Electrical Connectors

[DirtyBirdRacing]

Hi,

I have searched this and couldn't find anything on it really. So if there is something already on this, sorry about that. Everytime I read about doing electrical connections in cars they talk about using high quality crimpers, high quality connectors, and heat shrink wrap when doing them. So what exactly is a "high quality" crimper and connections?

Thanks,
Bill

 

[luv2rallye]

Don't let anyone bull shit you with their "high quality" stuff. The best high quality crimpers and connections is SOLDERING which won't ever fail with the dirt, corrosion, and connections working loose that you get with all wire crimps in a car that is under constant vibration and weather elements (eg. moisture).

 

[turbosax2]

Crimps are for wimps. Soldering ftw. It is not fun at all trying to find a bad connection due to a crimp gone bad.

 

[DirtyBirdRacing]

Alright thanks guys, I had always soldered so Ill just stick with it I guess.

Bill

 

[Defiant]

Every connector on your car came from the factory as a crimped connection. If you make a step up from the sheet-steel "crimper" (masher) pliers that come with the cheap connector kits and get the kind that actually fold the ends of the terminal ferrule into the wires, there's no need to ever have to solder under a dash. Just as with solder, a good crimp is a connection which is both electrically and mechanically secure. A properly-crimped connector can't be pulled off the wire with your fingers.

The very best are Molex and AMP.

3M's Scotchlok QuickTaps are not a substitute for a good crimp.

 

[luv2rallye]

Yes Defiant is once again correct "Every connector on your car came from the factory as a crimped connection" but let's be practical here. You would have a hard time finding that crimper (it's not going to be at Radio Shack) and even if you did, it would be so expensive that you wouldn't buy it anyway. The crimpers available at most auto and hardware stores are the "masher" type which are TERRIBLE for vibrating cars as the wires nearly always eventually come out or make poor contact with the terminal (they're fine for houses however where there's no vibration). So either buy the expensive Molex and AMP crimpers along wth their special terminals that can "fold the ends of the terminal ferrule into the wires" or solder them. (Also don't use a connector in a car to splice two wires together that uses a razor blade.)