Wiring harness opinions

my plan for my fuse box was to put it under the dash but on a flipdown setup kinda like some modern vehicals have. not sure how im going to make it but well... i have not gotten that far yet.

 

About 25 years ago when I rewired a 64 CJ5 (did it from scratch from a Chilton diagram) I installed one on the firewall; it wasn't hard to access. That was an old plow jeep and didn't see mud though. If you were installing it, couldn't you put a waterproof container like a rubbermade thing under it so you could snap the lid over it? My wife and I did that for the outdoor electric fence charger on our horse paddock and it works fine. Just a thought

 

Brad: I was thinking that also. I know somewhere I have seen them just for such purposes--maybe Waytek or Parts Express. Just a thought.

 

Last fall I saw a guy out at Natural Bridge wheelin with an M38; he'd swapped the air fliter for a K&N type and mounted it with a Rubbermaid container under it (minus the top). It did a great job keeping mud from slashing up and clogging the filter.

 

I put mine on the drivers side kick panel (to the left of the clutch pedal). It's out of the way but cleaner than under the hood. Fine for 40" deep water crossings - or deeper if not too long.

I ran wires to the back inside the frame rail. At first I liked your idea of going inside but the problems with mud and such are with the connections at the lights so going inside doesn't help much with that.

 

I'm working on my wiring now and am going to mount my fuse panel on the passenger sied on the back side of the dash...I'm going to stick it up with velcro glued to the panel and back of dash so I can pull it down for easy access...I like the basicly stock wiring to the rear....The ones that are there lasted a long time and should last a long time again without too much trouble...basicly, water and mud won't hurt the wires, just the connectors which won't be helped by running the wires inside the tub

 

Hello All -

I know I've been posting a bunch but I just got the truck and I'm both excited and a bit dismayed at the work in front of me.
So besides the custom (read: hand made with duct tape and bailing wire) gas tank welded between the wells behind the front seats, the wiring job on my '56 looks like a map of the Underground. I think I saw speaker wire connecting my gauges and YES the battery is mounted in front of the grill (see pic).
So I need a wiring harness. I've read the posts on the EZ wiring and of course, Painless. I think I will go ahead and spend the extra cash and get the Painless. It appears dummyproof...we'll see. I did notice that they have recently released a weatherproof edition (part #10142) in addition to the standard 12 circuit model.
I was wondering if anyone has any experience with both. Can anyone convince me that the weatherproof model is worth the extra $100. Let me also say that this Jeep will never be going through any rivers but I am willing to pay for something that will last longer.

Regards,

elllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllis

 

The Painless kit is no more dumby proof than the EZwire kit only more expensive, I have a EZ kit and am basically the one that recommended it on this board 5 years ago. The quality of both kits is the same. If you don't intend to submerge the wiring harness don't waste your money, its not gonna last one minute longer as all the difference is, is a sealer on the pre terminated connectors and wires. You can buy sealer in a bottle and brush it over the connectors as I did.
My .02!!

 

Mike -

The Jeep has a Ford motor in it. Do you think I'll be able to match colors with a artistic license???

 

I agree, I installed an EZ kit this spring and had no problems.

 

You can also weatherproof with heat-shrink http://www.action-electronics.com/3mhs-prc.htm#Dual
You'll also need a heat gun http://www.action-electronics.com/heatguns.htm#Weller

You can shrink with a propane torch or gas stove if you are careful, but the heat gun is the right tool.

 

Yeah, a butane lighter works too (run some tests first). Don't use any flame that makes soot though.

The heat shrink is better than the brush-on waterproofing becasue it adds strength (strain relief) to the joint.

 

ditto what AKCJ did
up under the dash, drivers side, as high as possible
went Painless 12 circuit
won't ever use all the circuits, 9 would be more than enough

 

I put mine on the passenger side of the transmission hump on the firewall, so that it is right in the line of sight when you looked under the dash behind the glove box, the drivers side already has a heater and gauges and I wanted mine where there was nothing in the way in case I had to pull a fuse or see up under there. I'm a tight butt and when I saw a Painless and Centech kit and found the EZ-wire and saw it was almost $200 cheaper than the others I went with it, been happy ever since.

 

I went with an EZ wire kit and mounted the fuse block as high as I could possibly get it on the inside passenger firewall. My wiring then goes out the stock firewall grommet location and is then split into the front and rear bundles.

I put GM weatherpak connectors in the rear bundle right after it comes out of the firewall. This lets me easily remove the tub without having a birdsnest of wiring. The bundle is run along the framerail and uses sealed connnectors and heat shrink tubing.

I've been in plenty of deep mud and water and "knock on wood" have had no electrical gremlins yet

 

I will echo the EZ wiring sentiments. Great kit, and after looking over the Painless manual, no harder to install. You WILL have to put on your thinking cap for either kit.

BTW.... DO NOT CUT ANY WIRES UNTIL THEY ARE ALL RUN WHERE THEY NEED TO GO AND YOU ARE SURE THAT THEY ARE WHERE YOU WANT THEM!!!! Don't ask how I know that.