Getting lugs on battery cables

[ridgy]

Attempting to make some new battery cables. Bought 35mm cables and 35mm terminals.
Can cut cables and strip them but it seems impossible to get stripped cable end in to the terminal. Just a fraction too tight a fit and some strands always get lost. Have now bought two different brands of terminals but no cigar. What am I missing?
Have seen pictures on internet of terminals with a splayed hole but not seen any to buy.

 

[PaulRainbow]

Attempting to make some new battery cables. Bought 35mm cables and 35mm terminals.
Can cut cables and strip them but it seems impossible to get stripped cable end in to the terminal. Just a fraction too tight a fit and some strands always get lost. Have now bought two different brands of terminals but no cigar. What am I missing?
Have seen pictures on internet of terminals with a splayed hole but not seen any to buy.

If they won't fit, you must have the wrong cables or the wrong lugs. Are you sure the cables are 35mm ?

Lugs here: CT35M8 Copper Lugs 8mm Hole for 35.0mm Cable (Sold in 1's)

 

[billskip]

It's very difficult to get two things the same size to fit inside one'nother...you will have to cool one and heat the other to gain a difference.also the secret is in the stripping of the insulation....cut the insulation and slide it forward, taking care not to remove it, cut a small section of the insulation off the "back end" making the gap between the two larger....then slide the insulation back on the cable with the lug fitting, the sliding insulation should hold the cable bound and remove the unwanted insulation as it slides back....hope you can envisage what I am trying to describe...

 

[Tranona]

I had no problem with lugs and cable from 12V Planet and use this 12voltplanet.co.uk/heavy-duty-spring-loaded-hammervice-terminal-crimping-tool.html for crimping. Needs a big vice and a lot of grunt to get a good clean crimp. but good value when you only have a few to do.

 

[Poignard]

Cable and terminals I bought from 12vPlanet Ltd fitted together perfectly.

I used a hydraulic crimping tool similar to this:

 

[Richard10002]

When i was crimping big cables, (70mm), 10 years ago, i watched a YouTube video which showed a good method. A bit like billskip is describing above. If i can find it, ill post a link.

 

[ridgy]

I already bought one of those hydraulic tools and the crimps came from 12vplanet. The cable came from ebay but would have thought 35mm is 35mm and people would try to get away with less strands not more.
Anyway I will order a third set of lugs from PaulRainbows link above. The bell entry seems to be key, the current lugs look the right size just a tiny fraction too tight to get all the strands in.

 

[lektran]

Weird, I've bought a load of lugs from 12v planet recently and they were all flared and fit well with oceanflex tinned cable. 16mm, 35mm and 70mm

 

[Alan S]

I had no problem with lugs and cable from 12V Planet and use this 12voltplanet.co.uk/heavy-duty-spring-loaded-hammervice-terminal-crimping-tool.html for crimping. Needs a big vice and a lot of grunt to get a good clean crimp. but good value when you only have a few to do.

Agreed. I did a fair number of 50mm2 and smaller crimps using the 12V planet thing with a cobbled together press made from two steel bars with threaded rod and nuts.
I don't think a hammer would be as effective. Result looks good, cut a section through a test sample and it looked like solid copper. Couldn't measure any Volts drop between lug and cable at 50A. The lugs and cable I bought from 12VP seemed a good fit, easy enough to get all the strands in but not too loose.
Al

 

[Richard10002]

Here's a short version of the method I used. Fairly self explanatory, but might need watching a few times. I coated the bare strands with electrical lube before putting the terminal on. Works without having bell ends

How To Keep cable Strands Together While Crimping Lugs

 

[PaulRainbow]

I already bought one of those hydraulic tools and the crimps came from 12vplanet. The cable came from ebay but would have thought 35mm is 35mm and people would try to get away with less strands not more.
Anyway I will order a third set of lugs from PaulRainbows link above. The bell entry seems to be key, the current lugs look the right size just a tiny fraction too tight to get all the strands in.

35mm cable should fit easily into 35mm lugs, flared or not. If you bought the lugs from 12v planet i'd be suspicious of the cable, do you have a link ?

 

[simonfraser]

I already bought one of those hydraulic tools and the crimps came from 12vplanet. The cable came from ebay but would have thought 35mm is 35mm and people would try to get away with less strands not more.
Anyway I will order a third set of lugs from PaulRainbows link above. The bell entry seems to be key, the current lugs look the right size just a tiny fraction too tight to get all the strands in.

removing a few strands to get it in is not going to make any difference to the current capacity of the whole cable imo

 

[Aussie farmer]

The hard way if desperate,
Small hose clamp or solid cable tie crimp cable end
Solder tip and insert into end.

 

[Aussie farmer]

Or if solid cable ends like battery terminal,
Counter sink drill the end so it tapers in,
If thin cable end try flare out to give same taper.

 

[ean_p]

The real trick is in how you cut the cable so as not to 'disrupt' the lay of the conductors nor bend or flare the ends and never be tempted to twist the conductors to make them fit as the diameter only gets larger.
On a personal note I hate the 'punch' type crimps much preferring the all round squeezed type like the hexagon dies etc but hay ho each to there own ...!

 

[ridgy]

35mm cable should fit easily into 35mm lugs, flared or not. If you bought the lugs from 12v planet i'd be suspicious of the cable, do you have a link ?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/203037949521

 

[lustyd]

use a smaller die and crimp the bare copper lightly, it's going to be crushed solid anyway once the crimp is on

 

[PaulRainbow]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/203037949521

Hmm, i'm puzzled as to why that doesn't fit inthe 12v planet lugs, if it does actually say 35mm on it. Would be interested to hear how you get on with the CEF lugs.

 

[Martin_J]

I have always bought lugs from the same supplier I bought the cable.

Am I reading that ebay suppliers price correctly? About £12 / metre.

Sounds more expensive than the tinned Oceanflex from Furneaux Riddall.

I'm not sure where you are but if you were in the Solent you'd be welcome to try some of my cable and lugs to see which fits.

 

[Martin_J]

As others have said, it's usually a perfect fit with all the strands straight and undisturbed.