Whether you’re hooking up a light bar to your off-roader or adding a slick custom audio system to your cruiser, being able to connect all of those electrical accessories without comprising your vehicle’s wiring is critical.

And that’s why we really, really liked these handy banked relay panels from American Autowire. (And as it turns out, the folks at SEMA did too, awarding them the coveted “Best New Street Rod/Custom Car Product honors.)

You can learn all about automotive electrical relays and see some practical use cases here: All About Vehicle Electrical Relays

American Autowire banked relay display at SEMA
(Image/OnAllCylinders)

To get the skinny on these relay panels, we spoke with Bob Ely from American Autowire. Here’s what he told us.

“They’re designed to put some protection in for any additional circuits you want to add,” he explains.

The relay panels come in 4, 6, and 8 position configurations. Bob says you should keep them outside of the engine compartment but you can mount these panels pretty much anywhere else they’ll fit.

“They’re big with the off-road crowd, where you’ll add a winch, some lights,” Bob continues. “But street rodders like these too, if they’re running dual electric fans, additional lighting, LED lighting, and stuff like that.”

The relay banks come with the relays, panel assembly, and connectors with wire leads that are ready to crimp-on to your electrical accessories.

American Autowire relay switch panel display
(Image/OnAllCylinders)

Bob then gestures over to another display of rocker switch panels that’ll work with these new relay banks, or whatever other electrical accessories and configurations you’re running in your ride.

“Together, it’s a good way to set up a switched power circuit with a supporting relay,” Bob says.

The American Autowire Banked Relay Panels & Rocker Switch Panels are available under the following part numbers:

Author: Paul Sakalas

Paul is the editor of OnAllCylinders. When he's not writing, you'll probably find him fixing oil leaks in a Jeep CJ-5 or roof leaks in an old Corvette ragtop. Thanks to a penchant for vintage Honda motorcycles, he spends the rest of his time fiddling with carburetors and cleaning chain lube off his left pant leg.