Wire connectors

[rodney eppes]

Helping a friend add cab over marking lights, to his pick up. Will be 5 lights, connecting along 1 main fed wire. The kit comes with the wire & the 3M801 or common T Tap connectors. I've looked on the Net & don't see anything better. They Will be inside the headliner of the truck. Are these sufficient for protected inside wiring? What you got?

 

[braxton357]

They are used by every trailer manufacturer out there, and they are also the reason every trailers wiring sucks. They would probably work fine for you but I'll never use one. I personally would just use (heat shrink) butt splice connectors. One wire in one side and two out of the other.

 

[jeepinmatt]

I've used these a bit in the past 2 years with good success, but no long term feedback:

Posi-Products™ Wire Connectors

6 tap connectors — tap into 16- to 18-gauge wire for 18- to 24-gauge accessory wiring without cutting

www.crutchfield.com

 

[Ron]

If, I were going to use scotch locks ( I wouldn't), I'd strip the insulation and have bare copper under the blade

 

[DonYukon]

hate those things

 

[rodney eppes]

I've used these a bit in the past 2 years with good success, but no long term feedback:

Posi-Products™ Wire Connectors

6 tap connectors — tap into 16- to 18-gauge wire for 18- to 24-gauge accessory wiring without cutting

www.crutchfield.com

I "think" I see how to use them, with a couple pictures supplied. But if you watch the video, they only join 2 wires together, which seems to show more of a wire nut use. I want to make 4 T connections, with out having to cut the main line into 5 sections. The last light in line would use a butt connector. The connectors I have used in the past, I did a Ron says. Yes, they are not worth carp, on the outside, like trailer wiring!

 

[YotaOnRocks]

I've used these a bit in the past 2 years with good success, but no long term feedback:

Posi-Products™ Wire Connectors

6 tap connectors — tap into 16- to 18-gauge wire for 18- to 24-gauge accessory wiring without cutting

www.crutchfield.com

I used these to tap into my rams wiring harness for the amp power steps in 2008. I still have the truck and have zero issues with them.

 

[YotaOnRocks]

I "think" I see how to use them, with a couple pictures supplied. But if you watch the video, they only join 2 wires together, which seems to show more of a wire nut use. I want to make 4 T connections, with out having to cut the main line into 5 sections. The last light in line would use a butt connector. The connectors I have used in the past, I did a Ron says. Yes, they are not worth carp, on the outside, like trailer wiring!

They have posi-tap, posi-twist, posi-lock and maybe a few others. The posi-tap ones are like a much better scotch lock. The others are mostly like a secure wire nut or a butt connector. I like using the posi-twist ones under the dash because they work well and can be taken apart without damaging the wire or connectors.

 

[Ron]

Look up amlits t taps also
I hate them. But some swear by then. I just see failure points

 

[jeepinmatt]

Look up amlits t taps also
I hate them. But some swear by then. I just see failure points

What failure mode?

 

[Ron]

What failure mode?

Mode?
Well mechanical separation or corrosion induced loss of conductance.

more plainly stated …not only do you have all the standard scotch lock concerns of losing tension or not adequately piercing the insulation you also have to worry about an additional connection at the crimp spade and the spade itself coming unplugged

 

[Fabrik8]

Some options:

Uninsulated open barrel splice connectors (B-crimp splice), just need to cut the insulation in 2 places (like 1/2 inch apart or whatever) with wire strippers and remove that connecting piece of insulation with a razor blade. That's the OEM splice method for many automakers. Don't need to cut the wire to tap into it. And, you can splice multiple wires together as well, so less splices are needed.
There are also uninsulated parallel wire connectors that can be used like the B-crimp splices, but only if they're sized properly and if the wire isn't shitty PVC hookup wire with really fat insulation. You still have to remove a section of insulation, and slide the splice all the way from the end of the wire (it's a closed barrel).

Butt splices, daisy chain the wires. Need to cut the wiring into pieces to daisy chain, but I don't know why that's a problem....?

Crimp caps, daisy chain the wires. Same concept as a butt splice, but often easier because the wires all go in the same direction. Also need to cut the wiring into pieces to daisy chain.

Aptiv/Delphi Splice Pack connector, basically a bus bar in a weatherproof connector body. They make a 6 bussed position version, which could be 1 wire in and 5 wires out (5 lights......). May have to extend the wires to reach the connector, depending on where the connector goes.

Put a 2-position connector on each light, and daisy chain the power and ground on the each crimp pin on each connector. Has to be a connector type that can handle two wires in each crimp pin, of whatever wire size you're using.

Solder method: Cut the insulation in 2 places (like 1/2 inch apart or whatever) with wire strippers and remove that connecting piece of insulation with a razor blade. Put a pick through the middle of the wire strand bundle to divide into two bundles, insert tap wire through the middle. Twist the tag end of the tap wire around the rest of the wires, solder the joint, insulate with heat shrink or whatever.
You can also just wrap the tap wire around the outside instead of dividing the wire strands, and that probably doesn't matter for what you're doing.


See, there's plenty of options that don't involve IDC taps.

 

[Fabrik8]

…not only do you have all the standard scotch lock concerns of losing tension or not adequately piercing the insulation you also have to worry about an additional connection at the crimp spade and the spade itself coming unplugged

The IDC connector in the first post doesn't use a crimp spade; it's a two position IDC tap (instead of a one position IDC with a spade to connect the tap wire).

 

[ponykilr]

Best way I have used is probably heat shrink butt connectors, cutting the wires and rejoining. I have seen those blocks fail a LOT in my 20 years as a GM tech. We had a local stereo shop that used them and we saw lots of “what’s wrong wid my ride yo?” Come into the dealership.

 

[Fabrik8]

Best way I have used is probably heat shrink butt connectors, cutting the wires and rejoining. I have seen those blocks fail a LOT in my 20 years as a GM tech. We had a local stereo shop that used them and we saw lots of “what’s wrong wid my ride yo?” Come into the dealership.

IDC connectors are the shadetree alarm installer's tool of choice, to tap off the parking light and door lock wires, etc.
Troubleshooting method: Replace all IDC taps with a better splice method, then start troubleshooting.

 

[ponykilr]

IDC connectors are the shadetree alarm installer's tool of choice, to tap off the parking light and door lock wires, etc.
Troubleshooting method: Replace all IDC taps with a better splice method, then start troubleshooting.

Truth.