WHYDTYTT: What Have You Done To Your Truck Today?

[Angelo Voltura]

Looks good. That's kind of how we do them at work, we just don't crimp them though. We drop the correct sized slug in the eyelet and heat it with a torch adding another pellet if need be then hit the bare wire of the cable with the torch to preheat it some then stick the wire in the solder let cool then shrink wrap it.

That's how I would do mine. But I still have the OE style battery so my options would be like we do at work which is use marine terminals which I don't like the stud sticking up or I found these from Wiring Depot where I bought my bulk SXL wire from.

https://www.wiringdepot.com/ordnance-/-military-bolt-type-battery-terminals.aspx

I kind of like this one, it has a nice long bolt for more hook ups, and the bolt is to the side which keeps it low profile. Only problem is I don't know if a terminal cover will fit over it which the same place carries.

Then again I was also thinking about just using pre made battery terminal ends with a pig tail coming out so I can solder a ground wire for the cluster of relay grounds and horn grounds at my auxiliary fuse box to this lead for a good ground for everything. Headlight grounds from my relay kit I am thinking of running down to the block and stacking a single eyelet over the battery cable ground along with a ground cable from the 3G alternator.

The power wire pig tail is what I really need so I can run my 10ga wire which I keep thinking is too small to provide power for my auxiliary fuse box circuits.

Then I was looking at KC Lighting and see they got some round lights that many use as under hood lights, I thought of using them with a push button switch under the hood to turn them on and off. But that's more load on that 10ga wire for my fuse box. Then I saw the rock crawler lights which I have no use for but could be something nice to have if I ever went to that RWP event up in north Texas some day.

Man these ports are rough.

 

[ArdWrknTrk]

I made three battery cables today. I used 2 gauge for the ground to the block and from there to the frame, and 4 gauge from the battery to the fender. And the positive cable is #2 as well, but I made it a few days ago.

Here are the components I used.

Here's the 16-ton crimping tool:

And here are the cables. The positive cable goes to the power distribution box you can see to one side of the 175 amp mega fuse. The #2 starter cable comes off of there.

The little ground is the #4 and it goes to the ground stud on the fender. The #2 goes down to the block and from there to the frame.

Why the spacer under the front nut Gary?

Have you considered wingnuts, so you could get the battery out without tools?

(Not that you're likely to go anywhere without tools)

[ArdWrknTrk]

Why the spacer under the front nut Gary?

Have you considered wingnuts, so you could get the battery out without tools?

(Not that you're likely to go anywhere without tools)

I had my freshly painted drums and hardware kits laid out.

(That's my favorite little Snap-On brake spoon!)

I laid out the Tabco parts too.

Then this happened.

You're going to go through a LOT of discs to cut and prep for like that!

Proper weld prep, from the underside.

Yeah, even with a face shield you're going to have grit in your ears, and everywhere.

Laying under there was no fun!

I brushed acid into the cab mount brace and lower cowl pocket at dusk last night.

Today, the adventure continues!

[ArdWrknTrk]

That was the reason for me going to the PMGR starter, to keep from having a Chineseum relay either weld itself together or just flat not connect.

Bill,

My Chinese starter (DB Electrical) worked great from back when I had my "starter woes"

Rebuilding one, from two, has been working great as well.

I'm now using the 40A relay that came in my compact Chinese PDC.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Bill,

My Chinese starter (DB Electrical) worked great from back when I had my "starter woes"

Rebuilding one, from two, has been working great as well.

I'm now using the 40A relay that came in my compact Chinese PDC.

I had these tires off my truck yesterday and was reminded that I should share my thoughts.

I'm very happy with these tires in the 235/65 R 16-E size, Premier compound.

They cost ~$125 a piece, delivered to your door.

From the inside you can tell the carcasses are not the same.

One of them took about 4.25 oz. To balance.

But they have great traction in the rain and in the dirt and stone dust of the paddock.

They are WORLDS better as far as road noise than the Kelly's I had before.

I've had them for about 3,500 miles.

The tread is deep.

They don't act weird at 100+ mph.

Customer service (response to questions and concerns) is excellent!

While these are just my observations -short term- I don't have any reservations recommending Treadwright, and these tires in particular, to all of you.

I'm not trying to be a shill, but I do want to share.

[Gary Lewis]

I had my freshly painted drums and hardware kits laid out.

(That's my favorite little Snap-On brake spoon!)

I laid out the Tabco parts too.

Then this happened.

You're going to go through a LOT of discs to cut and prep for like that!

Proper weld prep, from the underside.

Yeah, even with a face shield you're going to have grit in your ears, and everywhere.

Laying under there was no fun!

I brushed acid into the cab mount brace and lower cowl pocket at dusk last night.

Today, the adventure continues!

Jim - How long have you had those parts and tools laid out? I'd have thought that much rust wouldn't happen over night?

Seriously though, that is AWFUL! Man, that's gonna be a LOT of work! I sure don't envy you. Good luck.

As for the spacer, it is hiding an overly-large hole. I just happened to have that piece of channel laying around so thought I'd use it for the mock-up. But I hadn't thought of using wing nuts. I'll see what I have. Thanks.

[Gary Lewis]

Man these ports are rough.

Angelo - It takes a LOT of time-consuming work to clean those factory castings up. Been there, done that. And the improvements are hard to quantify. Good luck and let us see what you do.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Jim - How long have you had those parts and tools laid out? I'd have thought that much rust wouldn't happen over night?

Seriously though, that is AWFUL! Man, that's gonna be a LOT of work! I sure don't envy you. Good luck.

As for the spacer, it is hiding an overly-large hole. I just happened to have that piece of channel laying around so thought I'd use it for the mock-up. But I hadn't thought of using wing nuts. I'll see what I have. Thanks.

It is a lot of work.

You may recall, I mentioned the pinch weld had given way at the bottom of the firewall.

Yeah, that was the boxed in cab mount pushing up through the floor.

 

[Gary Lewis]

It is a lot of work.

You may recall, I mentioned the pinch weld had given way at the bottom of the firewall.

Yeah, that was the boxed in cab mount pushing up through the floor.

Yipes! Well, it looks like you have time right now. Hope the weather holds.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Yipes! Well, it looks like you have time right now. Hope the weather holds.

It was pouring last night!

Hopefully the sun will come out today.