Forget the vice, I'm telling you, spend the $7 on that swedge on tool and you'll save a TON of time and effort. Using that thing I can crimp 1/0 lugs in a matter of seconds. You just stick the wire in the terminal, put the terminal in the tool and smack it with a sledge hammer...This is what it looks like:
The problem is once you strip it you can really only terminate it once. If you use it for an amplifier and have to remove/reinstall the cable more than once the stripped strands end up fraying out and it becomes a PITA. I still like it because it's a great bang for your buck cable but I just don't like installing it...
I guess I worded that wrong. What I meant was, the big 3 handles a lot of the "heavy lifting" in the system and, when doing big upgrades, needs to be up to par. Not that either CCA or OFC are more reliable than the other, it is better (at least in my eyes) to have some headroom and use OFC then be pushing the wire to it's limits and use CCA. The big 3 in my car only needed like 5ft max so it's not like you'll be breaking the bank by spending the extra for OFC
No, no, and no, I cannot emphasize how wrong this is. Current DOES NOT take the path of least resistance, that's the biggest myth I've ever heard. Current disperses itself over all conductors according to their resistance. So if you leave your stock wiring in there IT WILL BENEFIT the electrical system by carrying some of the current. I don't like to use examples like this because I believe it's kind of insulting to the reader but if you want one just think of the current as water and the wire as pipe, the 1/0 would be a large diameter pipe and the stock would be smaller. Obviously the large pipe is going to take most of the load but that doesn't mean the smaller is just going to sit there and do nothing, it takes a proportionate amount based on it's size (resistance).
You think the OP's system is going to get anywhere near 250A? Hell I run a 230A DC Power alt and I rather doubt I would even hit that level, besides with such short lengths the wire will handle much more current than that in short bursts. CCA and OFC will perform exactly the same for 95% of the installations performed by the userbase here. The other 5% are running large enough systems they should have the knowledge to not ask if they need OFC or not.
this is true to an extent. i have crimped it where i didnt do it strong enough and easily twisted it into another terminal/lug. now on the other hand i agree with you about it being a pita to mess with with amps and stuff. i hate how it doesnt fit snug like it should. neither brands of 1/0 i use for power or ground will fit like it should in my amp.
Well you have a couple options. Either you can use your stock battery terminals and just add the aftermarket wire to one of the 2 bolts. Or you if those stock wires at the bottom are long enough, cut them and crimp new terminals on them (or put them in a set screw battery terminal) but I'd wager those cables have 0 slack in them. If you don't like (or can't do) either of those well you'll have to get a little creative. They make double ended set screw terminals for joining two pieces of wire so you could lengthen those cables or maybe even just ring terminals bolted together using a nut & bolt but that wouldn't be optimal (kind of sloppy looking IMO).
Also an option, just make sure you have room to mount everything and decide beforehand whether or not you want it to look really clean (it makes a difference on your options)
