Can I use BUS BARS to connect batteries -- NOT cables?

if you want to do it right, i believe that you have to make sure that the cross-sectional area of the bars is greater than or equal to the appropriate gauge of conductor that would have connected them.

the other downside is that you then have to provide your own insulation to the interconnects to make things less dangerous.

i know people have done this, but i dont have the math skills nor the metal skills to have done this myself, but
that is what i was taught.

- james  Alt-E staff

James, Thanks for reply. The operating current capacity of the bar I'm looking at is around 300 amps according to charts. So that should be OK. I plan to use standard heavy cable up to fuse and inverter, and a cover over the bank of batteries so that should be OK insulation.

What about the metal of the battery posts? Should these be treated with anything, or just left bare metal? The bus bar will be the only thing on each post. Should I use a lock washer or torque it down? If so, what torque is good?

Thanks, Todd in CC.

Yes you can it is better then wires. use bearing grease befor and after installation of bar.
The downside. When replacing the battery you will need to remove the bus bar to do so. And not all golf cart batterys are the same. I use sections of bus bars just like wires but solid.
So when testing just one battery you do not have to remove all the nuts and the entire buss bar.
P.S. sorry for the bad spelling.
I have been running my house off solar for 7 years. With 42 golf cart batterys and it is a job on maitnance.
Never maitnance or work on or around batterys during charging or heavy use.
The amps seem to be endless when something goes wrong.
Fuses and safety is not stupidity. Use a lot of it you will live longer.

A#1  Yes go to your local scrap yard and buy a copper plate around 1/8 inch thick. It is very cheap there and some times you will see a dumpster there from a local company and inside will be cut outs or trimming from a press and it will almost be pefect size but you will need to cut for how long you want it.

A#2  1/8th inch

a#3  NO STEEL it will contaminate the lead posts on the battery when it rusts use the provided nuts on the batterys and if you need to use washers or lock washers use ONLY STAINLESS STEEL T-304

remember use grease on everything its messy but very practical and if you want to keep it from getting eaten away lead cote all the bus bars.

Feel free to ask qustions it may take a long time depending on what im doing. Right now testing hydrogen generator. joe cell & a corburator that is getting around well over 100 mpg. NOTE NONE IS FOR SALE ALL INFO IS FREE.