Fitting a ring terminal for earth / power connections

[lez]

Ring terminals are a great way to get power from your battery or an earth at some point for your equipment, but if the connection is no good, you can run into all kinds of problems, I just had to fight a right monster of a job as some previous technician had done a wonderful job of crimping a wire by its insulation, which then came loose...


While it may seem common sense to some people how to fit a crimp terminal, I like to solder them, so here goes....


1) First strip and prepare ends of wires, don't forget to side plastic barrel over wires now!








2) Apply some solder to the wires, and then crimp into the connector








3) Apply more solder to the ring terminal, it should 'run' into the voids around the wire








4) slide plastic barrel over connection and clamp, its now secure for life.

[haydn callow]

Hi there,
I was going to solder & crimp the terminals I use to make up the coolant alarm kits.
A chap I know who knows these things says it's a big no/no. Reason... the wire that runs away from the terminal vibrates and because the copper wire/solder is much less flexible than just copper wire, it is lible to fracture over a period of time...also the solder aquires a sort of verdigree that again slowly damages the joint.(bit like a battery terminal I suppose)
Perhaps some of the techies on this site would like to comment ?? In the meantime I just carefully crimp terminals and give them a good tug. You are quite right about just crimping the insulator, It is quite easy to do if care is not taken

Food for thought/debate TO solder/crimp or just crimp???

[pippin]

An even worse thing is to just crimp (or screw) a wire that has been "tinned" with solder.

The pressure of the crimp (or screw) over time causes the solder to creep and the joint loosens.

Crimp joints just do not work satisfactorily unless a good (=expensive!) crimping tool is used. Pliers/cutters are a no-no.

As for soldering a crimped joint as described - well it is better than a poorly crimped joint without any solder.

[clogger]

i found years ago crimping connections was a bit crap that was with one of those scabby crimpers that usually come in kits.

nowadays i still crimp them but purchased quite an expensive double crimper which takes a bit of effort to use
it`s amazing the difference this has made as it crimps in both the right places at the same time

sorted

[Bonza]

Crimping is quite satisfactory without soldering BUT get a quality Crimper.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Free_UK_Deliver ... l_1066.htm

It needs a ratchet for consistent results plus the correct dies for the terminals that require crimping.

Crimping maintains flexibility of the original wire.

Cheap crimpers are just rubbish and often don't do the job consistently well enough.


Bonza

[lez]

Circular argument, a game of two halves, 6 of one half a dozen of the other, brown sauce over red........

Thing is *eveyone* buys £1 crimp sets from poundland, so soldering beats it hands down any day.

No wire should get so much vibration it breaks free, thats why wires are built into harnesses and tied into position, if the wires are correctly routed, vibrations not an issue.

[clogger]

poundland ?? never been
helps having a brother as manager of an electrical wholesalers so quality gear at a good price

[lez]

Ok then.......


Almost everyone......

[corblimey]

Bit late chipping in on this one

When I recently fitted my leisure battery I bought a good quality crimp tool and crimped all my connections. Before that I've always crimped with pliers and then soldered the joints and never had any problems. One of the reasons for using crimps this time was the ease of making a joint whilst having my head stuck under the bonnet.

Anyway, yesterday I was poking around under the bonnet and accidently tugged one of my cables. Out popped the wire from the crimp connector

I've never got on with automotive crimp connectors even with the correct tools so it's out with the soldering iron for me.

Interestingly I've just been up in the loft poking around and came across a battery terminal and lead for a BWM. I found it whilst walking along the beach earlier this year Anyway, I thought I'd see how the uber efficient Germans do it. They crimp..... and then solder. Granted it's a very heavy gauge cable and not likely to be prone to vibration fracture.

[Bonza]

East Devon?
Nowhere near Branscombe?
BMW bits?
Just happen to find it on the beach did we Sir?

ello, ello,ello.

Come quietly laddie.

Corblimey Ossifer

Bonz

[corblimey]

Branscombe, never heard of it honest guv.

[johnzbenson]

I see no problem with crimping if it is done well with the correct crimp for the appropriate size cable. I also dont see a problem with "tinning the cable" prior to crimping. If extra security is required How about stripping the cable so that the stranded cable can be not only crimped as normal but the strands are then separated in two groups of strands and then doubled back and wrapped around and tied around where the bare cable originally enters the crimp. this then should be "tinned with Solder" and coverd with heatshrink to tidy. I have seen this done once where the connection was essential and there was room to do it. Again it seems overkill to me as a well crimped cable should be as stong as the cable itself. but its an option.

[lez]

Crimped can be strong I'm not saying crimping cant be, but thats when its good crimping, which hardly nobody can do right even with a good tool.....

I'm not knocking people but it is a skill, and also depends on the strength of the metal used in the terminal, its no good having a tool that crimps with a 100lbs of force if the metal then springs back and leaves it attached with 25 pounds of force.

remember that most terminals supplied in modern car shops come the same factory's as supply those shops selling 25 terminals on a card for a pound, made of plastic metal.

Does anyone remember the fuses recalled from last year, instead of popping they just got hot and melted and smoked and could catch fire...

They were on sale nearly two years before they got any attention, I had some in my espace, made up for the heater not working........

Still on sale in carboots across the land, 20 or 30 or so for a pound....