MikeRJ
|
| posted on 21/4/10 at 10:49 PM |
|
|
The reason soldering is a bad idea for terminating wires is that the solder wicks back up multi-stranded wire (which all automotive stuff is), and
where the solder stops you get a sudden change between a flexible wire and a stiff wire. Any bending will take place at this point, and the copper
will quickly fatigue and snap.
Crimping (done properly) also produces a lower resistance joint than soldering.
|
|
|
|
|
keithice
|
| posted on 22/4/10 at 06:11 AM |
|
|
B&Q do a ratchet crimper set for under thirty quid... use it at work everyday and on the odd occasion when I have had to redo the crimps, the wire
has failed before I've managed to pull the crimp off....
Smile and wave boys.... Smile and wave....
|
|
|
rgrs
|
| posted on 22/4/10 at 07:12 AM |
|
|
I think the issue here is although correctly crimped joints are correct most of us cannot afford the tooling to produce the quality level required.
I build looms for work and the crimpers alone are over £400. There is no way a pre-insulated crimp and a cheap set of crimpers will produce reliable
consistant joints.
When i built my loom i used un-insulated crimps which were then heatshrinked. All splices were twisted along 1" to give a mechanical joint,
soldered and then heatshrinked. If the loom is is installed correctly then there should be no movement near any joints, any issues with vibration
should be damped out by the heat shrink before it reaches the soldered joint.
If it was my loom i would solder and heat shrink the joints. It then becomes in our low milage cars a forgettable soloution.
Roger
|
|
|
sucksqueezebangblow
|
| posted on 22/4/10 at 08:28 AM |
|
|
I solder and crimp if I possibly can, or solder and heatshrink. If you get non-insulated crimps you can crimp and solder.
When I did my loom the wiring was right first time but I had a very annoying hazard/indicator fault. When I eventually traced the fault it was a
crimped spade connector in a multi plug. I chopped the whole thing out and put a new one in with crimp and solder.
Better to Burnout than to Fade Away JET METAL ~ AndySparrow © 
|
|
|
