Can you safely repair jumper cables?

[nomas]

99% of the jumper cables won’t really ever achieve the 75amp rating, with 10/12 gage wire after the clamping losses you are lucky to get 35 amps, at 9 volts you might push 50 amps.

Most of these cables are glorified charging cables where you can wait 10 minutes and recharge the battery.

My fathers big set you could attach the l16 diesel pusher and jump start off the truck in a few minutes, regular jump cables you would just get a clicking noise

At 9 volts you aren't going to crank anything .

 

[Donald]

I have made or repaired several sets. I have often thought about selling them within my JEEP community or beyond. Just not sure how to make it worth while in a reasonable time frame.

The wire used depends on what its for as you can go anywhere from 4AWG welding cable up to 0AWG OFC power wire. Beyond that its just the same as soldering on ring terminals. Only you're soldering the inside of a battery clamp. I would toss the entire length of old wire and jump on eBay and buy some OFC power wire of decent quality in a 12' length, this will give you roughly 5.5ft long cables that work well if the clamps are decent. I have even built sets with meters built in and cutoff switches.

BTW:
This is the type of soldering that you do with MAP gas and pellets! Again, the pellets are so easy to find now days... You would be searching for "battery terminal solder pellets, with flux".

Good luck, have fun!

Pellets of ??

 

[Rmay635703]

At 9 volts you aren't going to crank anything .

Which is why all the big box jumper cables even when they are new won’t start anything more than a small car, motorcycle or maybe a lawn mower if you’re lucky.

 

[nomas]

Which is why all the big box jumper cables even when they are new won’t start anything more than a small car, motorcycle or maybe a lawn mower if you’re lucky.

Where are you getting all these statistics ? You can find quality jumper cables at the " Big Box " stores if you're willing to pay the price .
https://www.walmart.com/ip/EverStar...mps/2356404305?classType=VARIANT&from=/search

 

[Donald]

Many of the cheaper jump start cable a CU cover AL wire.

 

[Rmay635703]

Where are you getting all these statistics ? You can find quality jumper cables at the " Big Box " stores if you're willing to pay the price .
https://www.walmart.com/ip/EverStar...mps/2356404305?classType=VARIANT&from=/search

Those aren’t in stock at my local store but it’s nice to know you can order them for local pickup at least.

I will have to see if they are copper coated AL or the real thing (AL corrode faster)

 

[RobbS]

GOOLOO GT4000 is an affordable great compact jumper box.
Just an idea

 

[ARCOgraphite]

The clamps are clean as a whistle. I sprayed then scrubbed them. It acts like theres a break in the cable somewhere. I tried to jump start my cavalier that sat for a while. After 10 minutes nothing. My jump pack made it fire right up. I don't see any damage to the cable nor clamps. It's weird.

What gauge wire are they? What length?. If Skinnier than 6ga they wont jump or they will smoke possibly melt and break if Al wire.

Can you see the crimp at the clamp? You can usually see the bare wire . Maybe the factory partially crimped over the jacket.

Need some photos! The mystery must be solved! I am left hanging here dude, Lol.

 

[97prizm]

What gauge wire are they? What length?. If Skinnier than 6ga they wont jump or they will smoke possibly melt and break if Al wire.

Can you see the crimp at the clamp? You can usually see the bare wire . Maybe the factory partially crimped over the jacket.

Need some photos! The mystery must be solved! I am left hanging here dude, Lol.

Ok. I'll go out shortly and take some pics.

 

[SC Maintenance]

Its probably the clamps. Although cable could be broken, especially if there copper coated aluminum wire.

If you know what your doing with electricity, you could put them in parrallel with 120VAC, and use a clamp on meter to check current in both cables. They obviously should be even. If there not, the one with the lower current is broken. If the cable is broken, not worth fixing likely - unless its a really long pure copper high gauge, then you could properly splice it - again if you know what your doing.

 

[BrendanC]

should be able to search for these outside of amazon, but these are my go-to clamps. bolt to secure a proper lug on the cable, copper strap joining both sides of the clamp and a plastic housing that avoids arcing out.

as for jumper cables, order some 1/0 welding cable. make sure it is OFC (oxygen free copper) and not CCA (copper coated aluminum, it’s only good for about 50% of the ampacity and will corrode into dust) and some properly sized tinned copper lugs with a hammer crimper. i made my set with a large anderson plug in between so i could quick connect my truck or another set of clamps. 3 AGM batteries and 370 amps of alternator i don’t ever have to wait to start anything. connect and start from cars to heavy equipment.

 

[wsar10]

Pellets of ??

Sorry, just seen this...

Solder pellets. They are readily available, even on EBAY for cheap, they are often marketed as "battery cable/terminal solder pellets" and used to make factory looking connections between battery wire and battery terminal.

Using MAP gas, you wanna slightly tin the wire with normal solder (the solder will not sink into the middle while tinning but that's ok because it will in the next step), then you place the solder pellet inside whatever the connector is while holding connector with vise or pliers, heat it with the torch until the pellet is liquid insert the wire into the liquid solder, I always move the wire in the liquid solder for a second while still applying heat to make sure its a solid joint, then remove heat and hold it still until it cools.... You wanna put heat shrink up the wire before you solder it, then slide it down over the connector to make a clean or factory looking connection.

IF you do this right, and it super easy, using good wire and connector... you could tow a truck with it!

I am a big 12v audio guy, and this is the only way I will terminate power or ground wires during an install!

Hope this helps....