Some questions on automotive wiring

Hello everyone,

I finally got around to purchasing the JW Speaker TS4000s for auxiliary lighting for my Jeep. I am installing them with the help of a SPOD unit (control unit) that allows me to switch multiple devices from one central switchpod in the cabin and a control unit under the hood.

I know very little about wiring but have soldered a bunch from my RC Hobby enthusiast days. I bought a length of 16 AWG wire to use to wire the lights.

Here are my questions:

• When I have to splice the wires, what is the preferred method of doing so? Should I simply use a lineman's splice and some heat shrink? Should I use connectors (and if so, which ones?)
• What other considerations should I consider? I'd prefer to wire it once and not have to mess with it again.

I know this is somewhat off topic but I appreciate the expertise in this forum.

Mullet
Bend, Oregon (where we received 50" of snow since December 6)

A lineman's splice, done correctly and protected with a good grade of heatshrink tube, is a fine way to do it. So is a Posi-Tap (these things are really terrific; decent review of them here). Crimp terminals correctly installed are also a very solid option (links are for two good articles; another two good ones are here and here.

What not to do: use name-brand or generic "Scotchlok" wire taps, the fold-over kind. Those are electrical problems just begging to happen.

Those Positaps are excellent - i used them to tap into the high beams when i fitted my spotlights.
simple to use and secure, they feel solidly made compared to the scotchloks