It’s possible that this is in a thread somewhere, but I didn’t find it on a search. I recently had a battery issue in my '02 GMC Envoy which has side post terminals. I hate those things.
I know I can convert to top post, but A) I don’t want to modify the OEM cable ends and B) don’t even know if top post would interfere.
Anyway, I was just poking around for whether or not there is some manner of “adapter” that keeps your side post set-up, but has some kind of “stub” or adapter that makes it easy to pop on clamps from jumper cables and/or battery charger. (Though I did pick up an extra set of side posts I can install to use with my battery charger if I want to pull it from the car).
Looks like they just clip onto the post and make it easy to attach clamps. Anyone have any experience with these things? They’re cheap enough that I wouldn’t hesitate to get them - if that work well…
I’m doubtful that would be a good long term solution. But it might work ok in a pinch. Ideally you’d like something that bolted to the post, but not enough room for that presumably. Ray complains on the podcast now and then about the side post terminal arrangement, saying it is very difficult to access w/jumper cables, chargers etc. .
I used to have something like that for decades. I saw one in the garage that I keep as a souvenir. They don’t work that well unless you use a small charger but you wouldn’t need to with a small charger.
I’ve owned more than a dozen vehicles with GM side post batteries. I just clamped onto the OEM terminal. There’s a groove just in front of the head that’s exposed. My jumper cable clamps have several cutouts and the smaller one in the mueller clamps that grab onto that groove.
I bought some extenders once so I could put ring terminals between the cables and battery for a plow setup. They worked fine and give some larger area for clamps but expose everything in the process.
In a pinch is the point. If you’re needing to jump start (either direction - giving or getting), then it’s in a pinch - or so I’m thinking.
Yeah. Just haunted by the time where all I had were some old cables where the clamps were not at their best and just wanted to twist their way off. I want to have a full grab, if needed.
This look like the bomb, but I’ll have to check to see if I have the clearance for those - probably not. As for the redneck style, I’m fine with that! Do you know what the standard thread specs are for those? 3/8", I guess, by what thread pitch. I can figure that out, but if you know…then I won’t have to!
Those clips will work well, but I’d only install them when needed to ensure that at least the positive terminal is completely isolated. It wouldn’t take long to loosen the terminal nuts and slide these side terminal extenders into place.
