What gauge are our battery cables?And where is the best place to get them?Ive looked at the auto parts stores near me and none carry anything as big as whats currently on my truck.

 

Absolute best is to make them yourself, using welding cable, as it has finer strands than regular battery cable, thus far more flexible; the insulation is usually considerably thicker/tougher.

Now would also be a good time to switch over to lug-type ring-terminals and threaded stud batteries (you can use marine adapters on a post type battery until it fails, then replace with stud-type).

I think the factory cables are 1/0, full No.1 is bigger and better, although the original ones are plenty big.

 

Mine are still perfect, but when the time comes, I'll just get them from Dodge. I'd rather have the factory ones. I'm kinda fussy about how they look.

 

Home centers will have the cable that bearkillers speaks of. Use heat shrink over the end splices and no one will know the better.

NAPA should have all kinds. I think the ones I used were for a tractor application.

 

i used 2/0 welding cable and redid mine. truck turns over much much quicker.

 

I second the welding cable option.

 

Well good deal,I never thought about welding cable,I work for Lowes I might be able to get a deal.Thanks guys

 

A set of new ones from Dodge will run you a little over $100. They are actually cheaper than the cables for a gasser.

 

I was chatting this over w/ Maxx earlier today...

Being that I'm both cheap & lazy, the idea of buying/replacing stuff that isn't 100% broken doesn't appeal! While my clamps are nearing EOL (Maxx's are also), the cables appear to fine. So, why replace them? (copper ain't cheap!)

I think for the time being, I'll order up a pair of these and crimp+solder some new lugs the existing cables...

 

Be sure to cut back some of the insulation and check to be sure that battery acid has not wicked up the cable under the jacket.
I have seen the acid wick the entire length of the cable and appear untouched from the outside.

Jim

 

^^^Absolutely!!^^^

 

#1 is SMALLER than 1/0. #2 is smaller than #1. (AWG wire size) When you get to the /0 sizes they get bigger up to 4/0, then go to circular mil sizes

 

I have done the same on probably two-hundred-and-thirteen trucks and forty-nine tractors without a failure yet.

I strip to the proper length for the connection and take the motor-wheel wire-brush to the copper, before saturating the copper with Vaseline and crimping on a ring-terminal lug.

Cover it up with heat-shrink and good as new.


Those are some good looking battery terminals if you are stuck with a lead post battery.

I always replace with stud-type when buying; but, I always have an assortment of lead-post batteries that are just too good to discard.

 

Try this place out.
Good prices and can get whatever size cable you want
http://www.custombatterycables.com/

 

does anyone have a set of cables out that can measure them? I think the stock ones are 2(0) gauge.

Jim