I'm planing on splicing into the clearance light circuit on our grain trailers to power strobes off switch on the back bumper. Had a bit of an argument on what is the right way. What is the the correct way to splice into automotive type wiring?
The common way is using Scotchlocks, but doing it the hard way with solder always pays off in the long run.
solder or crimp for the smaller wires: Solder or crimp. Bigger power wires may involve some more thinking and variation in technique & tooling. Some don't like solder as it can produce a stress riser and impede how and where the strands flex. Crimps vary quite a bit in the level of performance as to if the inner surface is rippled, the formed edges are brazed, etc. Once conductor connection solution is addressed, if crimp is insulated, seal it to the existing insulation, if crimp not insulated, install some insulation like heat shrink and pick one that seals to the existing insulation. There are 'trick' connectors which involve a light crimp through some provided insulation, then some heat and they have some solder inside them which flows w/o damaging the insulation - about a buck each. * Then there's the real world - keep some less expensive insulated connectors on hand, cut wire & strip, dip ends in No Ox, shove into connector, grab whatever is handy: the vintage worn or the new crimp pliers, squeeze and forget about it for a while.... if really worried, slip some loose shrink on first, then once goo'd and crimped, slide heat shrink over connector, use hot air gun and then forget about it.
I don't know about anyone else, but I've had really, really, good results with these... http://www.posi-lock.com/posilock.html http://www.posi-lock.com/ As oceanobob recommended, heat shrink tubing does seem to help relieve the stress points on the crimp type connectors. I haven't had good success with Scotchlocks at all, which is a shame, because they seem like a good idea. I have used some epoxy filled wire nuts that I found at Fruehauf in Billings... they were bullet proof, if you want to go that route. OCR
for me, if its your own gear and you have any pride in it, solder or crimp and reinsulate. if you don't, give it a year or two, maybe less and you will need to re do it again. @ Oceanobob yeah, I do like those solder filled splices... don't like the $ tho!
I buy uninsulated butt connectors, they're cheap. I can't stand scotch locks or insulated butt connectors. I usually use the bare butt connector and sweat in a few drops of solder then heat shrink over the top. I know I don't really need the crimp if I'm soldering it anyway but many times I'm in a spot that it's tough to hold the wires together while soldering. The butt connector makes it easy.
I should have been a little more specific, what's the best way to turn 1 wire into 2? I use an oversized butt connector and double up the side with one wire. The other ideas were solder and lots of electrical tape and scotch locks. Didn't even know they were called that. The solder guy calls them hammer down smash connectors. I'm not a big fan of solder on anything that vibrates, especially anything over 18 ga. OCR those posi-taps look like they could work really well. Any experience with them?
I like that. Gonna have to try it in problem spots. I use insulated butt connectors. Found if you crimp them right next to the center and then down a little they hold together better.
It's too hard to heat shrink over the insulated ones and it looks like sh*t when your done. The bare ones are cheaper and easier to verify a good crimp plus a lot smaller OD if you have to splice a harness or something. When you're done, the repair is almost the same size as the rest of the wire instead of looking like a snake that swallowed a cow.
NASA's Crimping, Interconnecting Cables, Harnesses, and Wiring guide is an interesting http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/codeq/doctree/87394.pdf
Alot of the trailers i work on have junction boxs. If yours does i would run a wire to no matter how far away it was. If not and i didnt want to solder i would use some kind of crimp and coat it with silocone.I have heared alot about solder makeing wires brake but i have never saw this first hand also i have been told that silocone would eat up copper never saw this happen either. For the people that say solder and sealer is bad how long will i have before i have a problem the oldest wireing repair i have done is over 30 years old and hasnt failed yet.
I've always use the oversized connector, used a tooth crimper exactly on the seam in the connector and then enough tape to seal and provide strain relief. Never had a problem. I do wonder about what make and model truck you are working on though. Some nowadays use that multiplexed system where you have to run off a supplied junction on the truck. Tee into a wire for hot and the computer starts cussing a blue streak. Well OK, me. So far I haven't heard a truck computer talk.
Here you go: http://www.fastenal.com/web/product...pcode=&filterByStore=&filterByVendingMachine= Pull the plastic off with some needle nose pliers, crimp, quick solder, then it looks like you can move the connectors, I would put a small shrink on each one individually then move two of them to one side and put a bigger piece of shrink over it all, squeeze it full of dielectric grease and shrink it down.
It's about dam time someone make a 12ga to 16ga butt connector.
Agree on that one, step size crimps would be handy insulated or un-insulated. I would prefer un-insulated then covered with glue inside heat shrink. For heat shrink I much prefer the type with the hot melt glue inside. Took apart a harness that I thought was made good with standard heat shrink and was surprised on the moisture that was inside.
waytek wire has step sized heat shrink butt connecters, also 2 into 1 of the same gauge http://www.waytekwire.com/item/32990/MULTIPLE-SEALED-WIRE-CONNECTOR/ http://www.waytekwire.com/item/38059/MOLEX-PERMA-SEAL-STEP-DOWN/ if your truck or trailer has a junction box near the bumper, why not tap there ? 525isx
Well there goes my chance at making a million dollars, someone beat me to it! :BangheadGuess I'll have to keep pulling wrenches for another year!
Thanks 525, all kinds of cool stuff on waytek's site.
525, thanks +2 Also, everyone probably knows this; adhesive lined heat shrink tube is available. I wont use the non-adhesive kind anymore.
I have to come back to this! I use a crimp/solder connection I get from my local electric supply house. I don't remember the brand name. But you have to keep them apart from the tradional crimp. They have a tube of solder inside the shrink wrap. If you just crimp you are guaranteed to have a bad connection. With just the right amount of heat and no grease the solder melts and the shrink wrap seals up. Too much heat and the solder runs out . Any dialectic or grease and the solder doesn't work.
waytek sells those too ! 525
My favorite connection is solder and heat shrink, but it is definitely not always an option. I use Waytek all the time. I have a wall bin full of connectors from them. The ONLY butt connectors (as well as all other crimp connectors) I use are the heat shrink connectors that are adhesive lined. I use the step-down connectors a lot for wire gauge reduction or one-to-multiple connections. They have a corresponding ring on the reduced end that is the color of the next smaller connector size. The two things to watch out for both involve crimping. The reduced size end has a thicker barrel that is harder to crimp, and you want to be very careful not to crimp so hard that it cuts the insulation. As for the solder filled connectors, mainly available on ring terminals, I'd rather throw them away then let someone use them. Total waste of money in my opinion. The solder never ever ever seems to do what its supposed to do. Once it finally reaches its melting point, it simply squirts out of the connector and is never more than a cold solder joint. If someone grabs one not knowing what it is, then 9 out of 10 times, the wire is not stripped back far enough to let the bare strand reach the actual crimp terminal, and they usually crimp the solder ring instead of the crimp ring. I've had 2 days work wasted on a guy troubleshooting a brand new harness because the terminal was not used correctly. You are right in line with heat shrink. The only heat shrink worth buying is heavy-walled adhesive-lined. Fantastic stuff!!!!
Great link, thanks... :thumbsup OCR
If the trailer has Grote harness, they make piggyback connections that plug in between taillight and harness plug. No cutting, splicing of harness needed. Timpte trailers have Weatherpack connectors on the lights. If you have that, I would get some male and female weatherpacks that are the same as the light connector and build your own jumper. I would try not to cut into that trailer sill harness, if you don't get it sealed back up, you will have nothing but trouble down the road.
I've used the wipe on electrical tape with mixed results over the years, just use bare terminals and once crimped brush on the liquid electrical tape. Before I'd do that, I'd wire back to any junction box and go from there first, no matter the distance needed to go. As for the two or three terminals on a ring idea, I've thrown them all away, and instead of doing that, we've used basic ring terminals and use a bolt with a lock nut on it, then coat with liquid electrical tape and once dry, wrap in electrical tape and your done, that way you can do the same basic thing a junction box does, but have it somewhat air and water tight, putting quite a few terminals together. On older machines/trailers that don't really have junction boxes, we've cut off the end of the line wire, usually by a light and that way, the connection is at the end of one line, and wire more lights off of there, and when problems occur, we only have to strip back again and start over. On the trailers I've built and wired, when we go to wire them, we install far more junction boxes and wrap feet of extra wire before and after each box, that way in the future, when terminals corrode, we have plenty of good new wire to strip back and not have to splice any extra wire into the system, just cut it off and put new ends back on. Every trailer I've ever rewired, we do this same thing, that way there are limited breaks or connections in the wiring, and its saved me ever having to rewire a trailer the third time, put a lot of new junction boxes in, but not entire new harness's. Anyone have a descent junction box that seals out moisture and road dust/salt and doesn't get brittle over time?
Haldex makes an awesome one. Has rubber plugs that you just cut a small slit in center and shove the wire through. It will fit 12 ga. 6-way light cord. The box is about 3" x 6". Has a row of 7 stud terminals inside to make connections on. Smear some silicone around where the cord goes into and out of the box, they stay like new inside for years.
Love Waytek...
Scotchlocks should be outlawed. And never use wire nuts. Love the shrink seal butt splices and a wratchating crimp tool.
scotchlocks are job security for guys like us!! I cant tell you how many times I have found wire nuts on wires under the trailer or dash of something & the customer "I didn't do that" I have always said there should be a license to buy duct tape,silicone caulk & scotchlocks!
Yes it is job security
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002HUXR7E/ref=redir_mdp_mobile/188-1836186-8659666 Best junction box made. As for the connectors, I use the 3M butt connectors that have shrink tube formed on them. Crimp with insulated notch in plier, mini torch shrinks it down, have never had one fail. The key on any vehicle or trailer wiring repair us to seal out moisture. Otherwise the whole wire(or harness) will be destroyed in time.
I use them on all out trailers shimmy1. Makes for easy trouble shooting also.
AND adding chicken lights.:cool2
Best little mini torch I've ever had for such purposes, and the soldering tip works great as well. > http://www.radioshack.com/mini-butane-gas-powered-iron/6402188.html#q=butane+torch&start=12
Looks good, I prefer ones like this that stand up by themselves. http://www.qsource.com/p-9483-master-appliance-mt-70-mini-triggertorch-butane-torch.aspx As far as the shrink type butt connectors go, how expensive are the ones y'all use? Best and cheapest I've found are at Johnsen Trailer in Bismarck. $0.50 apiece. Some I've seen they want up to 2 bucks, and they don't have as much shrink tube on them.
Local Truck-Pro here sells Grote brand16-14 ga. for $0.43 for heat shrink, and $1.03 for heat shrink w/ solder. (I had an invoice in my pocket)
I'm not sure I would care for the solder ones. To get it hot enough to melt solder, wouldn't that burn the shrink tube?
I'll let you know next week. :beatsme
I couldn't get my hand or crimping tool in "there " Plus I would have to hold the two wires together, as they were short. A simple electricians wire nut saved the day!
you will be back to see that wire again
Yeah, and probably not just that spot. Moisture will get into the wire and ruin the whole thing.
Some silicone around the nut and wires is be what I have done.