Different Types of Battery Terminals

Whether you're wondering about side terminals developed for General Motors and Chevrolet vehicles, the SAE automotive posts which are the number-one most popular terminal type in North America for batteries, or the 3/8" threaded stainless steel terminal for the highway truck such as International, Kenworth, Freightliner, Peterbilt, Volvo - we have the answers.

Batteries with side terminal batteries were developed for General Motors and Chevrolet vehicles and were installed almost exclusively in all Chevrolet vehicles between 1971 and 2007. So, pretty simple, we have a threaded nut that holds the connection tight onto the lead of the side terminal. 
 
Next, we have the SAE Automotive Post. This is the number-one popular terminal type in North America for batteries. Essentially, we have a tapered negative post and a tapered positive post that are slightly different sizes. So, the positive terminal is slightly larger than the negative terminal. This was built as a safety factor so that the cables couldn't be easily interchanged on vehicles. Now, in today's vehicles, typically, that can happen because the cables are just the right length due to the configuration and where the battery is located. 
 
Last, we have the 3/8" threaded stainless steel terminal. We find these almost exclusively in every over-the-highway and highway truck on the market, such as International, Kenworth, Freightliner, Peterbilt, Volvo. Almost all of these vehicles have a battery in them with this type of terminal. So, essentially, you've got a 3/8" threaded stainless steel terminal that is designed as the fastener to hold the terminal connection, the terminal lug, onto the bolt. 
 
So, there we have it, 3 most common types of automotive and commercial terminals. If you'd rather watch the video, here is the link.