Battery post connection problems

[tercel89]

Guys/Gals , sorry to bother you all but I am having a very SIMPLE problem. I am a pretty good mechanic (shade tree LOL ) but here goes : We just gave my 18 year old son our older car for his graduation. It needed a battery. The proper fitting battery has always been kinda loose in the positive connector. I just got a new battery for it. It will get juice to the system and all but I can wiggle the connector around and spin it while the bolt is all tight and snug. The stock connector just wont tighten fully. I almost got a bunch of Aluminum foil and wrapped the battery post to take up the slack but I wont since this is my sons first car.  Is there any "spacers" that can go around the post to make it tighter ? Or should I just go ahead and get a new "battery connector" and splice it into my existing battery cable ?

 Again I am a pretty good mechanic but I figured that I would ask you guys in case some random magic invention came out for this predicament . Thanks for any information.

[Fourtyfive]

Wrap some aluminum foil around the post then place the connector back on and crank tight.

[tercel89]

7 minutes ago, Fourtyfive said:

Wrap some aluminum foil around the post then place the connector back on and crank tight.

LOL that was what I was going to do but you know how it is when you have kids. I just didn't want to give him a jimmy rigged car .

 

[Fourtyfive]

Open the circle clamp and file where it touches itself so it can close tighter.

[TGO David]

6 minutes ago, Fourtyfive said:

Open the circle clamp and file where it touches itself so it can close tighter.

^^^ This is the right answer.

[tercel89]

22 minutes ago, Fourtyfive said:

Open the circle clamp and file where it touches itself so it can close tighter.

I can't do that . The problem is that the stock/factory clamps are as tight as it can be and it still cant grip the post . So that is why I was trying yo fill the gap around the battery post. Just trying to avoid jimmy rigging it with aluminum foil to fill the small gap around the battery post and clamp.

[tercel89]

Hey guys , I just found these ,,,, They are battery post shims. Looks like they will fix this problem . Ill post this and it may help others. Like I said before , I fix major things but it seems the smallest things just get me LOL

 

[musicman]

Those shims work, but I don't like them.  They can slip off the terminal as well.  In cases like this, I would (and have) spent a few bucks and 15 minutes to buy a nice set of heavy duty and properly fitting terminals and just swap them out. 

[McGarrett]

You can get replacement ends for your battery cables that clamp on at an auto parts store. Make sure to pay attention to which one is positive and negative when replacing them, they are slightly different sized posts.

[Murgatroy]

If you file the ends of the terminals they will close tighter. Where the bolt goes to tighten it, you file the insides, take an eighth inch off of each side on the inside. That allows the terminal to clamp with a quarter inch more, which should be more than enough.

 

A quick redneck solution is a screw. A woodscrew on one side will tighten her right up. Get you home in a pinch.

[VERO1]

Just replace the whole cable and be done with it. 

[peejman]

New terminals. Takes 10 minutes to replace. 

[gregintenn]

How much does a new terminal cost? Just get one, or better yet, a pair. You're right.....you don't want to jerry rig your kid's car.

[Sam1]

2 hours ago, gregintenn said:

How much does a new terminal cost? Just get one, or better yet, a pair. You're right.....you don't want to jerry rig your kid's car.

$5 or so

[Garufa]

3 hours ago, gregintenn said:

....you don't want to jerry rig your kid's car.

My father would have disagreed with that based on his tales of starting his rides with a srewdriver and burning 3 quarts of oil to get from Memphis to Oxford, MS when I was trying to get my first car, lol.

 

Edited May 30, 2016 by Garufa

[DWARREN123]

New replacement clamp or cable. Don't shade tree it.

[Capbyrd]

Haha.  I'm about to replace every cable related to my battery.  I'm upgrading my alternator and going to a thicker wire.  Just found it funny, I'm about to spend some money and time making this right and your on the opposite end and neither one of is wrong.  Good luck!