making battery cables....crimp or solder?

for many years i've always made my own cables out of 1 or 2 gauge cable , and always crimped them and then used some heat shrink on the ends. never had a problem

now a guy i know tells me that soldering is better , that you get a better connection that will hold up longer

what is better and why? what do you do?

 

I crimp, solder and then heat shrink.......never an issue!

 

x2 ^^^^^

 

x 397758609877687978707876..................

 

Crimp and solder

 

Properly crimped they will hold up just fine.

I prefer soldered cables but I have owned plenty of cars with 30 year old crimped cables other than the cable itself being worn out (corroded up inside of the insulation) they have worked just fine.

 

I do it this way too.
I had to learn the hard way that it is the best way

 

How do you guys solder them, with a torch??

 

Yep, little propane plumbers deal torch and electrical solder.

 

That is pretty much the only way you are going to get 00 cable hot enough to make a decent solder joint on it.

 

I do the same and put a bit of waterproof grease to seal the connector to the cable before heat shrinking. Not sure if it helps, but it does in my head. But most importantly , PLEASE CUT YOUR HEAT SHRINK PERFECTLY, so everthing is perpendicular etc....makes a huge difference in the way it looks...Hans

 

I too am in the crimp, solder and heat shrink camp. The crimp for a good mechanical connection. Solder for a good electrical connection and to prevent the inside of the cable from corroding. Heat shrink to seal it to keep the outside from corroding.

 

Be sure to use flux core solder or add some plumbers paste to the cable end for a good bond when you solder

 

what he said ^^^^^

 

I crimp only, for reasons I mentioned in another thread about wiring. But we also have the correct crimping tool that looks like large bolt cutters . Then we put heat shrink tubing over the end.

Don

 

There is a heat shrink tubing made for marine applications that has a waxy component which helps prevent corrosion. I first place the heat shrink tubing on the cable well away from the source of heat.
Then I crimp the end onto the cable using a vise or a hydraulic crimping tool if I have the appropriate die size.
Using rosin core solder and a torch (I use acetylene) heat the connection & apply the solder. Once the solder has flowed into the joint & looks good wait for the connection to cool. Slide the heat shrink tubing over the end. Heat the tubing so that it shrinks.
That's it.

 

Doesn't it burn the insulation though?

 

better to just crimp and no soldering
more corosion inside the soldering
when i worked for the airforce the
electrisian just crimped. Soldering was a big no no
in the airplanes

 

Ding ,Ding !! winner in my book !!
dave

 

crimp, solder and double heat shrink, helps cover the burned off insulation
just did 2 cables because of failures

factory crimps can fail with their crappy jobs and thats why i solder also

 

I concur with the crimp and solder with high quality shrink tubing. By the way I use MAPP gas for this job, heats up fast minimizing insulation melt. I use MAPP for everything now....propane is just not hot enuf.....I use it for plumbing, soldering copper fittings, it's all we use.

 

X3 No solder, More corrision and the cables will be brittle next to the connecton and break from vibration, Solder is a no no on over the road trucks as well as air planes.

 

I have a big assed Thomas & Betts crimper, ugly as sin but works great. I've tried pulling a lug off a piece of test cable... the crimp held up and I would up pulling the wire out of the short piece of my test specimen.

If you can find the shrink sleeve with the adhesive inside it, the connection is imprevious to anything.

Bob

 

For my ride, I would prefer a good crimp with heat shrink over solder. My reasoning is simple - a properly performed crimp done with the correct tool will be the same regardless of mechanic. This gives me the confidence that the crimp was performed properly. The second reason is that for general use (like general electrical and plumbing) solder has had the lead removed due to environmental reasons. The lead in the solder gives the solder joint flexibility. Removing the lead from the solder joint can make large solder joints brittle, which by itself can lead to premature failure of the solder joint.

 

Count boats in with that.

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Heo2
better to just crimp and no soldering
more corosion inside the soldering
when i worked for the airforce the
electrisian just crimped. Soldering was a big no no
in the airplanes

Ding ,Ding !! winner in my book !!
dave

Please educate me: Why? What makes the solder so bad to use in those applications? What does it do?

 

Crimp and heat shrink for me.

 

On the Bonneville Avanti I moved into the 21st century with the mil spec battery cable ends and starter lugs. Got them from Kent Automotive and they are incredible. Made for military trucks and airplanes and as a bonus are reuseable if needed. Perfect connection and when you add shrink tubing will last forever. Highest quality materials and yet reasonable in cost. I will look for photos to post. I also used the mil spec battery cable that was easier to bend and shape and all virgin copper strands.
Dan

 

There are good arguments on all sides of crimp vs solder vs crimp & solder. Some of the high points are that a good crimp provides the same quality connection as a soldered joint. Soldering expands and anneals a crimped copper lug..... not good. A bad solder joint is worse than a mediocre crimp joint. When solder flows out into the wire(VERY hard to avoid) it causes a stress point at the end of the solder flow. Any vibration will cause the wire to be fatigue prone at that point. I have seen wires break because of that. Bottom line, no matter how you do it there are pros and cons. The most important thing is that it's done correctly, no matter how it's done.

 

Corrosion mostly, but also a more brittle joining is more likely to fail. Marine applications (from what I know) call for heat-shrink with a crimped connection.