Lights, Action, duh?

[lakngulf]

Taking the advice of some fellow TBNers I have revised the setup of my additional headlights and worklight. I have two front and one rear attached to a bar that is secured with two heavy duty U bolts. That works great, the electrical power to the lights is a different story.

1. The wires at the entry point connection are so short that I have had some problems with it. I now have them secured with twist caps and electrical tape and seem to maintain power to the switch.

2. From the switch to the lights is now giving me problems. I get it all taped up and working and then the "action" of the tractor seems to cause a disconnect.

What do you recommend as the most secure connectors?
What is best method to run wire from the switch to the lights, splitting off to three lights?
Can I test each light by attaching a test wire and connecting test wire to a 12 volt battery?

Sorry to sound like a rookie, but I am.

 

[robs660]

Solder and heat shrink everywhere you can. Once you do a proof of concept test and they work connect them for good. If you don't plan on breaking them it's the best

 

[Gittyup]

If wirenuts are properly twisted, then taped, they should never come loose from tractor vibration. I used wirenuts and tape on mine. Been working flawlessly now for 2 years.

 

[jimmyj]

Solder and heat shrink is the best for sure. I used crimp connectors, put dielectric grease all over and then heat shrunk them. Seems OK so far. I also left a bit of slack in the wires (tucked away) in case I need to fix or change something later.

 

[o2batsea]

Never use solder when connecting wires. Use good quality crimp connectors only. Yes on adhesive lined heat shrink.

 

[Willl]

Never use solder when connecting wires.

Gotta hear your reason on this.

 

[jimmyj]

Never use solder when connecting wires. Use good quality crimp connectors only. Yes on adhesive lined heat shrink.

??? Please explain???

 

[Coyote machine]

Never use solder when connecting wires. Use good quality crimp connectors only. Yes on adhesive lined heat shrink.

To the contrary I would say to never follow the above statement. Absolute best solution would be marine grade wire and connectors with dielectric grease on completed solder joints, or on bare wire connected butt splices, etc. followed by adhesive lined heat shrink tubing. If the proper connectors AND high grade marine wire are used, in most instances soldering will not be necessary, but it isn't patently wrong in concept.
Anchor brand makes all of the necessary items and can be found at any quality marine supplier. There are other brands of wiring connectors too.

 

[Gittyup]

Only problem I see with soldering is when using cheap PVC coated wire. The coating close to the solder connection melts easily and can leave thin spots. If one were to use teflon coated wire, there'd be no problem with soldering. But, I don't think soldering is necessary.

 

[Coyote machine]

Only problem I see with soldering is when using cheap PVC coated wire. The coating close to the solder connection melts easily and can leave thin spots. If one were to use teflon coated wire, there'd be no problem with soldering. But, I don't think soldering is necessary.

The use of a heat sink clip close to the PVC jacket will eliminate the PVC melt issue, but better to use a higher grade of wire/jacket.

 

[jimmyj]

We could see how these guys do it for best practices....

 

[PoorMansCat]

If you are running a simple lighting circuit, I would suggest using a quality stranded copper wire that is oil/chemical resistant, runing everything thru teraflex or some other abraision resistant sheathing... and IF you have access or if $$$$ isn't a concern, use Deutch HD or DT series connectors. The connectors aren't expensive, but the special pliers to crimp the pins and sockets are kinda pricey! They are THE standard in the marine, heavy equipment, oil and gas, and OTR industry. If not, there are QUALITY but-splices that are made with heat shrink material... (NOT the universal kit from a local parts store!)

 

[csholler]

I buy, rebuild, and sell a lot of trailers and all my trailers have shrinkable crimp connectors on every splice. They keep the water out and hold tight to the wire coating which keeps any movement from pulling on the connection itself. We work on ranch roads which are very ruff and I have not had to replace any connections since I rewired my trailer three years ago. The connectors are a little pricey at about .15 to .35 cents ea. but are very easy to install and very dependable.

 

[lakngulf]

We could see how these guys do it for best practices....

Hey, I did not know you had a picture of my wiring setup.

 

[o2batsea]

Do whatever you want.

Reasons not to solder:
A solder connection can fail if the wire gets hot. This is particularly troublesome in a marine environment where bare wires may cause a short or worse, a spark (Boom!). Solder connections are forbidden by the American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC). For a tractor it probably won't do any particular harm to you if the connection fails.
A solder blob will create a hard spot in a stranded wire which if subject to vibration can fail due to fatigue.
Solder adds acid which will accelerate corrosion.
Soldering will cause heat damage to the jacketing material.

Solder only if it is not the primary means of connecting the wire; i.e.: the wires are twisted together before soldering.

For connecting wire to wire, a (unsoldered) Western Union splice is sufficient followed by adhesive lined shrink.

Best to use properly sized crimp connectors with adhesive lined shrink tubing to seal out water.
Genuinedealz.com my go to site for all things 12 volt.

 

[Coyote machine]

Do whatever you want.

Reasons not to solder:
A solder connection can fail if the wire gets hot. This is particularly troublesome in a marine environment where bare wires may cause a short or worse, a spark (Boom!). Solder connections are forbidden by the American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC). For a tractor it probably won't do any particular harm to you if the connection fails.
A solder blob will create a hard spot in a stranded wire which if subject to vibration can fail due to fatigue.
Solder adds acid which will accelerate corrosion.
Soldering will cause heat damage to the jacketing material.

Solder only if it is not the primary means of connecting the wire; i.e.: the wires are twisted together before soldering.

For connecting wire to wire, a (unsoldered) Western Union splice is sufficient followed by adhesive lined shrink.

Best to use properly sized crimp connectors with adhesive lined shrink tubing to seal out water.
Genuinedealz.com my go to site for all things 12 volt.

I amend my earlier statement to ignore the 'never solder' statement in light of your explanation
I agree 100% about the risk of soldering for boats, and it sounds like you may own a boat as well as a tractor?
I ask because I own a boat and have done extensive rewiring over the last few years to bring it back to spec and to add many new circuits, instruments, etc.
For a tractor as you mentioned it is not as critical to follow something like the ABYC standards, but the better materials and practices cannot hurt the outcome either. Better to go beyond the minimum and use the best practices and materials- do it once and right the first time.

 

[mj007]

......Solder adds acid which will accelerate corrosion......

Uhh ..... that's why you use ROSIN CORE solder on wiring; NOT acid core

 

[chopped]

Uhh ..... that's why you use ROSIN CORE solder on wiring; NOT acid core

ROSIN.... thanks i was wondering . I had come into possession of some small solder which ive used for years worked like a charm. But I dont have much left. Definetly tried the acid core lol the older im using is very small thin like for electonics. I asked at radio shack the guy didnt seem to know much at all.
So its rosin core i need. Is there a solid solder (no core)?

 

[o2batsea]

Core not the issue necessarily. Flux, by nature, is acidic.

Yes, Mr Coyote Machine, I am a life long boat addict. My dad and his partners chartered a fleet of boats out of Back Creek (Annapolis), so I grew up doing boat maintenance. Every weekend in the summer we turned the boats around and repaired what the clients blew up.
This all ended several years ago, and I have switched camp to power boats since.

 

[jimmyj]

Core not the issue necessarily. Flux, by nature, is acidic.

I learned something today, thanks!