Running Cables through firewall

I will be installing a ham radio shortly into my 2016 and want some suggestion on running the power cables from the battery though the firewall to connect to the radio. I took two pictures of large grommets I see on either side of the engine bay. Would both of this spots be feasible to run power cables through. The first picture is of the driver side and the other on the passenger side. Can I just poke a hole and push the cables through. Suggestions.

Thanks

Kurt

 

The driver's side grommet has a nipple on the bottom of it. You can cut that nipple off and run it through there. That's where I ran the power wire for my amp through.

 

I was able to run 10g wire along the hood release cable without cutting the grommet itself. You should be able to do the same

 

The plan is to have two radios in the cab should I run one larger cable with the proper fuse to handle two radios then split that out into a fuse block in the cab or run two separate cables for each radio.

Kurt

 

I'd run one wire through the grommet instead of 2 separate ones. I've already run 2 separate wires through the drivers side grommet fairly easy. This is in addition to the power wire for my amp. I would recommend you run it through the left side of the grommet as the right side has some structural metal right behind it which makes it harder to retrieve once inside the cab. Use some type of lubricant on the grommet before you punch a hole in it to make running the wire smoother.

 

I made an X cut in the grommet and ran 10ga zip cord through the cut. I then removed the left kick panel and the rocker panels and ran the wire through the channel. There's plenty of room. Where will you be mounting your rig? I put mine under the rear passenger seat and remote mounted the head. There's more on the installation here. https://www.tundras.com/threads/wha...r-2nd-gen-tundra-today.68/page-45#post-212181

 

My initial thought is to mount the rig under front passenger and remote the head. Can some of you on this thread post pics of your wires going through the firewall and if not to difficult where they come out in the cab.

Thanks

Kurt

 

Here's where they go through the firewall. Use a thin bladed knife to make and X in the rubber grommet. The brown wire to the side of the grommet is for the alarm, the installation shop probably didn't want to cut the grommet. It'll be moved to the slit at a later date.

Here's where they come into the cab. A little anticlimactic, the come through and almost immediately go behind the kick panel.

Here are a couple of shots under the hood. Both the positive and negative lines are fused and there's some extra coiled up in case the fuse holders have to be replaced. A couple of zip tie holders are stuck to the inner fender to keep the wires in place.

 

Since it was recommended to run one cable into the cab. Any suggestions for a fuse block to split the feed out to the radios.
Would a fuse block such as this from Blue sea do the trick with a mini bus bar for ground.

https://www.bluesea.com/products/5045/ST_Blade_Compact_Fuse_Blocks_-_4_Circuits
https://www.bluesea.com/products/2314/Common_100A_Mini_BusBar_-_5_Gang_with_Cover

The look small enough to keep out of the way of feet and legs.

Kurt

 

X2

This is exactly how I did mine for my light bars. Cut a small hole with a razor blade then stuck a coat hanger through, tapes wires and pulled back through.

 

I use Anderson Powerpoles on all of my DC operated equipment. That keeps things interchangeable and orderly. https://powerwerx.com/powerpole-power-distribution

 

Do you have pictures as to how you used the powerwrx power distribution products.

Kurt

 

It's the red block in the upper part of the image.

 

You guys all made it sound so easy!

What I tried doing first was cutting the tip off the nipple at The Grommet, ran a coat hanger through from the inside electric tape tomorrow Staggered 3 wire harness I'm tried to pull it back through- Ha I even used a little soapy water to try to make it slide better (pun intended). I'm guessing I need to cut that nipple further back closer to the actual firewall in order to be able to run through?

 

I didnt have anything hollow like that around to pop through, it did cross my mind - ill see what I clan figure out.

 

Did you try from pulling from the engine side out.

Kurt

 

It was everything I could do to get my 4 gauge amp power cable through there. Once I got it started, it wasn't bad, but there's not much room there to get any kind of leverage. I went through the engine side and then pulled it into the cab

 

Any recommendation for a battery isolator. Just need one just in case I leave the radios on. Want to be able to start my vehicle again.
Thinking I will fuse the main power with 40 or 50 amps which should be more then sufficient to run the radios.

Kurt

 

Good postings:

I am installing light bars and need to run the wires for the switch into the cab. This looks like what I was thinking of doing.
So, my light bar came with a wiring harness that includes a cheap switch. It will work, but when the light bar is off the switch has a red light that illuminates (turns green when the light bar is switched on). OK, not bad, but it would be better if the circuit was "switched" so the red (power off) light was not illuminated 24/7. Does anyone have any suggestions on where I can wire the harness so it is switched with the key? (it is designed to be wired directly to the battery: un switched). Thanks oh forum posters.

 

Your light bar harness should include a relay. The relay closes the circuit when triggered by a 12v + source. Most people will tap into a wire that is only hot with the ignition on, but I have seen others use their high beam hot wire to trigger a relay for a light bar.

Im curious where a good ignition on hot wire is too, as I am about to add a breaker, relay and fuse panel in my console.

 

very useful
thank you~!

 

@Hellrazor

 

Hey guys, sorry for the somewhat unrelated reply... I'm trying to run the cable for my front camera through the firewall grommet. The connectors are fairly big and I can't figure out how to get it to push through. Any idea how to make a hole big enough through the hole thing or is there some way to go through the side of it or soemthing?

 

Cut the protruding nipple on the grommet on the passenger side of the firewall; wrap the connectors you're pushing through w/a little electrical tape so the insulation doesn't get torn up and to protect the end of the connectors (try not to increase bulk); get a large zip tie or wire hangar and tape the connectors to the zip tie or wire to increase rigidity; lube the electrical tape that you wrapped around the connectors w/some water-based lube such as basic astro glide; and slide her through

 

Can you show a picture of the connector? Preferably with something to show the size.

 

Just use your imagination

 

Here are both ends of the cable. White side does into back of Head Unit, gray side goes to camera

 

Make a slit in the grommet big enough to get the gray connector through. Once everything's in place, put a drop of superglue on the slit to seal it shut. You may need to pop the grommet out to get it cut.

 

So I've poked an X-acto knife through there multiple times to try to make a hole big enough, but that grommet is THICK. No way to push a non-rigid cable through there. Tried a coat hanger with tape but that makes it even thicker, when you pull the coat hanger, it just slides off as soon as the cable hits friction.

 

Try something like a paring knife. It's a thinner and wider blade. Making an X shaped slot might also help.