Battery Cables

I've got a 1995 Jeep Cherokee and want to replace the battery cables. The dealer wants $219.00 for an entire cable kit. That's absurd. Has some unique connectors to the starter and fuse box that make parts store replacements merely splice kits. Is there a more specific part kit out there that can be used?

5-90 has a battery cable kit he's putting out, pretty stout and heavy wiring with good quality connectors. Just do a search on here.

I'd do my own if you have the know how, that's what i've done typically.

X2 on 5-90's cables. I am saving up for some for my '88.

5-90 Makes the best cables. Im getting a set next week.

i made my own for my 89. works fine. start ups are faster and brighter lights.

its really not that hard to make your own. shop around at auto parts stores, welding supplier......

hate to say it, but, come on---you can dooo it!

Yes, Battery Cables do go BAD.

A friends Ford Exploder wouldn't start in the parking lot of work. He had someone else helping him and the new starter still wouldn't engage. They were already removing it and take it back to the store, when I suggested they check the continuity/resistance of the battery cables. Even though the cables looked fine, the resistance was almost infinite. We hooked up jumper cables to the old starter and it spun right away.

If you do a google/froogle search you can find all the various parts for battery cables, the different terminals and cables, so that you can put together you own custom set that would fit perfectly.

The only problem with that, can you beat the lead terminal that is molded around the cable for reliability? There are copper (coated) terminals out there that you can crimp like regular smaller terminals. These terminals are showing up on OEM battery cables. I would think, if your going to make them yourself from universal terminals, making a good crimp with a copper terminal would be better than a universal lead terminal, where you clamp together two pieces of lead, trying to squeeze the copper cable between the soft lead pieces? Anyone with some experience with the two.

I've used the universal lead terminals in other cars, although I never had a problem, the appearance of the connection didn't inspire any confidence. Not like the crimped on connectors you see with sheet metal or copper terminals.

X3 on 5-90's cables, at the very least check out his site,
www.geocities.com/JeepI6Power

Excellent quality and great customer service!

I use copper terminals and solder them into place, i've had too many crimps slip out or fail with the heavy gauge 1/0.

nekocopter said:

I use copper terminals and solder them into place, i've had too many crimps slip out or fail with the heavy gauge 1/0.

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You should see me spot-checking crimps. I figure if they'll hold my heavy arse in the air (I'm 265#,) there won't be any trouble...

One of the best things I have done to my Jeep. 5-90 battery cable kits are excellent. Hopefully latter in the year, I can get something this good for my 240z.

5-90's are way better than the original, don't waste your money on bad cables,

Enjoy,
Bob

cherokee4fun said:

One of the best things I have done to my Jeep. 5-90 battery cable kits are excellent. Hopefully latter in the year, I can get something this good for my 240z.

5-90's are way better than the original, don't waste your money on bad cables,

Enjoy,
Bob

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All I need are measurements - but I think we already talked about that...

5-90,
Are your kits premade for each model suchas pre 91s or post 96s? How does that work and what kinda priceing are we talkin about?
Like someone said earlier in this post I can make my own but my time is quite limited.

mikeforte said:

5-90,
Are your kits premade for each model suchas pre 91s or post 96s? How does that work and what kinda priceing are we talkin about?
Like someone said earlier in this post I can make my own but my time is quite limited.

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X4 on 5-90 excellent product and improved every aspect of my electrical system.

As far as price check for your self http://www.geocities.com/JeepI6Power/price.html

mikeforte said:

5-90,
Are your kits premade for each model suchas pre 91s or post 96s? How does that work and what kinda priceing are we talkin about?
Like someone said earlier in this post I can make my own but my time is quite limited.

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I've got most applications for us listed on the site (link in sig - go to "Parts Pricing," or follow a direct link so thoughtfully provided...) and I cut cables to order, so "customs" aren't a problem, either.

Pricing on the page is current - the copper market seems to have settled down a bit, so I think it's going to stay there for a little while.

All applications are confirmed for fitment after installation - so measurements listed damn sure should work for whatever they're listed for. Anything not listed is either something I don't have measurements for, or a set that's out and I haven't gotten a confirmation yet.

Should you have any further questions, you can email me at JeepI6Power AT yahoo DOT com - that should keep us from getting barked at (and I do need to help set an example here... I'd hate to have to kill this thread!) Shipping is a flat $10 within the US, via USPS Priority Post.

I made my own cables thanks to the info on Jon's (5-90) site :cheers:, but only because I live outside the US where the shipping cost would have been higher than the cost of the cables themselves.
I copied Jon's specifications and they turned out great, so I think anyone who bought Jon's cables would be very happy with them.

I run the jeepersandcreepers.com cables. Way overkill. The cables I received used Raychem military spec heatshrink/wire. Now if I could get my starter to not grind!

I copied 5-90's cables also, and I'm as happy as I can be with them.

If I were going to do it over again, I would simply buy them from 5-90 ... much, much simpler, and the cost difference was maybe $5.00 after I had bought everything I needed.

montanaman said:

I copied 5-90's cables also, and I'm as happy as I can be with them.

If I were going to do it over again, I would simply buy them from 5-90 ... much, much simpler, and the cost difference was maybe $5.00 after I had bought everything I needed.

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Yeah. Already having the tooling was a huge help! Had it from a couple jobs ago - when I have to buy tools for a job, I buy them myself. I can still take them off of taxes, and I have them to use later - which I usually need to do anyhow...