# Crimping vs. Soldering: what is your take?



## Livingfortheice (Apr 22, 2014)

Hey guys,

So I know how to do both of these well. I have been formally taught how to solder, and seen many crimping tutorials to make sure they are done right. But now I want to know, which method do you all prefer? I personally have used crimps for most of my audio installs, with some soldering where necessary. But what do you guys do and why?

Thanks,
Ben


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## Jim Frye (Mar 16, 2011)

I'm old and old school. I usually overbuild whatever it is I'm creating and will solder even crimp on connectors if possible. A properly soldered join will never come apart. Crimping is OK as long as you have the right tools for the crimp at hand. 

On a side note, we are about to begin to build a new house. No one around here does sweated copper or glued PVC water lines anymore. I will have to learn to join PEX and will have to purchase the tooling to do it for future repairs and additions. Not all bad, any time a guy gets to buy tools is a good thing.


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## cruzinred92 (Dec 4, 2013)

I prefer solder over crimps for most. Really depends on the job tho. If I have to crimp I use the crimps that are wrapped with the adhesive heat shrink. For most I solder and heat shrink overall. Seen so many bad crimp jobs where they weren't done correctly so the wire just corroded and broke out of the crimp. Idk I guess I have always been good at soldering and see it as more of a permanent thing. 
Just to add I hate quick splices. Strip wire, wrap other around, solder and tape lol. Just my opinion.


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## 555hp (Mar 21, 2014)

Soldering, if done correctly. Crimping is highly dependent of the correct tooling, and can loosing over time by thermal expansion/contraction cycles. 

I have never seen a properly soldered connection fail, though have seen many crimps fail. A cold solder joint is easy to see, not so with a marginal crimp.


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## TheRealHip (Sep 1, 2014)

If I have to crimp, I use silicon dialectric so there will be no corrosion.


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## ChrisWorldPeace (Jun 24, 2013)

As long as you use 2 crimp points you're good


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## Livingfortheice (Apr 22, 2014)

Good points all around. I like crimping personally so I don't have to break out the extension cords and soldering gun when I'm out in the car. But for speaker terminals, for example, I always solder the female connecter onto the terminal and then insulate with heat shrink tubing just to be safe. Because, come on, when something could go wrong, it just might. Would rather spend a little extra time and do my best to make sure it doesn't go wrong


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## HoPo99 (Oct 31, 2013)

if you have an option, hands down 100% solder, ESPECIALLY if the connection is data / communication.

a little back story
i had a remote start in my previous vehicle. it used a bypass module that required cutting the security wire and connecting to both sides of that wire. after some time i made the switch to a firmware based bypass module because of some issues that put my car in the dealership service department. long story short, the dealership mechanic crimp connected that security wire back together and for a year or 2 after, on occasion going down the road hitting a bump a security light would come on on my dash indicating that connection momentarily lost connection. i decided one day to go cut it apart and solder it back together, but first i was curious of the connections strength since it seemed to periodically malfunction. i pulled on those crimp connectors as hard as i could and they did not come apart. after soldering, the security light never came on again

ALWAYS solder when you can, it will eliminate tracking down problems in the future and give you peace of mind


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## Robby (Mar 1, 2013)

Simple answer....Crimping Creates a potental point of resistance......soldering (correctly) removes the potental.

Rob


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## Hoon (Mar 18, 2012)

I always solder anything important. The extra 30 seconds is worth knowing it'll never fail, and never having to do it again.


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## Livingfortheice (Apr 22, 2014)

Lots of good points i never considered before. But let me ask you all something now. I use ring connectors, or spade connectors, to connect my speaker wire to the my components crossover. Do I crimp these connections or solder them? They are crimp on design, so just curious what you'd do here


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## Robby (Mar 1, 2013)

Livingfortheice said:


> Lots of good points i never considered before. But let me ask you all something now. I use ring connectors, or spade connectors, to connect my speaker wire to the my components crossover. Do I crimp these connections or solder them? They are crimp on design, so just curious what you'd do here


When faced with these connectors I crimp and sweat solder.

Rob


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## Diesel Dan (May 18, 2013)

Both.
The crimp is the mechanical connection and the solder is for the electrical connection.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

Always solder anything. I do have a crimping tool that makes some fine crimps, but for things where resistance will actually make a big difference, I will solder, every time.


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## Livingfortheice (Apr 22, 2014)

Robby said:


> When faced with these connectors I crimp and sweat solder.
> 
> Rob


Okay. My next question is how do I go about soldering these connections after i crimp them? Once crimped, there is no room in the wires slot obviously, so I do not understand where/how/why to solder at this point... Fill us in please?


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## Robby (Mar 1, 2013)

Heat the connector opposite the wire entrance...the male or female side, sweat the solder into the connector from the backside, where the wire enters the connector.
The hot connector will draw (sweat) the molten solder into itself.

Use low temp solder.

Rob


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## jsusanka (Jan 31, 2011)

Solder if reachable. Had to fix some wiring in the door of our for the power windows and I crimped because I had to reach where the door and the quarter panel meet and could only do it with the door open and was a pain to get reach. Fixed the problem and it held for the last three years that I had and I traded it in for the cruze and the power everything was still working.


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## Ajn (Jul 13, 2014)

If done right, a crimp will be stronger and last longer than solder. It will also have resistance to the equivalent length of wire. A proper crimp is gas-tight as well, and will not oxidize. The idea here is proper, most people to not crimp properly, and this creates a ton of problems. That being said, solder works fine too, but is also prone to error (I believe even more than crimping, but that is just me). 

Basically, do what you feel most comfortable with, do it right, and it will work fine.


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## Rich+Cruze! (Apr 8, 2014)

For automotive, crimps. Where do you really need low resistance in a 12V system? 

Now, when testing the Spark's battery... that was solder and crimping, but we needed some seriously low resistance for those tests.

My mindset is that a crimp is faster, easier, more mobile, and less permanent.


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## Diesel Dan (May 18, 2013)

Rich+Cruze! said:


> Where do you really need low resistance in a 12V system?


ECM likes clean power and grounds.
Air bag circuits.
ABS speed sensors.


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## kfr291 (Aug 11, 2012)

i work in the entertainment world... lights and sound. Soldering is the best connection there is. You do not add too much resistance when doing ( great for audio) and it will not break. Twist tops and crimps are great for small quick jobs, but for a more permanent idea solding will be a better connection both for strength and connection.

i will note that i do not just lay two wires together when soldering,.. i twist them then solder... they stay together fine before and the solder just seals it up ( plus the heat wrap)

ps. solder when you can, i have some wiring connection for gauges that are crimped because a solder will not fit in there without damaging the dash with heat. 


my 2 cents  

--i reserve the right to be wrong--


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## Rich+Cruze! (Apr 8, 2014)

Diesel Dan said:


> ECM likes clean power and grounds.
> Air bag circuits.
> ABS speed sensors.


Good list. I typically don't want to mess with these components, but if you are by all means take your time and do the work properly.


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## Cruze70 (Aug 28, 2014)

personally I like to solder, even if I am adding a connector - that way I know that nothing is accidentally separating those. I recently replaced the capacitor and blower motor for my home Heater/AC. I noticed all of the connections to the circuit board etc were crimped. I figured, since I have them out anyway and was waiting for a part to be delivered, I took the time to clean up the connections and add a little solder to the connectors.

My dad always said, if you are going to build something, do it right the first time. This way you do not have to fix it later.


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## Livingfortheice (Apr 22, 2014)

Cruze70 said:


> My dad always said, if you are going to build something, do it right the first time. This way you do not have to fix it later.


Your father is a smart man. Mine says the same thing to me. No point in doing something half ass


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## dhpnet (Mar 2, 2014)

Your Cruze already has thousands of crimp connections. Every Molex style plug in the car is crimped, not soldered. Crimping is fine if you have good supplies and the right tools to do it correctly.

I still prefer a solder connection whenever possible. But crimping is a better choice in certain circumstances. Poor solder joints can fail, and you should clean off the flux with alcohol or it could corrode the joint.


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