Battery Terminal Crimping

[bigalw35]

I may be wrong but that doesn't look like a crimp connection, it looks more like a solder one.

all the larger crimps look like that, its the crimping tool that changes their appearance, a hydraulic crimper being the best crimping tool, once its crimped I would also solder, that precludes any corrosion, finish off with heat shrink

 

[autorouter]

This is far and away the most reliable way of achieving a good crimp joint. It avoids any mismatch between the crimp terminal and the hydraulic crimp tool, particularly if the copper wire strands don't perfectly fill the terminal tube before crimping. I used two different hydraulic tools before ending up with the simple hammer tool, and never looked back after that.

That's good for wires you can terminate in the workshop before fitting, but a bit more problematic for remaking connections to existing wires, or terminating wires after routing them inside the vehicle. It's a problem finding something solid to rest the tool on, and space to swing the hammer.

In the workshop I prefer squeezing the crimp tool in a six-inch metal vice, but not everyone has one of these.

 

[LesW]

Found a handy video clip..

 

[Lenny HB]

all the larger crimps look like that, its the crimping tool that changes their appearance, a hydraulic crimper being the best crimping tool, once its crimped I would also solder, that precludes any corrosion, finish off with heat shrink

That is a good way of weakening a joint you should never solder a crimped joint.

 

[LesW]

I would also solder, that precludes any corrosion, finish off with heat shrink

My experience with solder joints is that they can encourage corrosion.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[LesW]

That's good for wires you can terminate in the workshop before fitting, but a bit more problematic for remaking connections to existing wires, or terminating wires after routing them inside the vehicle. It's a problem finding something solid to rest the tool on, and space to swing the hammer.

In the workshop I prefer squeezing the crimp tool in a six-inch metal vice, but not everyone has one of these.

This looks like a good solution.
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-...0001&campid=5338547443&icep_item=133613338444

 

[Landy Andy]

This looks like a good solution.
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-...0001&campid=5338547443&icep_item=133613338444

I got a pair of them delivered to me yesterday.

Only cost £14 including postage

 

[Landy Andy]

Mmm. I’ve now opened the box.

And read the operating instructions

 

[Busybees]

That is a good way of weakening a joint you should never solder a crimped joint.

I agree, military, aerospace, railway and automotive industries all use crimped connections. How much heat would be required to solder a 35mm squared cable plus a tin plated copper lug? What will all this heat do to the cable and insulation? Also if you add solder it will wick up the cable away from the connector causing the cable to stiffen and increase its susceptibility to vibration.

 

[Trackman]

Do NOT solder wires before crimping, as when you crimp the join the wires will break apart giving a poor joint. A crimped joint cold welds the metals together it completely defeats the object if you solder the wire. Not only would you get a poor joint also it will work loose over time.

I agree. In boating circles we're always told not to solder because the stuff block created risks fatigue failure of the conductor at the interface between the flexible, unsoldered part & the rigid soldered section.
Combined with the reason you give, I'd say do not solder.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[L' Hobo]

I got a pair of them delivered to me yesterday.

Only cost £14 including postage

I have something similar but mine has 3 different sized clamps in the jaws that can be clicked over for a different sized crimps.
It has always worked well. ( mine has red handles and cost about £40)

 

[Lenny HB]

I use these.
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-...0001&campid=5338547443&icep_item=202523359695

 

[XxAnthxX]

I use these.
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-...0001&campid=5338547443&icep_item=202523359695

+1
That’s what I replaced my manual long handled ones with.

 

[Sasbo]

I use these.
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-...0001&campid=5338547443&icep_item=202523359695

Another for these. Work really well and very useful when working in confined spaces.

 

[Landy Andy]

I have something similar but mine has 3 different sized clamps in the jaws that can be clicked over for a different sized crimps.
It has always worked well. ( mine has red handles and cost about £40)

These have rotating jaws in them so can do 6mm up to 50mm. Apparently

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[bigwood]

Mk3 Escort starter motor cables were a regular problem at the roadside. The terminals used to corode and snap off at the solenoid. Not helped by the wiring loom being clamped with no slack for engine movements.
Rather than replacing the whole cable from the battery we used to crimp a new terminal on the end. Doing this on the car at the roadside without taking the cable off and no proper terminal tools I used to use my mole grips. You can a lot of pressure with decent size mole grips.

 

[TerryDunlea]

Some accurate and not so accurate comments re Terminating cable connections , specifically high current lugs, during My Career I must have fitted countless lugs to power cables , from soldering them in the sixties using a paraffin or latterly a propane gas torch , to more recent times using ‘Crimped ‘ connections. I have never had a single failure of the connection by either method ! The key to correct crimping is to prepare the cable correctly avoiding knife marks on the core , and using the correctly sized Lug and Crimper Die Set in the appropriate Tool either hand or hydraulically operated . With regard to soldering and then crimping this is definitely out of the question ! The only time I haver done that is to ‘tin’ the ends of multi-strand fine cables on on the end face prior to entering the lug , to ensure every strand is correctly crimped !

 

[Adriaadventure]

Another for these. Work really well and very useful when working in confined spaces.

I was always a believer in soldering after 'punching down' a crimp in a homemade die but punching and soldering larger crimps is difficult when the cable is in situ and the wicking of solder back up the copper cable is somewhat undesirable.
After doing a lot of research and having taken my last 2 motorhomes to an automotive electrical retailer to have lugs crimped onto cables I had installed fitting inverters ( at £1 per crimping ). I have just bought the 8 or maybe 10 ton ( according to the eBay title ) hydraulic tool as shown in the link by Sasbo.
Yes a really good tool, especially as the jaws swivel to access tight spaces. Just one criticism is that the dies supplied don't appear to be very high quality and after using the 16mm dies ( on a good quality 16mm lug with 16mm cable ) and ensuring the die faces fully met, the cable pulled out of the lug on testing the finished crimp !
I carefully managed to insert the cable back into the lug and using the dies for 10mm cable/lug re-did the crimp by placing the tool over the '16mm' crimp and further squished it down to 10mm size.
I can only guess that the 16mm dies are slightly over-size as amongst a few different makes of the same sized lugs in my collection I chose the thickest lug I had.
Several later crimps I have made, all on 10mm cable appeared to have crimped ok but this experience has slightly dented my trust in the tool/crimping process and its so so tempting to solder after crimping.

 

[Googlebot]

I was always a believer in soldering after 'punching down' a crimp in a homemade die but punching and soldering larger crimps is difficult when the cable is in situ and the wicking of solder back up the copper cable is somewhat undesirable.
After doing a lot of research and having taken my last 2 motorhomes to an automotive electrical retailer to have lugs crimped onto cables I had installed fitting inverters ( at £1 per crimping ). I have just bought the 8 or maybe 10 ton ( according to the eBay title ) hydraulic tool as shown in the link by Sasbo.
Yes a really good tool, especially as the jaws swivel to access tight spaces. Just one criticism is that the dies supplied don't appear to be very high quality and after using the 16mm dies ( on a good quality 16mm lug with 16mm cable ) and ensuring the die faces fully met, the cable pulled out of the lug on testing the finished crimp !
I carefully managed to insert the cable back into the lug and using the dies for 10mm cable/lug re-did the crimp by placing the tool over the '16mm' crimp and further squished it down to 10mm size.
I can only guess that the 16mm dies are slightly over-size as amongst a few different makes of the same sized lugs in my collection I chose the thickest lug I had.
Several later crimps I have made, all on 10mm cable appeared to have crimped ok but this experience has slightly dented my trust in the tool/crimping process and its so so tempting to solder after crimping.

The exact reason I went for hit with a hammer type.

I have been stung before with tools like these too. :-(

 

[autorouter]

I was always a believer in soldering after 'punching down' a crimp in a homemade die but punching and soldering larger crimps is difficult when the cable is in situ and the wicking of solder back up the copper cable is somewhat undesirable.
After doing a lot of research and having taken my last 2 motorhomes to an automotive electrical retailer to have lugs crimped onto cables I had installed fitting inverters ( at £1 per crimping ). I have just bought the 8 or maybe 10 ton ( according to the eBay title ) hydraulic tool as shown in the link by Sasbo.
Yes a really good tool, especially as the jaws swivel to access tight spaces. Just one criticism is that the dies supplied don't appear to be very high quality and after using the 16mm dies ( on a good quality 16mm lug with 16mm cable ) and ensuring the die faces fully met, the cable pulled out of the lug on testing the finished crimp !
I carefully managed to insert the cable back into the lug and using the dies for 10mm cable/lug re-did the crimp by placing the tool over the '16mm' crimp and further squished it down to 10mm size.
I can only guess that the 16mm dies are slightly over-size as amongst a few different makes of the same sized lugs in my collection I chose the thickest lug I had.
Several later crimps I have made, all on 10mm cable appeared to have crimped ok but this experience has slightly dented my trust in the tool/crimping process and its so so tempting to solder after crimping.

I had a similar experience with the long-handled crimping pliers I bought. I ended up using the jaws that were one size smaller than the size of the cable and crimp connection.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Landy Andy]

I’ve spent all afternoon fitting batteries and using an EBay hydraulic crimper. All the wires I’ve so far used are 35mm2. i also got all the cable ends from Ebay, but what I think are good quality ones, (some are very cheap) and am happy with them when I received them.
The first use of the crimper with a 35mm jaws in just caught the cable but I wasn’t happy with it, so then redid it using the next size of jaws down. All great, and cables look ace. Carried on and did loads of joints using the smaller jaws.
Last job was make up some quick fit jump leads. These are also using 35mm, and the connections are into Anderson connectors. So I crimped one of these with the size down jaws which i had used on the rest of the joints, but this time it squashed it and deformed it, and caused the connection to deform, so had to be redone.
So possibly the connector size and qulity, and jaw sizes are as important as the wire size.

 

[TonyEmm]

I would run some solder over the wire first and as suggested put some heat shrink over the wire before you crimp it up

Definitely don’t add solder! The copper strands will break... eventually!