Extending front light wiring - what AWG?

[emma]

Hi,
I have an Electra Vale Go! 9D EQ S, which has the Bosch 500 Wh Powertube battery, and was fitted with a Spanninga Axendo 80 front light when I bought it. I've fitted a Trek front rack, which mounts where the light was fixed. There's a mounting point on the front of the rack, and holes to route the wiring through the rack tubing.

Which all sounds great. Except the wires to the light are soldered into the light body, so I can't detach the wiring from the light to run it through the rack, and there doesn't seem to be enough slack anyway. I've contacted both Trek and Spanninga, and both have been no help at all.

I'm going to try and see if I can access where the wiring goes into the downtube, so see if there is slack and it's just caught on something. However, it seems like I might have to extend the wiring.

I'm a Brit living in the US, so my question is - what AWG wiring would be suitable? I think the battery is 36V, the current wires are very thin so I assume a higher gauge like 20 or 24? But any advice would be much appreciated.

thanks,
Emma

 

[fooferdoggie]

Hi,
I have an Electra Vale Go! 9D EQ S, which has the Bosch 500 Wh Powertube battery, and was fitted with a Spanninga Axendo 80 front light when I bought it. I've fitted a Trek front rack, which mounts where the light was fixed. There's a mounting point on the front of the rack, and holes to route the wiring through the rack tubing.

Which all sounds great. Except the wires to the light are soldered into the light body, so I can't detach the wiring from the light to run it through the rack, and there doesn't seem to be enough slack anyway. I've contacted both Trek and Spanninga, and both have been no help at all.

I'm going to try and see if I can access where the wiring goes into the downtube, so see if there is slack and it's just caught on something. However, it seems like I might have to extend the wiring.

I'm a Brit living in the US, so my question is - what AWG wiring would be suitable? I think the battery is 36V, the current wires are very thin so I assume a higher gauge like 20 or 24? But any advice would be much appreciated.

thanks,
Emma

either will work. but 20 is easier to work with. using these will make it really easy. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073RMRCC3/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[emma]

Thanks, that's great. I was looking at using these: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BCX8WVN2/ref=ewc_pr_img_1?smid=A1NYLSOGAMTIF4&th=1 as no tools required (all my electrical tools are in the UK and I live in a rental apartment).

Thanks for the super-fast reply

 

[m@Robertson]

Thanks, that's great. I was looking at using these: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BCX8WVN2/ref=ewc_pr_img_1?smid=A1NYLSOGAMTIF4&th=1 as no tools required (all my electrical tools are in the UK and I live in a rental apartment).

I would not do twist-lock or wirenut type of connectors. There's got to be a better way. I am a proponent of not using cheap, crappy tools for any job but in this case maybe an exception can be made. Narrow-jaw pliers (not needlenose) will do the job of a crimper. If you own a hair dryer, there's your heat gun. You can use a really sharp paring knife from the kitchen and lay off the caffeine for a day to carefully strip the wire. I definitely agree that a thicker gauge of wire than is required is a whole lot easier to work with.

I had no luck with those solder seals @fooferdoggie mentioned. Others who have come to a similar conclusion have said there is too little room between a success and a failure and I think that was my issue as well. I vastly prefer marine butt-end connectors that are adhesive to both sides of the wire; strengthening the connection. They come in step-down types that let you connect two different wire gauges without issue.

How To: Safe, Reliable Electrical Crimp Connections (part 1 of 2)

Solder or crimp? Debate on that can be fierce. After more than 8 years of daily commute riding, I have never had a crimped connection fail. How is that reliability accomplished?

talesontwowheels.com

This vid shows a few ways to wrap wires without tools beyond a wire stripper and a heat sleeve.