WHYDTYTT: What Have You Done To Your Truck Today?

[Nickelplate]

I like the thought process on the wax/ plastidip idea. my experience with the plastidip is that it's not very strong. it holds fairly well as a coating for tool handles etc. but I never got it thick enough to not peel and tear so I'm not sure how well it would hold up as a boot without a backer/ backbone. certainly, a better insulator than nothing. which is what I end up with all too often. and it's really not hard if I would just do it. they are available on amazon for 6 dollars a pair!

I wonder if there is a better plastic/rubber product that could be used and would be a bit stronger. I have only used plasti-dip for tool handles as well.

[ArdWrknTrk]

I wonder if there is a better plastic/rubber product that could be used and would be a bit stronger. I have only used plasti-dip for tool handles as well.

I use self fusing silicone rubber tape on Y splices and hoses.

I don't know how you would use it here because it really does need some tension to eliminate gaps.

[kramttocs]

I use self fusing silicone rubber tape on Y splices and hoses.

I don't know how you would use it here because it really does need some tension to eliminate gaps.

Liquid Electrical Tape

[Gary Lewis]

Liquid Electrical Tape

I used liquid tape on the connection to the inverter. But I'd sure like to find boots for these many connectors.

[Nickelplate]

I used liquid tape on the connection to the inverter. But I'd sure like to find boots for these many connectors.

Gary, you could always just use the boots that I had in my pictures and cut the "cap" part in half. Have one on both wires, then just butt them together over the terminal. Or maybe cut a "cartoon mouse door in the baseboards" shape in the end of one cap and when you pop it over the terminal, it will go around the opposing wire. Did my descriptions make sense?

[Gary Lewis]

Gary, you could always just use the boots that I had in my pictures and cut the "cap" part in half. Have one on both wires, then just butt them together over the terminal. Or maybe cut a "cartoon mouse door in the baseboards" shape in the end of one cap and when you pop it over the terminal, it will go around the opposing wire. Did my descriptions make sense?

Your description makes sense, but I worry that the half-boots will slide off and expose the terminal underneath.

I'm coming to the conclusion that the best way to handle this is to limit each connection to one cable. That will mean I need to use a connector on the battery posts that allow me to connect cables there. Maybe something like these:

But I'd need to find boots that fit them, and I've not found them yet. Anyone have other suggestions?

[mat in tn]

Your description makes sense, but I worry that the half-boots will slide off and expose the terminal underneath.

I'm coming to the conclusion that the best way to handle this is to limit each connection to one cable. That will mean I need to use a connector on the battery posts that allow me to connect cables there. Maybe something like these:

But I'd need to find boots that fit them, and I've not found them yet. Anyone have other suggestions?

there may be another possible improvement available, but it will require a little work and dare I say maybe a little redesigning. years ago, I chose to put bubbas battery in a marine type box. simply covering both terminals in one easy step. holding the battery at the same time. However, I did this in hopes of reducing the corrosive damage caused by batteries off gassing. it does seem to have helped in that regard as it is nowhere near as rusty as so many I have come across. dolly is a 93 and i have replaced metal on that core support.

[Gary Lewis]

there may be another possible improvement available, but it will require a little work and dare I say maybe a little redesigning. years ago, I chose to put bubbas battery in a marine type box. simply covering both terminals in one easy step. holding the battery at the same time. However, I did this in hopes of reducing the corrosive damage caused by batteries off gassing. it does seem to have helped in that regard as it is nowhere near as rusty as so many I have come across. dolly is a 93 and i have replaced metal on that core support.

Thanks, Matt. But on the starting battery side there's not a chance I could get a marine battery box in there. The negative stud was rubbing on the hood and I had to adjust the hood up a bit to get clearance, but it is still so close that a box can't fit.

As for off-gassing, these batteries are sealed so don't do that. So my connections are staying nice and clean.

[kramttocs]

Thanks, Matt. But on the starting battery side there's not a chance I could get a marine battery box in there. The negative stud was rubbing on the hood and I had to adjust the hood up a bit to get clearance, but it is still so close that a box can't fit.

As for off-gassing, these batteries are sealed so don't do that. So my connections are staying nice and clean.

So adding any thickness (even a rubber boot) is going to give some grief with the hood?

I really like the ACDelco Professional 4BA17 top to side post adapters I am using on both batteries as they allow the cables to go straight down or along the battery. But I don't know how much slack you have to reroute your cables for something like that.

If the adapter you posted will gain you a little height clearance, plus give you the option for a boot, seems like that's win-win.

[Gary Lewis]

So adding any thickness (even a rubber boot) is going to give some grief with the hood?

I really like the ACDelco Professional 4BA17 top to side post adapters I am using on both batteries as they allow the cables to go straight down or along the battery. But I don't know how much slack you have to reroute your cables for something like that.

If the adapter you posted will gain you a little height clearance, plus give you the option for a boot, seems like that's win-win.

Scott - I think I now have enough room to put a boot over the stud, but it might get squished a bit.

So the ACDelco Professional 4BA17, shown below, sticks out over the side of the battery and let you run a bolt into them in the end? As you can see below I can't stick it out over the side near the negative terminal.

But the adapter I posted, above, doesn't get me any height clearance. The post is just outboard enough to miss the rib on the underside of the hood, so height isn't an issue. The stud just catches the outside edge of the rib. But the adapter gives me another point for attaching cables so I can get down to one per connection, which then allows me to install the boot - assuming I can either find a boot for that adapter or a similar adapter with a boot to fit.