best way to connect big *** lugs to wire?

[Insomniac119 10+ year member]

So these just came in the mail:

They're pretty **** big. Whats the best way to connect them to the wire? The wire I bought it 2 awg, btw. I was thinking that I could use a chissle and hammer it down onto the top of the lug untill it crimped the wire. Or I could cut them along these blue lines:

and crimp them like regular connectors. Either method, I'll give it as much solder as my iron can muster.

Any other methods, which is the best?

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[Moe Lester 10+ year member]

i use a flathead screwdriver and a hammer, 2 crims on the bottom (yellow) and one crimp on top (green)

 

[bjfish11 5,000+ posts]

Dont know if this will work on connectors like those, but with the other standard connectors i just stick them in a bench vise with the wire already inserted and tighten the sheeeeet out of them.

 

[danteBirosel 5,000+ posts]

sup bro.. i had the same problem yesterday when i bought a 2 awg cable lug and had a 1 awg power wire! I was like uh oh..

so then i thought and thought and inserted the 1 awg wire into the cable lug and used a C clamp to tighten the cable lug with the wire. it was quite easy.

 

[Acidburn 5,000+ posts]

i used a phillips head right in the middle from both sides

looked like it worked pretty **** well to me

 

[Insomniac119 10+ year member]

Alrighty then, thanks for the replies!

 

[Bake 10+ year member]

I would give it some solder as well as the crimps if you have an iron that will do it. Crimps alone will probably work but a little solder to bond it in and improve contact couldn't be a bad thing

 

[btnhfan 5,000+ posts]

Get a one of those things that are made to do it from http://www.weldingsupply.com

Or a vise.

 

[Colt9699 10+ year member]

I used vise grips to crimp my 4 g wire with the exact same kind of lugs.

Worked quite well, added some solder and used electrical tape around it and it looks and works great.

 

[ngsm13 5,000+ posts]

I use an Acetylene Torch, and 12gauge solder //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

NG

 

[boister77 10+ year member]

i've used solder before. hold the lug with plyers with the opening on top. heat it up nice and hot with a torch. melt solder up to about half of the depth of the lug. while the solder is in liquid forum, stick your wire inside. you may have some overspill so be careful.

i've also used a vise too. that's much easier if you have one.

either way, both methods were solid connections.

 

[ngsm13 5,000+ posts]

I put the wire in the lug, heat it up, then feed a TON of solder in...

NG

 

[boister77 10+ year member]

depending on the temp handling of wire surround, i've found that it melts with some wires since it's exposed to more heat rather than an instaneous surge. however, once again, all depends on the heat tolerance of the surround.

 

[DBfan187 5,000+ posts]

one quick whack w/ a 10lbs sledge the NON-lemans way does the job.

 

[Insomniac119 10+ year member]

i've used solder before. hold the lug with plyers with the opening on top. heat it up nice and hot with a torch. melt solder up to about half of the depth of the lug. while the solder is in liquid forum, stick your wire inside. you may have some overspill so be careful.
i've also used a vise too. that's much easier if you have one.

either way, both methods were solid connections.

That sounds like a good connection, but the problem is that the wire is quit a big smaller than the lug and leaves alot of room. The wire is 2 awg and I think the lug is from 1/0 - 2 awg.