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January 2010 Randys Electrical Corner - Jp Magazine

Now that we've gone through a little bit about how to attach wires and how to run wires in your Jeep, I thought I'd use this month to talk about how to tame wires. And I'm not talking about using a whip and a chair, either. I'm talking about zip ties. But I'm not just talking about your local 99-cent store zip ties; today I am going to take you guys to a new level of zip-tie-dom.

jeep Wiring With Waytek Zip Ties randy Photo 26225873

Zip ties aren't all fun and games, you know. There was that one time, before Karma, that we stuck-up a Quickie Mart and due to an issue with a push-door turned pull-door, we were caught and the police didn't even want to use the real handcuffs on us, so we got zip tie handcuffs. The chafing is long gone now, but that use of zip ties is something you don't forget. I used to lose my breath just thinking about zip ties, but nowadays, I'm over it and can write this for you guys without even having to try and stop the shaking.

jeep Wiring With Waytek Zip Ties fir Trees Photo 26225867

Fir trees are good. Just remember that. These zip ties from Waytek (PN 21286) are a great way to keep your wires in check. They plug into a 1/4-inch hole and then act just like a zip tie with one end anchored. The only thing about Waytek is that there is usually a minimum order, in this case it's 100 zip ties. But at a buy-in price of $0.17 each, that is still only $17 for a bunch of really useful zip ties.

Anyone can use a regular zip tie (aka wire tie), but all they really get done is to corral the wires in one general space. You didn't fasten them down to a panel; you didn't keep them from moving and chafing and possibly rubbing insulation off and shorting out.

Sure, you could use a screw-down zip-tie, but then you've gotta worry about what is on the other side of the panel that the screw is poking, worry about the screw rusting or stripping out, and if you are like some of the Jp editors, worry about running the screw down with gorilla-like force and splitting the zip-tie.

Besides, this was all about the next level, remember? So here are some zip-tie solutions that work really well in the Jeep world.

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If you have something that might not stay there forever, these zip-ties with a base are also really useful. It is a fir tree base that comes pre-loaded with a zip tie. If you ever have to cut the zip tie, you can easily replace it with a regular one from your stock. There are two sizes available: (PN 21374) is the regular size (shown), and (PN 21373) is a smaller zip tie and base for those finer areas.

If you are even more indecisive than me, you can get these multiple-use tie bases (PN 21253). If you can get to the back of the panel, you can use a pair of pliers to squeeze the tabs together and remove the zip tie base. They come with the base only, but still fit a 1/4-inch hole (like those already found in your Jeep's engine compartment).

Of course, if you can't find a hole already floating around, you can drill a hole. If you live in the rustbelt, or worry about that kind of thing, you should paint the area around the hole first. Either spray bomb it as I did here, or use a cotton swab to paint only the bare edge of the hole. If you are super-paranoid about water getting in, after the paint has dried you can put a dab of RTV on the back of the fir tree to keep water or hot engine compartment air out.

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January 2010 Randys Electrical Corner - Jp Magazine

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