battery cables?

have a 94 F350 1ton crew cab dually,
been having issues with the battery cables, so i changed them both out yesterday, funny looking critters! seems the + side has 2 4 guage leads coming off the battery, 1 goes to the relay, the other to the starter, there's a 12 guage wire that runs both to the real and the started, and a wire the runs to the relay in the center, have'nt seen this type of setup before! i would think with a external relay, the heavy leads would go thru it, then to the starter? any info?
tia
Rick, Ore

My 95 F-150 5.8L is the same way. Oddly enough there like 2 solenoids, the normal one we're use to seeing on Fords up top and another on the starter. I was kinda perplexed as well trying to figure out what was going on.

the upper solenoid gets the signal from the ignition via the small wire, then it relays to the other solenoid via the medium size wire. There's a direct large cable to the starter and one to the upper solenoid which is also acting as a power distribution point. I drive semis and they're like that as well, at least the last 06 International I was driving.

Hope that cleared it up for you.

double solinoid setup eh? wonder if that's one of fords better ideas? hehe! fixed most of the problem, still hard to turn over at times when it's hot tho, guess the starters getting heat soaked, think the old mans chevy use to do the same thing when hot
thanks
Rick, Ore

Not sure why they went that direction. The solenoid on the starter appears to come with the starter. The upper is available as normal.