Too many accessories on the battery - need advice

BigClay

Knower of useless ZJ things
Joined
Sep 24, 2008
Location
Winston-Salem
Between winch, aux lights, GMRS and other crap I have way too many wires directly on the battery terminals. I want to make it easier for me to get the battery in and out with out all these wires falling everywhere.

Give me some advice and dumb it down for me because I am as far from a sparky as there is.
 
Could you just get a battery terminal with multiple connection points like the one on our JKU? I just recently replaced the battery and I didn’t have to disconnect any of the accessories I’ve added.
IMG_6710.jpeg
 
(Red & Black) 3/8" 4 Stud Bus BAR Power Distribution Block - Made in The USA - for Marine Battery Terminals, 12v Power and Ground Distribution Blocks - Terminal Block for Battery Terminals - BusBar https://a.co/d/09a1mvn8
 
(Red & Black) 3/8" 4 Stud Bus BAR Power Distribution Block - Made in The USA - for Marine Battery Terminals, 12v Power and Ground Distribution Blocks - Terminal Block for Battery Terminals - BusBar https://a.co/d/09a1mvn8

Help out my ignorance. With that I run the accessories to three of the posts and then one of the posts runs back to the battery?
 
I’d definitely run a cable into the cab under dash and attach to a universal fuse block, then power from there. Less wire mess under the hood and closer to the accys and switches…. Or go spod or switch pro
 
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I agree with Noel, I wired my boat with one of these and it made it way cleaner and easier https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Sea-Sys...1-2-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&th=1
You would need to run a wire to the battery terminal then everything else would connect to the fuse panel. Only things I would connect directly to the battery terminal would be a winch or something that requires over 30 AMPS like a big amplifier or compressor.
 
2 post battery.
Winch directly to top post.
Side post to copper terminal block- not cheap aluminum junk - everything else including starter to there.
Inine fuse between battery and terminal block
 
I used a blue sea distribution block under the hood of my old car. When mounted on the radiator support it blended in pretty well.

 
Another related question, what size wire for the jumper from the bus block back to the battery? I am reading about 2awg, 4awg, 2/0, and 4/0 sizes
 
Another related question, what size wire for the jumper from the bus block back to the battery? I am reading about 2awg, 4awg, 2/0, and 4/0 sizes
Bigger the better. 2 should be sufficient. But as mentioned winch straight to battery. That’s a plus for a dual post battery. Winch to the side post and power to jeep from top or opposite
 
Bigger the better. 2 should be sufficient. But as mentioned winch straight to battery. That’s a plus for a dual post battery. Winch to the side post and power to jeep from top or opposite
Gonna plead ignorance, when you say 2 you mean 2awg?
 
Bigger the better. 2 should be sufficient. But as mentioned winch straight to battery. That’s a plus for a dual post battery. Winch to the side post and power to jeep from top or opposite
Backwards
The side post are current limited the top isn’t.
Winch to top post.
 
Battery is newish so not changing that right now but that two post battery is a great idea.

Order Bud bar and 2awg jumpers so hopefully this will tidy up everything
 
2awg jumper
Just make sure you protect them and/or be careful about routing so you don't end up chafing the wire and burning the truck to the ground. Same as what you'd have to do with the winch hot, but shouldn't be left unsaid. If the wire is long, circuit breaker ftw.
 
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