Extending winch battery cables (1 Viewer)

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Roseville
I am trying to extend my winch cables on my Warn 9000X. My battery is located behind/under my passenger seat and the warn cables are about 5-6' too short. I tried going to Kragens today and they only sell a 36" #2 battery cable, I need a longer 48-60" cable. They did have a #4 cable that would be long enough. The #4 is a little less thicker than the #2, dont know if this would be a problem or not?

My next problem is connecting the cables together, I can use the eye holes and bolt them together then wrap them in electrical tape. I am wondering if this is going to affect my winch performance if the current is cut down at this point. Does anyone know if they sell connectors to splice together battery cables (double female connectors). I thought about possibly tying into the starter but was not sure if that might create problems.

Any help or feedback appreciated.

Thanks
Fman
 
Don't splice. For a distance that large with that much current go to a welding supply company and purchase the cable from there. Some will have the ability to crimp lugs on the ends.
 
Rice said:
Don't splice. For a distance that large with that much current go to a welding supply company and purchase the cable from there. Some will have the ability to crimp lugs on the ends.
I'm not a big fan of using battery cables period. I would remove the warn cables so you know what type of lugs you need. Then I would go to a welding supply store and have them make up the length you need in the appropriate gauge welding cable. Tell them you want to know the strand count, and what they carry in the size of cable you need. The higher the strand count the more the cable will probably cost. The reason I prefer welding cable to battery cable is the fact that welding cable has a higher current carrying capacity due to the fact that it uses strands of wire that are smaller in diameter which give you a tighter more flexible cable. A standard 2 gauge battery cable can handle 147 amps at room temperature and a length of 25'. A 2 gauge Vu-Tron cable has 1650 strands and can handle 200 amps at 100'. The more strands the less the air space is between the individual strands giving you a larger cross sectional area of copper and a higher current carrying capacity. You get far more flexibility and a higher current carrying capacity with welding cable versus a battery cable.
 
It is very easy to make your own fine-strand welding cable. All parts are available online and from Napa. You just need a plumbers torch, solder pellets, copper lugs, and the appropriate shrinkwrap. For such a high-draw run of cable that long I would not use anything smaller than 0 guage and 00 would be best. If you are interested in making your own cables, let me know and I'll send you part #'s and a better description of how to do it.
 
like mentioned before use welding cable... more flexible and can be cut to custom lengths, some welding shops even give you a deal if they have scraps laying around that were excess from another job
 
I agree with everything that has been said. Get welding cable. Since your run is longer, use a larger gauge cable such as 0 gauge suggested above.

I prefer a crimp to solder myself. I like the mechanical connection of a crimp. Luckily my friend has the biggest set of bluepoint crimpers I have ever seen for crimping on the ends. Also, some battery stores have these crimpers and will crimp on ends for you as well.
 
Cruzerman said:
I agree with everything that has been said. Get welding cable. Since your run is longer, use a larger gauge cable such as 0 gauge suggested above.

I prefer a crimp to solder myself. I like the mechanical connection of a crimp. Luckily my friend has the biggest set of bluepoint crimpers I have ever seen for crimping on the ends. Also, some battery stores have these crimpers and will crimp on ends for you as well.
Good point. I have taken my welding cable to Batteries Plus and they will crimp on lugs (even lugs you supply as long as they are the right series). Before I got the hardware to do this myself, I would have Batteries Plus crimp on one lug and then I would run it and mark the orientation for the other lug. That way the cable would lay right.
 
Thanks for the input, looks like I am going to half to head down to a welding store and have them cut me some cable. Its my last project before the Rubithon :)

Fman
 
fman, I am doing the same thing a reciver hitch mount and my batteries are under my passenger seat. How long was your cables? Did you do a quick disconnect?
 
What I did with my rear winch. Heavy welding cable. Two different gauges (don't remember what size). Silver solder on the lugs.
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