ArdWrknTrk Posted October 23, 2019 Share Posted October 23, 2019 I need some better electrical tools. I've got a pretty good pair of pliers with strippers, cutting blades and crimpers built in and it works for small gauge stuff but when I need to do battery cables or welding wire, I just get out the biggest pliers I own and pretend like I'm Mr. Atlas. With practice, I've gotten decent but I have had a fair number of terminals slip out. I don't do crimp-connects mainly because they aren't water tight. But mainly out of a sense of pride in my work. On another note, I'm looking at suspension stuff because my road is a mess. I think the shocks on the 250 are probably shot. Rockauto has bilsteins, which is what I normally put on all my vehicles but I might go with something cheaper while I get things straightened out. Currently, the back is set up with a coilover-strut, which I see online for "extra load carrying" which I don't think I need because when I do heavy loads I can inflate the airbags for a higher capacity. Anyways, just brainstorming for the moment because the issue I really need to figure out is how to set up the rear bags to give me the most travel. Take shocks off, measure, buy some limiting straps. I'm probably going to try throwing some monroe's or KYBs on to see how it feels as I get it closer to a set up that works for me. This 460 is a beast. Adhesive lined shrink tubing and crimp terminals are water tight... If you don't want to go hydraulic (like a Pico press) there are compound leverage crimpers for larger lugs. *** edit, Similar to a cross between the little crimpers for insulated terminals and a pair of bolt cutters** Or, you can buy solder pellets that go with the lugs and heat it up with a torch. They make a solid connection. The thing about airbags is that there is no damping at all. Maybe they keep the springs off the bump stops, but they pop right up like a pogo stick. I have the heavy duty Monroe's, and will go for KYB's next time around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Cecil Posted October 23, 2019 Share Posted October 23, 2019 Adhesive lined shrink tubing and crimp terminals are water tight... If you don't want to go hydraulic (like a Pico press) there are compound leverage crimpers for larger lugs. *** edit, Similar to a cross between the little crimpers for insulated terminals and a pair of bolt cutters** Or, you can buy solder pellets that go with the lugs and heat it up with a torch. They make a solid connection. The thing about airbags is that there is no damping at all. Maybe they keep the springs off the bump stops, but they pop right up like a pogo stick. I have the heavy duty Monroe's, and will go for KYB's next time around. Jim was burning the midnight oil last night!!! Get some sleep DUDE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArdWrknTrk Posted October 23, 2019 Share Posted October 23, 2019 Jim was burning the midnight oil last night!!! Get some sleep DUDE I was up at 2:20 yesterday. Worked until after midnight up in Trumbull. Got back, brushed my teeth and hit the forum. Woke around 4:45 (late for me) checked in, loaded my truck for today. Now cooling my heels until 8 and the noise ordanance lifts. NOW!!!! Get to work.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FuzzFace2 Posted October 23, 2019 Share Posted October 23, 2019 I need some better electrical tools. I've got a pretty good pair of pliers with strippers, cutting blades and crimpers built in and it works for small gauge stuff but when I need to do battery cables or welding wire, I just get out the biggest pliers I own and pretend like I'm Mr. Atlas. With practice, I've gotten decent but I have had a fair number of terminals slip out. I don't do crimp-connects mainly because they aren't water tight. But mainly out of a sense of pride in my work. On another note, I'm looking at suspension stuff because my road is a mess. I think the shocks on the 250 are probably shot. Rockauto has bilsteins, which is what I normally put on all my vehicles but I might go with something cheaper while I get things straightened out. Currently, the back is set up with a coilover-strut, which I see online for "extra load carrying" which I don't think I need because when I do heavy loads I can inflate the airbags for a higher capacity. Anyways, just brainstorming for the moment because the issue I really need to figure out is how to set up the rear bags to give me the most travel. Take shocks off, measure, buy some limiting straps. I'm probably going to try throwing some monroe's or KYBs on to see how it feels as I get it closer to a set up that works for me. This 460 is a beast. Adhesive lined shrink tubing and crimp terminals are water tight... If you don't want to go hydraulic (like a Pico press) there are compound leverage crimpers for larger lugs. *** edit, Similar to a cross between the little crimpers for insulated terminals and a pair of bolt cutters** Or, you can buy solder pellets that go with the lugs and heat it up with a torch. They make a solid connection. The thing about airbags is that there is no damping at all. Maybe they keep the springs off the bump stops, but they pop right up like a pogo stick. I have the heavy duty Monroe's, and will go for KYB's next time around. When I did the battery cables on my drag car, battery in the trunk, I bought a cable crimper you use a hammer to "crimp". I also cut small solder and stuck it in the lug with the cable before crimping. Add a little heat and call it done, was not to worried about water tight as the car is not driven in the rain. Works pretty good they are not like them below. https://www.tooldiscounter.com/product/e-z-red-hammer-indent-crimper-ezrb790c?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIhpDIyqyy5QIVFmyGCh1jgwopEAQYCyABEgLBrvD_BwE https://www.airgas.com/product/Welding-Products/Welding-Support-Equipment/Miscellaneous-Welding-Support-Equipment/p/RAD64002046?fo_c=306&fo_k=bd68fe0cc5b84012906ad5383413daea&fo_s=cstmc&s_kwcid=AL!10136!3!381226765332!!!g!814860517845!&utm_arg=SEM:Google:GSN_-_Items_-_Welding_Products-Miscellaneous_Welding_Support_Equipment::pla:pla:Airgas:welding_products::RAD64002046::PLA&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIhpDIyqyy5QIVFmyGCh1jgwopEAQYBiABEgLFxPD_BwE As for shocks: They are not meant to support any kind of load and is a good way to break a shock mount! I just went with KYB's from LMC the truck does not bounce when getting in or out like it did with out shocks bolted on but cant say how they are on the road yet. If you need to support more weight either load carrying helper leaf springs or air bags with HD upper mount is the only way to go. Dave ---- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted October 23, 2019 Share Posted October 23, 2019 I need some better electrical tools. I've got a pretty good pair of pliers with strippers, cutting blades and crimpers built in and it works for small gauge stuff but when I need to do battery cables or welding wire, I just get out the biggest pliers I own and pretend like I'm Mr. Atlas. With practice, I've gotten decent but I have had a fair number of terminals slip out. I don't do crimp-connects mainly because they aren't water tight. But mainly out of a sense of pride in my work. On another note, I'm looking at suspension stuff because my road is a mess. I think the shocks on the 250 are probably shot. Rockauto has bilsteins, which is what I normally put on all my vehicles but I might go with something cheaper while I get things straightened out. Currently, the back is set up with a coilover-strut, which I see online for "extra load carrying" which I don't think I need because when I do heavy loads I can inflate the airbags for a higher capacity. Anyways, just brainstorming for the moment because the issue I really need to figure out is how to set up the rear bags to give me the most travel. Take shocks off, measure, buy some limiting straps. I'm probably going to try throwing some monroe's or KYBs on to see how it feels as I get it closer to a set up that works for me. This 460 is a beast. I bought a crimper like this one from Amazon a few years ago for battery cables. It works great, although its die are metric and the lugs we buy are inch-sized. However, I've found that Magnalug brand lugs work well, and I use the closed-end ones. For smaller stuff I have a ratcheting crimper, but I prefer to solder. (Crimping may well be better for things with lots of vibration, but soldering has not failed me yet on a car or truck.) And then I cover either the soldered or crimped connection with adhesive-lined heat shrink as Jim suggested. At that point all of my joints are water-proof. As the others said, air bags or helper springs are the way to carry more load, not springs on the shocks. And speaking of shocks, I'm running Bilsteins on Big Blue, but Dad's truck has Monroe SensaTracks. I put those on when I got the truck and they made a huge difference in the way it rode and drove. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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