DamonZ28

iTrader: (1)

I attempted to do the Big 3 Upgrade on my car yesterday. What a disaster. I don't have an Optima dual-post battery yet, but I thought I'd just hook everything up to my existing side post battery, and then switch it over when I get an Optima in a couple of week. I highly recommend NOT trying to do this. Even with a couple of adapters, I could not get it to work, even after moving the power steering reservoir out of the way. After 6 hours of fighting with it, I gave up. So I have the wiring in place, but will have to wait until I get the Optima so I can hook the wiring to the top post. And, after I had put away my tools, I closed the hood - and it wouldn't close all the way due to where I had mounted the fuse holder for my amp install! Ugh, now I have to find a different spot for that too.

One of the things I struggled with most, is crimping the ring terminals on the 1/0 wiring well enough for it to stay on. I've been opening the hole with needle nose pliers, then crimping it down with vice grip pliers as tight as I can. However, a good yank will pull it right off. Anyone have any suggestions on how to do this?

UMD_Jesse

iTrader: (6)

Drill a small hole in the side of the ring terminal, get a torch, heat the end up and fill with solder through the hole. Hold together till it cools. Itll never come loose. Did all mine this way. Just watch you dont burn through the wire jacket.
You dont want that coming loose at 80mph. Youll loose your engine, power steering, brakes....make sure its secure!!!

loudNlow

Rosin core solder and feed the lug til you see its full. You'll be able to pull a car with it. After soldering many runs of 0 awg wire, I broke down and got my hands on a nice 4/0 crimper. When soldering 1/0, heat the back of the terminal but be careful not to cook the casing and feed solder through the top. If it's a sealed lug, melt a few beads of solder into the lug, then heat the lug (upside down of course) while pushing the wire into the lug..

UMD_Jesse

iTrader: (6)

Why didnt I think of that??? ... Yeah, what he said

stealth355tpi

If you already know the length your wire has to be, I use a vise to crimp the larger terminals on wire that big.

BOXCHEV

iTrader: (3)

Please solder the lug terminal on if you are not going to purchase the right crimp tool for battery lug terminals.

Vice grips
Pliers
Bench vice

Etc etc are not crimp tools and shouldn't be used as one.

I don't recommend the hammer type crimpers either unless you have a shop press, then setup the hammer crimper into the press and instead of swinging blows at it, let the press do the work. Would be 1000x better then some hillbilly attempt.