Wisconsin Tacomas and bad financial advice

Nickel plated brass is more durable when exposed to the elements.

 

Correct. Taking apart or doing field repairs on corroded aluminum is pure gunk

 

Most of the lugs on our gear are aluminum. As you both mentioned, it's fine when not exposed to the elements.

 

I classify this as exposure.

 

Couple things not mentioned yet about battery terminals/posts/lugs:

• Depending on if your battery has lead posts, or posts made of something else, you can benefit from using materials closer on the galvanic corrosion scale to prevent...well, corrosion.
• If I had lead battery terminals like are found on most FLA battery, I'd be using lead military-style terminals.
• If I had brass or alloy terminals like are found on many AGM batteries, then aluminum can make more sense.
• In my opinion, anything with bolts to accept ring lugs on the end of cables provides a more positive connection than many "car audio" style terminals that use a grub screw to hold it down.
• From a corrosion aspect, tinned marine grade UL hydraulic crimp-on lugs finished with adhesive-lined heat shrink > everything else. Do it right or do it twice.

All I have for now, back to pretending to work for another 4 hours.

 

Better yet, protect your electrical from the elements

 

Alexa
What if my battery has side post, does it matter what the screw is made of?

 

Usually it’s more like do it right or do it 4-5 times lol

 

This much is true. Hence why I put the cut-off back by the brake fluid resi.
Barely any dirt back there compared to up front by the battery.

 

This is the best advice. Though for big posts and heavy gauge lugs, the other thing I would add is "you should expect to do maintenance." Simple cleanings of the corrosion with baking soda or terminal cleaner go a long way to keeping those solid connections solid.

Smaller wires yeah you better protect them, not as much copper there before it disintegrates to nothing.

Yeah it probably can matter. But not as much as you think. Also see above about regular maintenance to clean off the gunk.

If there's one thing I've learned so far, it's that no matter how much you plan that as the build evolves it will change it's own course. But doing the steps correctly along the way and using good supplies will help reduce the evolutions. More importantly, it will help reduce/eliminate user-induced errors that could leave you dead on the roadside versus re-doing things for expansion or optimization which are more like elective surgeries.

That's a good spot but also a popular place to add auxiliary fuse/power panels and such. Also, that battery switch is probably rated IP6x or higher which is more submersible than almost everything in that area. I wouldn't worry much about that big honkin' switch being affected by the elements, but you may want to consider how much cable you have to move it around for later.

 

Well, yeah. But, anything under the hood is exposed to the elements to some degree.

That's why I use only the finest wire nuts and electrical tape.

 

Spot on.
What's great, today, is you can have what you need in a day or 2 and not have to make 50 trips to the parts store.

 

It depends if the side posts are pointing N or S.

She might be able to tell you what 'dirty power' is.

 

This is a lie. Only way I get things in a day or two is going to the store (or ordering from anyplace other than Amazon)

 

This!!!

 

That's understandable when you live in the middle of a corn field.

 

I can get a lot of things overnight, or same day if I order in the morning. I've ordered stuff when I was already in bed, and it's there when I wake up.

But, I live within an hour of like 7 Amazon warehouses.

 

I want to try what he's smoking cause alcohol doesn't do that to my brain!

 

I use BG terminal protectant after a decent cleaning.

Keeps my battery happy when I go on my underwater excursions