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| Joined: | 03-12-2005 |
| Location: | Kingman, Arizona USA |
| Posts: | 532 |
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Battery positive side. You'll need a cable that carries 450-600 amps peak, and that will carry 60-100 amperes steady-state with a voltage drop of perhaps 0.25-0.50 volt. I couldn't find any battery cable specs in a brief online search, but based on experience I'd be amazed if 4/0 cable was adequate. A 6/0 cable might do the job. DANGER: if this cable runs along the right frame rail adjacent to the fuel lines, and if its jacket is ever damaged to the point that the copper wire is exposed, you'll be fortunate to avoid a fire that envelops the entire car before the occupants can escape. Give serious thought to running the cable in a PVC pipe, clear vinyl tubing, or some similar protection.
Battery negative side. If you connect it to the chassis, you can use 4/0 cable (perhaps even 2/0 cable if it's a very short run), but must guarantee superior electrical contact with the frame. If you run a cable forward to the transmission, bell housing, or engine block, it'll need to be the same size as the positive cable.
Expect the cables and their connectors to need frequent inspection and maintenance, and occasional replacement.
If the battery is allowed to bounce around, it will fail abruptly.
Depending on the alternator you have, you may need to run its regulator sense line all the way back to the battery, to guarantee that it gets fully charged. This can possibly result in a reduced life span for the various light bulbs and perhaps aftertmarket electronics.