I decided to install the 8 gauge THHN stranded wiring on the passenger side of the vehicle where the battery is and keep the run as short as possible to the rig which is mounted under the passenger seat. After removing the glove box and trying to find where the wiring comes in back behind the AC condenser and other junk I realized I just couldn't see a thing and was going to have to come from the engine side in. |
Now...(don't laugh) I'm not the neatest car keeper in the world. (I SAID don't laugh!) ...anyway when I was getting out of the car and trying to figure out how to run the wires through the firewall I looked down next to the door sill and saw this stick that you see above. It was a stick left over from a 'sausage-on-a-stick' that I had eaten a week or three before and threw in the trash (i.e. floorboard). This turned out to be a great device to run wire! I could probe through one of the exisiting rubber grommets through the firewall where other wiring was going through and be able to see the stick on the other side and it was soft enough (and non metalic) that I didn't have to worry about dammaging wires! |
(above) After removing the battery I found the spot where the wires went through! I have highlighted the spot here and have run the first bit of #8 wire through. |
(above) Here is the stick after I have pushed it through. I simply taped the #8 wire to the stick with electrical tape. When I got it through I removed the tape and did the same thing again for the second run of wire. |
Here is the battery side of the wires. As you can see I have them labeled! Label BOTH ends of your wire if you are using same color wire! Check it with a multimeter! Check it twice! Check it a third time! (why yes, I am making a point! heh) |
(above) As you can see I ALSO tagged the battery! That way there is NO mistake when I go to hook things up! It would be misery to dammage something! |
(above) Please note the safety issues as you go along. Since the new posts on the battery are on the side of the battery facing the firewall of the truck I didn't want to accidentally have the terminals short out on the metal wall. Folks I've seen a shorted battery melt solid steel banding wire that accidentally touched from positive to ground on the body of a forklift. Dangerous stuff! Anyway I've put a decent bit of electrical tape on the wall to keep from coming into contact when I install the battery. I have also left the #8 wires on this side of the fire wall longer than necessary so that I could hook them up before installing the battery. |
Here is a closeup of the wires connected. As you can see I taped up the terminals after I installed the cable as a double protection from accdentally bumping anything when I re-installed the battery. |
After installing the battery I re-attached the lock down bracket over the battery and it's not going anywhere! You can see there is only about an inch of clearance between the battery and the wall! I've simply used a tie-strap to hold the wires to the top of the battery holder and keep them free from banging on the hood when it closes. OPTIMALLY it is a good idea to double fuse the power leads RIGHT AT THE BATTERY! I have not done this because of the very short run and the fact that the wiring comes into contact with nothing that might rub or cut or the like and cause a short. Later I will probably put in fuses anyway. The cables are double fused about 4 foot away at the radio (fused on the - and + wires) |
Here I have started to solder the #8 to the #10 or 12 that comes with the rig. In this shot I have only used a soldering gun to get the solder started, I later cleaned it up and wicked it into the wiring better with a propane torch and then properly taped and sealed everything up. |
Just about done, tucking the wiring under the floorboard rails and going under the seat where I have the rig mounted. |
...and a quick shot of the rig. It is mounted in a plastic pullout drawer under the seat. I have drilled holes in the thing for air flow, coax runs and power cable / remote head runs as well. |