Terminals on studs: Four and no more

I don't need to read it again. I agree, the stud in the first case IS NOT DESIGNED to carry the current, but if you think there is no current flow through the stud, especially if there is any resistance in that tall stack of terminals, you're wrong.

Salvo wrote:
I don't believe that's what he's saying. Read it again:

One thing to keep in mind- the bolt itself is not meant to be current carrying- it is simply to mechanically affix the terminal to the base. Using the bolt to carry current would mean using the threads to carry current- and that brings all sorts of problems.


He's saying the bolt carries no current. And I agree.

BTW, the OP's photo is totally different from the Sure Power stud. The stud carries current in the Sure Power scenario while in the OP's photo, the stud carries no current.

OnaQuest wrote:

Salvo wrote:
I wasn't going to comment on it, but I was shaking my head at the 130A conducting through a 1/4" steel stud. That's nuts!

According to Chris, the studs could be 1/8" since they don't carry any current.

OnaQuest wrote:

Salvo wrote:
I wasn't going to comment on it, but I was shaking my head at the 130A conducting through a 1/4" steel stud. That's nuts!

According to Chris, the studs could be 1/8" since they don't carry any current.

Yeah- they could be- as long as they held the terminals to the base conductor.You could use plastic, for that matter

Geez- I really didn't think this was much of a secret- it's pretty well documented. Sorry I brought it up, just trying to educate- I regret that now.

I don't believe that's what he's saying. Read it again:

One thing to keep in mind- the bolt itself is not meant to be current carrying- it is simply to mechanically affix the terminal to the base. Using the bolt to carry current would mean using the threads to carry current- and that brings all sorts of problems.


He's saying the bolt carries no current. And I agree.

BTW, the OP's photo is totally different from the Sure Power stud. The stud carries current in the Sure Power scenario while in the OP's photo, the stud carries no current.

OnaQuest wrote:

Salvo wrote:
I wasn't going to comment on it, but I was shaking my head at the 130A conducting through a 1/4" steel stud. That's nuts!

According to Chris, the studs could be 1/8" since they don't carry any current.

Salvo wrote:
I wasn't going to comment on it, but I was shaking my head at the 130A conducting through a 1/4" steel stud. That's nuts!

According to Chris, the studs could be 1/8" since they don't carry any current.

I wasn't going to comment on it, but I was shaking my head at the 130A conducting through a 1/4" steel stud. That's nuts!

Oh ho ho ho, did Lisle Brune (Chief Engineer for Sure Power) and I have a hours long conversations about loss of contact float between two nuts on a stud. The company was going nuts with its 24/12 100 ampere rated converter customer complaints.

"Say Lisle, ever try zinc oxide paste on the stud threads?"

That's when I learned Steven Schielder, the owner was listening in (clandestinely).

Zinc oxide is not noted as an electrical conductor, but it fixed their dilemma. Thought I'd throw this in if someone runs into phantoms with a stud & nut isolator.

Chris Bryant wrote:

OnaQuest wrote:

Chris Bryant wrote:

OnaQuest wrote:

Chris Bryant wrote:
One thing to keep in mind- the bolt itself is not meant to be current carrying- it is simply to mechanically affix the terminal to the base. Using the bolt to carry current would mean using the threads to carry current- and that brings all sorts of problems.

Say what?

I thought that was pretty self explanatory...

I guess bus bars like the one RoyB showed, with multiple studs, are no good then?? Your comment is meaningless. I can't even imagine a connection where the stud (bolt) threads are the only current path.

Easy- run a nut up a bolt, then a terminal, then another nut- see the isolator in this thread- bad practice.
Not something many think about, but I do.

If that's the way you would do it, just to prove a point, so be it, BUT that's not the way it was designed to be done. My statement stands that there are no connectors designed to use ONLY the threads for contact.

However, your concern that the threads cannot be tightened enough to provide an electrical connection that would be as, or more, reliable than simple compression of the terminal between nut and base, is ludicrous.

BruceMc wrote:

Chris Bryant wrote:
One thing to keep in mind- the bolt itself is not meant to be current carrying- it is simply to mechanically affix the terminal to the base. Using the bolt to carry current would mean using the threads to carry current- and that brings all sorts of problems.

I question this statement as well - the studs do not have a base on the battery isolator I purchased for our pickup several years ago.
To mount the cables, the isolator manufacturer supplied two nuts per stud - a base nut, then a binding nut. When these nuts are used, they press against the spiral of the threads which has plenty of surface area to match or exceed the amperage rating of the device. In this case, the isolator was a 130 amps and used 1/4" studs.

Here's a pic of the Sure-power unit - the same as I use:



--Bruce.

There are star washers under the bottom nut, which indicates that the bolt is not carrying the current- rather the path is through the nut to the star washer to whatever is in the potting compound.

OnaQuest wrote:

Chris Bryant wrote:

OnaQuest wrote:

Chris Bryant wrote:
One thing to keep in mind- the bolt itself is not meant to be current carrying- it is simply to mechanically affix the terminal to the base. Using the bolt to carry current would mean using the threads to carry current- and that brings all sorts of problems.

Say what?

I thought that was pretty self explanatory...

I guess bus bars like the one RoyB showed, with multiple studs, are no good then?? Your comment is meaningless. I can't even imagine a connection where the stud (bolt) threads are the only current path.

Easy- run a nut up a bolt, then a terminal, then another nut- see the isolator in this thread- bad practice.
Not something many think about, but I do.

Chris Bryant wrote:
One thing to keep in mind- the bolt itself is not meant to be current carrying- it is simply to mechanically affix the terminal to the base. Using the bolt to carry current would mean using the threads to carry current- and that brings all sorts of problems.

I question this statement as well - the studs do not have a base on the battery isolator I purchased for our pickup several years ago.
To mount the cables, the isolator manufacturer supplied two nuts per stud - a base nut, then a binding nut. When these nuts are used, they press against the spiral of the threads which has plenty of surface area to match or exceed the amperage rating of the device. In this case, the isolator was a 130 amps and used 1/4" studs.

Here's a pic of the Sure-power unit - the same as I use:



--Bruce.