What Are the Best Tips for Cable Harness Assembly?

Some tips for cable harness assembly include properly positioning the wire, using quality wire straps and properly placing of the straps. Other tips for quality cable harness assembly include using only color-coded wire that is safety rated, quality terminals and a quality terminal crimping tool to place the terminals onto the different wires. One tip that is invaluable when making any cable harness assembly is to make an accurate drawing denoting the positioning of the harness, the placement of the terminals and the routing and color of the many wires.

A home mechanic or repair man will often be forced to create a wiring harness to replace an old and unsafe unit or to connect additional components to an existing harness. There are several tips that can assist in the creation of a cable harness assembly and maintain safety standards along the way. One of the best tips when creating a cable harness assembly is to position the wires in a neat and orderly fashion to avoid twisting the wires. A neatly laid-out wiring harness not only appears more professional, it is also less prone to electric shock and shorting due to twisted wires contacting each other. It may be necessary to build a type of assembly board with wood and nails to wind the wire around as it is assembled.

Instead of electrical tape, one tip to a neat and orderly cable harness assembly is to use plastic ties to secure the wiring. The small, plastic ties are very easy to manipulate and make a secure connection when tightened. This will eliminate wire shift after assembly and will also allow an unobstructed view of the wires once secured. Electrical tape can come loose after a short time and often leaves a wiring harness sticky and detached. An installation tool is also available to make certain all ties are the proper tightness and that the tool also cuts away the tag end of the tie, leaving a clean installation.

Using color-coded wire whenever possible to make tracing a wire easier and using a quality terminal crimping tool will result in a quality cable harness assembly. It is also important to use quality terminals, the connective pieces that allow the wire to be attached to another component, when making a cable harness assembly. Some terminal crimping tools damage the wire as the terminal is crimped on too tight. A quality terminal connector or crimping tool will not smash the terminal flat onto the wire; rather it will form a round crimp and squeeze it tightly around the wire.