{"id":2372,"date":"2019-03-22T23:58:22","date_gmt":"2019-03-23T03:58:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/maxtorqueperformance.com\/?p=2372"},"modified":"2019-03-23T00:09:40","modified_gmt":"2019-03-23T04:09:40","slug":"the-5-dos-and-donts-of-wiring-a-racecar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/maxtorqueperformance.com\/staging\/index.php\/2019\/03\/22\/the-5-dos-and-donts-of-wiring-a-racecar\/","title":{"rendered":"The 5 Do\u2019s And Don\u2019ts Of Wiring A Racecar"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<header class=\"entry-header clearfix\">\n<div class=\"entry-meta\">\n<div class=\"avatar\"><a class=\"author crop crop-image_290_290\"              href=\"https:\/\/www.dragzine.com\/author\/joshkirsh\/\"><img decoding=\"async\"                style=\"height: 50px;\" alt=\"\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.dragzine.com\/wp-content\/userphoto\/joshkirsh.thumbnail.jpg\"                width=\"80\"> <\/a><\/div>\n<p>          <span class=\"byline\"> By <span class=\"author vcard\"><a                class=\"url fn n\"                href=\"https:\/\/www.dragzine.com\/author\/joshkirsh\/\">Josh                Kirsh<\/a> <\/span><\/span><span class=\"posted-on\">February            03, 2015<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p><a            href=\"https:\/\/www.speednik.com\/files\/2015\/01\/wiring-story-lead-art.jpg\"            target=\"_blank\" rel=\"shadowbox[sbpost-914831];player=img; noopener noreferrer\"><br \/>          <\/a><a            href=\"https:\/\/www.speednik.com\/files\/2015\/01\/wiring-story-lead-art.jpg\"            rel=\"shadowbox[sbpost-914831];player=img;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"              class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-914832\"              style=\"display: inline;\" alt=\"\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.speednik.com\/files\/2015\/01\/wiring-story-lead-art-640x249.jpg\"              data-lazy-loaded=\"true\" width=\"640\" height=\"249\"><noscript>&lt;img class=&#8221;aligncenter size-large wp-image-914832&#8243; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.speednik.com\/files\/2015\/01\/wiring-story-lead-art-640&#215;249.jpg&#8221; alt=&#8221;&#8221; width=&#8221;640&#8243; height=&#8221;249&#8243; \/&gt;<\/noscript><\/a>Wiring          in any form is more than intimidating; it\u2019s actually pretty          scary. Unless you know what you\u2019re doing and what you\u2019re working          with, it could prove to be the most stressful and frustrating          part of building a racecar.<\/p>\n<p>With so many different colored wires of assorted gauges routing          to different components throughout the car, it\u2019s important to do          research and prepare materials for the task ahead. It was about          time for our drag car, <a            href=\"http:\/\/www.lsxmag.com\/project\/project-blownz\/\"            target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">BlownZ<\/a>, to get a wiring harness update          along with some other new components. We called in wiring maven          Jeff Jordan to work his magic. If you aren\u2019t familiar with          Jordan, he is the owner and founder of <a            href=\"http:\/\/www.jordaninnovations.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jordan            Innovations<\/a>, which has been involved in the racing          industry since 2006.<\/p>\n<p>Jordan has had experience with Global Time Attack builds,          Formula Drift machines, SCCA\/NASA racecars, and much more. We          were happy to work with him and learn about some of his tips and          tricks while he was hard at work on BlownZ. Luckily, he was nice          enough to sit down with us and go over his five \u201cdo\u2019s\u201d and five          \u201cdon\u2019ts\u201d of automotive wiring. Follow along as we show you some          great tips about wiring a racecar!<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad responsive-ads clearfix apply-responsive-ads          clearfix with_sidebar select-cluster_3 processed\" style=\"width:          990px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: 0px;          max-width: none;\" data-displayed=\"cluster_3\"          data-group-reponsive=\"desktop\" data-banner-count=\"\"          data-select-cluster=\"cluster_3\">\n<p><input class=\"ad-sizes\" value=\"cluster_1;cluster_2;cluster_3\"              type=\"hidden\"><input class=\"ad-avoid-duplicate\" value=\"1\"              type=\"hidden\"><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>The Do\u2019s:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>1. Diagram Everything, Electrically And Spatially\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" id=\"attachment_564011\"          style=\"width: 650px\"><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.speednik.com\/files\/2015\/01\/screen-shot-2015-01-22-at-4.00.37-pm.png\"            rel=\"shadowbox[sbpost-914831];player=img;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"              class=\"size-large wp-image-914859\" style=\"display: inline;\"              alt=\"\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.speednik.com\/files\/2015\/01\/screen-shot-2015-01-22-at-4.00.37-pm-640x364.png\"              data-lazy-loaded=\"true\" width=\"640\" height=\"364\"><noscript>&lt;img class=&#8221;size-large wp-image-914859&#8243; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.speednik.com\/files\/2015\/01\/screen-shot-2015-01-22-at-4.00.37-pm-640&#215;364.png&#8221; alt=&#8221;&#8221; width=&#8221;640&#8243; height=&#8221;364&#8243; \/&gt;<\/noscript><\/a>          <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">The wiring diagram made for BlownZ            was made on a spreadsheet. In addition to this, it would be a            great idea to sketch a diagram of the car and roughly plot            everything. When it comes time to get started, everything will            be mapped out.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The first, and most important do is to diagram everything.          Using a navigation system is very similar to wiring because          every route needs to be planned out. Without proper planning,          the wiring could turn out to be one of the biggest clusters ever          experienced. Mapping out where everything goes, how much          supplies are needed for each and every system in the car, and          where to start are crucial to begin a wiring project.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe biggest \u2018do\u2019 and the biggest thing that I think people          should take away is that a lot of people are intimated by the          thought of doing a wiring job.\u00a0And because they haven\u2019t done it          before, they don\u2019t understand 100-percent of all the things that          they\u2019ll have to do. If the person doesn\u2019t know where to start,          they\u2019re just going to start soldering stuff, or, you know,          running wires and all that without a plan. That\u2019s when they run          into some really difficult decisions, and unless they know what          they\u2019re doing, they\u2019ll get in over their head,\u201d Jordan          explained.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou make a list of what all the components need. If you have          all the information you need to make the diagram, then you have          all the information you need to make the harness. If you can\u2019t          get through the diagram, meaning that if you don\u2019t know what you          need or if you don\u2019t know where stuff goes, you need to figure          that out before you start,\u201d added Jordan.<\/p>\n<p><strong>2. Use Crimps When Vibration Or Strain Is An Issue<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.speednik.com\/files\/2015\/01\/do-2.jpg\"            rel=\"shadowbox[sbpost-914831];player=img;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"              class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-914847\"              style=\"display: inline;\" alt=\"\"              src=\"https:\/\/www.speednik.com\/files\/2015\/01\/do-2-640x427.jpg\"              data-lazy-loaded=\"true\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\"><noscript>&lt;img class=&#8221;aligncenter size-large wp-image-914847&#8243; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.speednik.com\/files\/2015\/01\/do-2-640&#215;427.jpg&#8221; alt=&#8221;&#8221; width=&#8221;640&#8243; height=&#8221;427&#8243; \/&gt;<\/noscript><\/a>We          all know that racecars vibrate a lot. whether they\u2019re under load          out on the track or sitting and idling, there will be vibration.          There are also times when wires route through tighter places          than others, causing strain. When vibration is a big issue, it          is better to use crimps to make a connection, rather than          soldering\u00a0it. Solder is great for electrical connections, but it          isn\u2019t a true fusing of metal like an actual weld. It has the          tendency to crack under vibration or strain, causing the          connection to short, or disconnect completely. Remember to          always plan out where your solder joints will be so that when it          comes time to add them in, the area is already relieved of          stress.<\/p>\n<section class=\"group-caption group-caption-rendered\">\n<ul class=\"list-attachments thumbnails row-1 clearfix\">\n<li class=\"thumbnail col-4\"><a class=\"group-caption-image-box\"                href=\"https:\/\/www.dragzine.com\/image\/2015\/01\/do-2-9.jpg\"                rel=\"shadowbox[sbpost-914831];player=img;\"                data-image-mobile=\"https:\/\/www.dragzine.com\/image\/2015\/01\/do-2-9.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\"                  style=\"display: block;\" alt=\"\"                  src=\"https:\/\/www.dragzine.com\/image\/2015\/01\/do-2-9.jpg\"                  data-lazy-loaded=\"true\"><noscript>&lt;img src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.dragzine.com\/image\/2015\/01\/do-2-9.jpg&#8221; alt=&#8221;&#8221;&gt;<\/noscript><\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"thumbnail col-4\"><a class=\"group-caption-image-box\"                href=\"https:\/\/www.dragzine.com\/image\/2015\/01\/do-2-10.jpg\"                rel=\"shadowbox[sbpost-914831];player=img;\"                data-image-mobile=\"https:\/\/www.dragzine.com\/image\/2015\/01\/do-2-10.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\"                  style=\"display: block;\" alt=\"\"                  src=\"https:\/\/www.dragzine.com\/image\/2015\/01\/do-2-10.jpg\"                  data-lazy-loaded=\"true\"><noscript>&lt;img src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.dragzine.com\/image\/2015\/01\/do-2-10.jpg&#8221; alt=&#8221;&#8221;&gt;<\/noscript><\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"thumbnail col-4\"><a class=\"group-caption-image-box\"                href=\"https:\/\/www.dragzine.com\/image\/2015\/01\/do-2-12.jpg\"                rel=\"shadowbox[sbpost-914831];player=img;\"                data-image-mobile=\"https:\/\/www.dragzine.com\/image\/2015\/01\/do-2-12.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\"                  style=\"display: block;\" alt=\"\"                  src=\"https:\/\/www.dragzine.com\/image\/2015\/01\/do-2-12.jpg\"                  data-lazy-loaded=\"true\"><noscript>&lt;img src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.dragzine.com\/image\/2015\/01\/do-2-12.jpg&#8221; alt=&#8221;&#8221;&gt;<\/noscript><\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"thumbnail col-4\"><a class=\"group-caption-image-box\"                href=\"https:\/\/www.dragzine.com\/image\/2015\/01\/do-2-14.jpg\"                rel=\"shadowbox[sbpost-914831];player=img;\"                data-image-mobile=\"https:\/\/www.dragzine.com\/image\/2015\/01\/do-2-14.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\"                  style=\"display: block;\" alt=\"\"                  src=\"https:\/\/www.dragzine.com\/image\/2015\/01\/do-2-14.jpg\"                  data-lazy-loaded=\"true\"><noscript>&lt;img src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.dragzine.com\/image\/2015\/01\/do-2-14.jpg&#8221; alt=&#8221;&#8221;&gt;<\/noscript><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<p>        \u201cWe use crimps when mechanical forces are an issue.\u00a0I come from        the aviation world where crimps are the norm because vibration is        always an issue.\u00a0But in cars, as long as you can strain relieve        and isolate the joint from vibration, solder joints work very,        very well for a lot of things,\u201d explained Jordan.        <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe downside to crimps, most of the time, is that they\u2019re much          bigger than a solder joint. If you had a bundle of 50 soldered          wires and you staggered the joints, you wouldn\u2019t be able to tell          where those splices were. But if you shaped that harness,          vibrate it, or put a lot of strain on it, you\u2019re gonna break a          few of those solder joints, whereas crimps would not break,\u201d          Jordan stated.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad responsive-ads clearfix apply-responsive-ads          clearfix with_sidebar select-cluster_2 processed\" style=\"width:          990px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: 0px;          max-width: none;\" data-displayed=\"cluster_3;cluster_2\"          data-group-reponsive=\"desktop\" data-banner-count=\"\"          data-select-cluster=\"cluster_2\">\n<p><input class=\"ad-sizes\" value=\"cluster_1;cluster_2;cluster_3\"              type=\"hidden\"><input class=\"ad-avoid-duplicate\" value=\"1\"              type=\"hidden\"><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>3. Stagger Your Solder Joints<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" id=\"attachment_564000\"          style=\"width: 650px\"><a            href=\"https:\/\/www.speednik.com\/files\/2015\/01\/do-3-1.jpg\"            rel=\"shadowbox[sbpost-914831];player=img;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"              class=\"size-large wp-image-914848\" style=\"display: inline;\"              alt=\"\"              src=\"https:\/\/www.speednik.com\/files\/2015\/01\/do-3-1-640x427.jpg\"              data-lazy-loaded=\"true\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\"><noscript>&lt;img class=&#8221;size-large wp-image-914848&#8243; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.speednik.com\/files\/2015\/01\/do-3-1-640&#215;427.jpg&#8221; alt=&#8221;&#8221; width=&#8221;640&#8243; height=&#8221;427&#8243; \/&gt;<\/noscript><\/a>          <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">As you can see, these solder joints            are staggered, meaning that the joints are not spliced in the            same place. Instead, they\u2019re offset to keep the diameter of            the harness constant throughout. Our harness\u2019 solder joints            aren\u2019t staggered too far apart due to the harness being larger            in diameter. In most cases, you\u2019ll want to solder the joints            an inch apart or more.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Staggering solder joints is a very good tip for basic wiring or          even for building something as extensive as a wiring harness.          When there is a bundle of wires that need to be spliced, it          would be ineffective to splice all of the wires in the same spot          because it would create a larger diameter spot in the harness.          By staggering the joints, it allows for an even diameter          throughout the harness.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhenever you have a splice it\u2019s gonna be a little bit thicker          in that spot. If you stagger the joints, the bundle diameter          stays closer to constant.\u00a0You don\u2019t want there to be one thick          section and one thin section,\u201d Jordan explained.<\/p>\n<p><strong>4. Strain Relief and Abrasion Resistance\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.speednik.com\/files\/2015\/01\/do-5-3.jpg\"            rel=\"shadowbox[sbpost-914831];player=img;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"              class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-914857\"              style=\"display: inline;\" alt=\"\"              src=\"https:\/\/www.speednik.com\/files\/2015\/01\/do-5-3-640x427.jpg\"              data-lazy-loaded=\"true\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\"><noscript>&lt;img class=&#8221;aligncenter size-large wp-image-914857&#8243; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.speednik.com\/files\/2015\/01\/do-5-3-640&#215;427.jpg&#8221; alt=&#8221;&#8221; width=&#8221;640&#8243; height=&#8221;427&#8243; \/&gt;<\/noscript><\/a>A          wiring harness can be routed anywhere throughout the car. It          would be in your best interest to strain relieve the harness,          should any mechanical forces pull on the harness while the car          is idling, under load, or even stationary. This can be done by          adding some method of external support for the harness at every          splice.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEverywhere you have a mechanical force on the harness, trying          to pull it apart or trying to pull it in one direction, you want          to have something like a ziptie \u00a0or P-clamp so that the          mechanical forces acting on your harness don\u2019t pull it apart or          vibrate it\u00a0out of commission. Think of a half-inch harness that          splits off into quarter-inch harnesses; you want to make sure          that if you pulled those quarter-inch harnesses apart that it          doesn\u2019t rip into your half-inch harness. You\u2019re making sure that          you\u2019re not bending and vibrating the harness at the same point          over the lifetime of the harness, because the individual copper          wire strains can break.\u00a0That\u2019s what zipties are for in every          splice,\u201d Jordan stated.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.speednik.com\/files\/2015\/01\/do-4-copy.jpg\"            rel=\"shadowbox[sbpost-914831];player=img;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"              class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-914860\"              style=\"display: inline;\" alt=\"\"              src=\"https:\/\/www.speednik.com\/files\/2015\/01\/do-4-copy-640x427.jpg\"              data-lazy-loaded=\"true\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\"><noscript>&lt;img class=&#8221;aligncenter size-large wp-image-914860&#8243; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.speednik.com\/files\/2015\/01\/do-4-copy-640&#215;427.jpg&#8221; alt=&#8221;&#8221; width=&#8221;640&#8243; height=&#8221;427&#8243; \/&gt;<\/noscript><\/a>Another          thing that is often overlooked is strain-relieving the wire ends          where they enter other components, especially connectors.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe strain-relieve all of the crimps where the wire enters the          pin that goes into the connector. Those all have a wire crimp          and insulation crimp.\u00a0The insulation crimp is the part of the          pin on the back that goes over the plastic, and the purpose of          that strain-relief is that if you pulled the wire, it\u2019s holding          on to the insulation, not just the copper, because the copper          will work-harden and break,\u201d said Jordan.<\/p>\n<section class=\"group-caption group-caption-rendered\">\n<ul class=\"list-attachments thumbnails row-1 clearfix\">\n<li class=\"thumbnail col-2\"><a class=\"group-caption-image-box\"                href=\"https:\/\/www.dragzine.com\/image\/2015\/01\/do-5.jpg\"                rel=\"shadowbox[sbpost-914831];player=img;\"                data-image-mobile=\"https:\/\/www.dragzine.com\/image\/2015\/01\/do-5.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\"                  style=\"display: block;\" alt=\"\"                  src=\"https:\/\/www.dragzine.com\/image\/2015\/01\/do-5.jpg\"                  data-lazy-loaded=\"true\"><noscript>&lt;img src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.dragzine.com\/image\/2015\/01\/do-5.jpg&#8221; alt=&#8221;&#8221;&gt;<\/noscript><\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"thumbnail col-2\"><a class=\"group-caption-image-box\"                href=\"https:\/\/www.dragzine.com\/image\/2015\/01\/do-5-2.jpg\"                rel=\"shadowbox[sbpost-914831];player=img;\"                data-image-mobile=\"https:\/\/www.dragzine.com\/image\/2015\/01\/do-5-2.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\"                  style=\"display: block;\" alt=\"\"                  src=\"https:\/\/www.dragzine.com\/image\/2015\/01\/do-5-2.jpg\"                  data-lazy-loaded=\"true\"><noscript>&lt;img src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.dragzine.com\/image\/2015\/01\/do-5-2.jpg&#8221; alt=&#8221;&#8221;&gt;<\/noscript><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<p>        If the harness is going to be routed anywhere where the loom can        be ripped, like sharp corners or edges, or through the frame or        firewall, it would be a good thing to prepare the area for        abrasion resistance. That can be done by using rubber grommets to        protect the harness from the spot where it enters the frame to the        spot where it exits the frame.        <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhenever you have a harness that passes over a sharp corner,          you want prevent the harness from getting rubbed or cut. Running          stuff through the frame is really cool, except everything          vibrates, rattles, and gets pulled on. Putting grommets where          harnesses pass through bulkheads is key,\u201d\u00a0Jordan explained.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad responsive-ads clearfix apply-responsive-ads          clearfix with_sidebar select-cluster_1 processed\" style=\"width:          990px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: 0px;          max-width: none;\" data-displayed=\"cluster_3;cluster_2;cluster_1\"          data-group-reponsive=\"desktop\" data-banner-count=\"\"          data-select-cluster=\"cluster_1\">\n<p><input class=\"ad-sizes\" value=\"cluster_1;cluster_2;cluster_3\"              type=\"hidden\"><input class=\"ad-avoid-duplicate\" value=\"1\"              type=\"hidden\"><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>5. Use Good Materials And Tools<\/strong><\/p>\n<section class=\"group-caption group-caption-rendered\">\n<ul class=\"list-attachments thumbnails row-1 clearfix\">\n<li class=\"thumbnail col-2\"><a class=\"group-caption-image-box\"                href=\"https:\/\/www.dragzine.com\/image\/2015\/01\/do-4.jpg\"                rel=\"shadowbox[sbpost-914831];player=img;\"                data-image-mobile=\"https:\/\/www.dragzine.com\/image\/2015\/01\/do-4.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\"                  style=\"display: block;\" alt=\"\"                  src=\"https:\/\/www.dragzine.com\/image\/2015\/01\/do-4.jpg\"                  data-lazy-loaded=\"true\"><noscript>&lt;img src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.dragzine.com\/image\/2015\/01\/do-4.jpg&#8221; alt=&#8221;&#8221;&gt;<\/noscript><\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"thumbnail col-2\"><a class=\"group-caption-image-box\"                href=\"https:\/\/www.dragzine.com\/image\/2015\/01\/do-3.jpg\"                rel=\"shadowbox[sbpost-914831];player=img;\"                data-image-mobile=\"https:\/\/www.dragzine.com\/image\/2015\/01\/do-3.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\"                  style=\"display: block;\" alt=\"\"                  src=\"https:\/\/www.dragzine.com\/image\/2015\/01\/do-3.jpg\"                  data-lazy-loaded=\"true\"><noscript>&lt;img src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.dragzine.com\/image\/2015\/01\/do-3.jpg&#8221; alt=&#8221;&#8221;&gt;<\/noscript><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: <a              href=\"http:\/\/www.tnb.com\/pub\/en\/node\/672\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">T&amp;B<\/a>            Ty-Rap zipties are choice for Jordan because they have a            stainless steel locking mechanism for maximum strength and            longer life, rather than a standard ziptie with a nylon            locking mechanism. Right: Jordan&#8217;s <a              href=\"http:\/\/www.okinternational.com\/metcal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Metcal<\/a>            soldering station where all of the wiring magic happens.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<p>        Knowing your business when it comes to wiring is one thing, but        using good tools and good materials is half the battle. Using        supplies that are tried-and-true is the way to go when tackling        even the easiest of motorsport wiring jobs.        <\/p>\n<p>\u201cHaving good tools and materials is all relative. There\u2019s          definitely another level of materials and tools above what I use          that Formula One uses.\u00a0You\u2019re not going to be doing a          motorsport-level wiring job with stuff from Auto Zone. Some of          that stuff might work well, but there\u2019s a reason why          professionals tend to use\u00a0better tools and materials.\u00a0Some          people aren\u2019t going to pay $700\u00a0for a pair of crimpers if          they\u2019re only gonna use them once, but some\u00a0might pay 50 bucks          for the next step down on eBay or Craigslist,\u201d Jordan added.<\/p>\n<p>Often, the step up in price from bargain no-name equipment and          raw materials to decent quality stuff is relatively modest,          although it can add up when wiring an entire car. Compare that          to the cost of making repairs or troubleshooting, though, and          it\u2019s worth every penny.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Don\u2019ts:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>1. Don\u2019t Hack Or Get In Over Your Head<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" id=\"attachment_564207\"          style=\"width: 650px\"><a            href=\"https:\/\/www.speednik.com\/files\/2015\/01\/dont-1.jpg\"            rel=\"shadowbox[sbpost-914831];player=img;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"              class=\"size-large wp-image-914862\" style=\"display: inline;\"              alt=\"\"              src=\"https:\/\/www.speednik.com\/files\/2015\/01\/dont-1-640x480.jpg\"              data-lazy-loaded=\"true\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\"><noscript>&lt;img class=&#8221;size-large wp-image-914862&#8243; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.speednik.com\/files\/2015\/01\/dont-1-640&#215;480.jpg&#8221; alt=&#8221;&#8221; width=&#8221;640&#8243; height=&#8221;480&#8243; \/&gt;<\/noscript><\/a>          <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">This is what happens when a lack of            patience takes control and the proper steps aren\u2019t taken the            first time. You end up in over your head with a huge cluster            of solder joints with no other choice than to start over. Take            the time to understand what you\u2019re working with.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The number one rule when it comes to wiring is to have          patience. Don\u2019t have the mindset to wire the car up hastily just          to get it running and say you will build a nice harness later,          because \u201clater\u201d never comes. Just do it right the first time and          you will be surprised at how much time and money was saved.          You\u2019ll also have a running car!<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBuild the harness and then test each part of it before you go          invest a ton of money to take your car to the track. That          disappointment of \u2018I thought the car was working and it\u2019s not\u2019          is such a powerful demotivator to car fans, and that\u2019s how cars          get left sitting for the whole season. You know, like \u2018ah          <a href=\"mailto:f@&#038;amp\" >f@&#038;amp<\/a>;# it, I\u2019m just going to leave it in the garage,&#8217;\u201d          explained Jordan.<\/p>\n<p>Frustration leads to mistakes, and when you\u2019re working with          electrical systems, mistakes lead to fun stuff like cars not          running, or worse yet, cars catching on fire. If you don\u2019t have          a good understanding of what you\u2019re doing, stop and fill in the          gaps in your knowledge before continuing the job, or bring in an          expert if it\u2019s truly beyond your abilities.<\/p>\n<p><strong>2. Don\u2019t Wire Both Ends Then Route The Wires<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" id=\"attachment_564210\"          style=\"width: 650px\"><a            href=\"https:\/\/www.speednik.com\/files\/2015\/01\/dont-4.jpg\"            rel=\"shadowbox[sbpost-914831];player=img;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"              class=\"wp-image-914865 size-large\" style=\"display: inline;\"              alt=\"\"              src=\"https:\/\/www.speednik.com\/files\/2015\/01\/dont-4-640x480.jpg\"              data-lazy-loaded=\"true\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\"><noscript>&lt;img class=&#8221;wp-image-914865 size-large&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.speednik.com\/files\/2015\/01\/dont-4-640&#215;480.jpg&#8221; alt=&#8221;&#8221; width=&#8221;640&#8243; height=&#8221;480&#8243; \/&gt;<\/noscript><\/a>          <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">This is why wires shouldn\u2019t be            soldered and crimped at both ends before routing the wire            through the car. The end result is wires running everywhere,            not in one concentrated harness. This is also goes back to            using good materials. Twist-on wire nuts have no place in            automotive wiring as they don\u2019t cope well with vibration.            Also, there is no strain relief.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>This is a big one, and it\u2019s something that a lot of people do          without knowing that what they\u2019re doing is wrong. By doing this,          it\u2019s very easy to end up with a bunch of wires running all over          the place. To avoid soldering or crimping both ends before the          wires are routed, simply refer back to the diagram of the          electrical system you are building and you will see how          everything needs to be routed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cSomething that a lot of people do            is they\u2019ll run wire run and solder or crimp the ends, and then            figure out how it routes through the car.<\/span>\u00a0That\u2019s how          you end up with stuff that just runs all over the place. This          goes back to if you have a diagram of where all your stuff needs          to go. With that diagram, you\u2019ll know that the wires that go          from A to B will need to pass through there and there to get          there using the routing that you designed. All of your wires          will have enough length on them and they\u2019ll go where you want          them to go,\u201d added Jordan.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad responsive-ads clearfix apply-responsive-ads          clearfix with_sidebar select-cluster_1 processed\" style=\"width:          990px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: 0px;          max-width: none;\" data-displayed=\"cluster_1\"          data-group-reponsive=\"desktop\" data-banner-count=\"\"          data-select-cluster=\"cluster_1\">\n<p><input class=\"ad-sizes\" value=\"cluster_1;cluster_2;cluster_3\"              type=\"hidden\"><input class=\"ad-avoid-duplicate\" value=\"1\"              type=\"hidden\"><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>3. Don\u2019t Place Solder Joints In Areas With            Vibration Or Strain<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" id=\"attachment_564208\"          style=\"width: 650px\"><a            href=\"https:\/\/www.speednik.com\/files\/2015\/01\/dont-2.jpg\"            rel=\"shadowbox[sbpost-914831];player=img;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"              class=\"size-large wp-image-914863\" style=\"display: inline;\"              alt=\"\"              src=\"https:\/\/www.speednik.com\/files\/2015\/01\/dont-2-640x480.jpg\"              data-lazy-loaded=\"true\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\"><noscript>&lt;img class=&#8221;size-large wp-image-914863&#8243; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.speednik.com\/files\/2015\/01\/dont-2-640&#215;480.jpg&#8221; alt=&#8221;&#8221; width=&#8221;640&#8243; height=&#8221;480&#8243; \/&gt;<\/noscript><\/a>          <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">In this photo you can see the broken            solder joint due to vibration and not staggering them. These            can be incredibly hard to diagnose.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"p1\">When a solder joint is made in an area with a lot of          vibration or strain, it will easily break and cause a short or          open circuit in the system it\u2019s running to. Use crimps in these          areas, as they are far more flexible than a soldered joint.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">\u201cWhat\u2019s so bad about solder joints that break is          when you go to pin out the harness, It\u2019ll pin out with          continuity, you know, if you\u2019re on a continuity test on the          multimeter and you\u2019re testing from A to B, it\u2019ll beep and read 1          ohm or 0 ohms because it does have continuity, but its broken.          As soon as you try to pass some power through there, it\u2019s going          to create a bunch of resistance and your voltage is going drop          because the solder joint is broken. That wire\u2019s joint\u2019s ability          to pass power through it is now one 1\/100th of what it\u2019s          supposed to be,\u201d stated Jordan.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>4. Don\u2019t Use Regular Pliers For Important            Crimps<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" id=\"attachment_564211\"          style=\"width: 650px\"><a            href=\"https:\/\/www.speednik.com\/files\/2015\/01\/dont-5.jpg\"            rel=\"shadowbox[sbpost-914831];player=img;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"              class=\"size-large wp-image-914866\" style=\"display: inline;\"              alt=\"\"              src=\"https:\/\/www.speednik.com\/files\/2015\/01\/dont-5-640x480.jpg\"              data-lazy-loaded=\"true\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\"><noscript>&lt;img class=&#8221;size-large wp-image-914866&#8243; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.speednik.com\/files\/2015\/01\/dont-5-640&#215;480.jpg&#8221; alt=&#8221;&#8221; width=&#8221;640&#8243; height=&#8221;480&#8243; \/&gt;<\/noscript><\/a>          <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">It\u2019s obvious that these crimps            weren\u2019t performed with a proper pair of crimpers. Also, this            is not the correct wire or wire size for the job, which is why            the individual copper strands broke. This is exactly what you            don\u2019t want your wiring to look like when all is said and done.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"p1\">The reason why it\u2019s not good to use pliers, or any          other tool not meant for the job, for important crimps in the          system is because they won\u2019t hold. It might look like a good          crimp, but there is no way to tell. So, in this case, it is          really beneficial to use the proper pair of crimpers for the          job.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">\u201cA\u00a0lot of people don\u2019t buy good crimpers or they          don\u2019t know where to buy good crimpers, so they end up using          pliers. The important thing about a crimp is that a crimp          doesn\u2019t have solder to help out with the mechanical connection          between the wires. All you have is a mechanical connection that          you\u2019re able to put on these wires with the crimp. Also,\u00a0there\u2019s          no way to tell when the crimp fails because it will still be          touching, but it won\u2019t be touching all the way around. It\u2019s very          hard to diagnose when a crimp fails,\u201d Jordan explained.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>5. Don\u2019t Rush<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><a            href=\"https:\/\/www.speednik.com\/files\/2015\/01\/dont-6.jpg\"            rel=\"shadowbox[sbpost-914831];player=img;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"              class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-914861\"              style=\"display: inline;\" alt=\"\"              src=\"https:\/\/www.speednik.com\/files\/2015\/01\/dont-6-640x427.jpg\"              data-lazy-loaded=\"true\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\"><noscript>&lt;img class=&#8221;aligncenter size-large wp-image-914861&#8243; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.speednik.com\/files\/2015\/01\/dont-6-640&#215;427.jpg&#8221; alt=&#8221;&#8221; width=&#8221;640&#8243; height=&#8221;427&#8243; \/&gt;<\/noscript><\/a>Chances          are that if you rush a wiring job, you\u2019re setting yourself up          for disappointment. Just take your time to learn what you\u2019re          working with, make a diagram, take good measurements, and          everything will go together as it\u2019s supposed to. Because it\u2019s          usually one of the tasks left to the end of a project, wiring a          car often doesn\u2019t get enough time budgeted for its completion,          and builders will make the error of speeding through the process          as quickly as possible to meet a deadline.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">\u201cThe only way to guarantee failure is to rush.\u00a0 You          could have done everything else right, but if you rush your          chances of having a harness that doesn\u2019t work go way, way, way          up and that\u2019s true for anybody.\u00a0It\u2019s true for somebody that does          it 5 days a week, just like its true for somebody that does it          once every couple of years.\u00a0 So, take your time,\u201d Jordan added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>Positive Energy<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Hopefully these tips will help a lot when it comes          to wiring up your own project car. With wiring, it\u2019s really          important that a diagram is made, good materials are used,          quality tools are used, and that you have quite a bit of time on          your hands, as doing things right can be a very time consuming          process. The last thing you\u2019d want is for your wiring to ruin          the whole project, so just take your time and understand what          you\u2019re working with before you get started.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">We want to give a big thanks to Jeff Jordan of          Jordan Innovations for taking the time to sit down with us and          go over these helpful tips with us. And we also want to thank          him for doing an awesome wiring job on our beloved BlownZ!<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad responsive-ads clearfix apply-responsive-ads          clearfix with_sidebar select-cluster_2 processed\" style=\"width:          990px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: 0px;          max-width: none;\" data-displayed=\"cluster_1;cluster_2\"          data-group-reponsive=\"desktop\" data-banner-count=\"\"          data-select-cluster=\"cluster_2\">\n<p><input class=\"ad-sizes\" value=\"cluster_1;cluster_2;cluster_3\"              type=\"hidden\"><input class=\"ad-avoid-duplicate\" value=\"1\"              type=\"hidden\"><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>      <span style=\"width: 650px; height: 180px; vertical-align: bottom;\"><\/span>    <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Josh Kirsh February 03, 2015 &lt;img class=&#8221;aligncenter size-large wp-image-914832&#8243; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.speednik.com\/files\/2015\/01\/wiring-story-lead-art-640&#215;249.jpg&#8221; alt=&#8221;&#8221; width=&#8221;640&#8243; height=&#8221;249&#8243; \/&gt;Wiring in any form is more [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[41],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2372","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-techpost"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/maxtorqueperformance.com\/staging\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2372","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/maxtorqueperformance.com\/staging\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/maxtorqueperformance.com\/staging\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maxtorqueperformance.com\/staging\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maxtorqueperformance.com\/staging\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2372"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/maxtorqueperformance.com\/staging\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2372\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/maxtorqueperformance.com\/staging\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2372"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maxtorqueperformance.com\/staging\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2372"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maxtorqueperformance.com\/staging\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2372"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}