Loose -ve Battery Terminal

[fgummett]

Any one else having difficulty keeping the -ve terminal tight? As per most recommendations I remove the -ve battery terminal whenever working on the car but I am finding it increasingly difficult to put it back on securely... it seems like both the battery post AND the terminal get narrower toward the top... so as you tighten the nut the terminal slips upward. I find I have to bear down on one edge of the terminal using my weight on a screwdriver while tightening the nut, but there is still some play in the terminal and today it came 1/2 off while I was driving! ANY IDEAS??

[pjc6281]

does -ve mean the positive terminal cause that one F#cking sux to keep on. THey must sell replacements somewhere

[cclngthr]

You can repace the terminal easier than the wire.

[fgummett]

-ve is the negative... I don't really like the way the +ve terminal works either but as I rarely remove that, it is less of a problem. I guess I need to look at replacements ;-)

I did a quick search and other than seeing pictures where folks don't seem to have this same problem, I gather that I should go to an audio store for quality replacements... the ones in the auto stores seem to be temporary fixes only

[JacksonJ]

My negitive terminal clamp was loose but that's because the bolt for the Negitive clamp stuck and finally with the use of vise grips I managed to get the bolt off. I put a new bolt on that I got from HomeDepot and it's tight.

[KeWLKaT]

well, i know what you mean, and the problem is worse with the optima yellow top posts in my car...

my trick is to wahck it into the furthest part in, and tighten it to the max.

[fgummett]

Thanks guys... I was beginning to wonder it was just me! Unfortunately tightening to the "max" for me meant torquing the head of the bolt off today! I just went out and did an experiment.. I fully tightened the terminal while it was OFF the battery post and was able to slide it onto the post and off again.. hmmm looks like I need a new terminal. Granted I have used a post cleaner a few times to clean off the oxidization but the car is less than a year old!

[KeWLKaT]

ohhhhhhhhhhh ok wow thats really odd..... sorry :(

[evan938]

no problems here