Issue with Battery cable w/ ground.

[Bettendorf]

So when I pulled my new CUCV out of the GL lot, the front battery cable with the ground looked in bad shape and the ground was all showing wire as all the plastic had burnt off. I run home and pulled a cable off a junk CUCV and replaced it on my new one. Well, fast forward about 3 months to today. I go to start my truck and the ground wire on the battery cable is all smoking and melts the plastic all to heck. My question is what is causing the ground wire to catch fire and burn and what could I do to fix my now 2 fried cables? Like how could I fix them? Thanks much for any input! Looks like I'll be riding my bike to work and home until I fix this mess.

 

[m38inmaine]

Poor/dirty connection at either end of the cable. Make sure all the battery connections are clean/tight and check to make sure the starter is in good working order, not dragging and pulling extra amps.

 

[Bettendorf]

Well, I think I found the problem when I went to pull the cable off of the truck. The battery harness moved a bit and was hitting a battery tower. That must have shorted it out and made it burn as m38inmaine has pointed out. So, just how can I fix the cable by replacing the ground wire? Can someone recommand shops that could do this?

 

[Speddmon]

I don't have one of those vehicles, but if it's just a battery cable, you can buy a new negative end from NAPA (get the good bolt through kind of a good crimp on one) and get a ring terminal of the appropriate size from NAPA as well. If it were mine I would use 2/0 welding cable (easily purchased from any electrical supplier by the foot) and the correct size terminals and battery terminals. But that's just my