Custom battery cables

About Custom battery cables, Battery cables are integral to any vehicle. One has to choose wisely because any cable fault can lead to issues like poor performance, damaged parts, or battery breakage.

The market is flooded with innumerable battery cable options, and nowadays, you can also find custom battery cables to fit into any vehicle type.

Let’s dig deeper into the details of custom battery cables.

What are battery cable assemblies?

Battery cables comprise two heavy-gauge cables. The positive one is a wire in red casing, while the negative battery cable, also called ground cable/ground strap, comes in black.

You can find battery cables at the front and center of your automobile’s electrical system.

The positive battery cable connects directly to the starter. On the other hand, a negative battery cable connects to the vehicle’s chassis so that the starter and other parts complete their circuits on activation of switches. Battery cables and terminals together form a closed loop between the battery and the starter, allowing continuous power transmissions.

As the battery cables connect to different parts through sharp turns, they need to be strong and durable.

This cable has a rating of up to 60 volts DC and various gauge sizes. Depending on their installation in cars, buses, trucks, RVs, or tractors, you can choose different battery cables.

Battery cables

Custom cattery cable assemblies considerations:

Let’s read about the different specifications required to manufacture a battery cable.

Battery Cable:

Gauge:

The wire gauge is the most important thing to consider during battery cable manufacturing. If you choose a heavier gauge than required, it may not distribute current effectively.

On the contrary, an extra thin gauge wire may lead to short circuits, ultimately leading to engine fire.

AWG gauge	Application
10	Suitable for low-power alternators, accessory cable leads and starter wires.
8	Suitable for low-power alternators and accessory cables.
6	Suitable for accessory cables, stock alternators and golf cart wiring. They are also useful as battery cables for small engines like light utility vehicles.
4	Used as battery cables in some cars. Works best as accessory cable leads and alternator wires, automobile booster cables, used as battery banks in some electric all-terrain vehicles.
2	Suitable for four-cylinder and 6-cylinder (small) automobile engines, alternators over 160 amperes and high-power accessories. Also good as a battery bank in golf carts. Performs well as heavy-duty jumper cables.
1	Suitable for six-cylinder (large engines) and eight-cylinder (small) engines.And also for small stock V8 engines. Also suitable for high-output alternators in the 200A range.
1/0	Highly suitable as battery cable for high-performing six-cylinder and stock V8 engines.
2/0	Suitable for all sorts of high-crank engines like diesel, big blocks or high compression. EV battery banks and RV converter batteries.
3/0	Suitable for large diesel and marine engines and for high-power battery banks with alternative energy.
4/0	Suitable for large diesel and marine engines and for high-power battery banks with alternative energy.

Stranding:

The wire stranding is responsible for its flexibility. In automobile applications, you don’t need battery cables with too much flexibility as, more or less, they will remain at a fixed position, lying from the battery to the alternator/starter.

However, some automobile applications need flexible battery cables as connected equipment moves frequently. In such cases, you must pick the high strand count cables.

Also, note that current always flows towards the outer side of the wire; thus, higher strand wire shows higher conductivity as there is a wider surface area.

This point also becomes essential in choosing wires with higher strands.

Conductor material:

For battery cables, you need a standard wire with at least 99.9% pure copper.

OFC with 99-95% pure copper looks good, but you must pay twice for OFC as compared to standard copper wires.

The price wouldn’t matter if it would have brought a considerable difference in the electrical performance, but that’s not the case.

Also, never opt for CCA or copper-clad aluminum. As aluminum has only 60% conductivity as copper, you will have to buy a wire with two sizes larger for the same conductivity.

So, if you are using a copper wire of 6 gauge, you will have to use an aluminum wire of 2 gauge for the same application.

Insulation:

Battery cables in automobile applications have to bear high-temperature conditions and get continuously exposed to chemicals and oils.

This makes it necessary to have strong and durable insulation that can withstand all these adverse situations.

Generally, battery cables used are SGX and SAE-type SGT for automobile applications.

SGT battery cables have polyvinyl chloride insulation, which can withstand temperatures up to 105 degrees Celsius.

On the contrary, SGX battery cables have cross insulation and thus can survive in temperatures above 125 degrees Celsius. Also, they are resistant to abrasion.

Battery cable terminals:

You can choose from the innumerable connector types; the common one is the standard battery terminal.

They are available in right-angle and straight configurations and fit with different wire gauges. Mostly, they are made of copper and are found in bare and plated variations.

Wire length:

How long a battery cable should be largely depends on the voltage lost or the voltage drop along the length of the cable.

As the wire length increases, the resistance increases, leading to a voltage drop below a certain level.

Voltage drop = Current (in amps) * Resistance (in ohms)

A high gauge or thin wire has a higher voltage drop than a smaller gauge or thick wire, as the cross-sectional area of a wire is inversely proportional to the wire resistance.

The following table shows the wire lengths (in feet) for different DC systems at different amps and wire gauges.

12 volts DC

AMPS
Gauge	Lengths (in feet)	100	300	500	700	900
	6	30	10	6
	4	48	16	10	7
	2	76	25	15	11
	1	97	32	19	14	11
	1/0	122	41	24	17	14
	2/0	154	51	31	22	17
	3/0	194	65	39	28	22
	4/0	245	82	49	35	27

24 volts DC

AMPS
Gauge	Lengths (in feet)	100	300	500	700	900
	6	60	20	12
	4	96	32	19	14
	2	152	51	30	22	17
	1	194	65	39	28	22
	1/0	244	81	49	35	27
	2/0	308	103	62	44	34
	3/0	388	129	78	55	43
	4/0	490	163	98	70	54

36 volts DC

AMPS
Gauge	Lengths (in feet)	100	300	500	700	900
	6	90	30	18
	4	144	48	29	21
	2	228	76	46	33	25
	1	291	97	58	42	32
	1/0	366	122	73	52	41
	2/0	462	154	92	66	51
	3/0	582	194	116	83	65
	4/0	735	245	147	105	82

48 volts DC

Amps
Gauge	Lengths (in feet)	100	300	500	700	900
	6	120	40	24
	4	192	64	38	27
	2	304	101	61	43
	1	388	129	78	55	43
	1/0	488	163	98	70	54
	2/0	616	205	123	88	68
	3/0	776	259	155	111	86
	4/0	980	327	196	140	109

60 volts DC

Amps
Gauge	Lengths (in feet)	100	300	500	700	900
	6	150	50	30
	4	240	80	48	34
	2	380	127	76	54
	1	485	162	97	69	54
	1/0	610	203	122	87	68
	2/0	770	257	154	110	86
	3/0	970	323	194	139	108
	4/0	1225	408	245	175	136

Custom battery cable assembly solutions at Cloom:

You can look for custom battery cable assembly solutions for your automobile applications.

Marine rating battery cable:

The marine rating refers to the Coast Guard specifications for marine applications.

You can find varieties of “marine” wires, but they must withstand high temperatures and wet conditions.

Also, the wires should have a self-extinguishing nature.

Fuse link/fusible link battery cable:

The fuse link, looking like a wire, is a slow-acting fuse. Generally, a fuse link is a 6-9 inch wire four sizes smaller than the wire intended to protect.

For example, if you are using a 16-gauge wire, it will use a 12-gauge wire as a fuse link.

The high-temperature insulation around the link doesn’t burn in extreme conditions, protecting the wire from overload and reducing hazards when the battery cable melts.

IP67 sealed fuse link in the battery cable
Fusible Link sizes ranging from 10 AWG to 20 AWG
Custom fuse link options are available due to separate cables and sub-assemblies for easy splicing into the existing products.
Different form factors available for Maxi, INMEGA and INMIDI
Available in two temperature options, i.e. 105 and 125 degrees Celsius

Tapered post battery cable:

You can find its terminals in forged bronze, stamped brass and lead
Can find Lead castings with/without steel rings for reinforcement
Tin-plated terminals with brass stamping for wires ranging from gauges 6-2
Heat shrink covering and other options available to meet the needs of the final products
Multiple hardware options for plating, double-headed nuts, and multiple lengths
Different configurations for different wires like 90-degree flags, side leads, etc.
For wires from gauge 8 to gauge 4/0, lead cast heads are available

Ring-to-ring battery cable:

Options available in copper and brass with different plating combinations
For wire gauges 8-2, open barrel terminals are available
For wire gauges 8-4/0, closed barrel terminals available
Heavy duty pull test passed
Different options for connector overmolding
Can crimp more than one wire in one terminal