Fuses/Relay Boxes

TKDx00

Lockers Installed
Founding Member
The ongoing discussion about adding Fuse, Relay and/or Fuse/Relay blocks.

Blue Sea, Bussmann series...

Deleted the link...it didn't work
 
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TheFauxFox

Titan Swapped / SAS'd
Founding Member
Location
Huntsville, AL
I haven't personally tried this yet, but I read a relay box on the cheap article recently. In the April edition of Four Wheeler Mag, they had a 101 cheap mods and fixes article and this happened to be one of them. I think its actually pretty smart:

Rather than fork over $50+ for an aftermarket box, make your own.
1) Run your relays/fuses to a common location
2) Buy and cut a Tupperware container with holes for your wires
3) Use a mode of adhesive to mount it to your vehicle such as on a firewall
4) Run the wires through the holes and seal with grommets or silicone
5) Attach the relays inside the container via the wires
6) Put the lid on and seal with your choice of adhesives
7) OPTIONAL: bedline/paint to mask your job

Total cost? About $5
 

Mirage

<img src="http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u7/ra
Founding Member
Location
Greenville SC
Kinda like this...3 mini relays and 10 bussed fuses, can go 5 micro relay instead too. One 6 ga power wire feeding the block.

img00004dw.jpg


try http://www.waytekwire.com/wps/portal/en/products?pSearch=rtmr

Personally, I think anything wiring and on the cheap is to be avoided, i'm not risking burning my truck down from a bad wiring job. I am extremely anal when I do my wiring jobs, both car and trucks, but my stuff always works too. I don't have issues on the trails/track/mountains with something going haywire and then having to track it down and jimmy rigging it to work. I've had to track down and fix enough bad wiring jobs from previous owners and friends cars, so its a pet peeve of mine.

You want a cheap relay/fuse solution, my suggestion is to go to the junkyard and find something OE, most early 90's nissans had small aux relay blocks with ~4 relays in it, usually for the cooling fans/fog lights/alarm, that way you don't have to get the big power distro/fuse/relay box.
 

TKDx00

Lockers Installed
Founding Member
Which one is the one you have showing?

And do you know if anyone sells a block that has equal slots for fuse/relay? Meaning 6 relays/6 fuses or 10 relays/10 fuses.
 
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rokdaddy

Wheeling
Founding Member
Location
New Mexico
And do you know if anyone sells a block that has equal slots for fuse/relay? Meaning 6 relays/6 fuses or 10 relays/10 fuses.
Why? You don't have to use all of the slots. It may be nice to have a few fuse slots for use by themselves. I'm planning on using two of the fuses by themselves for power distribution panels in the cab.
 

TKDx00

Lockers Installed
Founding Member
I'm thinking in the opposite direction. I know of at least 6 things I would want to use a relay for possibly more. Buying one that will only hold 3 or 5 would mean having to buy 2 or 3. Leaving many unused fuse slots. If there's a 10/10 I would only need 1.
 

TN4x4Xterra

Suspension Lift
Location
Knoxville, TN
I don't understand how this works?

I mean, I understand the bluesea auxilary fuse box though but not the relay box...?

Edit: What I meant is how do you do the wirings for the relay box...
 

Silver dude

Sliders
Founding Member
I don't understand how this works?

I mean, I understand the bluesea auxilary fuse box though but not the relay box...?

Edit: What I meant is how do you do the wirings for the relay box...

You run the two wires from your device (lights) to the relay. You then run one short wire from the fuse to the relay. Power is supplied by the board. This is how the bussmann boxes are wired.
 

rokdaddy

Wheeling
Founding Member
Location
New Mexico
I'm thinking in the opposite direction. I know of at least 6 things I would want to use a relay for possibly more. Buying one that will only hold 3 or 5 would mean having to buy 2 or 3. Leaving many unused fuse slots. If there's a 10/10 I would only need 1.

Wow... six? Sounds more like a robot than an SUV! What do you have planned for those six relays? Unfortunately these Bussmann panels will only hold 5 micro relays.
 

TKDx00

Lockers Installed
Founding Member
Wow... six? Sounds more like a robot than an SUV! What do you have planned for those six relays? Unfortunately these Bussmann panels will only hold 5 micro relays.

HAHAHAHAHA...well, Winch, E-fan, 4 sets of lights, converter, OBA(2)...that's 9 right off the bat. Basically, anything that I add an aftermatket switch for I'd want a relay to go with it. All electrical item I add will be running of a second battery so I can leave the truck one alone.
 

Mirage

<img src="http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u7/ra
Founding Member
Location
Greenville SC
Which one is the one you have showing?

And do you know if anyone sells a block that has equal slots for fuse/relay? Meaning 6 relays/6 fuses or 10 relays/10 fuses.

I'm using the 15303-5-2-4, coopers pdf breaks down the part numbering scheme http://www1.cooperbussmann.com/library/news/RTMR.PDF

HAHAHAHAHA...well, Winch, E-fan, 4 sets of lights, converter, OBA(2)...that's 9 right off the bat. Basically, anything that I add an aftermatket switch for I'd want a relay to go with it. All electrical item I add will be running of a second battery so I can leave the truck one alone.

A winch is not going to need relays unless you plan to hardwire the controls, a normal relay will not handle the amp draw of a winch. It goes straight to the battery, and if you want an on/off you would use a high amp solenoid switch. If your talking a power inverter, i'd wire it like an aftermarket audio amp using a large blade fuse straight off the battery, don't see the need for a switch here so no need for a relay, though you could use a circuit breaker instead of the fuse if you want to be able to kill power to it. OBA, might be pushing it, you'd have to see what the compressor is pulling amp wise, I prewired my 3rd relay for OBA, but I have to make sure the compressor and my 12ga power wire will work ok, but I think I might just use a solenoid switch on some 10 gauge wire. Efans, personally I would just mount the relays on the fan shroud, its going to be right next to the battery, keep your wiring run short and simple. Heck 4 sets of lights is pretty much going to be a box by itself. Cooper rates the bused fuse stud for 100amps total power handling, so make sure the total of everything you might run at once isn't going to exceed that.

Power to the relays in the box, its just a little jumper loop from the fuse side. Since its bussed you only have to run one wire from the fuse, if your using a relay just jumper it over the right pin for the power input on the relay. On my pic, the little blue fuse is for my CB and has no relay, it just goes straight from the fuse to the cb.

Keep in mind with the rtmr, your not just buying the ~$20 box, you have to buy metripack 280 series female pins for each gauge wire you want to use (i used 12 and 16 IIRC), metricpack weather seals for each gauge (little booties that go on with the pins) and then the plugs for all the unused holes. Your also going to need a crimper, I just bought the cheapest $20-30 one and it worked great though. I got all that stuff from delcity (and the wire) because they have better prices with no minimums (ie having to order 500 pins when you will use 20). You crimp each pin for each wire and stick it in the back of the box, the pins are what the relay and fuses will plug into
 

TKDx00

Lockers Installed
Founding Member
I'm using the 15303-5-2-4, coopers pdf breaks down the part numbering scheme http://www1.cooperbussmann.com/library/news/RTMR.PDF
Keep in mind with the rtmr, your not just buying the ~$20 box, you have to buy metripack 280 series female pins for each gauge wire you want to use (i used 12 and 16 IIRC), metricpack weather seals for each gauge (little booties that go on with the pins) and then the plugs for all the unused holes. Your also going to need a crimper, I just bought the cheapest $20-30 one and it worked great though. I got all that stuff from delcity (and the wire) because they have better prices with no minimums (ie having to order 500 pins when you will use 20). You crimp each pin for each wire and stick it in the back of the box, the pins are what the relay and fuses will plug into

I was trying to figure out a way to keep relays and fuses together in 1 area behind the front seats. This was the reason I was looking at Blue Sea at first. Then Bussmann came into the picture but there are too many extras needed for the Bussmann's. With Blue Sea, just plug in what you need. The problem with Blue Sea is to not end up with a bunch of spiders relays. So I'm searching for a compromise... if there is one...lol

I've got an old crimper from back-in-the-day when I made my own CB/TV/stereo cables.
 

Mirage

<img src="http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u7/ra
Founding Member
Location
Greenville SC
most likely going to need a metripack specific crimper (weatherpack might be the same, and more common) the dies are shaped for the pins. Hella makes daisy chainable fuse and relay blocks that snap together the more you need, they are a bit chunky and not weather tight, but might be more what your looking for.
 

Sionnach

Bought an X
Founding Member
Location
Seattle
most likely going to need a metripack specific crimper (weatherpack might be the same, and more common) the dies are shaped for the pins. Hella makes daisy chainable fuse and relay blocks that snap together the more you need, they are a bit chunky and not weather tight, but might be more what your looking for.

You definitely need the metripack specific crimper.

I have a ton of leftover parts from my build, so depending on what you need we could work something out.

I'd need a parts list so I can dig through and see what I have.

I want to keep my crimper (got the expensive one) but I'm willing to loan it out if people need it.
 

AZhiAZiAM

Suspension Lift
Location
Fresno,CA
so what boxes are you guys using? i finally need to put one in so i don't have a stack of wires to my battery, looking for something water proof. as of right now i have my CB, Bazooka tube, 2 sets of lights, 1 tontron i need to install, and i'm not sure what after that, suggestions?
 

FaroutX

Bought an X
Location
Sparks, NV
I put a Bluesea fuse block inside:
DSCN0265.jpg

You could put a fuse block in a sealed box under the hood, I saw another rig do it that way, let my know if you need more info!
 

AZhiAZiAM

Suspension Lift
Location
Fresno,CA
farout i saw that one wasn't to big on the setup. i'm looking for waterproof under the hood type deal. muad the one doesn't say it's waterproof on there know if it is.? i was looking at a hella waterproof one but it was pricey i like that otrattw one though.
 

Muadeeb

Nissan al Gaib
Admin
Location
Dallas
muad the one doesn't say it's waterproof on there know if it is.? i was looking at a hella waterproof one but it was pricey i like that otrattw one though.

absolutely not waterproof. The plastic cover is more of a "dirt and accidental bumpage" cover

Sent via wild ferrets on crack
 

dhyde79

Titan Swapped / SAS'd
Founding Member
Location
Amarillo, TX
If the otrattw one is the unlabeled blue sea, the bottom side is waterproof, and, if you really want to go a step further, you can just silicone the thing up.
 

Mirage

<img src="http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u7/ra
Founding Member
Location
Greenville SC
farout i saw that one wasn't to big on the setup. i'm looking for waterproof under the hood type deal. muad the one doesn't say it's waterproof on there know if it is.? i was looking at a hella waterproof one but it was pricey i like that otrattw one though.

The Bussman RTMR is water/weatherproof. The wires on the back use grommets that seal the back side, and the cover has a gasket that keeps the top and inside sealed. My picture from the first page is without the cover, but the red thing around the rim is the gasket for it.
 

granitex

Skid Plates
Founding Member
Location
Columbus OH
There is no real reason to have to get a water proof fuse block, none of the other fuses in the bay are water proof. Packing the fuses with di-electric grease, and a dot of liquid electrical tape on the other connections will give you years and years of trouble free service.
 

AZhiAZiAM

Suspension Lift
Location
Fresno,CA
thanks for that info. basically what i was looking for. did you guys get the blue sea fuse boxes from OTRATTW? or is there a retail store place that might sell them? i like the look and location i already know where i want to put it so ill be going with that one.
 

TKDx00

Lockers Installed
Founding Member
Just throwing my 2 cents in... I checked into the BlueSea and really wanted to use them. Actually bought one. However after Mirage showed the Bussmann I checked into it. The 15400 model I love. Fuses and Relays all in one where the BlueSea only held the fuses. In the long run the Bussmann came out cheaper(for my needs). I sold the BlueSea and will get a Bussmann.
 
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