Wire Assortment

[ArkTinkerer]

What is the best way to get a wire assortment primarily for rewiring vehicles? The HF stuff is so bad I wouldn't waste the labor to install it. Buying packets at the part store is way to much for short shanks of various sizes. Reels of the good stuff are usually way more than I need and a fortune if I bought a good selection of sizes and colors. What have others here done?

ArkTinkerer

 

[cashishift]

http://www.mcmaster.com/#electrical-wire/=fsg1ul

 

[tdkkart]

The last time I needed a bunch of wire I poked around on ebay and bought an assortment.
Got a box about 1ft square packed full of good quality automotive type wire in all kinds of sizes.

 

[porcupine73]

I got some bulk rolls from Summit racing, the insulation seems to be a very good quality, maybe it is fluoroelastomer? And it's true copper conductors, not that silvery looking stuff.

 

[K'ledgeBldr]

A supplier that specializes in automotive wire and supplies-
http://www.wiringproducts.com/index.html

They have bulk sizes as small as 25'. single, multi (jacketed and bonded), cable, connectors, etc.

 

[MattT]

Reels of the good stuff are usually way more than I need and a fortune if I bought a good selection of sizes and colors.

You can use cheap shrink sleeving to color code the ends of the wire. That way you only have to stock one wire color per size.

 

[crewchief888]

most of my wiring comes from scrap oem harnesses

 

[rwhite692]

The last time I needed a bunch of wire I poked around on ebay and bought an assortment.
Got a box about 1ft square packed full of good quality automotive type wire in all kinds of sizes.

^^^^This. There are all sorts of folks doing this on ebay, and the wire is usually top-quality stuff.

 

[Copytech]

Just order a new harness

http://www.painlessperformance.com/

 

[MGMatt]

http://www.delcity.net/

 

[jhelrey]

I found a few rolls on the side of a road that fell off of a truck!

 

[Steevo]

most of my wiring comes from scrap oem harnesses

ditto

I have some gallon jars full of coils of miscellaneous colored wiring pieces culled from surplus wiring harnesses.

 

[lsrx101]

Unless you're rewiring vehicles (building harnesses) as a business, buying "all" of the different color combos in the different gauges that you might need is WAY impractical and expensive.
Connector shells and terminals are another big consideration. There are thousands of different types and you can't rewire a vehicle without them if connecting to most OEM components.
That's why companies like American Auto Wire, Painless Wiring, etc. exist.

You can wire a basic "hot rod" or pre ~1980 car with black wire of different gauges as necessary and mark the ends with colored sleeving or numbered tags, as has been mentioned. You have to be very meticulous with your labeling, though and connectors/terminals are still an issue if you are using OEM switches, motors, etc. Commercial vehicles were wired like that for many years and may still be.

For minor, or even major repairs, all of the sources previously mentioned are great. I recycle wire from old harnesses for repairs.

 

[nehog]

You can use cheap shrink sleeving to color code the ends of the wire. That way you only have to stock one wire color per size.

Better way...

Buy only white wire. Get a box of colored permanent markers (broad tip big ones...) Color a stripe (or two) on each wire to mark what it is... I've done it this way for years, and it works very well, and you don't have to stock a bunch of different colored wires.

Another suggestion: get the best wire you can! Do NOT buy Chinese or other Asian imported wire! The insulation on that stuff *****, and I'm convinced the copper's quality is marginal at best. (Wire from Canada and Mexico is fine, I'm sure European wire would be good as well, but I've not seen any...)

 

[Thruxton]

I got some bulk rolls from Summit racing, the insulation seems to be a very good quality, maybe it is fluoroelastomer? And it's true copper conductors, not that silvery looking stuff.

That "silvery looking stuff" you are referring to might be tinned copper stranded, just about the best wire type in this size range you can get. Insulation quality is a separate issue, and if you want the best of the best get marine-grade tinned copper from Ancor. Not to say what Summit sells is not good, they are a good supplier from what I have seen.

 

[Lotek]

I got some bulk rolls from Summit racing, the insulation seems to be a very good quality, maybe it is fluoroelastomer? And it's true copper conductors, not that silvery looking stuff.

Ummm, that "silvery looking stuff" is most likely tinned wire, and is usually better than bare copper.

I have a couple of old harnesses for repairing circuits at work, at home I have a couple of rolls of Ancor marine grade wire (that silvery looking stuff) in different gauges and different colors. Red, black and white are useful colors to stock, power ground and signal ckts. colored heatshrink for id, double wall heatshrink for splices and connectors.