Battery cables...solder or crimp?

[DRJDVM's '69]

I'm planning on making some battery cables this weekend....never done it before.

I was planning on soldering the ends........ so do I use plain "regular" solder that you use for typical electrical stuff or is there something else I should use?

I was planning on doing the "place the end in the vise..... put some solder in....heat it up with a torch until it melts...shove the wire in" technique...... any tips?

I've also read on some boards that its better to crimp them than solder....heat etc melting the solder etc..... any opinions?

[SLO_Z28]

Its better to solder. Use 60/40 on stuff like that, and there is a noticeable quality difference between the cheap stuff and decent stuff, so stay away from Harbor Freight for the solder and wire. I personally like the insulator on the painless wiring kit for battery cables.

You have a lot more to worry about than the connection coming loose if the cable gets hot enough to melt solder, I couldn't give you an exact temperature, but it would be more than hot enough to burn even a good insulator.

[XcYZ]

I crimped mine. I borrowed a set of massive crimpers from work that has interchangeable jaw inserts. I figured if the crimps work with high power/ampacity cabling at work, it would be good enough for a car battery.

[DRJDVM's '69]

The other issue I have with crimping them.... I dont have access to the proper type of crimper ... I dont want to buy a single application tool for a probable one time deal....

[96z28ss]

is it for the camaro?
then it would be a 2 use tool cause you got a cuda also.
Just trying to help

[DRJDVM's '69]

No its for the Cuda.....
I'm hooking up the battery, so I can do some basic stuff, like run the air ride compressor..... I'm really only making the ground cable and a short positive lead hooked to a cut off switch.

I could do some very basic "temporary" stuff , but I figured I would at least make the final ground cable.

[garickman]

Do you have a NAPA parts store close by. I bought my 1 GA battery cable and lugs from napa and they crimped them for me.

[JRouche]

I have done both. Why?? No reason, just what happened. I think both are legit and secure, as long as they are done properly. And I dont know what properly is so take that with what its worth, nadda

For the cables I use welding cable. 4/0. What I like about it beside the very inexpensive cost is the fine strands. It winds through the turns in the body like laying hot butter. And with my battery in the trunk it made routing the cable easier. And 4/0 welding cable has a large amount of current handling. Which is more of a concern for voltage drop than heating with the long run. No voltage drop during engine cranking.

But.... My cable is routed inside the car from front to back, and I was very careful to NOT subject the wire to any sharp metal. I dont recommend using it outside the car unless you add additional armor to the cable for extreme areas, like in the engine bay and under the car. The rubber shield is not meant to be subjected to the harsh environments of the working sides of a car.

For a primary wire I really like the stuff that Napa sells. When you compare it to all the others you see the diff, some high quality cables. And the cost is not bad at all. I highly recommend their primary wire.

Ok... Ummm. Yeah!!! I got off track.. It was cable ends. Durr...

I didnt have the dies for the ends I wanted to crimp on the cables I had. So I made the dies. Basically a simple block of metal with a hole drilled in the center of it and then I cut the block in half. I didnt use a dimple on the inside of one half like I have seen on some dies. Mainly because I didnt want to put that much work into the die. But what I had going for me was alot of pressure. I have a 50 ton press. So I stripped the shield off the wire, it was standard primary wire not welding cable. And pressed the lug around the wire with alot of pressure. Not the full 50 tons, but pretty close. And the key is to use a lug that is matched for the wire. It will be a tight fit getting all the strands into the cup. But it should be tight. So I pressed the hell out of the joint, major force. It wasnt going anywhere.. Nice solid joint, I imagine it was so much force that the copper strands prolly deformed inside the cup of the lug to make an almost solid unit, not much air gap left.

But to be honest. I was just playing with tools, I wanted to squish something in the press. Not getting much work done.

These days Ill break out the propane torch and solder and solder the lugs on. I make sure to strip a large section of the insulation off. About 1.5 inches beyond the edge of the terminal when the wire is fully seated in the cup. And fully set the wire into the cup, push it as far as you can, (give a lil twist back and forth so the strands get deep into the crevice of the lug). That way Im not melting the insulation and drawing it into the solder joint. That will ruin the solder joint. Oh, and I let gravity help some. I cant get my setup so the wire and lug is vertical, but it is at about 45* from horizontal.

I play the flame at the base of the cup ( the side closest to the bolt hole on the lug) till it changes color from the nice copper to a dull orange and just starts to get some blueish purple color. Then its time to push the solder. Helps to have at least a foot or more of straight solder ready to go off the spool, dont want to be un-wrapping solder off the spool cause it was too short of a piece in the middle of filling the cup.. Fill the cup, stay off the heat till you start to feel a lil resistance. The idea is before you feel the resistance on the filler, wash the body of the lug with the flame, keep it hot so you get a nice melt but dont burn the solder, flux or lug. Keep filling the cup till its full and the wires that are exposed are starting the capillary action. Then stop, its done. You dont want to move the wire at this point. I use a double type of clamp. The vice holds the wire and the other clamp holds the lug. So Im not holding any of the pieces. Moving soldered pieces when they are chilling can cause a broken joint. Not so much in this case but thats a good rule to hold by anytime you are soldering any joint.

I like to triple coat the end made in heat shrink tubing. I use one piece that covers the entire exposed copper (the longish exposed wire) and all of the lug that isnt in contact with the post that its used on. Then a second piece just slightly longer to overlap the ends of the first piece. Then my final heat shrink tubing is the color of the cable to make it look nice and uniform.

Solly to go off on a tangent. Just the way things go with me JR

[Vegas69]

I put the cable lug in my vice and heated it with a mini torch and filled the cavity with solder. While it was still liquid I pushed the batter cable into the lug. Then I used shrink wrap. Crimping would be much easier and I'm sure just as effective. I just didn't have a clean way to do it.

[70rs]

Originally Posted by JRouche

I have done both. Why?? No reason, just what happened. I think both are legit and secure, as long as they are done properly. And I dont know what properly is so take that with what its worth, nadda

For the cables I use welding cable. 4/0. What I like about it beside the very inexpensive cost is the fine strands. It winds through the turns in the body like laying hot butter. And with my battery in the trunk it made routing the cable easier. And 4/0 welding cable has a large amount of current handling. Which is more of a concern for voltage drop than heating with the long run. No voltage drop during engine cranking.

But.... My cable is routed inside the car from front to back, and I was very careful to NOT subject the wire to any sharp metal. I dont recommend using it outside the car unless you add additional armor to the cable for extreme areas, like in the engine bay and under the car. The rubber shield is not meant to be subjected to the harsh environments of the working sides of a car.

For a primary wire I really like the stuff that Napa sells. When you compare it to all the others you see the diff, some high quality cables. And the cost is not bad at all. I highly recommend their primary wire.

Ok... Ummm. Yeah!!! I got off track.. It was cable ends. Durr...

I didnt have the dies for the ends I wanted to crimp on the cables I had. So I made the dies. Basically a simple block of metal with a hole drilled in the center of it and then I cut the block in half. I didnt use a dimple on the inside of one half like I have seen on some dies. Mainly because I didnt want to put that much work into the die. But what I had going for me was alot of pressure. I have a 50 ton press. So I stripped the shield off the wire, it was standard primary wire not welding cable. And pressed the lug around the wire with alot of pressure. Not the full 50 tons, but pretty close. And the key is to use a lug that is matched for the wire. It will be a tight fit getting all the strands into the cup. But it should be tight. So I pressed the hell out of the joint, major force. It wasnt going anywhere.. Nice solid joint, I imagine it was so much force that the copper strands prolly deformed inside the cup of the lug to make an almost solid unit, not much air gap left.

But to be honest. I was just playing with tools, I wanted to squish something in the press. Not getting much work done.

These days Ill break out the propane torch and solder and solder the lugs on. I make sure to strip a large section of the insulation off. About 1.5 inches beyond the edge of the terminal when the wire is fully seated in the cup. And fully set the wire into the cup, push it as far as you can, (give a lil twist back and forth so the strands get deep into the crevice of the lug). That way Im not melting the insulation and drawing it into the solder joint. That will ruin the solder joint. Oh, and I let gravity help some. I cant get my setup so the wire and lug is vertical, but it is at about 45* from horizontal.

I play the flame at the base of the cup ( the side closest to the bolt hole on the lug) till it changes color from the nice copper to a dull orange and just starts to get some blueish purple color. Then its time to push the solder. Helps to have at least a foot or more of straight solder ready to go off the spool, dont want to be un-wrapping solder off the spool cause it was too short of a piece in the middle of filling the cup.. Fill the cup, stay off the heat till you start to feel a lil resistance. The idea is before you feel the resistance on the filler, wash the body of the lug with the flame, keep it hot so you get a nice melt but dont burn the solder, flux or lug. Keep filling the cup till its full and the wires that are exposed are starting the capillary action. Then stop, its done. You dont want to move the wire at this point. I use a double type of clamp. The vice holds the wire and the other clamp holds the lug. So Im not holding any of the pieces. Moving soldered pieces when they are chilling can cause a broken joint. Not so much in this case but thats a good rule to hold by anytime you are soldering any joint.

I like to triple coat the end made in heat shrink tubing. I use one piece that covers the entire exposed copper (the longish exposed wire) and all of the lug that isnt in contact with the post that its used on. Then a second piece just slightly longer to overlap the ends of the first piece. Then my final heat shrink tubing is the color of the cable to make it look nice and uniform.

Solly to go off on a tangent. Just the way things go with me JR

^^Long version

Originally Posted by Vegas69

I put the cable lug in my vice and heated it with a mini torch and filled the cavity with solder. While it was still liquid I pushed the batter cable into the lug. Then I used shrink wrap. Crimping would be much easier and I'm sure just as effective. I just didn't have a clean way to do it.

^^Short version