Hot Rods Fabricating a Battery Cable to lug end crimper

Ya normally one crimps the lug on the battery cable before you install the wire on the car , doing it in a vise, hitting it with a big hammer on a hard surface or whatever. Too late , I don't want to back up.. Have any of you made a Battery wire to Lug crimper or done it in such a manner that will be secure, doing it when it,s on the car ? Gene

 

Yep ^^^^^ These are the one I have. Made by Greenlee.
The Wizzard

 

Looks great but probably expensive Won't be using the tool that often to justify the cost. Thanks tho

 

Use the holder of a double flare tool

Sent from my SM-G955U using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

I'd bet an industrial electrician would have them.
At the very most it Might cost you his service call charge.

If you wanted to fart around you probably could grab a set of bolt cutters and modify them.

I've squeezed and reset and squeezed and rest vice grips till the lug gets tight in a pinch & then soldered the lug. The problem is you need a lug that fits super snug to pull it off. I've also used the frame rail as a the vice and a hammer.

 

Borrow one, any Electrician, Utility worker, lineman should have one. Bring the lug with you to see what die you will need. Ratchet ones are not as good but much cheaper.

 

Never done any while on the car. That's because I solder mine.

 

there's this style...

https://www.amazon.com/Hammer-Style-Battery-Lug-Crimper/dp/B01LFG76S6

 

I've soldered them on the car, just did one last week on my wife's car.

 

There's trickery in what I wrote. Away from it with slack .

 

could these be used?

 

ya go to the local tractor dealer. they have nice ends and a hydraulic crimper. its cheap

 

On a threaded terminal, not a post though

 

I've made several cables over the years I use an anvil and a center punch just before I fill the void with solder, cool, clean, coat with dielectric grease then shrink wrap a heavy duty sleeve over it.....never had a problem or failure.

 

I forgot all about those! They are really easy neat and clean at the battery.


Are we doing a battery post or a lug on a stud, like a starter?

 

Remove it , use a chisel ...smack one side ..reverse smack again ....first get some shrink tubing...then slip it over and heat it with a cigarette lighter.....yes .no .maybe..

 

• Being in the truck and heavy equipt. repair bidness for 40 years, we never, ever relied on a crimped on cable end. It was easier and much better to remove the last 3/4 inch of insulation from the end of the cable, clamp the end in a vise and use a propane torch to heat the cable end while poking resin core solder in the opening..fill it with molten solder and when it's 3/4ths full, stick the skinned-back end of the cable into the pool of solder in the cable end....hold it in place for about 10 seconds...run some shrink tubing over the junction when it cools a bit and you're done! Even running it on a salt truck won't hurt it...try that with a crimped end and you'll be out on the street at 3 am fixing it! Do it right and you'll only have to do it once..jus sayin
• This can also be done with the cable still on the truck/car. Just use vice grips to hold the end still while heating it.

 

Yes

 

$28 including shipping, does up to 2/0 wire.....

https://www.ebay.com/itm/10-Ton-Hyd...302354325132?_trksid=p2385738.m4383.l4275.c10

 

Take it to your local Napa. They should have the facilities to crimp & or solder that up in short order. IF you're a regular customer, chances are they'll fix you up & send you on your way.

 

Local welding shop did mine for free

 

send yours to me -i will do & return -im about 4 hrs away & "speedy " or postal is cheap ?? thanks mike

 

Hey guys, he's asking about doing it ON THE CAR. The cable is already on the car, now he wants to crimp the terminal onto it. It' kinda late to have NAPA or the local welding shop do it, or send it to anyone.

 

I have a Thomas & Betts one at work and I bring in what I need crimped. For my Ford, a local speed shop fabbed up my battery cables from my cave-wall sketch. 20 minutes and $40 I was out the door.

 

Battery cable crimper made from a old Nut Splitter, modified the original chisel and welded in a adapter to keep the connector from flattening. Checked results with some High Voltage Electrician friends, their verdict, excellent. Some glue filled HD heat shrink and good to go.



Made connector Lugs from a piece of copper tubing that was a snug fit on the "0" welding cable I was using on the coupe.

Canuck

 

28$? Geeeeeez

 

@ Canuck, I like the re-purposed nut splitter idea. Got one that's been sitting around for 40+ years and only used it twice. (only worked once....)
If using a crimp fitting (no solder) what would be the best thing to help conductivity?
Di-electric grease, some type of metallic paste, heat sink paste/compound, or leave dry?

 

I used one of these for years and they work good. I do like the repurposed nut splitter for doing it on the car though.