Wire harness painless vs American auto wire?

[a74ranger]

I hear some guys chiming in about the crimpers for the AAW harness. Are they different or special compared to regular crimpers??
Just curious as I plan on starting mine on Thursday and I have crimpers I bought a while ago;D

You can't use standard crimpers. Rent from AAW, well worth it.

http://www.americanautowire.com/products/crimping-tools/

 

[1crazypony]

It seems that you need 2 different crimpers but you can rent them. Summit has a pair with multiple different jaws that are interchangeable for 100$

 

[bax]

painless is more of a direct replacement harness where as the American auto is way more generic.
I have used a Ron Frances on my last 2 builds. They are by no means bronco specific. However Their wire is good and their fuse panel is excellent.

 

[jckkys]

In reading this thread, I can't help but wonder if the fuse panel with any of these harnesses will mount inside the glove box similar the later OE panels. I had an aluminum glove box fabricated by a sheet metal shop, but couldn't cut a hole in it till I pick a harness.

 

[bax]

In reading this thread, I can't help but wonder if the fuse panel with any of these harnesses will mount inside the glove box similar the later OE panels. I had an aluminum glove box fabricated by a sheet metal shop, but couldn't cut a hole in it till I pick a harness.

I took a 21 circuit Ron frances fuse panel mounted it to the back firewall behind the glove box. Put one of those new plastic glove-boxes in place. I cut a hole in the box and got it installed. The fuse panel poked thru the back of the box lust like it was made that way.

 

[DirtDonk]

Any pics of that anywhere around here bax? Don't remember if I've seen your setup before.
All three of the previous panels fit easily (semi-easily?) into the stock space in the glovebox.
The Centech is designed around their smallish 10-fuse panel that fits with very little trimming. But if mounting it to a metallic box/surface, you do have to create an isolator gasket of some kind (I've used gasket material and leather and cardboard before) to keep any of the circuits or main connections away from conducting material.

The Painless is not only designed for it, but actually includes a pre-cut plastic glovebox already made for their particular fuse box.

AAW probably would fit as well, since it's very similarly sized to the Painless box. It's got a slightly different flange area, so not sure if it's a breeze or might take some head-scratching, but it's probably doable.
Might also depend on the design of the lid/cover too. Sometimes the AAW box lid is hard to remove, so that should be looked at.

The Painless and AAW boxes are actual boxes, with weather-resistant lids (VERY weather-resistant in fact) and the Centech is a true "panel" and not enclosed at all. Still, it's one of the nicer looking setups, with an open-faced but nicely finished decorative surround letting just the fuse heads show through. Looks very "hot-roddy" in your glovebox. Even if it's not as sophisticated or protected as the other two are.

Paul

 

[bax]

Paul, I dont know if I took a picture of that on that build. I will look, but I do have witnesses.

Found them. You can see where I mounted it and how it fits into the back if the glove box. kinda tricky on the glove box cutting but it worked out well.

 

[m_m70]

Any pics of that anywhere around here bax? Don't remember if I've seen your setup before.
All three of the previous panels fit easily (semi-easily?) into the stock space in the glovebox.
The Centech is designed around their smallish 10-fuse panel that fits with very little trimming. But if mounting it to a metallic box/surface, you do have to create an isolator gasket of some kind (I've used gasket material and leather and cardboard before) to keep any of the circuits or main connections away from conducting material.

The Painless is not only designed for it, but actually includes a pre-cut plastic glovebox already made for their particular fuse box.

AAW probably would fit as well, since it's very similarly sized to the Painless box. It's got a slightly different flange area, so not sure if it's a breeze or might take some head-scratching, but it's probably doable.
Might also depend on the design of the lid/cover too. Sometimes the AAW box lid is hard to remove, so that should be looked at.

The Painless and AAW boxes are actual boxes, with weather-resistant lids (VERY weather-resistant in fact) and the Centech is a true "panel" and not enclosed at all. Still, it's one of the nicer looking setups, with an open-faced but nicely finished decorative surround letting just the fuse heads show through. Looks very "hot-roddy" in your glovebox. Even if it's not as sophisticated or protected as the other two are.

Paul

Hey Paul,
Do you think mountng the AAW box in the tuffy (metal) glove box would have any ill effects on anything??

Thanks!
Mike

 

[DirtDonk]

Pretty sure it wouldn't cause any trouble. At least as far as the metal contact is concerned. For size and ease of mounting inside the smaller space, I'm not sure.
I can check one out, but unfortunately I won't be around to pull one off the shelf again until next Monday. Sorry I didn't have a chance to check this stuff out today.

Basically though, like Painless, the AAW uses a full fuse "box" that's made of hard plastic and the circuits and contacts are completely isolated from touching any metal mounting surface where it might be recess mounted.
Pretty sure the same goes for surface mounting too, if you wanted to do it that way. With the wire bundle coming out of one end though, surface mounting would necessarily involve some creative wire routing to get it back under the dash.

Should be doable I would think, but if you want to know for sure right away, call in and have one of the guys pull one down and check out the box for you. Maybe even text you some closeup shots to your cell phone.
Best to get exact measurements too though, since that Tuffy box has some very tight tolerances since it is smaller than the standard Bronco box in many ways.

Paul

 

[m_m70]

thanks paul. haven't started the project yet or installed the tuffy box. thinking of digging into it this weekend. Figure it will be easier to test fit before installing the box.
Thanks,
Mike

 

[DirtDonk]

Good idea. This whole thinking-ahead thing isn't as overrated as some say!

Great looking setup bax. Man, that must've given a whole new definition to "measure three times, cut once"!

Thanks for the pics. Not only to see the setup, but also now the others can see what an RF fuse panel looks like.

Paul

 

[a74ranger]

If you go yo the AAW website and look under the documentation, they have a template for their fuse box. It is slightly large than the hole in the stock box. I found it pretty easy to trim the WH plastic glove box to fit the AAW fuse box.

I think it could also be surfaced mounted pretty easily.

 

[jckkys]

I'm not married to the location of the fuse box in the glove compartment side surface. The stock location is hard to get to and I've broken the fuses just trying to get them out. The back surface is a lot easier to see and the flat fuses are easier to replace. The larger area of the back surface offers more flexibility in choosing a fuse box.