quick disconnect for offroad lights

[Snoranger]

ever hear of wire nuts and electrical tape?

I've heard of them, but I've NEVER even thought about using them in one of my trucks.
If you want it permanent, solder and heatshrink.
If you need to disconnect it, Weatherpack or Deutsch connectors.

 

[bobbywalter]

Dude, Put the wire down!! Wire nuts are used for AC voltage (household current, not automotive!) You never use wire nuts and electrical tape for automotive use...
SVT

why not....


and remember i live in the rust belt.....deep....ass deep in rust.


theres many many connectors to use at the junkyard like mentioned earlier, fan connectors are real heavy. and solder them and shrinkwrap as well.

 

[RangerSVT]

Wire nuts were never intended for use in mobile applications where solder and heatshrink is/should be common practice. They were designed to be used in residential/commercial/industrial wiring in the AC world...Can they be used for 12 volt DC wiring, yeah, but I highly recommend against it, and would never even consider it myself
SVT

 

[91stranger]

im just an easy going guy who would rather do something my way and know that it will or will not work rather than waste my time with some connector that could be shot on the inside and not worth a shit. if its just for off road lights or a cd player in ur truck then yes i would use wire nuts. if it keeps the two wires that need connected together then it works in my book. not like someone is gonna quiz u on ur truck and make sure ur doing things right. like i said before its a ranger, not a ferrari. i like switches in my cab for foglights or what have u. therefore i may need a wire nut or two. if it gets the job done then great. if it doesnt and i know its gettin juice from the abttery then i know where my problem is. thats how i roll. like it or hate it im gonna do it my way haha

 

[bobbywalter]

Wire nuts were never intended for use in mobile applications where solder and heatshrink is/should be common practice. They were designed to be used in residential/commercial/industrial wiring in the AC world...Can they be used for 12 volt DC wiring, yeah, but I highly recommend against it, and would never even consider it myself
SVT

you have to be uncomfortable stating things like that on a mod site....i know i always am. taking shit made for one thing and successfully using it for another application, hopefully saving money in the process is a driving force for many.

and of course i totally agree with you. regular metal insert wire nuts quickly corrode and become one use wonders in high draw applications up here in saltville in my experience. and i use them in certain applications anyway when i do not have a posilock available.

but the posilock wire nut is designed for us to be used in the situations mentioned here. generally i keep a supply for emergency repairs, awesome products.

 

[ForOffRoadDriving]

i use GM weather pack connectors for all of my auxillary lights. it makes the lights interchangeable from truck to truck (ive got 2 trucks with the same lights) as long as you pin them correctly and ive never had one fail from corrosion, unlike those crimp on "weather proof" spade connectors. for my roll bar lights i gave myself extra wire on the frame side and the roll bar side and i just tuck the connection up into the frame rail so it stays protected. when the bed needs to come off (fuel pumps are way easier to service this way) all i have to do is disconnet the weather pack and take out the bed bolts.
you CAN use wire nuts, but youd better bring a fire extinguisher along cause they werent designed for the vibration experienced in automotice applications, hence why they use them in household wiring where solid strand wire is used, which is also not deisgned for vibration but i see people using it on their cars all the time, usually to do something stupid like jump a blown fuse by bending it into a U shape and sticking it in the fuse spot.

 

[06RangerXLT]

easy, trailer light plug. any hardware store should have em.

 

[rkneeshaw]

easy, trailer light plug. any hardware store should have em.

Nope, not big enough gauge wire.

I went with the weatherpack connectors, you can use up to 12awg wiring in those, and they were nicely priced

 

[Jason]

I used a plow power setup on my lights before. I wired the bar, and then the truck connecting the two with the power supply for a Meyer's plow. That connector is WAY bigger than what you are using so you would have to terminate all of the lights to one plug.