Fused stud in engine bay??

border man · Post by **border man** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 2:08 pm

Would this stud have enough output to power 2 amplifiers?? I want to run 4 gauge wire from here to the back wall into a distro block, then 2 8 gauge wires, one to each amp. Amp #1 draws 25 amps, and Amp#2 draws 40amps. Is it possible to get the required power from the stud?? Or do I need to run power from the battery terminal including a large inline fuse??

Post by **HenryJ** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 2:10 pm

I believe that a 60 amp fuse is the biggest you can install to power that accessory stud.
You will likely be better going to the battery.

border man · Post by **border man** » Mon Dec 25, 2006 6:12 pm

Thanks for the info. Assuming the draw of 65 amps, do you think 4 gauge is overkill, or will the 8 gauge suffice? Reason being, 4 gauge is special order at most places 'round town.

killian96ss · Post by **killian96ss** » Mon Dec 25, 2006 6:53 pm

border man wrote:Assuming the draw of 65 amps, do you think 4 gauge is overkill, or will the 8 gauge suffice?

I would go with 4 gauge wire since 8 gauge is too small to power 2 amps with a 65 amp draw.

Steve

Post by **HenryJ** » Mon Dec 25, 2006 7:43 pm

border man wrote:...Assuming the draw of 65 amps, do you think 4 gauge is overkill, or will the 8 gauge suffice?

It depends upon how long the run will be. WIRE GAUGE SELECTION TABLE , 8 ga looks to be good for around 12'? 4 ga is good for 100 amps up to 25'.

F9K9 · Post by **F9K9** » Mon Dec 25, 2006 7:45 pm

I think I had a dream like this once

border man · Post by **border man** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 1:50 pm

I wanted to sound smart with my questions........... I was actually considering using big speaker wire to power them....lol

Post by **Walt** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 2:02 pm

It's usually a good idea to run a bit larger size than you need if you ever plan to expand. Running a 4 gauge power wire from the battery to the back of the cab is much easier the first time than having to pull out the 8 gauge you ran months before, or running a second 8 gauge wire.

I don't remember offhand, but I used a good bit of a 17' length of power wire when I ran it to my amps a few years ago, and my amps are in the usual spot--above the jack. You'd probably end up fine running a single 8 gauge as Brule stated above, but I tend to either overdo things, or be too cautious. I'd run 4 gauge myself.

EDIT: One more thing: I know you probably already know this, but I've seen it too many times before not to mention it. Please, please, please, please use atleast the same size ground wire that you're using for power, and keep it as short as possible! This isn't a set-in-stone rule, but I've seen many amps ruined because of insufficient grounding, usually due to a smaller gauge ground wire, or either a bad ground location.

border man · Post by **border man** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 2:11 pm

Thanks for the info Walt, I do plan on using the same gauge for the ground (probably some leftover). Will it be doable to use one of the mounting bolts on the rear seat as a ground? Also, since you probably know a lot more of this stuff than I do, I have two amps, one is for the two "8s behind the seat, and the other is for the doors (4way). Both amps have an RCA output, and my radio has two outputs. QUESTION: do I run both radio outputs to the 4way, then link the sub amp? Or run the rear channel to the sub amp and the front to the 4way then the rear from the sub amp to the 4 way?? Confused yet..... I am!

Post by **Walt** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 2:22 pm

#1 Yes, a seat bolt will work perfectly. Might be a good idea to take a dremel with a wire brush attachment to the base of the bolt and surrounding metal to make sure that you get a good connection, as paint or other coatings can interfere.

#2 This depends on whether you want to be able to fade between your front and rear speakers. If you don't mind not being able to fade, run the 4 channel off the front outputs, and the sub amp off the rear. Also check to see if there is a switch or setting to change the rear set of outputs to sub outputs.

This will allow you to use the fader control to change the volume of our door speakers, or subs. For instance, if you subs aren't loud enough even with the amp gain turned up, you could turn the fader to the rear a bit, and just up the overall volume to get louder bass without having to turn the amp gain to the absolute max, which isn't a good idea. But this is subject to the limits of your subs, amp, and headunit, as any of the three can produce distortion at certain (high) volume levels.