# Crimped enough?



## onegreenev (May 18, 2012)

What do you want? Pretty or Secure?

There is a huge difference in the hydraulic crimpers and mechanical. I have done plenty of manual crimps and also seen some pretty crappy hydraulic crimps that really are not secure and some where the cable just slipped out like I got when I got my most recent parts. The guy I got the stuff from was having problems and what I found with his cables was that his hydraulic crimps were just crap. One cable just slipped out of the lug. No pressure or anything. This cable was connected to his ride. You know, lugs are covered anyway with shrink wrap. So pretty is pretty stupid if you can't see it anyway. I know folks have OK luck with the hydraulic crimps but I guarantee not all and I can assure you that they are not as good of a connection as mine that are done manually. 












Pete


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## onegreenev (May 18, 2012)

> *Crimped enough?*


Maybe not.


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## piotrsko (Dec 9, 2007)

rule of thumb: crimps should resist a minimum of 20 pound pull and not pull apart. the crimped ferrule should also be not noticeably larger than the wire.


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## major (Apr 4, 2008)

piotrsko said:


> rule of thumb: crimps should resist a minimum of 20 pound pull and not pull apart. the crimped ferrule should also be not noticeably larger than the wire.


I'd say 200 lbs for a large cable. My Huskie Robocrimper does 6 ton (12,000) force on the lug. I give a pull test with all my strength.


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## Woodsmith (Jun 5, 2008)

I've heard of 4x4 drivers test their winch cable lugs by hooking the eye over a nail on a ceiling joist and lifting themselves up on the cable!

I have a hydraulic crimper, I crimp twice, slightly undersize, due to the crimps being a little lightweight. Not pretty but working fine.


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## sabahtom (Mar 1, 2011)

Woodsmith said:


> I've heard of 4x4 drivers test their winch cable lugs by hooking the eye over a nail on a ceiling joist and lifting themselves up on the cable!
> 
> I have a hydraulic crimper, I crimp twice, slightly undersize, due to the crimps being a little lightweight. Not pretty but working fine.


I tied the 70mm^2 cable pictured in the first post to some playground equipment and swung off it, no movement. That was two crimps at the same angle.


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## sabahtom (Mar 1, 2011)

piotrsko said:


> rule of thumb: crimps should resist a minimum of 20 pound pull and not pull apart. the crimped ferrule should also be not noticeably larger than the wire.


The 70mm^2 crimp is better than 20 pounds strong but the crimped sections still stand out quite a long way. This cable has large strands, maybe finer stranded cables squash in more easily?


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## dougingraham (Jul 26, 2011)

Those look ok to me. Pull on it. It should be very difficult to pull the lug off a well crimped cable.


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## sabahtom (Mar 1, 2011)

dougingraham said:


> Those look ok to me. Pull on it. It should be very difficult to pull the lug off a well crimped cable.


Thanks, I tied it up and hung onto it. It takes my weight, should be ok.


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## bjcouche (May 17, 2013)

As a general rule, I always use "color keyed" lugs and use "color keyed" crimper dies. Whether in a battery powered hydraulic crimper or a manual pump hydraulic crimper. If you get the color coded lugs, use the correct color coded crimper die, use the correct wire type for the lug, then you are almost guaranteed a good crimp. Just because a hydraulic crimper says it's a 6 or 12 ton unit, doesn't mean that 6 or 12 tons of force were placed on the lug. The dies squish the lug and eventually the dies come together and touch before reaching the 6 or 12 ton limit. Never use the incorrect die for a lug, you can damage the die or not crimp the lug enough. 

As others have said though, if you can hang from it, then it's probably good enough.


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## EVfun (Mar 14, 2010)

I would agree with using color key lug and die with the wire size indicated on the lug. I would still test the first one by hanging from it. That way you will spot a worn crimper or mis-marked cable or substandard terminals.


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