Homemade Quick Connect Jumper Cables
Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 1:54 pm
Materials you will need:
* 2x12' sections of 2 AWG (Or any length really, I just wanted 12' jumper cables. Go to your local welding supply or high end stereo shop to find this cable. You want it to be as flexible as can be.)
* 1 Warn Quick Connect Plug w/ terminals AND Dust Cover (optional) (PN 22680-this is for 2 plugs with terminals, which you will need if you don't already have the aforementioned battery cables; PN 25933 for the dust cover). If you can't find the Warn plugs, a company called Anderson Power Products makes the very same plug. Look on Ebay or Princess Auto.
* Jumper Cable Clamps (available at any parts store or Crappy Tire)
* Hammer-Style Crimping tool
* Big Hammer
* Wire Cutter or Razor Knife
* Torch or Hair Dryer
* Heat Shrink Tubing to fit 2 AWG
Let's start on the plug side. Use the wire cutter to trim back about an inch and a half of the insulation. This needs to be long enough to fit all the way down in the terminal.
After You have trimmed down the insulation, insert the end of the cable into the terminal. Place it in the crimping tool and beat the heck out of it.
insert the cable into the terminal insert the terminal into the crimping tool This is what your crimp should look like
I then cut off about five inches of heat shrink tubing and sleeved it over the terminal end. I used a MAPP torch to shrink it, but a hair dryer will work. Remember, we're only trying to heat the tubing, not burn it.
heat shrink tubing use a torch to shrink the tubing
After you have repeated on the other piece of cable, simply slide the terminals into the plug. I don't know if you can make it out in the picture but the plug has plus (+) and minus (-) symbols on it to represent positive and ground. This is very cool, because it is impossible to insert the plug the wrong way. Positive will always line up with positive and ground will always line up with ground. Pretty sweet, huh?
insert the crimped cable into the plug cable and plug
Note: If you don't have the battery end cables that I mentioned at the beginning of this write up you will need to repeat all the steps above to make a second plug. You will have to get battery lugs to attach to the ends if you make a set of these.
Now, on to the business end of the jumper cables. The first thing that I did was trim down about an inch of the insulation. In hindsight I should have waited until I was ready to attach them to the clamps. I had a lot of heat shrink tubing so I took a 9' section and melted it around the plug end of the cables. This isn't necessary, but I just wanted to burn something else.
MAKE SURE YOU ARE WORKING WITH THE POSITIVE CABLE COMING FROM THE PLUG! Thread the cable through the clamp after removing half of the clamp (the end should have a screw holding it into place.) Cut some heat shrink and thread it down the cable BEFORE you clamp down on the brass end from the jumper cable clamp. Now, before you clamp down make sure that the heat shrink is in place and MAKE SURE YOU ARE WORKING WITH THE POSITIVE CABLE COMING FROM THE PLUG! Crimp the clamp into place and heat the tubing around the end of the cable.
Connect the cable to the clamp connect the cable to the clamp Connect the cable to the clamp The connected clamp
Now repeat with the negative side. After you are done triple check the positive and negative connections.
Finished product.
And in closing, NEVER EVER EVER EVER EVER attach the negative clamp to the terminal on the battery of the vehicle that you are jumping off. Batteries can expel dangerous fumes that can be ignited by the spark that jumper cables create when attached to a battery. Attach the negative end to a good ground surface like the engine block or the frame rail.
* 2x12' sections of 2 AWG (Or any length really, I just wanted 12' jumper cables. Go to your local welding supply or high end stereo shop to find this cable. You want it to be as flexible as can be.)
* 1 Warn Quick Connect Plug w/ terminals AND Dust Cover (optional) (PN 22680-this is for 2 plugs with terminals, which you will need if you don't already have the aforementioned battery cables; PN 25933 for the dust cover). If you can't find the Warn plugs, a company called Anderson Power Products makes the very same plug. Look on Ebay or Princess Auto.
* Jumper Cable Clamps (available at any parts store or Crappy Tire)
* Hammer-Style Crimping tool
* Big Hammer
* Wire Cutter or Razor Knife
* Torch or Hair Dryer
* Heat Shrink Tubing to fit 2 AWG
Let's start on the plug side. Use the wire cutter to trim back about an inch and a half of the insulation. This needs to be long enough to fit all the way down in the terminal.
After You have trimmed down the insulation, insert the end of the cable into the terminal. Place it in the crimping tool and beat the heck out of it.
insert the cable into the terminal insert the terminal into the crimping tool This is what your crimp should look like
I then cut off about five inches of heat shrink tubing and sleeved it over the terminal end. I used a MAPP torch to shrink it, but a hair dryer will work. Remember, we're only trying to heat the tubing, not burn it.
heat shrink tubing use a torch to shrink the tubing
After you have repeated on the other piece of cable, simply slide the terminals into the plug. I don't know if you can make it out in the picture but the plug has plus (+) and minus (-) symbols on it to represent positive and ground. This is very cool, because it is impossible to insert the plug the wrong way. Positive will always line up with positive and ground will always line up with ground. Pretty sweet, huh?
insert the crimped cable into the plug cable and plug
Note: If you don't have the battery end cables that I mentioned at the beginning of this write up you will need to repeat all the steps above to make a second plug. You will have to get battery lugs to attach to the ends if you make a set of these.
Now, on to the business end of the jumper cables. The first thing that I did was trim down about an inch of the insulation. In hindsight I should have waited until I was ready to attach them to the clamps. I had a lot of heat shrink tubing so I took a 9' section and melted it around the plug end of the cables. This isn't necessary, but I just wanted to burn something else.
MAKE SURE YOU ARE WORKING WITH THE POSITIVE CABLE COMING FROM THE PLUG! Thread the cable through the clamp after removing half of the clamp (the end should have a screw holding it into place.) Cut some heat shrink and thread it down the cable BEFORE you clamp down on the brass end from the jumper cable clamp. Now, before you clamp down make sure that the heat shrink is in place and MAKE SURE YOU ARE WORKING WITH THE POSITIVE CABLE COMING FROM THE PLUG! Crimp the clamp into place and heat the tubing around the end of the cable.
Connect the cable to the clamp connect the cable to the clamp Connect the cable to the clamp The connected clamp
Now repeat with the negative side. After you are done triple check the positive and negative connections.
Finished product.
And in closing, NEVER EVER EVER EVER EVER attach the negative clamp to the terminal on the battery of the vehicle that you are jumping off. Batteries can expel dangerous fumes that can be ignited by the spark that jumper cables create when attached to a battery. Attach the negative end to a good ground surface like the engine block or the frame rail.
