Help me understand the battery wiring

Hackyman · Jul 17, 2026

Im looking to replace the battery wiring. I see that the alternator is going directly to the fuse box, and that is crimped to a cable to the battery. There are two studs on the fusebox wiring, why is this?

Any reason this arrangement is preferable to a cable going straight from the alternator to the battery, and then a separate cable from battery to fuse box?

What is the consensus on the correct cable arrangement to replace? Will 90 degree cable ends make it to the fuse box stud, or are they typically too short? Is there any benefit beyond fewer crimps for the factory, to going directly to the fuse box from the alternator?

Feralkid · Jul 17, 2026

Hackyman said:
Is there any benefit beyond fewer crimps for the factory, to going directly to the fuse box from the alternator?

No difference other than cost of manufacturing. Fewer crimps equals less money to build. Saving a few pennies here and there results in millions of dollars across the fleet.

Hackyman · Jul 20, 2026

Has anyone been able to fit 90 degree battery ends onto the fuse box, without hacking the box completely apart?

What is the best way to terminate at the fuse box?

mrblaine · Jul 20, 2026

Hackyman said:
Has anyone been able to fit 90 degree battery ends onto the fuse box, without hacking the box completely apart?

What is the best way to terminate at the fuse box?

I'd explore something like these and make a busbar that connects the two studs on top or below them.
https://www.jegs.com/i/Ron-Francis-...l7BYLdtH2nfC3c7SeV9kj7LpKVnVPj0saAgVvEALw_wcB

GATORB8 · Jul 20, 2026

Just a note, there is a fusible link of 10 AWG in the factory setup going to the Alternator:

Hackyman · Jul 20, 2026

mrblaine said:
I'd explore something like these and make a busbar that connects the two studs on top or below them.
https://www.jegs.com/i/Ron-Francis-...l7BYLdtH2nfC3c7SeV9kj7LpKVnVPj0saAgVvEALw_wcB

Thanks Blaine,

Im far from an electrical expert, but is there any need to add a bussbar, as the two studs share a single buss bar already?

Is there any need to even connect to both of the studs?

Feralkid · Jul 20, 2026

Hackyman said:
Thanks Blaine,

Im far from an electrical expert, but is there any need to add a bussbar, as the two studs share a single buss bar already?

Is there any need to even connect to both of the studs?

My guess is the engineers who designed the PDC were thinking about the stability that two anchoring studs would give the battery cable, preventing it from rotating the ring terminal and loosening the nut that held it on. So they chose to design it with two studs instead of just one. It's probably not necessary to have a ring terminal with two holes as long as you tighten the nut, but using two single-hole 90 degree ring terminals with a bus bar with two holes placed over top to isolate any rotational movement of the ring terminals from the nuts would serve the same function.

https://www.amazon.com/Plating-Lithium-Battery-LiFePO4-Connector/dp/B0BBCGYVC4/?tag=wranglerorg-20

mrblaine · Jul 20, 2026

Hackyman said:
Thanks Blaine,

Im far from an electrical expert, but is there any need to add a bussbar, as the two studs share a single buss bar already?

Is there any need to even connect to both of the studs?

I don't have a PDC in front of me so I didn't recall if it already has a busbar. If it does, that's fine, if it doesn't, add one. I do recall that the early PDC doesn't have the dual hole terminal feeding the stud(s), or similar. I'll dig that up for clarity.

Hackyman · Jul 20, 2026

mrblaine said:
I don't have a PDC in front of me so I didn't recall if it already has a busbar. If it does, that's fine, if it doesn't, add one. I do recall that the early PDC doesn't have the dual hole terminal feeding the stud(s), or similar. I'll dig that up for clarity.

Ok that makes sense. I did see that the early models only had a single stud.

Here is the 2006 box, I will look for a 90 degree terminal.

AVGodZ · Jul 20, 2026

I recently reworked all my cables using 2G wire with straight fittings and was able to put a 45-degree on them with a small amount of heat. It worked out great and didn’t need to butcher the fuse box or door to get it to close.

mrblaine · Jul 20, 2026

AVGodZ said:
I recently reworked all my cables using 2G wire with straight fittings and was able to put a 45-degree on them with a small amount of heat. It worked out great and didn’t need to butcher the fuse box or door to get it to close.

View attachment 700493

Unless you bought some bizarre lugs, no heat needed to bend pure copper.

AVGodZ · Jul 20, 2026

mrblaine said:
Unless you bought some bizarre lugs, no heat needed to bend pure copper.

You are correct but I still use light heat from a cigar torch. The lugs I’ve been using are a heavy duty deep barrel type and it seams around 2G plus sizes the heat helps..

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Help me understand the battery wiring

Hackyman

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Feralkid

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Hackyman

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mrblaine

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GATORB8

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Hackyman

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Feralkid

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mrblaine

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Hackyman

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