Best connector for wiring

[TheSmokinStroke2002]

What would you guys say is the best way to connect a wiring harness together? I was thinking solder and heat shrink but i am looking for any other options to see if there is anything better.

Konnor

 

[cfdeng7]

Depends if it is a permanent connection or not. For stuff I want to be able to unplug I use deutch connectors and all the rest I use high quality heatshrink buttsplices.

 

[HOOV3R]

Ampseal if you want to make it plug together.

 

[04stroker]

I use small splices and a good shrink wrap most of the time. Solder is nice but does add some resistance to the circuit. Sometimes not enough to matter though.

 

[Charles]

Deutsch is super reliable and super easy. They are OEM on so much stuff it's mind-boggling.

Pick anything from this series and you can't go wrong:

http://www.laddinc.com/our-products/online-catalog/itemlist/category/4703-dt%20series.html

 

[TheSmokinStroke2002]

how hard is it to set those up?

 

[cfdeng7]

how hard is it to set those up?

To do it right you need a special crimping tool. I got mine online somewhere years ago. I keep a good assortment from 2 pin to 10 pin connectors laying around. They make for a nice clean oem look to wiring.

 

[Charles]

how hard is it to set those up?

As stated, the crimping tool is the major investment. I payed around 200 dollars for mine, but I got the "good" one, and it is.

Other than that, the shells, receptacles, plugs and pins are dirt cheap. I have a little plastic organizer box with various DT and DTM series plugs, receptacles, wedges and pins.

You would be surprised how many products are made from those components. They have so much to offer, and the quality is excellent.

 

[Pstroke96]

you could get solder butt splices. they look like regular butt splices but the metal part is a low temp solder, you crimp it together enough to hold the wires, heat it up with a heat gun and it melts the solder and the shrink wrap at the same time. done and done. but they are like a dollar each

 

[Bugman]

I use small splices and a good shrink wrap most of the time. Solder is nice but does add some resistance to the circuit. Sometimes not enough to matter though.

I have never seen s solder splice add resistance to a circuit as long as it is done properly. You actually can not get a better splice.

 

[Matt_P]

I have never seen s solder splice add resistance to a circuit as long as it is done properly. You actually can not get a better splice.

Exactly! There is nothing better than solder, you just have to do it right, a good solder job should have no solder coming out of the wire. I soldered every connection on my truck, checked resistance and never had over 1-2 ohms of resistance from a soldered connection. I wouldnt do it any other way.

 

[TheSmokinStroke2002]

Exactly! There is nothing better than solder, you just have to do it right, a good solder job should have no solder coming out of the wire. I soldered every connection on my truck, checked resistance and never had over 1-2 ohms of resistance from a soldered connection. I wouldnt do it any other way.

Matt what would you recommend for a good solder gun?

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[Tx_Powerstroke]

Duetch are what we use at our work, and I've used quite a few of them on my 08. As Charles stated the tool is an investment I think I paid roughly 175-200 for mine but it has yet to let me down.

 

[Matt_P]

Matt what would you recommend for a good solder gun?

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I got an old craftsman one from my dad and its worked great for me.

 

[Bugman]

The thing about soldering guns is that you don't need to go expensive to get a good one. You can either get the gun type or the iron type. The iron type will stay hot all the time and you need to watch where you put it down where the gun type will cool off but not very fast. I have both and when doing quite a few splices I prefer the iron, if I am doing one or two then the gun gets the duty. Either one can be had for less than $20.00 and usually for a lot less than $20.00.

If you do use a soldering iron you need to use rosin core solder for electronics and not acid core that they use for plumbing.

 

[Tom S]

I use weatherpack stuff a lot and have had good luck.

 

[TheSmokinStroke2002]

I got an old craftsman one from my dad and its worked great for me.

Matt i might have to get with you one of these days and watch your technique. Its been a long time since i have tried it.

The thing about soldering guns is that you don't need to go expensive to get a good one. You can either get the gun type or the iron type. The iron type will stay hot all the time and you need to watch where you put it down where the gun type will cool off but not very fast. I have both and when doing quite a few splices I prefer the iron, if I am doing one or two then the gun gets the duty. Either one can be had for less than $20.00 and usually for a lot less than $20.00.

If you do use a soldering iron you need to use rosin core solder for electronics and not acid core that they use for plumbing.

Okay cool thank you!

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[co04cobra]

Anybody got a link to the tool for the Duetch connectors. I always solder, but when you need to add a plug the duetch look like factory.

Would they accept factory pins pulled from parts vehicles?


On the soldering irons def. be careful where you lay them. I have a real nice scar on my left forearm from not paying attention to where I laid mine. Branded in. :doh:

 

[HOOV3R]

These are the ones I use.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/220964516885?redirect=mobile

 

[Charles]

Anybody got a link to the tool for the Duetch connectors. I always solder, but when you need to add a plug the duetch look like factory.

Would they accept factory pins pulled from parts vehicles?


On the soldering irons def. be careful where you lay them. I have a real nice scar on my left forearm from not paying attention to where I laid mine. Branded in. :doh:

The link I posted to Ladd industries is where I bought the tool. If Deutsch makes it, they sell it...


And yes, if you have OEM connectors on something like, say a cummins engine with the DT series Deutsch connectors, you can absolutely pin them out and into any DT series shell you choose, and make any sub-harness you wish to have that connector plug into.

The nice thing about the newer lines, like the DT found on the cummins engines (the same series I use on everything) is that the pin retaining method is what they call "wedgelocks". Where a plastic wedge clips into place on the FACE side of the connector, so that in order to remove a wire/pin you simply remove the wedgelock and then from the FACE side of the connector you disengage the spring clip for that wire/pin and pull it out the back of the connector. 126,000 times if you want without breaking anything, or messing anything up. And it takes all of 5 seconds to start with a fully assembled connector and have any wire/pin out of it. If you've ever had experience disassembling a connector with backside retainer disengagement via an insertion tool alongside the wire itself... then you FULLY understand why the FACE side method is so outstanding.

If you ever play with them, you will love them. They make life very easy, and very reliable when it comes to wire connections. Hell, I use Deutsch connectors to simply terminate a harness and just leave the plug dangling to keep the wires out of places they shouldn't. Then if I need to use some of them I'll pin those out and pin them into another shell.

They really are good products. And the available product line is staggering. From PCB headers, to PCB enclosures, to large metal connectors, to bulkhead connections.... you name it.



On Edit:

The link posted ^ is exactly the same tool I use. It is a super high quality tool.