batteries to bed question

[ryanss22]

Im moving both my batteris to the bed to clear up room under the hood and am wonderong What size wire are you guys are using to run to the starter? And how your connecting both batteries togeather as far as connection clamps go. Any pics would be helpful.

 

[PSDEng]

Gonna have to be pretty big. Everything I've seen have used 00 or welding cable.

 

[ryanss22]

Yea that's what I though. Would 1/0 wire handle it? If I have to I will run 00 but that's not cheap stuff.

 

[Super08Duty]

Run 00 welding wire. Same OD as single 0 but it can handle more current. You don't want to go single 0 and fry an alternator. Done that before.

 

[markfuga]

I'm doing something similiar on a project and found a couple places on the web that make custom battery cables. I really like what custombatterycables.com is doing so I'm trying to work with them since they already make a replacment wire set for the OBS trucks. I just need the lengths changed to the dimensions I corrected in their drawings (see pics). The issue I've run into with them is responsiveness. I first emailed them on 1/23, no response, I followed up a week later, no response, I called a couple days after that and left a voicemail. Finally the next day (almost 2 weeks after my first email) they emailed back and said they would work on a price. That was on 2/4 and still no price. If you come across a more responsive cable builder, using the same size cables let me know!

The 2 ground leads and the lead between the batteris will be 2/0 and the power lead from the batteries to the starter will be 3/0. The smaller leads will be 4ga.

 

[ingrahams]

I bought a balistic fab optima battery holder for my truck, price is good, haven't seen it yet but from there website they look to be good quality.
-Stew

 

[FrankTheTank]

My vote would go to running a 38 gallon rear tank and removing the front tank. Use that spot to mount filters/pump and battery box.

 

[Super08Duty]

I bought a balistic fab optima battery holder for my truck, price is good, haven't seen it yet but from there website they look to be good quality.

-Stew

They're nice. I have their dual optima mount on my frame. But optimas are junk batteries now. Not like they used to be unfortunately.

 

[drunk on diesel]

if you're planning on using the truck as a truck, I would build a box/frame and bolt/weld it to the frame and tuck them under the truck vs. taking up bed space

 

[ryanss22]

Gonna be a 2.6 pulling truck. But can't mount in front of rad support per the rules. I got some 00 welding cable today. Just gotta get terminals and ends for it now.

Why would a small starter cable short out an alternator?

 

[ingrahams]

They're nice. I have their dual optima mount on my frame. But optimas are junk batteries now. Not like they used to be unfortunately.

Wish I had known that before ordering.:fustrate:
-Stew

 

[Super08Duty]

Wish I had known that before ordering.:fustrate:

-Stew

Lol, you and me both bud. That was what I was told by a guy at our local battery shop after I bought mine. After a year of very minimal use, they're trashed.

 

[DZL JIM]

I move the batts on my drag truck to all the way in back of the bed and went with a larger cable than what was calculated. I think I went with 000 welding cable.
I had issues starting the truck because there wasn't enough ooomfph to charge the IDM to fire the truck to start. It spun over like you wouldn't believe, though. A bit of starting fluid did the trick but was a total pain to do every time I needed to start it.
I never did figure out that gremlin, just be aware of what I went through.

Whatever cable you THINK is big enough, go larger!!