For those of you who collect tools, I paid $200 for my Greelee, this looks like a great deal!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MVE48Z6/?tag=wranglerorg-20
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MVE48Z6/?tag=wranglerorg-20
Affordable battery lug crimper
- Thread starter astjp2
- Start date
I have that one. It works pretty good. The hex pattern is a bit odd in that when you turn the die 60 degrees to crimp it again to get it just a smidge more crimped, the hex is uneven. Works, just a bit odd.
You'd be smarter if you didn't.
Just to take that further...
Electrical connections need to be physically secure without the use of soldering.
Soldering is done to provide an electrically sound connection.
Soldering without crimping (or a good twist / linemans splice / western union splice) is not a good physical connection.
Crimping or twisting without soldering is not a good electrical connection.
Needs both. Finished with weatherproof heat shrink tube.
Wire connections typically don't have much in the way of problems when you solder them provided you understand and know how to do so properly.
Cable on the other hand, requires a lot of heat to tin the conductor and then to get that to properly flow into the lug and bond the connector to the lug. With that much heat, two bad things happen. The solder wicks down the cable and creates a stress riser at the spot where it stops that vibration can affect and break the conductor strands. The second thing is the heat degrades the insulation to a point where it has to be repaired. Not a big deal to do but that should be an indicator that something is being done that shouldn't be.
Reckon I’ve been lucky for 60 years. So far never had a problem, Jeeps, heavy equipment, race cars, and radio batteries
I've seen a rig driven from Oregon to SoCal with the jam nut loose on the front track bar. They didn't die. Could have but didn't. Just because they and others have gotten away with something we all know is wrong doesn't make the use of a jam nut properly tightened any less correct.
First Law of Holes... stop digging! lol
btw, it’s really ok to learn something new, even after 60 years...
Magna-lugs crimped with a proper tool on the proper setting, and DW heat-shrink are the only thing we would stand behind at the shop I worked at. No solder! The pressure exerted on the wire strands with the heavy-walled terminals is extremely high and eliminates any voids. We would never use those flimsy bell-mouth terminals.
OP
One of the worst things you can do, it causes the wires to break whereas a crimped connection will flex more before breaking.
As testament to what has been said above about not soldering harness connectors, take a look at any automotive, aircraft, military, NASA, etc. wiring harness and try to find any soldered connections. Circuit boards get soldered, wiring harness connectors don't.
On the TJ harnesses, there are about 2 maybe 3 soldered connections in the main harness. They bring several grounds together, solder them, and then seal the connection with adhesive lined heat shrink that is clear so you can see the placement on the joint. That is the only spot I know of that is soldered. It is also one of the main trouble spots folks know to look for when they start having intermittent sensor issues that are not on the signal side.
Brianj5600
TJ Expert
I have not had any issues using homemade dies and a hammer. Using the correct size lug is the key IMO.
I will admit, up until very recently I would have been soldering harnesses as well for any sort of wiring. However, after Blaine brought it to my attention a while back that this wasn't a good thing, I have stopped doing that completely and started using crimping tools instead.
I guess you really do learn something new every day. I seriously would have thought a soldered connection was a better connection, but clearly that's seldom the case.
I guess you really do learn something new every day. I seriously would have thought a soldered connection was a better connection, but clearly that's seldom the case.
Probably more info than most will want to know about making your own battery cables
https://marinehowto.com/making-your-own-battery-cables/
The author seems to be very experienced.
He also has an interesting “review” of the Harbor Freight hydraulic crimper.
https://marinehowto.com/making-your-own-battery-cables/
The author seems to be very experienced.
He also has an interesting “review” of the Harbor Freight hydraulic crimper.