want :icon_eek:
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James, I've got spare cable, crimps and the tool to do it, pop over and we can fit it one day :) and 50mm2 cable will be more than enough. I'd also fit the isolator switch as it will reduce the risk of battery fire.
http://www.colehersee.com/home/special_solenoid_applications/
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Deffo on the isolator switch has saved my butt twice so far when things ran away with themselves........ Loose wire in remote is all it took :jpshakehead:
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i may have some cable in the shed will look later
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The new wiring will be to move the batteries to behind the seats. I'm definitely fitting a manual isolator, probably in a cup holder!
I have also wondered about remote isolator for the winch so I can kill it from the drivers seat - the currently one is a manual turn switch on the front bumper.
Thanks for the help so far, I think I'll do some accurate measurements and a bit of tinkering over the weekend.
CB, I might take you up on the offer, especially for the crimping tool as I've always bodged it in the past (never had problems saying that)
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Just shout Buddy :)
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i run 2 yellow tops in the middle of my xj, 50mm cable for winch and engine with 2 master switches mounted between the seats,
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Have gone for 70mm2 cable, figured if it's worth doing then it's worth over doing. Big isolator kill switch to go in centre console next to me then to the engine bay to connect to fuse box, winch etc. I'll post some photos when I get it done.
Any pictures of batteries mounted behind the front seats of a XJ would be helpful.
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i run 2 yellow tops in the middle of my xj, 50mm cable for winch and engine with 2 master switches mounted between the seats,
Can you post a picture?
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finally got round to posting these, i have no rear seats in mine.
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Thanks, that's great. I guess the relay you have is just to separate the batteries when the engine is off?
Are the batteries both behind one seat? I can't quite make out we here in the jeep they are mounted.
I had better just get on with it!
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they are mounted in the centre of the car at the rear of the tunnel hump, i have now got rid of the relay as when winching under load it would switch to one battery only,to save the engine battery which was no good to me as i run a twin motor winch,so now thinking about running 3 batterys,
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Right, got all parts delivered and made up a new battery tray and just thought I'd double check what I was doing before I started - now I have another question:
I was going to run big 70mm2 + and - cables from batteries to the main connection point on the fuse box where the alternator connects to and where I would wire the front winch solenoid from. In the + cable I was going to fit my HD Durite isolator (250A continuous, 2500A peak). The idea would be that this one switch would be able to kill everything. I do also have another isolator switch on the front bumper by the winch.
I've since found the diagram below which makes it all look a bit more complicated and comments from people that the HD Durite isolator might not be up to the job of dealing with winching current.
Can anyone give me a noddy guide of how best to wire it? I want the single switch that kills everything and is next to me and probably will add a rear winch before too long but other than that it's nothing special - only single motor winches and not for winching all day up mountains for competitions.
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Bit different but here's what I did.
8274 Albright solenoid where YJ glovebox was. The isolator switch is out front on the pos cable but there's no reason you could not tap into that as it leaves battery and run back to where your hand can reach it.
Rear winch same but separate isolator on tunnel where I can reach it.
I only run two large Tayna batteries that are linked permanently.
I think we did a big thread about this back in the day and people had had ECU fry ups and alternator mishaps doing creative stuff or got really spendy££££ with other stuff
I think most of the info came from Greggmo and IOM
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Are your batteries still under the hood Jez?
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Yes ..... But only because I could cut and weld and make trays for them when I 'edited' my front fenders :hysterical:
I wanted them behind the seats on the step up on a YJ that is the rear floor, anchored in the middle, but at the time the Large LPG tank was in the way........ And now I have the air cylinder and small 12litre fuel cell there...... Bad planning eh?
Might have to make changes if I go 4 link gonzo...... :icon_super:
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I think I'll just take my normal approach of wiring it up, seeing if it work and if not then doing something different. I don't have time to sit scratching my head