How to Make Very Short Battery Cable Connections

[lesabret]

I'm putting together the layout for the 12V DC/ 120 AC power system in an off-road teardrop trailer. There are a few places where I will need to have some very short 1" - 5" lengths of either #2 battery cable with ring terminals or some type of high current capacity buss bar that can connect two 5/16" studs that are the 1" - 5" apart.

Researching marine power system supply outfits, I've not come across any buss bars of the type I'm visualizing.

Do the outfits that make custom battery cables have the capability to make very short ones in the wire gauge (#2) and lengths I'm looking for?

Any tips or guidance on where to find sources would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Dave

 

[dwh]

A welding supply shop would probably be able to make whatever you want. Well...probably not 1"...but 5" they can probably do.

You can also fab a shade-tree bus bar by hammering a copper pipe flat, filling in the voids by sweating some silver solder up inside it, and then drilling out whatever holes you need.

 

[rayra]

Their prices can be high, especially on single small items, but they've got damned near every material in any size or shape you could want.
http://www.mcmaster.com/#electrical-bus-bars/=vu9p88

www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/showthread.php/bus-bar-size-and-material-84801.html

 

[WOODY2]

Given the absolute of vibration I would not go with any type of rigid buss bar for battery to battery connections

 

[AMBOT]

Something like this? http://custombatterycables.com/application/SolarCables.htm

 

[zelatore]

If you were local I'd offer to make them for you. Only takes a few minutes if you have a crimper for large cables and the lugs/wire on hand.

If you think you'll do very much of this sort of work you might consider picking up a crimper. This is the one I've been using for about 10 years now:
http://www.amazon.com/Ancor-702040-...&qid=1423536813&sr=8-1&keywords=ancor++702040

A bit much if you only want to make a few connections, but if you need to make a lot, or have some buddies who can share it with you, it might be worth a look.

 

[dwh]

Given the absolute of vibration I would not go with any type of rigid buss bar for battery to battery connections

If it's one inch, it's almost certainly not a battery to battery connection.

Vibration may be certain, but it doesn't always matter.

Bus bars are not uncommon in vehicle wiring. You can buy them off the shelf:

 

[TommyG]

I use one of these guys and make my own:

http://www.amazon.com/TEMCo-Hammer-...&sr=8-4&keywords=impact+wire+terminal+crimper

You can also buy solder slugs and solder your own cables with a propane torch if you prefer solder. These work pretty slick:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXDkNMDDrBs

 

[Herbie]

I use one of these guys and make my own:

http://www.amazon.com/TEMCo-Hammer-...&sr=8-4&keywords=impact+wire+terminal+crimper

You can also buy solder slugs and solder your own cables with a propane torch if you prefer solder. These work pretty slick:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXDkNMDDrBs

Oooh, I don't do enough lugs to justify a proper bolt-cutter style crimper, but I do just enough that I think I need that Hammer crimper. It's the "nice" version of using a dull chisel!

I wonder if you could use it with a c-clamp in those repair situations where it's not practical to hit the end with a hammer...

 

[psykokid]

I picked up this crimper from harbor freight when I recently re-did all of my winch connections.

http://www.harborfreight.com/hydraulic-wire-crimping-tool-66150.html

works great, I waited for it to go on sale and then went in with a 20% off coupon and got it for around $40 IIRC. For crimping heavy gauge wires it works a lot better than the hammer crimpers. I borrowed the exact same crimper that was linked above and the crimps were OK, not anywhere near as nice as they are with the HF tool.

 

[proper4wd]

If you are needing to make a 1" long 2ga cable with ring terminals, I think you might have a design problem.

 

[zelatore]

I picked up this crimper from harbor freight when I recently re-did all of my winch connections.

http://www.harborfreight.com/hydraulic-wire-crimping-tool-66150.html

works great, I waited for it to go on sale and then went in with a 20% off coupon and got it for around $40 IIRC. For crimping heavy gauge wires it works a lot better than the hammer crimpers. I borrowed the exact same crimper that was linked above and the crimps were OK, not anywhere near as nice as they are with the HF tool.

I see that only handles up to 0 ga wire, so you'll need to look elsewhere if you'll be doing large cables.

 

[lesabret]

If you are needing to make a 1" long 2ga cable with ring terminals, I think you might have a design problem.

I didn't do a proper job of explaining my layout intentions when I posted the original thread.
I'll try again:
There will be a two battery bank (group 31 100Ah AGM each) on the floor of the tongue box, which is trapezoidal in shape.
Above the batteries will be a wooden shelf that will act as a sort of "circuit board" for various components. The shelf will be attached on some aluminum angle "iron" fastened to the box walls. The shelf will be removable, that is I will be able to undo some fasteners and lift it up and rest it on the edges of the box so that I can access the batteries when needed. The plan is to have about 18" to 2 ft. of the positive #2 cable run from the battery bank up to the shelf where it will connect to the main fuse (150A ANL), then a master disconnect switch, on to a 5/16 terminal post and then to the positive DC input of a 1000 Watt inverter/charger. A run of #8 wire will go from the positive terminal post to a 50A circuit breaker then on to the cabin to a distribution fuse block for multiple 12V circuits.
The negative #2 cable to run from the battery bank up to the shelf to a 500A/50mV shunt and on to a 5/16 terminal post and on to the negative DC inverter/charger input. Again, some #8 wire to run from tongue box to cabin for 12V circuits.
The intent is to keep the total length of the #2 high current cable to about 6 ft. (3 ft. each for the positive and negative runs) between the batteries and inverter/charger inputs.
The reason for the short lengths of the #2 cable is to connect the items on the shelf that will be placed within a few inches of one another to keep the total for each of the circuit legs under the 3 ft. total.
I hope that this provides a better picture of what I'm trying to do.
I do appreciate all the feedback so far.
I only plan to do this one time, so I don't see the worth in investing in the type of crimpers and crimp dies needed to make up a set of professional grade sections of cable. I'll likely go with someone who is in the business of making high grade cables on a custom basis.
Feel free to continue with the tips and advice, as I have not yet placed an order for the cable pieces.

 

[psykokid]

I see that only handles up to 0 ga wire, so you'll need to look elsewhere if you'll be doing large cables.

If I need to run something larger than 0 gauge in my truck then I've exceeded my design brief and need to rethink what I'm doing

 

[hangdog]

I plan on using this idea with short connections on my inverter installation. The maker of these used 1/4"x3/4" copper flat bar which he claims gives a cross-sectional area about 12% greater than 4/0 wire. You'd have to do the math to figure out what size flat bar would equal #2 wire.