Puppetmaster

I bought a twin amp cabling kit the other day- its 0 gauge then splitting to two 4 gauge cables....
does anyone know how to get a good crimp on heavy duty cabling like this?
I can't a hydraulic crimper to hire or borrow.
Please help!

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Can you solder it? All my earthing kit "crimps" were soldered, as are all my auxilliary loom crimps, for the lights, airhorns etc.

Larger cable crimps can be done over a gas stove, or using a plumber's type blowlamp, if a higher wattage iron isn't available. Use decent electrical solder, and wipe off any excess flux

Alcazar

scoobysmiff

iTrader: (2)

just put it in a large bench vice, grip it real tight and it wont be comming off in a hurry, you could use a hammer and just **** it untill flat as well if you so desire, gets it tight, which is nice!

Puppetmaster

AH.
Brute force. Sounds right up my street.... I'll see if I can whack some solder in there as well...

Cheers fellas...

The Hoff

iTrader: (5)

I woulnt bother trying to solder it, you may get some to flow on the outer layer but unless the whole thing is red hot nothing will get in to the inner core.

Puppetmaster

Hmm. Good point.
Guess I'll have to beat it into submission....
I really don't fancy taking it all to a shop to get done :/

Arch

iTrader: (59)

A 0 Gauge crimp has to be made with a hydraulic crimping tool. Any other method will not make a good conductive or mechanically sound connection. As previously mentioned soldering or brazing will not produce a strong enough bond to make the joint last. So if you want to do it correctly get the correct tools it will pay long term dividends. As for putting it in a vice or any other related method The reason the cable is so large is because it is designed to carry a large current, if your joint is not mechanically or electrically sound heat will be generated at the termination as a result of the high resistance caused. This can cause problems with voltage drops across the connection or worse case scenario heat intense enough to cause fires. Think carefully what route you choose.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Don't be daft, electrical solder has a good flux in it, this will make it flow right through the core of the wire, if it's hot enough to flow at all. Usual temperature required is 380 degrees celsius, which can easily be achieved with a gas hob

Alcazar

Oh, and once it's flowed right through, the joint will be stronger than any crimp.

scoobysmiff

iTrader: (2)

I have installed hundreds of large cable runs with this method and it is not a problem, i can't understand your logic other than it's not your prefered method, which is fine,
Your quote regarding it not being sound and generating heat is at best inaccurate, at worst complete rubbish.
You will find that the crimp will flatten out if put in a vice, this will make it untidy and nothing else, you can still cover it with a rubber boot and no one will be the wiser!
If your cable has more direct contact with the crimp, you are more likely to get a BETTER connection, certainly better than silver solder as you won't be able to get enough heat into it (on 0 gauge) with out melting the plastic sheilding.You can still solder badly and create a barrier with the flux in the solder, thus causing a bad connection.
If you could braze it then all would be well and good, but the same as silver solder, you can't get the heat in the cable to be able to use enough solder to make a suitable connection, you will get one of sorts but it will not be strong enough, which is why a crimped terminal is generally used, a hydraulic crimp tool is just a bit neater that's all.

Arch

iTrader: (59)

I seriously hope you do not work with high current cabling because any joint that creates a high resistance will generate heat - fact not rubbish. Yes a crimped joint made in a vice may well be untidy but make a fair connection but the reason a hydraulic crimping tool is used is that the pressure required to make both an electrically sound and mechanically sound connection has been calculated by people with large brains and to suggest that giving it a squeeze in your vice would be sufficient is as you put it "Rubbish". The pressure would not be even and would not create a uniform crimping pressure.
As you pointed out the heat required to get sufficient flow of solder in such a large guage cable would indeed run the risk of damaging the insulation creating further problems. The percentage chances of producing a dry/bad joint in this gauge of cable is high hence the reason the prefered method of terminating such cables is by using a hydraulic crimping process utilising a tool delivering a specific crimp pressure calculated for the type of crimp and guage of cable. But perhaps where you work beating the terminal to death with a hammer and covering it with heat shrink may be ok but not where I work. I would be concerned about the damage done to the crimp and the possibility of fatigue created within the metal of the crimp, but hey maybe I just like doing things right.

scoobysmiff

iTrader: (2)

i wouldn't call 12-13.8v and generally less than 50-60amps as high current at all, not in the larger scale of things.
You dont seem to understand the point i was stating, therefore i will not continue with the futile task enlightening you with a sensible constructive sentence. You clearly do not see other peoples point of view as anything other than incorrect if it conflicts with your own point of view, not a good way to encourage debate.
I could go on and explain that i am considered as one of them with a "big brain" as you so eloquently put it, but you would know this if you was on the same "wave length" and could actually read and understand the context of the text in which it was written.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

So now you two lads have done arguing, I'll say it again:

SOLDER IT!

Alcazar

NB: the trick is to heat the terminal, and NOT the wire directly. Keep the solder in contact with the WIRE. As soon as solder begins to flow, feed it in until the end of the wire is full.

Remove from heat. The insulation may have shrunk back a bit, if it has, push it forwards again, gloves or asbestos fingers work well here.

A nice rubber boot, or a cover of insulating tape finishes it off, as would shrink-type insulation.

PPPRob

Must admit, I've always smashed **** outta mine with a hammer and I've never had any problems.

Hit 141.7dB in my old escort turbo, had 6 JL 12W0s and a couple of soundstreams and all my crimps were smashed together

olliecampbell

iTrader: (3)

Wow thats some speakers there!

kittle

the average 50-60 amps puller per amp figure is a bit off, just one of my amps in my old car pulled 120amps rms!!!!
Hammer/vice job would work if you couldnt get the correct equip just might not look as tidy and be lot harder to take of/reuse if needed.
The solder wont be as good unless you really as good as using it. To much of it on will cause problems. I have seen 4gause wiring touching melt 9carat connectors! 0 gause will carry a much larger current than that!