Wiring for battery relocation... just making sure..

[Thieu]

yes I've searched.

I am moving my battery to my trunk, I have the box, the battery, and the ground cable.

I just went and bought 15 feet of 1/0 wire at homedepot. It's single strand (20 different ones making one big one). It's pretty stiff and I don't know if it's big enough. What do you think?

Also, do I just throw the battery in the box? I have a marine box from autozone. Do I need a hold down inside the box for the battery?

[the head]

yes your wire is fine
yes i would recommend a hold down inside of the marine box as well

[andrave]

1/0 is plenty big but that homedepot shit is stiff as hell, good luck with it. Its also hard to find 1/0 gauge terminals inexpensively. You need an H bar to hold the battery down, drill two holes through the floor, run the J bolts through, and use locking nuts and washers at least 1" in diameter. I ran my 2 gauge inside the car and through the firewall and it took me about 17 or 18 feet. Run the ground through the trunk floor to the frame. do the same up front with the factory negative battery lead. I just bought a set of screw in posts, screwed one to the chassis in the front and used the factory battery lead end, and then use an isolator block in the front.

[Thieu]

So where can I find 2 or even 4 gauge wire that isn't too stiff?

1/0 doesn't seem that big to begin with...

Also, Can I use my stock battery hold down or not? Does the hold down go inside or outside the box? Do I drill holes in the box if it goes inside?

I'm really confused about the hold down part... I'm searched every post I could find and could not find a decent write-up.

The box I have came with little hold down for the strap, that screw into the trunk. The box seems pretty damn sturdy as it is, but things could go bad with a 40lbs + battery inside of it.

Can anyone link me to a good writeup?

I appreciate it...

[SirWarrior]

If you want, use the welding cable. Its great!!!

[Thieu]

Where does one buy welding cable?

I need to find a fuse holder, probably at an audio shop, and stick a 140-160amp fuse in it... but it needs to fit 1/0 wire, which is I believe the same as 4 gauge?

I'm still searching and don't understand how to use a hold down with the marine box...

waaaa... I want to install this thing but I'm still lost...

Now for the engine part, can I just connect the new pos. wire to the old one? or can I go directly to the starter?

[andrave]

I am using the same marine box you have. Don't even bother screwing those shitty little things into your floor. I went to summit racing and bought their battery kit. It comes with 20 feet of 2 gauge red, 3 feet of 2 gauge black, with battery terminals already on one end. It comes with 2 solder on ring terminals, a ground bolt with star washer, vinyl coated H bar, two J bolts, two 1" washers, two locking nuts, a batter spacer, little cable screw on tie downs, and its abotu 24 bucks plus shipping. Put the battery box where you want it (no, not over the gas tank, somewhere where you can get to the bolts. I put mine all the way back on the passenger side behind the wheel).

Then I drilled through the box and the floor, put the J bolts through the floor, through the H bracket, and tightened it all down. Then I bought the two screw in terminals and voila, remote battery kit. It sounds simple but with all the drilling and shit it took me a full day. plus I had a thunderstorm delay for a bit.

also for the solder on end terminals, with a solder gun you will be taking forever. Take a torch, heat the terminals, melt solder into them (they will be hot enough to keep it liquid), stick the stripped wire into them, then quench it in water. They will be connected better than a crimp or than with a soldering gun.

[Thieu]

so can I use my stock battery hold down or not?

when u say drill in the floor... do I just drill two holes and slip the j-bolts in just to it catches underneath the trunk?

I bought some screw on terminals and a ring terminal for the starter. I'll probably hammer the ring terminal on.

[crioten]

be careful not to drill a hole in your gas tank :)

i still need to drop mine so i can put those j bolts and battery h bar on :P

[Thieu]

You have to drop the tank???? Hmmm... there has got to be an easier way...

I went and got 2 gauge welding cable instead. Feels much better.

I went to a proaudio shop and they want 75 bucks for a fuse holder...

Where can I find a cheap one for 2 gauge that will hold a 150amp fuse?

[tastyratz]

dont bother with the fuse, you dont see it stock its not really needed... the only thing is i personally believe in and recommend running a ground wire to the trunk AND the engine bay (path of least resistance where the most power is grounded only makes sense...) i dont know about dropping the tank, and 25$ for the kit is new to me since when i was relocating my battery a few months ago it was more like 40-50 but I dont track it so I dont know. welding cable is sex stuff and it works VERY well...

[andrave]

the 25 dollar kit includes everything but the box, which is available at autozone parts stores for around 10 dollars. if you order the kit with the box from summit its around 45 dollars. the wiring kit is a very good deal, as 20 feet of 2 gauge will cost you 25 dollars alone.

You don't need to drop the tank if you carefully position the J bolts.

[Thieu]

Yeah so I have 2 gauge welding cable, the box, a hold down (big H) and big 12' 3/8 fully threaded bolts. I also got a quick disconnect negative battery terminal.

Now I just need to find a place to drill in the drunk (behind passenger wheel) that I can get to from under the car.

In the spare tire well seems easy since you can see that clearly from under the car...

I don't know about the fuse yet... 30 bucks for a hold down and fuse at fry's...

we'll see...

[andrave]

no fuse is necessary.