Modding a ground clamp?

Big Barn · May 17, 2019

Here’s an 800 amp switchable mag ground clamp.

Magswitch 8 Amp Ground Clamp | Mag-Tools

dragoneggs · May 17, 2019

Big Barn said:
Here’s an 800 amp switchable mag ground clamp.

Magswitch 8 Amp Ground Clamp | Mag-Tools

Yep that is a bad boy... too big for my needs!

fried1765 · May 17, 2019

Big Barn said:
I would do that if you can稚 find the proper terminal lug easily. A proper cable crimping tool should then be used instead of just squishing it in a vise.

^^^^^^^proper crimping tool!
NO VISE CRIMPING!

fried1765 · May 17, 2019

Fallon said:
Crimping (properly at least) is superior to soldering. As odd as it sounds it's quite true. When you solder stranded wire solder wicks up the strands & fuses them solid. You then end up with flexibility issues. Chances of damaging insulation is high as well. In the event of any issues, wiring heats up. That doesnt phase crimps much, but soldered connections can fail catastrophically in those situations.

All car & aircraft wiring harnesses are crimped. If you have the right crimper an idiot can get a good crimp that can easily be inspected. Soldering takes skill & in blind lugs like you are talking about they cant be inspected.

There are dozens of cheap hydraulic crimpers out there. Goplus 16 Ton Hydraulic Wire Crimper Battery Cable Lug Terminal Crimping Tool w/ 11 Dies https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ZA2P3XM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_h2iWCbYH1SJN6 is a random one off Amazon. I'm sure its identical to the others there or the one from Harbor Freight. I picked up on off Amazon for a pile of big Anderson connectors. Its a cheap tool & a little fiddly to use, but great bang for the buck.

I'm sure you could make soldering work, lots of people have, but it's an inferior technique for most modern applications.

Also, get the right sized lug for your wire & terminal. You can use a copper pipe as a shim or fold over the wire, but that severely weakens the connection.

^^^^^ what he said!

Big Barn · May 17, 2019

fried1765 said:
^^^^^^^proper crimping tool!
NO VISE CRIMPING!

You are right! The tool I used puts a dent across the splice and is better than squishing the whole thing in the vise.

I agree a proper crimper would make the best connection.