best wiring harness?

[67mustang390]

I went thru the same debate about harness selection. Painless setups can be pricey, however I found with a bit of shopping around, plus with unadvertised rebates available from Painless website at the time I was looking, I was able to get a good deal on one.

I did try to save a bit of money by installing the connectors myself. Ended up doubling the time to complete the project. Recommend getting kit with connectors already installed. Or at the very least, purchase the tool advertised by Painless to clamp the connectors onto the new harness.

Good luck!

Thanks for the tip to get preinstalled connectors

 

[rguest3]

I have used the Ford Bronco specific Harness and like the fact that the wires are the Factory Ford Colors. It's mostly Direct Fit / Plug and Play and does Not come Loomed so modifications can be done fairly easily.

I also like the Painless 10123. Ford Factory Colored Wires as well, but Not terminated and fewer extra wires which are usually not used anyway. I like this one and add Weatherpack Connectors and A Blue Sea Safety Hub 150 for the Higher Amp stuff. Very Clean Install. This takes longer though...

 

[mustanggarage]

Don't forget about the new(ish) kit from American Autowire. I haven't hooked up a battery to my install yet but am pleased with the quality. This harness has fused circuits for extras such as power windows, power seats, power door locks, and electric engine fans. It also has the connector to install a third brake light. You have get rid of your ammeter and install a volt meter. Another requirement is to use an internally regulated alternater. They also rent the crimpers you need to get the properly rolled crimp on the connectors. Check out their Youtube videos for crimping instructions.

I bought this kit for my Bronco as well. I have not installed it yet, but I have use the aaw kit on both my 65 and 67 mustangs and found them to be very nice complete kits. I already have the crimpers and strippers recommended so I am sure when the time comes it will be just as nice a kit as the mustang version. for me this kit makes the most sense because I am replacing basically everything and going custom with everything. Ididit column, custom gauges, power windows, electric fuel pump. aftermarket HVAC and 1 one wire alternator, and of course stereo. so it makes no sense for me to try to get a harness set up for a stock or nearly stock vehicle

 

[67mustang390]

Strippers

NO not that kind!

I'm pulling that trigger on a painless 28 circuit for early bronco and the loom kit. I've read there is a stripper/crimper that's the beez kneez. I can't remember what kind it is but I know it's made in USA.

Can you all give me some suggestions, I have a feeling me and the stripper shall be one by the end of this (insert dirty joke here);D

Thanks ahead of time

 

[67mustang390]

so found these and they seem to work well from the reviews...thoughts

https://www.harborfreight.com/heavy-duty-self-adjusting-wire-stripper-36810.html

 

[DirtDonk]

Very happy with my Pertronix ratcheting crimper kit.
A bonus is that it has dies for spark plug wires too, which only some have.

Paul

 

[AZ73]

I'm wiring as we speak. I used the painless setup because it comes with many extra wires for auxiliary things (like electric fuel pumps and light bars) as well as additional direct and accessory fuse spaced in the fuse box. It seemed like if you were wiring up a stock dash it was plug and play. Of course, I had to build a custom dash and it's more difficult to modify but not anywhere near as I was imagining. I'm using a standard wire stripper (although the one from HF looks interesting), and an Accel 170036 crimper. Does connectors with shielding, connectors without shielding, and spark plug wires. It's $62 on Amazon, but I bought it off craigslist from a guy building a bike for $35.

 

[67mustang390]

thanks

I'm wiring as we speak. I used the painless setup because it comes with many extra wires for auxiliary things (like electric fuel pumps and light bars) as well as additional direct and accessory fuse spaced in the fuse box. It seemed like if you were wiring up a stock dash it was plug and play. Of course, I had to build a custom dash and it's more difficult to modify but not anywhere near as I was imagining. I'm using a standard wire stripper (although the one from HF looks interesting), and an Accel 170036 crimper. Does connectors with shielding, connectors without shielding, and spark plug wires. It's $62 on Amazon, but I bought it off craigslist from a guy building a bike for $35.

thanks for the update, I pulled the trigger and got the 28 fuse painless over black weekend with the looms. saved almost 400. it's a nightmare trying to figure out what is there.

 

[EPB72]

For custom wiring I like a good set of open barrel crimpers and terminals then heat shrink with adhesive type heat shrink.and weather pack connectors where needed the crimpers will crimp those terminals as well https://www.mouser.com/Connectors/Terminals/_/N-5g5u?P=1z0slgh

 

[DirtDonk]

It's a nightmare trying to figure out what is there.

Yeah, LOTS of stuff in that box!
Just mentally separate the stuff that you know you actually "need" to wire a standard Bronco, then all that extra stuff is just that. Extra in case you need it.

Maybe even lay it out (but not on the Holiday Feast table in the dining room!) into sections going to the different areas and figure out which ones you won't need initially and roll them up and bundle them separately. You can even choose to cut Painless' wire ties bundling sections together, to route them more to your likely. Zip ties are cheap and you can always put them back the way they were. Likely as not you'll re-route at least a couple of wires to suit your need better. Nothing is etched in stone at this point.
You might still end up running some of the extra wires into areas you're going to be working, but leave them unused for later stuff like adding lights to a bumper, or an extra fuel tank, or whatever.
You get the picture.

And remember too what we said already (I think) about not throwing away any of the old original stuff until you're absolutely, positively sure that you won't need it.

But most important of all... Have fun!;D

Paul

 

[SteveL]

I did both broncos with centech kits 20 years ago. Theyve been fine except I misaligned a blade on the back of the ignition switch and over time it started to burn. Called centech and they sent out a new switch and plug free. I mounted my fuse boxes to the dash behind the ashtray door and dont recall needing insulators. Theyve been fine. If I were doing another project I would check with ron Francis wiring. I think they will build a custom harness for whatever you need and you can go with circuit breakers if you want. I'm real happy with the centech but would be nice to order one set up for extra lighting or power windows and locks.

 

[jgrow]

I did both broncos with centech kits 20 years ago. Theyve been fine except I misaligned a blade on the back of the ignition switch and over time it started to burn. Called centech and they sent out a new switch and plug free. I mounted my fuse boxes to the dash behind the ashtray door and dont recall needing insulators. Theyve been fine. If I were doing another project I would check with ron Francis wiring. I think they will build a custom harness for whatever you need and you can go with circuit breakers if you want. I'm real happy with the centech but would be nice to order one set up for extra lighting or power windows and locks.

Starting to look at options as my 68 is a rats nests. I'm far from an electrical engineer but I dig that Ron Francis circuit board(access 24/7). Maybe the others have the select-a-circuit and add relay options that I don't know about, but RF's look pretty neat. thanks for the heads up...starting a conversation with them.

 

[DirtDonk]

We sell the Ron Francis products and they are top notch and cleverly designed.
The main (and only?) detractor when it comes to Early Broncos is the physical size of the fuse panel. It's super trick, but it's also large.
If you have a clean area on your driver's kick panel you can mount the panel there. Otherwise you have to be pretty clever yourself and be changing things around on the Bronco to find another decent mounting location.
If you make your own panel that's under the dash for example, and use the magnetic type mount, you could tuck it up and then just pull it down when you need it.

Otherwise they are very nice and the wiring technique is simple and straightforward.
You just have to deal with the physical size of the panel.

Paul

 

[jgrow]

Thanks for the input Paul. With the ebrake and clutch pedal there it might be a little too busy to mount there. Then again, it could be the perfect excuse to move to a hand ebrake...oh the drifting that could be done!!


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