My New Headlight Harness ...

[Fast79Chief]

Loving my new headlight harness! Can see the road twice as good now. Love it!

[Cecil14]

From his previous posts, the new harness is from K Suspension, here's a link to their XJ upgrade harness:

https://www.ksuspensionfab.com/store/p6 ... rness.html

There's a contact link on their site.


aa

[csuengr]

What do people have against sealed relays?

[Mass]

What do people have against sealed relays?

Cost.
You can buy 10 non sealed relays with plugs for a few bucks shipped.
The good sealed ones will cost ~$20 each.
I know this because I'm building a terminal to terminal harness to sell with 12 gauge GXL wire, Hella 40 amp weather proof relays, sealed fuse box, ceramic sockets, quality Delphi and AMP terminals, etc.
http://www.ifsja.org/forums/vb/showthread.php?t=186308

[babywag]

Sealed relays are dirt cheap @ local pick your part.
Been snagging them for years and have yet to get a bad one.

[Mass]

Sealed relays are dirt cheap @ local pick your part.
Been snagging them for years and have yet to get a bad one.

True and thats good advice for anyone wanting to build on a tight budget.
My $2 entry fee always "buys" me a pocket of fuses, loose change, and the occasional relay and pigtail.

But in the name of consistently and being new you have to fork over significantly more than a non sealed unit.

[tgreese]

So you look for loose change in the cars? Huh. I'd think any coins would be gone by the time the cars hit the lot.

[csuengr]

What do people have against sealed relays?

Cost.
You can buy 10 non sealed relays with plugs for a few bucks shipped.
The good sealed ones will cost ~$20 each.
I know this because I'm building a terminal to terminal harness to sell with 12 gauge GXL wire, Hella 40 amp weather proof relays, sealed fuse box, ceramic sockets, quality Delphi and AMP terminals, etc.
http://www.ifsja.org/forums/vb/showthread.php?t=186308

At least your crimps look good, and I know more about crimps than you ever want to. There is actually automotive standards for crimps. I can't remember what the name of them are at the moment.

Those pull to seat sealed relays are a pain, but at least you don't have to mess with individual wire seals. I have put together a couple hundred of each.

[Mass]

Im bad about wasting time going through the vehicles and seeing what I can find. Wrecked ones are the best, the owners usually leave a bunch of stuff after an accident. The change is usually less than $2. I found $20 stashed under a cupholder once. Also found a gold and diamond stud that I got $60 for. Not to mention all the free junk tools you could ask for. It's amazing the stuff that gets under the trunk mat into the spare tire area. Come to think of it...it's a little depressing when you realize how nasty some people live. ..hmm. it's more depressing when I realize how many days I've wasted away at junk yards :/

Csuengr, thanks for the compliment. You're absolutely right! There's definitely standards for crimps. Despite what some may think, Bubba squeezing away with a pair of pliars isn't the standard.

A friend of mine is an a&p aviation mechanic for United airlines. He schooled me on crimps while working on his plane. I remember him measuring crimp height with a micrometer and adjusting his crimper. I was like.. "looks good" he was like "no sir, this wouldn't pass".
Since I don't own a micrometer my crimps will forever feel inadequate lol

Those pull to seat ones are a little tricky. You for sure have to think ahead.

[lkmarsh]

What does a pro crimping tool look like? I'm due for an upgrade.

[tgreese]

It has a ratchet action, and is designed for a specific terminal type. I use a pro tool for AV and RF cables (typically RG-59 and type F or BNC connectors), I think it's an Etekcity https://www.bestcablesplitter.com/best- ... sion-tool/

For automotive wiring, I mostly use hand crimpers from Channellock https://www.amazon.com/Channellock-909- ... mping+tool - Klein makes a similar tool. If you want a ratcheting crimper, something like this Titan should be ok https://www.amazon.com/Titan-Tools-1147 ... mping+tool

I hardly ever use the plastic insulated connectors, instead choosing uninsulated connectors, solder and heat shrink. The ratcheting crimpers are recommended for the ubiquitous plastic insulated connectors because they make enough pressure to form the cold weld between the wire and connector, and those joints are said to be electrically superior to a soldered joint.

For me, the adhesive heat shrink is most important, making a waterproof joint, so the plastic shell on a crimp connector just gets in my way. If you use the plastic insulated butt connectors, the ratcheting tool would be a good investment.

[Fast79Chief]

Glad to see my original post is still active and generating interesting responses. The owner at KSuspension who hand makes the headlight harnesses himself right here in the good old USA WELCOMES anyones phone calls to discuss the quality of his American made harnesses. It's best to go right to 'the horses mouth' rather than to believe conjecture and biased propaganda. Great company to do business with. Quality product at a very affordable price that actually delivers a noticable difference. No need to spend more than $25.00 for an awesome quality harness.
P.S. I don't sell these or make a penny off of voluntarily sharing a very satisfied, personal experience, customer endorsement. I'm not a vendor of anything.

[dbabicky]

Like I've said many other times. LMC sells the harness every day for $29.95. Got them in my J-10, Wrangler,(until I rolled it 3 months ago), the Tahoe, the K3500, and a few XJ's that I have owned. Work flawlessly.

[Fast79Chief]

Like I've said many other times. LMC sells the harness every day for $29.95. Got them in my J-10, Wrangler,(until I rolled it 3 months ago), the Tahoe, the K3500, and a few XJ's that I have owned. Work flawlessly.

Dbabicky,
I put one of theirs in my 72 K20 15 years ago. It still works, but it is an overseas product. I have not had a problem with it. The one I had made by KSuspension is heavier duty wire, brass terminals, ceramic plug ends, and better relays. Cost less too.