4 awg and Larger, Best Method to Attach Lugs

[JasoninDLH]

I’ve seen several methods for connecting lugs to 4awg and larger wire. What method/stuff do you use and why?

One method I’ve never tried is to lightly hold the wire in place with a vise while you slide the lug onto the exposed wire. Then go ahead and heat the lug up with a torch and add solder to it and let the solder fill the connection. Then quickly dip the end into cold water. Seems like a solid connection.

Another method I’ve seen is crimp the lug first in the vice and then solder and dip in cold water.

I think I’ll just use a hexagonal crimper and call it a day.

Just curious how you all do it?

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[Popwarhomie 5,000+ posts]

I have a hydro lug crimper and hammer crimper.

 

[hispls 5,000+ posts]

Crimp + solder would probably be best, but I've personally never bothered soldering. I bought a 10$ swedge tool from weldingsupply.com which seems to do fine on lug terminals and have even used vice grips in a pinch which does fine if you're patient. I've also been getting into the ones that have the set screw in them as they can be removed and re-used indefinitely and they're only like 5$ a pop on Amazon. If you re-use them once you're about up to the cost of throwing away two crimp style ones. The only catch is they're rather bulky so may be impractical depending where you need to attach them.

 

[deez283 10+ year member]

Hammer crimper here.

 

[2RZ-FE 10+ year member]

hammer and punch leaves a dimple to tighten them together then wrapped in heat shrink tubing

 

[HardofWhoring]

Have to start with a clean cut. Measure the depth of the lug, and use a boxcutter to remove the sheath just shy of the length, (hold the cutter still, and turn the wire on it around once, then up through). Some lugs have an angle inside that comes to the point. If it does, you can cut the wire at a slight angle; then inserting it all in the lug is pretty easy by just spinning it. If the lug is more flat at the end, then a straight cut on the wire. Welding wire is pretty easy to get in, with a clean cut and twist it around because its just packed tighter. With flex wire, I will use a really small zip tie over the exposed wire. Make the zip tie tight over the end (but not as tight as possible), with just enough room to fit the lug over, and slide them both down. When the lug is seated over the wire, you cut the zip tie off at the "head/connector". Don't try to go all the way through, just enough to break its strength so you don't cut the wire.

I've tried hammer crimpers, and I thought they were worthless. Hydraulic crimpers are $20 on Amazon. Smaller than 8awg I only solder. 4awg and larger I only use the crimpers. I just don't see how you're planning on getting solder in there, unless you are going around the end lip of the lug. I crimp, move it slightly and crimp again along the lines, so the entire lug is crimped where there is wire inserted.

A little dielectric grease and a heat shrink tubing over the crimped portion.

If both ends are getting lugs, then after the first lug, seat the second lug on the wire, install it close, and adjust the angle of the lug before crimping it.

 

[HardofWhoring]

I don't get why you would heat and dip in cold water. I can at least tell you, that's not good for metal. If you solder, just let it cool naturally. You're also adding moisture to it. I hope you are at least finding a way to dry that out.

 

[Firewalker]

I bought this kit from Amazon for crimping lugs, works great and doesn't take a lot of force to use it. And it came with the cutters as well.

I also use only copper lugs for just about everything with heatshrink from a big kit you can buy there along with electrical tape as well then wire loom over it to protect it.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MVE48Z6/?tag=caraudiocom-20

 

[JasoninDLH]

Great advice here, thanks everyone!

Good to see how everyone is doing this as well.

 

[Deiimos]

I’ve had a cheap hydraulic crimper for about 8 years now and it’s been good. I was originally going to get a hammer crimper, but this is quiet if I install anything at night or want to do it in the house without hammering. I’m sure you could spend the cash and get a much better one, but for the price it has worked fine for me. To anyone that buys one of these, make sure you get one with the right size dies for the wire / terminals you will be using. It's a little bulky, but has gotten the job done.

 

[Deiimos]

I also wanted to add, if you go the hammer crimper route, make sure you do it properly. I remember getting some second hand 4 and 0 gauge wire many years ago, and the previous owner hammer crimped on terminals could easily be pulled off by hand. That is a very bad connection when passing high current.

 

[JasoninDLH]

I’ve had a cheap hydraulic crimper for about 8 years now and it’s been good. I was originally going to get a hammer crimper, but this is quiet if I install anything at night or want to do it in the house without hammering. I’m sure you could spend the cash and get a much better one, but for the price it has worked fine for me. To anyone that buys one of these, make sure you get one with the right size dies for the wire / terminals you will be using. It's a little bulky, but has gotten the job done.

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Thanks for the info! I actually just ordered a similar hydraulic crimper for $50 today. It has all the dies from 8awg to 1/0. I usually get wire with lugs connected already, but this time around I wanted to do it myself because I’m a big kid now.

 

[Deiimos]

It should work well enough for you to get solid connections. That’s about the same price I paid for this one, and I‘d bet all the cheaper "similar" one's will give the same basic results.

I suppose I should add to my last post, that any crimping tool can do a weak crimp if you don’t do it properly. I just remember those hammer crimped terminals that the previous owner made a slight dimple, but did not compress the terminal to the wire as you are supposed to. You can over crimp as well which is bad, but under crimping will create resistance to high current and possibly end up oxidation and melted terminals / wire at the ends.