Ready to start rewiring - need tool recommendations

douglloyd · Post by **douglloyd** » November 4, 2008, 12:46 pm

After reading the archives about rewiring, I decided to take the rewire plunge!

I bought the Painless 12 circuit truck harness from JEGS, and am getting ready to start digging into this project. Painless does not give any specific crimping tool recommendations, other than to 'use a good one'. Anybody have any favorites that they like for this kind of wiring?

thanks,
Doug

ICEMAN6166 · Post by **ICEMAN6166** » November 4, 2008, 12:57 pm

i like klein tools, made in USA.
cant tell you how many cheap auto parts strippers/crimpers etc. i have trashed.these are made for professional electricians.

http://www.kleintools.com/

home depot has a lot of these tools.

jwh f-100 · Post by **jwh f-100** » November 4, 2008, 1:53 pm

Doug I prefer seperate crimpers and stripers. I'm sure there any many different brands of each but here is a couple pics of the style I'm refering to.......

If you go with a combination tool be sure the crimper is in the front like this one....

The type with the crimper in the back are a PITA when crimping and are worthless when crimping in tight quarters.

One more handy tool that I think is great is a FUSE BUDDY. It plugs into a fuse block and is used to test the draw of that curciut up to 20 or 30 amps. Best of all they are only about $20 bucks.

douglloyd · Post by **douglloyd** » November 4, 2008, 2:12 pm

Ok, I think I'm getting it. Thanks for the quick feedback.

These are mostly insulated terminals, and the Painless instructions warn you not to overcrimp. They call them barrel crimps or rolling crimps.

Some of these tools have half moon openings, and some are just squared off flat openings. Which would work better for these spade and loop terminals?

Guess I need to head for Lowes or Home Desperate to take a closer look.

thanks,
Doug

Rosati · Post by **Rosati** » November 4, 2008, 5:10 pm

Get a battery charger with 1 amp of current to hook to the battery cables when testing circuits. Usually the chatger will trip before the fuse does.
Also, stay away from crimping the lines. Get yourself several sizes of heat shrink, good solid solder wire, and a can of flux paste. You can coat the wire and load the connector with paste, lightly crimp and then solder. You will chase no electrical gremlins down the road.

Uncle Skip · Post by **Uncle Skip** » November 4, 2008, 8:35 pm

Doug.
One more thing.
Make sure the indent on the crimp is on the solid side of the terminal. Not the side that is rolled up and over to make the barrel.
Take a look at the terminal and it will make perfect sense.
A little more trouble, but a much better crimp.
Uncle Skip

johnny · Post by **johnny** » November 4, 2008, 11:54 pm

Make sure the indent on the crimp is on the solid side of the terminal. Not the side that is rolled up and over to make the barrel.
great point skip im almost done wiring my 55 ill post pics later one more thing i was told by a gentleman who wires street rods here is DONT solder use crimps sorry rosati great point on the charger tho
John

GDG · Post by **GDG** » November 5, 2008, 7:12 am

Most OEM terminals are not soldered, use OEM style terminals, connectors and crimpers. I use Packard crimps, the do a nice job.
Doug

Fanatic · Post by **Fanatic** » November 5, 2008, 6:54 pm

If you are ggggoing to do alot of wiring.......get one of these style strippers. Snap on is shown but many other brands. They make stripping real easy........NO COMMENT from JC needed.

Alan Mclennan · Post by **Alan Mclennan** » November 6, 2008, 12:42 am

It`s OK JC! I`ve got this one!

Oi, Tim!, where`s the picture? :lol:

but I think your right!, if your talking about the strippers that grab and pull apart to strip the cable, had a set for years, one of my better tool investments!

Alan,

DCarr · Post by **DCarr** » November 6, 2008, 1:02 am

There you go-imputing bad motives of our kind ,sincere fellow member.However you did kind of set yourself up for it.

Fanatic · Post by **Fanatic** » November 6, 2008, 6:15 pm

Talkin about strippers and I passed out before the link was posted

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp ... ir=catalog

jeepbut · Post by **jeepbut** » November 6, 2008, 10:39 pm

The best tool I could use for rewireing is called a check-book. Thanks, Lyman.

johnny · Post by **johnny** » November 8, 2008, 12:44 am

well im a phone man and doing fiber were always told you must have a lot of alcohol and a goood clean pair of strippers thats straight from AT&T :wink:

John

fmartin_gila · Post by **fmartin_gila** » November 8, 2008, 10:08 am

johnny wrote:well im a phone man and doing fiber were always told you must have a lot of alcohol and a goood clean pair of strippers thats straight from AT&T
John

I can see this thread has a good chance of going downhill from here.

Fred

Uncle Skip · Post by **Uncle Skip** » November 8, 2008, 11:16 am

Fred.
I wouldn't touch that last post with a 10' pole.
ROTFLMAO
U@ss

Max · Post by **Max** » November 8, 2008, 5:49 pm

Just make sure it's grounded.. :lol:

Post by **Greg D** » November 8, 2008, 8:48 pm

<----Don't forget these.

Ready to start rewiring - need tool recommendations

Ready to start rewiring - need tool recommendations

so...no ratcheting needed?