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Battery Cable Mod...I'm stupid. Need pics

I used bronze replacement bolts available at Autozone. No problems since.

Also attached: new deer blind getting skinned with galvanized steel tomorrow.
 

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I cleaned up the existing spacer that was in good shape. I think the bronze bolt carries current better than the spacer so it's not getting much abuse now.

On our Pontiac GP, the spacer was shot and the plastic surrounding it wasn't so great either so on that vehicle I cut the cover off completely, dumped the spacer and used two bronze nuts. I hand-tightened the stud into the battery threads, backed it off about 1/4 of a turn, marked the top of the stud to comfirm it didn't move during tightening and punch a hole through the battery slug and then used the two nuts to lock the stud in place with the terminal connection sandwiched in between the nuts. Though the terminal cable had corrosion on it, I sprayed some commercial terminal treatment on it and it's since powdered off.

I'm largely happy with both setups though I'll likely strip the truck terminals if the spacer ever gives up the ghost.
 
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Brooklyn Tow said:
What's with the rusty nut?
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LOL...the pic sure makes it look alot worse than it is hahaha. The truth of the matter is that's what I had kicking around at the time. In real, it looks alot nicer.


Brooklyn Tow said:
Just to do it? Or was there a electrical problem?
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Yeah, on and off it would start slow and not charge both batts properly. Every single time I found the joint connecters to be the problem. This problem has now been solved.
 
chi2 said:
For those of you who have done this mod, are there problems using stainless steel bolts? Does steel conduct electricity as well as the stock side-post bolts?

My battery side posts bolts are copper or brass (which are not cheap btw!), and, as I understand it, copper is a better conductor of electricity than steel (and lead is even better, but I do not think that anyone makes lead side-post battery bolts).

Jon
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Have used stainless for gboing on 2 y ears now and not oen problem,

Not one hint of them loosening up

Not one hint of coorosion or other marks on them.

Very happy with my stainless choice.
 
It sounds to me like everyone gets rid of the GM lead spacer that goes between the battery cable connecting the two batteries in series. Is it useless? (I see that most people have just put the two battery cable ends together without anything in between).
 
minisub said:
I've had the same SS bolts/nuts on for nearly 9 years and 3 sets of batteries - they look as new...
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WOW. Looks like I'm shopping for some SS hardware next week! Thanks.


chi2 said:
It sounds to me like everyone gets rid of the GM lead spacer that goes between the battery cable connecting the two batteries in series. Is it useless? (I see that most people have just put the two battery cable ends together without anything in between).
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GM should be ashamed of how they joined those 2 batterys. Crappy system IMO. I believe having a top mount with the side mount on the pass. battery is the way to go.:thumbsup:
 
chi2 said:
It sounds to me like everyone gets rid of the GM lead spacer that goes between the battery cable connecting the two batteries in series. Is it useless? (I see that most people have just put the two battery cable ends together without anything in between).
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I didn't. Why would anyone?

We are talking about lead acid batteries (unless you have something like Optimas - don't get me started on those) that have lead terminals. The lead spacer keeps the "knuckles" on the ends of the leads from rubbing against each other and, being lead, provide the "crush and schmush" factor you need to make good contact.

Seriously, just clean everything up, tighten it down good and coat it all with an anti-corrosion spray and you'll be fine.

I'm doing a full PM on both trucks tomorrow, I'll try to take a few pics of my "Dr Lee" battery connections and put them up here.
 
chi2 said:
Thanks RadioMan. In order to facilitate solid contact and the battery cable ends, do people use a copper washer in between the two (positive) battery cable ends that overlap on the passenger-side battery?

I ask this b/c the battery terminal bolt that holds those two cables (overlapping) seems to loosen up a lot, and causes problems with starting. I thought that maybe if I inserted a copper washer btw the two cable ends, then I could tighten the bolt more (i.e. compress the washer a bit) and ensure a better connection.
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I used internal tooth lockwashers between the items in my stack of cable connections, Kinda like the ones you find when you clean your grounds.....
 
Dan Hunter said:
I used bronze replacement bolts available at Autozone. No problems since.

Also attached: new deer blind getting skinned with galvanized steel tomorrow.
Click to expand...

ideally it would be sweet if you mentioned a part number :smile5:
since in 74% of all cases i go into an autozone and ask for "bronze replacement bolts" (even with adding a description what i want it for) and the guy says "what ?"....

i need to go buy something to fix that damn battery post today ....

@all of you guys, can you post where you obtained your battery post mod replacement parts / bolts / washers so others can replicate that mod easily ? i.e. Autzone bronze bolt part # 45888, washers part # 48889 etc. etc.

here is what i find at autozone.com :

Lynx / Brass Side Mount Long Battery Terminal Bolt Extender
Part Number: 01053
6


this is what i ended up getting along with some washers, keeping it for the next time it is giving me trouble, then i will try to follow ya'll's example
(i am in kentucky so this must be grammatically correct) :smile5:
 
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I'd get them 1 1/2" long to make it easier to put all the accesories in them. I happen to have a ton of things, xfer tank, strobes, lights, relays, lots of extras. Long made it easier.

Some sort of Positive cap would be nice also in case of accidents.

Don't forget, key here is to finger tight into battery, then a SLIGHT torque, and then crank that nut back into battery very tightly holding both parts with 1 wrench each.

Great mod, they never loosen, ever.
 
I did the mod on my Sub...but the crappy Canadian tire batteries don't have good enough thread inserts in the side posts. After about 6 months they were stripped so I cut the cable ends off and went to old school top posts as the batteries had top and side posts. No problems now.
 
steelydan said:
I did the mod on my Sub...but the crappy Canadian tire batteries don't have good enough thread inserts in the side posts. After about 6 months they were stripped so I cut the cable ends off and went to old school top posts as the batteries had top and side posts. No problems now.
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That's the same thing i did, i hate side terminals anyway so when i replaced my batteries i went totally with top terminals. No problems in 3 years, this way i can see the terminals every time i check the oil or do any maint, unlike the crappy side terminals with the plastic over them.
Don
 
docdray said:
yes---- bolts, washers are copper and covered with no-ox. I believe the most important washer is the first one at the battery side post terminal. this makes sure that the plastic around the battery terminal does not keep the cable from connecting flat against the battery. I ran bolt all the way into terminal and then used the nut to tighten connection-less probability of stripping the threads.
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Dieseldad97 said:
So this is what I did.
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I use 1 1/4" stainless Allen screws. I do not cut the rubber off. I use stainless, brass or copper washers with a small enough out side diameter to load the rubber so the nut sits to the outside. Then the No-OX

I cut the ends of the Allen screws so they are flat on the end. Other wise I found the could strip like the mighty fine OEM battery bolts do
 
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Dieseldad97 said:
So this is what I did.
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I'd get rid of the Clamp style connector and get a crimp on / solder on connector.

I usually fill the connector with solder and then stick the battery cable in. If I have time, I crimp the connector while the solder is still liquid - thought it really doesn't seem to matter if it gets crimped or not. The solder holds it al together just fine
 
The lead crush spacer is available from O'Reilly Auto, it's shown in the exploded diagram of the positive passenger side connection, but isn't listed as P/N when looking for it on their parts computer. An astute Parts Counter person saw it on the exploded diagram and recognized it, went back and brought it out. When you use the terminal bolt, after several cycles of removing/tightening, the lead crush spacer is squahed out to the point that it no longed makes good contact with either of the terminal ends it's sandwiched between.

When I went to a dual terminal battery on the passenger side of the Suburban, my solution was to NOT cut the end off of the positive cable from the driver's side, but to use a heavy duty brass marine top post terminal, drop a stainless steel washer over the stud, the positive side post cable end, another stainless steel washer, then instead of the terminal's wingnut, a stainless steel Nylok nut torqued to 20 lb/ft.
 
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