This video demonstrates how to properly crimp a Battery Terminal. Imperial Supplies carries a complete line of Battery Terminals and Heat Shrink Tubing. Battery Terminals www.imperialsup... Heat Shrink Tubing www.imperialsup...
This is probably the best "how to crimp battery cables" video on youtube.. Too bad he's using around $1000 worth of tools.... most of us don't have the proper tools available.
Quick tip. If you want to make a positive battery cable use red insulation and red heat-shrink. For a negative cable use black insulation and black heat-shrink. No need to just use black, red is readily available, and it rules out any confusion. The heat shrink should be dual wall, and heated enough to make it liquid so it slightly spills out. This way you know that the glue has penetrated into all the small crevasses. Top battery posts have a different tapered design (top diameter). You need a positive lug to go on the positive terminal and a negative lug to go on the negative terminal. For SAE top posts the positive is larger than the negative, and when installed should be flush or slightly lower than the top of the post and rest on the raised battery case plastic (on newer batteries do not use felt anti-corrosion pads, they do not allow the lug to seat properly). In the video at 1:49 you can see that the positive terminal is not seated properly, it is because a right angle negative lug was used and is too small for the post. Also, the image at 2:27 is a little strange because you would normally have, for a basic installation, a red right angle positive lug and a black right angle negative lug. You can get both positive and negative right angle left or right. The nut design is also a little strange, because it should be a longer shoulder nut so you can get a socket on the nut without interfering with the lug. It is also common to have a battery boot that covers the battery lug, red for positive and black for negative. It prevents accidentally shorting out the battery and also provides some splash protection. For the right angle lugs shown, with the nut and bolt removed you could easily fit two crimps, starting inside and working outward, which is shown in the video for a straight style lug. Also, not shown is you should clean both the battery posts and the lugs before installing on the battery. And once installed you can add a battery post sealant. The right angle battery lugs in the video are considered heavy duty or HD, these require a different die size than what is normally found on the base entry level crimper shown in the video, see time 2:29. The crimp is forming an ear (or wing) which means the hex die is too small when it seats. Hex dies should completely seat (called a bottoming die) when making the crimp. With the Temco TH0006 hydraulic crimper, as just one example, you will find two different die sets. One for regular lugs and a plus size for HD lugs. Which die you actually choose depends on the cable, lug, tool and die in making a proper crimp.
Just use the screw type lugs , no crimp tools needed .cheap as chips and do the job . Tools like hes using are a waste of money. How many times are you going to need to do this in your life ?