How to make Battery Cables

**Oneofthegreats** · 30-11-2009, 09:45 PM

I've been playing around with alot of wiring on some job's of late which incl. making new battery leads, so I thought I'd show you all what goes into it.

These are all the tool's you'll need. Although you could use a hacksaw to cut the battery cable, but it can frey the copper easily.
What you see here is
a razor blade
marker pen
cutoff saw/hacksaw
hot air gun
battery cable
battery cable end's & terminal ends
battery cable tool
heat shrink

Start off with cleaning up one end of the battery cable with the cutoff saw

The cutoff the excess battery cable coating with you razor blade so that the copper lead can bottom out in the cable end & not leave bare copper showing

Then grab your battery cable crimper, which is adjustable depending on how big/thick the battery cable & cable ends are

Insert the battery cable & cable end as shown & squeeze like buggery!

**Oneofthegreats** · 30-11-2009, 09:46 PM

This is the end result

Then work out how long the cable needs to be. Remember battery cable can be hard to work with & isn't as flexible as little wire so the route has to be as straight as possible with smooth curves where possible!

Once you've worked out the route, then grab your battery terminals. I like to use these ones, as they not only look good & have a nice finish, they also come in positive + & negative terminal's, as normally the battery terminal's on the battery are different sizes too.

Then cutoff the excess battery cable coating as per with the other end, so that the cooper will bottom out in the terminal without having any bare copper wire showing. Then its just a matter of clamping down on the terminal

Once this is all done, you can grab your heat shrink, cut to length & apply it to the cable using your heatgun

Job Finished!!!!!!!!

Here is full set of battery leads for a mk2 golf. 1 x Positive battery lead, 1 x Negative Battery lead/body earth & 1x Gearbox/body earth

Compare the old, fragile, corroded small battery lead's & lead ends to the new upgraded leads

Finished product installed in vehicle

Hope this help's some of you out in the future

Cheers

Tim.

**team_v** · 30-11-2009, 09:50 PM

Awesome DIY.
Looks so much better than the OEM parts.

Nice work

**h100vw** · 30-11-2009, 09:50 PM

I have worked with a few lads like that wire. We called them "8 gauge", thick and difficult to work with!

Tidy job you've done.

Gavin

**mikinoz** · 30-11-2009, 09:54 PM

Nice to see your posts again Tim. You really are making a good job of each thing you do - I like to think that I have a similar approach, it may only be the battery lead, but you know you never need to touch it again!

**Oneofthegreats** · 30-11-2009, 09:58 PM

Originally Posted by mikinoz

Nice to see your posts again Tim. You really are making a good job of each thing you do - I like to think that I have a similar approach, it may only be the battery lead, but you know you never need to touch it again!

No worrys Mik. I had a few people get in my ear at dovw about it all! haha. All in a good way too.

**Spyda** · 01-12-2009, 08:32 AM

Originally Posted by h100vw

I have worked with a few lads like that wire. We called them "8 gauge", thick and difficult to work with!

I dont think its 8awg if thats what your saying he used.

I never thought to put heat shrink around the cables but i did use that flexible plastic tubing. Ive done my Big3 upgrade using 2awg and gold termianls, the only problem is that i cut the cables to suit the old battery and had to mess things up to make it all fit the new battery. Along with this upgrade i would recommend relaying the headlight aswell for any mk1 and 2 owner.

If you dont have that big ass crimp tool you can use a pair of pliers on normal 2awg terminals, it also doesnt hurt to solder it down a bit. You can also use a lighter if you dont have a heat gun.

Jaycar would be your one stop shop for all this gear aswell.

Here is a comparison pic between 8awg (smallest), 4awg and 2awg (largest).
Sorry for the crappy pic quality.