Numbered steps showing crimping a terminal onto a red wire with…

Crimping Electrical Terminals
(This applies equally to crimping butt-splices, which might be the most-commonly-crimped shape, but it's harder to observe what's happening in them than in this spade terminal.)

This deceptively simple operation confounds even some professionals, so here's the secret:
1. Set the terminal in the crimper jaw that's SLIGHTLY smaller than the terminal, with the tooth PERFECTLY centered over the seam. This is the point that's often ignored or misunderstood. If the tooth doesn't split the seam, the crimp will lose most of its gripping strength. Then insert the stripped & twisted wire(s), which should nearly fill the cavity.
2. WATCH as you begin to crimp - if the sides of the terminal tube don't bend evenly, reposition the tooth on the terminal to even them out before finishing the crimp.
3. Move the terminal to the round jaw (or the smaller square jaw for smaller terminals) with the gap aligned with the pliers' opening.
4. Recrimp the tube to close the gap, driving the folded ends into the wire strands, and crushing everything tight.
5. This crimp is nearly as strong as the wire, and will provide as good a mechanical connection as electrical for many years.

I prefer these cheap crimpers to even the most-expensive ones I've used. It's rare to find 5 working surfaces in one tool, and actually have all 5 do what they're supposed to.

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Other acceptable ways to splice wires include:

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See also:
MotorCraft 2016 Wiring Pigtail Guide

Owner caption April 2011 · Photo 3704 of 5000