How to twist wires.... easy right?

[razor02097]

Interesting how the simplest things can intimidate people. One thing my friends always ask me to help with when installing electronics is splicing wires. For those that don't know how to solder and don't know the first thing about crimping wires they twist 2 wires and tape the heck out of the connection... This provides a very poor connection that will absolutely fail from vibration, heat and time.

I taught them about how to twist wires in a way that is easy, doesn't require solder and will stay together with a good connection. There are 2 wire types. Strand and solid core. In an automobile you will deal with strand wire (unless you have a custom application). Strand wires can be put together in 3 easy steps. The only things you will need is a tool to strip the insulation off the wire and heat shrink (and heat source to shrink it) or electrical tape.



STRAND WIRE stranded..jpg

This is most likely the type of wire you will be working with... This type of wire should never be spliced with "wire nuts" and is not strong enough to hold a twist without some form of support. In a pinch where space is very limited twisting the wires then laying the twist down can work but isn't ideal because it will pull apart relatively easily. What you want is a way to secure the wires bi-directionally so you have a smooth wire that won't snag and will not pull apart.

Here is a photo of how to assemble the two wires in a way that will provide good connection and won't pull apart...




SOLID CORE WIRE solidwire..jpg

For solid core wires which isn't common in a vehicle you can do what is called a "western union splice". This involves twisting the wires in a way that doesn't cause an ugly, weak 'T' connection. The connection originates in the old times of analog phone and telegraph where long, heavy wire was used and they needed to splice 2 of them together using a strong connection. This style connection is very strong even without soldering.

Here is a photo of how to assemble the two wires using the "western union splice"...




Hopefully this helps people get over wiring woes