Thread: CJT's D2 Dual Battery Setup

Due to the location of the batteries and the mess of Land Rover wiring near here I am redoing most of it.

New battery cables are being made out of 2GA cable (Rated to 225 Amps) with swaged connections and all sealed with heat shrink.

The new battery terminals have 1 x 2GA, 1 x 4GA and 2 x 8GA points.

The dual battery cables are 8GA so fit into the terminal nicely. I have then made up 2GA earth and power cables.

The earth will run from the engine to a negative bus bar so that I can relocate all the factory earth points sitting between the batteries and std fuse box. This is where the battery controller will be located instead.

The positive runs from Battery 2 to a 12 circuit fuse box, each circuit in the box is rated to 30A and the total box is rated to 100A. This will hold the fuses for spot lights, UHF and compressor etc. and will be located with the negative bus bar at the rear drivers side of the engine bay on the fender.

I also have stainless P-Clips and the slotted plastic wire cover. I am removing the outer fender to allow me to insert nutserts for the fuse block, bus bar, battery controller and P-clips to keep all the wiring neat and protected.

Some cables, terminal and bus bar.

So I got a little bit more done today, the cables are only zip tied together at the moment but will be sleeved by conduit and secured when all the cables are done.

A few more pictures.

Hi CJT, I see you have a couple of cables running on top of the metal battery strap....this is a potential chaffing point and the wires could rub through and cause a short. Try and re-route them or sleeve them with some protection.

Good work though,

Dave

Originally Posted by iPom

Hi CJT, I see you have a couple of cables running on top of the metal battery strap....this is a potential chaffing point and the wires could rub through and cause a short. Try and re-route them or sleeve them with some protection.

Good work though,

Dave

Thanks for the advice, they will be sleeved shorthly, just cutting and placing all the wires before I cover them all up.

Just need to relocate the body earth points, put in the battery controller and fuse block, wire up the spotlights again (the wiring was rubbish on those), wire in the UHF, Couplertec rust protection and mount and wire in the compressor and possibly an air tank.

Should keep me busy between christmas and new year.

No worries...shouldn't have presumed you were finished in that area...

Personally I'm not a fan of the battery terminals you've used....I'm more of a coated brass terminal with a bolt/bolts for fastening down crimped lugs....this type of terminal ensures you can add as many lugs as you need, especially negative links, winch negative etc, just by using a longer bolt...quick rub all over with vaseline or a spray of terminal protector and bobs yer uncle....It looks like you are limited to only two larger size cables per post....That's fine if that is all you need....but more for me I like the option of adding more if required.

iPom

Yeah, I am not too happy with them either now.

They didn't fit properly and I had to grind them down so I could tighten them enough on the terminals.

They work for now but I am going to look at alternatives and replace them in the future. I should not have any problems until I go to connect the winch and run cables to the rear cargo area.