Hey kids, it's me, Randy. But wait you probably aren't kids, are you? I mean, if you are reading a Jeep magazine, you probably have a Jeep, and if you have a Jeep already you probably aren't a kid. Let's try that again.
Hi everyone, it's me, Randy. After years and years of shocking myself trying to fix electrical things I got pretty good at this electrical stuff and what doesn't work. So, the Jp magazine editors invite me back each month to talk to you about how to make electrical stuff work.
I don't really want to talk about how to make things work this time, but how to keep them working. Sure the wires have a protective coating that they call insulation, even though we don't need to keep the wires warm, all wires have it. But, if the wire rubs against metal, or a stick pokes it, or you drop a sharp tool on it, you can damage the insulation and it might short.
So, some of us will run down to the parts store after we are done wiring and grab some split loom tubing to put on the wire to protect it. The problem is, most split loom at the parts stores nowadays is cheap China junk that is thin, gets brittle in the cold, and breaks. Sure, some parts stores still have good stuff, but good luck finding it.
Parts stores corporate offices order a lot of the cheapest split loom they can get so there is no guarantee that even if you find good split loom once it will still be there next time. And, even if you do find good split loom at a parts store, I've found some stuff that is even better. It protects the wiring better, bends better, and doesn't need as much tape or zip ties to keep the wire in and stay closed.
What I'm talking about is the Split Braided Sleeving from Painless Performance Products. Not only does it protect better than regular split loom tubing, but it has that cool vintage look to it without the fire-prone cloth that the old flatfenders had, and you can be sure of getting the same stuff every time.
The Braided Sleeving overlaps...
The Braided Sleeving overlaps itself. What this means is that you don't need as much tape or zip ties to keep it closed and keep the wires in it, unlike split loom.
Try doing this with split...
Try doing this with split loom. You can bend tighter corners without the Braided Sleeving opening or kinking than you can with split loom.
Low quality parts store split...
Low quality parts store split loom can become brittle and crack when used underhood. With no grooves and an interwoven design the Painless Braided Sleeving is less likely to crack and more resistant to being cut.