Crimping battery cable terminals...any suggestions?

[SolidState]

Anyone know a good way to crimp battery cable terminals?

 

[jmpSHO]

I buy the ones that don't need to be crimped but I have used chanel locks.

 

[firebat45]

use a pair of ground-down bolt cutters

 

[SHOZ123]

I made a die for crimping large lugs. It was a solid piece of steel with a hole drilled through it. Then cut through the steel slightly off center so the die part was just a bit smaller. This allows the lug to come easily out.

 

[SHO92]

Bench vise.

 

[Eric VerValin]

We have and use some special crimper's for large wire at work that I would imagine would work well with those... if you could find the right die for it... They are very salty tho... upwards of $150 for just the crimper and no dies.. lol cheaper to buy a new cable..

 

[SHOZ123]

Here is what I use. I make my own cables using scrap #4 SOW wire and quick disconnects. The lug is shown in the pic. The smaller die is for a smaller lug.

For regular terminals that are for larger wire I use the hand crimpers but set it down on the concrete and whack it with a hammer a couple of times.

I also will coat the wire first with some copper electrical grease.

 

[1bad98SHO]

I dont crimp smaller terminals. Whenever I Do wiring using 1/0 or bigger I use copper Lugs. i heat them with a handheld torch. I then fill the lug with solder and then slowly put the stripped end of the wire in the lug. Let it cool and you know have a superior connection and its super strong also.

 

[Phoenix]

Bench vise.

Yup , its the best way I have found yet.

 

[1bad98SHO]

A hammer and something flat and hard also work but dont expect it to be pretty afterwards.

 

[Off Road SHO]

A hammer anvil press works great also. It's basically a press with a "V" bottom and an inverted "V" top. You lift up the top V, insert the connector with the wire in it, into the bottom V, place the Inverted "V" on top and wack it with a hammer. Works very well.

I also made one like Paul did to use in my hydraulic press. Smashed the **** out of it though. I have a big press.

Tom

 

[SolidState]

Thanks for the suggestions. Perhaps now I can get the white lump to move from it seemingly permanent resting spot in my driveway!

 

[SHO92]

Using Paul and Tom's ideas, and combining it with the bench vice, you could use 2 small pieces of 90* angle iron, with the lug in between. Doing that in the vise will allow you to see the compression happen, so you won't go too far.

 

[the4biddendonut]

I use one of these.



It's supposed to crimp anything from 8 awg to 4/0. You can put it in a vice or C-clamp. It works great, and it wasn't real expensive.

I just found one of these Lug crimpers on ebay for about $20.00 shipped.


Dan

 

[Off Road SHO]

I use one of these.



You can put it in a vice or C-clamp. It works great, and it wasn't real expensive.



Dan

Yep, that's the anvil press that I use and was trying to describe. Works great. I use a 2 or 3 lb hammer to whack it.

Tom

 

[TYSHO]

Anyone know a good way to crimp battery cable terminals?

Anyway that doesn't reach out and ground out your power terminal... :shappens:

 

[Shoaz]

This is how I do it:

 

[SolidState]

I dont crimp smaller terminals. Whenever I Do wiring using 1/0 or bigger I use copper Lugs. i heat them with a handheld torch. I then fill the lug with solder and then slowly put the stripped end of the wire in the lug. Let it cool and you know have a superior connection and its super strong also.

I ended up trying this method tonight and it worked really well. Now all I need to do is find something other than the typical bolt-and-plate battery terminals.

 

[SHOZ123]

Look for "OEM" style for the newer cars (+96). They are lightweight steel that is plated and with a lug end. Excellent and cheap. Wally World has them on the card rack.

 

[rktmn]

I soldered mine with electrical solder from Radio Shack a butane torch, and wrapped the ends with shrink tube.

This is the best connection you can get.

Jose