Jumper Cable Gauge?

[RkyMtHgh]

What gauge would you recommend for a set of jumper cables? I may be way off base, but I would imagine that an SUV requires a thicker set of cables than a passenger car. Would 8 gauge suffice?

 

[Koz]

What gauge would you recommend for a set of jumper cables? I may be way off base, but I would imagine that an SUV requires a thicker set of cables than a passenger car. Would 8 gauge suffice?

The thicker the better, what you want are long cables. You want to be able to pull behind a vehicle and attach the cables, without having to get next to it, or head to head.

Koz

 

[kglueck]

Re: Re: Jumper Cable Gauge?

The thicker the better, what you want are long cables. You want to be able to pull behind a vehicle and attach the cables, without having to get next to it, or head to head.

Koz

and if you go for the longer cables, make sure to go to a larger gauge so there's less of a voltage drop under load...

Also another good thing to do to your jumper cables when you do buy them us to use a solder gun and actually solder the crimped part to the wire, makes for better contact and better current flow. Or at least, that's what my father always did...

Me? I just keep one of those jump-start battery/impact air "compressor" units in the back...can walk right up to the vehicle that way...plus it also eliminates any danger that you may put your vehicle into if the other one has trouble...also keeps me from having to disconnect my ham radios before I jump someone...

Just my opinion, tho...YMMV

 

[Rayman]

Just remember, the longer the cable, the bigger the gauge size. Don't want too much resistance building up.

 

[kglueck]

Just remember, the longer the cable, the bigger the gauge size. Don't want too much resistance building up.

heh...great minds think alike, eh?

 

[Rayman]

 

[Koz]

These are a decent set, I have a similar set but the clamps are made out of a bake-O-lite type plastic, so not to get a shock or if they touch metal, no sparks. What's real important also is that they are very flexible in cold weather.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00002243Z/ref=cm_bg_f_2/002-6872539-4076833?v=glance

Koz

 

[greasefingers]

When I solder something that extreme, I use a handheld propane torch. The same you would do if you were sweatin copper pipe.

 

[jharris2]

Re: Re: Re: Jumper Cable Gauge?

Me? I just keep one of those jump-start battery/impact air "compressor" units in the back...can walk right up to the vehicle that way...plus it also eliminates any danger that you may put your vehicle into if the other one has trouble...also keeps me from having to disconnect my ham radios before I jump someone...

I keep one of the battery packs in my truck, too -- just not the compressor type. It really comes in handy.

 

[EDGE]

with modern cars and all the electronics I would not jump anyone without them 1st signing a release form, I've seen several newer cars that needed every electrical component in the car replaced: a few months back their was a fairly new Pathfinder at the dealer that had extensive interior burns, the truck was jumped and the wiring harness was so overloaded that the wires cooked themselves from the inside out, it was eventually totalled