Best Battery Cables
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 8,198
Likes: 3,087
From: NW AR
Gold is used in electrical connections because it does not oxidize. When you watch those diving treasure hunting shows, not that everything is junk on the bottom of the ocean after a short time, but gold still looks like the day it hit the bottom after 500 years of salt water.
Cruiser
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 110
Likes: 1
From: central NC
The 4 gauge stinger high voltage stereo wire works very good. You can buy the 4 gauge lugs at auto parts stores with the correct hole for the battery end and the correct hole for the starter end also. I use Accel spiral core wires on my cars. Those plug wire kits come with a two piece crimping tool that works perfect for crimping the 4 gauge lugs onto the wire.
Club Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 45,429
Likes: 2,898
From: Bedford UK
Cruiser
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 110
Likes: 1
From: central NC
Thats what they say. Think of it like this. Each strand becomes a reversed water hose with the water traveling on the outside of the hose. The more water hoses there are the more electricity can flow freely.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 8,198
Likes: 3,087
From: NW AR
I think the whole "outside of the wire" thing is an interesting theory, but besides some rare cases of high power RF, I don't think it works that way and after 35+ years in electronics, I'm gonna say "show me the study." I think that at this point, it is what I call "net wisdom," that is, someone read it on teh intr4w3bz, y0, and posted it somewhere else. Especially at DC (where our starters work), the bigger the total copper cross section, the less resistance, regardless of whether it is one solid wire or 1000 strands.
Road Master
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 842
Likes: 47
From: New Hartford CT
That's all well and good, but the bottom line is that when replacing battery or replacing/rebuilding starter, it only makes sense to replace the old cables, especially given the relatively small investment required. As Miacycles said, any of the name brand aftermarket soft flexible ones with lots of strands will be an improvement over your old ones. I chose the Spyke Superflex cables (less than $50 for the 'kit'), but there are others that are probably just as good and around the same price.
Club Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 45,429
Likes: 2,898
From: Bedford UK
Thanks for that, they are even cheaper on Ebay.
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Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 2,121
Likes: 300
From: New Mexico-No, you don't need a passport.
With battery cables, size is almost everything.
I made a set of 00 battery cables for my 4 banger pickup truck.
When I turned the key, that starter spun. It didn't know that the battery wasn't an internal part of it.
I made a set of 00 battery cables for my 4 banger pickup truck.
When I turned the key, that starter spun. It didn't know that the battery wasn't an internal part of it.
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