Upgrading Positive Battery Cables... Lots of pick

[Jmila1901]

Well here goes my writeup on upgrading my positive battery cables!

The long side of the harness is 30inches
and the short side is 13 inches
But just like before, ive been buying cables longer than needed so i can have more room to move around (My short was way to long...)

Ok lets start... Begin by removing all the plastic covers over the battery cables to expose them!

Here are the tools you are going to need
Extension, 8mm socket, 9/16mm socket, # 15, # 10, Ratchet will small tip, Regular ratchet, Vice grip, needle nose pliers... (Not pictured, i used a dremil to cut plastic, but you can use a knife or blade)


disconnect the battery...


Disconnect the starter power and the green solenoid wire...


Remove the bracket that holds the cables in place...


Now pull the harness up and take a good look at how thin it is...

[Jmila1901]

With a dremil or a cutting tool, separate the power from the starter solenoid cable...


Here are the cables i am going to be using... 2 gauge


Brass Terminals...


Ok now take your old harness and cut off the piece that goes to the Power distribution center... Place it back on the PDC where it was on before, were going to be using it as a link...


Run the new cables down the same location you removed your old ones from and bolt them back down... When i did this, i covered them back up with the old plastic wrap i removed at first...


Button everything up again, connect the battery cables to the Brass terminals...


Check your work and crank her up!!!

Ohh yeah!! Im done with the power cables!!

The only thing i still have left to do is shorten the cable coming from the Power Distribution Center... I bought an extra long one at West Marine thinking i would need the length, which i didn't...

[rocketman121]

Have these been merged yet?

Anyway, worked today on removing the stock positive and negative cables. I dont know if its because of the year or what...but I only have one black cable connected to the block.
Also I have 4 red cables coming off the positive batt terminal each going to the following - starter, alternator, aux fan (i think), and the start relay right next to the batt.

Whats up with the differences?

Edit: just finished reading this - http://www.olypen.com/craigh/charge.htm

It helped me out a little bit with the change in years. However im stilll confused on this fusible link stuff...

[jersey_jim]

is this the "big 3" upgrade?

[76CJ5]

Nice. This might help me with my ignition shorting out problem.

Did you get your parts from the regular ol auto store?

[Jmila1901]

You can get the brass terminals at an auto store... But no, i didnt get the cables at an auto store... i got them at a marine shop, you can also get them at home depot i think and just clamp on some ends, same deal, but autozone doesnt usually have 2 guage, max ive seen their is 4 guage... which is fine for most applications anyways...

[Jmila1901]

No i decided not to merge the writeups... they are all side by side on the sticky section...

This write up does not apply to the older renix style engines...

And for the other guy, this is not the big three, i only replaced two ground cables... the big three links something else if im not mistaken

[Timo_90xj]

Originally Posted by rocketman121

Anyway, worked today on removing the stock positive and negative cables. I dont know if its because of the year or what...but I only have one black cable connected to the block.

Yeap, Renix XJs are a bit different. Like you said, you have a ground wire going from the battery negative terminal to the block. Just replace that with a thicker gauge cable. Preferrably solder the new terminals, not just press- fitting.

Also I have 4 red cables coming off the positive batt terminal each going to the following - starter, alternator, aux fan (i think), and the start relay right next to the batt.

Uumh.. you've got some weird wiring or maybe someone had worked on mine.. although I doubt it, since all the wiring looked like OEM stuff on mine.

IMO, stock Renix positive cables are:
* From alt. to the small distribution (?) block found close to the battery.
* From that same block to the battery
* From battery directly to starter.

Electric fan shouldn't go straight from the battery, but through a relay.

edit: Starter solenoid gets the +12V "info" from the starter relay, which is located close to (or right next to, can't really remember) the distribution block. Never looked into my engine wiring that thoroughly though since I've really had no serious problems with 'em. However, I did upgrade my ground and positive wiring between battery, block, alt. and starter since the OEM wires were in pretty crappy condition.

[Goldenknob]

The "Big 3" is Alternator to battery, battery to engine/frame, and engine to frame. So he has done all 3 basically throughout his 3 wiring upgrades.

[Ivanito]

I did this (plus the neg, and ground strap) last night and my jeep starts up without hesitation now. I used the cables from Advance Auto Parts. What I did, is insted of buying the brass terminals, I bought: pos and neg with the terminals attached (for the conection to the battery + starter, and battery - engine), then I purchased a shorter cable for the ground strap. For the battery - to frame, and the battery + to PDC, I used car audio wire I "aquired" from my gf. Just standard 4 guage all around, as I figured that was plenty.

[Meltedmechanic]

ok, before i get this done let me make sure i am doing this right. 1st cable from battery to starter. 2nd cable from battery to that ignition thing beside the battery

[MGrobe]

Originally Posted by Meltedmechanic

ok, before i get this done let me make sure i am doing this right. 1st cable from battery to starter. 2nd cable from battery to that ignition thing beside the battery

Those are but two of the cables that could be replaced. Here is a write-up that includes a couple others. http://www.jeepin.com/features/cables/index.asp

I did all of these and the alternator cable as well when I replaced mine.

[jsmiddleton4]

I got a little lost on the smaller positive lead going to the solenoid that was seperated at birth by the dremel tool. You re-use the smaller wire and bundle it back in with the harness? You didn't replace it as well?

[Magus2727]

The smaller wire is the "remote" wire so no current flows so you don't need to upgrade the wire. It most likely got installed back in its OEM fashion.

Whats up with using red for the Ground cable for the Block to firewall location?

Most gains of upgrading are seen when doing the Alt, It looks like you did but did not post any pictures? Is that because of not getting a good view of the alt? It looks like you have 3 wires coming of the + battery terminal... or is that from the wire double backing on it self for the power distribution....

[jsmiddleton4]

"The smaller wire is the "remote" wire so no current flows so you don't need to upgrade the wire."

So we get under there, do all this work, and put the same wire back on the smaller post on the solenoid?

Edit: Not busting anyone's chops here by the way. Just trying to understand what the steps are.