heat shrink the wires?
 

do yall heat shrink wires on your HU when you solder them? what size tubing do you use?

I don't mess with it. I just use good electrical tape after soldering and then once all are individually wrapped, I wrap them all bundled together as well. I've installed hundreds of head units this way and never had an issue.

I think that sometimes the heat shrink does look a little better and might make for a cleaner install, but I'm not looking behind the dash after I mount the head unit anyway ;)

butt connectors...

I did. I used uninsulated butt connectors in the 18-22 size (the small ones) and 3/16" heat shrink I found at home depot. worked out perfectly.

I have always heat shrinked a wire connection behind a head unit. Not real sure if it helps, hurts, or doesn't matter. I use the insulated butt connectors and then a nice overlap of the h/s.

seems to take too long for me....usually i want to just get it installed and play with it ;) i just use butt splice connectors.

I carefully took the time to solder and heat shrink the wires for the adapter for the head unit. I've never had a problem, plus it is very neat.

http://www.elite-computer.net/Pix/F1...ck F150 13.jpg
Soldered.

http://www.elite-computer.net/Pix/F1...ck F150 11.jpg
Heat shrink.

I don't skimp. :D

In fact, when I redid my fog lights, I soldered and heat shrinked everything. Haven't had a problem since.

manual- what size tubing did you use?

Solder and heatshrink, nothing less. Butt connectors are if you are putting a radio in a buggy, not an everyday driver. Since you have the harness adapter to the factory harness and the harness from the head unit, there is no reason not to solder it on a work bench and then heat shrink. As for the size, not sure I have sticks in every size that delcity.net offers. Just use the correct size, but a combo pack fro an electronics stor and figure it out, this way you will have spare HS in other sizes too.

Solder and HS. PERIOD. 3/16" OD 2x shrink

Butts are very unreliable.

to each his own but have never had problem with my butt splices...its not like the wires get moved around in there. and you cant see them. IMO

Are you serious? The wires dont move behind the radio? You do know everytime your suspension travels, vibrations are sent through the cab and wiggle the wires back there. Ive seen it too many times working on Car Audio for a LIVING.

Alright dude. come on. thats stretching it pretty far. i was using the word "move" as a word for more of a movement...not little vibrations. of coures everything moves when the suspension moves and stuff. unless you are pulling out your head unit everyday, your wires dont get stretched out and pulled around. do you understand what i was saying? and who gives a crap that you have been "working on Car Audio for a LIVING"? sure you have great experience and great knowledge and i respect that. i am sure you have worked hard to do that. but you post on the forum like that gives you some sort of special "king" or something. the guy asked for opinions on whether or not solder the wires...so thats what i did. so dont just go around jumping down people throats because you're all high and mighty because you do this for a living.

and so ya know, i have never had a butt splice come off on me and i take my truck through the most "vibrations" from the suspension that you could possible think about. so once again IMO heat shrink is a little unnecissary. sure it makes a stronger connection and looks better but I just feel that its not worth it. and like i said before "to each his own"

now just so we are clear, Low e red, I do respect your knowledge that you have and your experience. you are much more knowlegeable then me and most of the people on here when it comes to sound systems. I am not trying to prove you wrong with anything, I am just stating my opinion. Last i checked i was allowed to do that.

x2, i still use butt connectors on occasion but solder is preferred, i have seen headunits and speakers become disconnected using butt connectors

I use crimp caps everyday....have yet to have any wires comeback disconnected. Solder is preferred though.