Will I Be OK with 8 Gauge?

[CTGT2005 10+ year member]

I wired my girlfriends's car some time ago with Knukonceptz 8 Gauge wire, fused 8" from the battery to a small 2 channel amp to power her subwoofer in the trunk. Right now with the 20A or so peak draw from the amp, the 8 gauge is perfectly adequate. I'm looking to add on an addition 4 channel amp that theoretically can draw another 60A, which the combination of the two on a single run of 8Ga wire puts me over the reccomended threshold.

Question: If I keep a 50A-60A fuse on the 8Gauge wire and she is responsible with the volume, will it be ok? Assuming the fuse does not blow. Or should I run a second length of 8 Gauge.

Thanks

Click to read more...

 

[CHEMMINS 10+ year member]

I will be using 8 gauge for my subs......you will want to run a run of 4 gauge.

 

[fasfocus00 5,000+ posts]

i'd run a second 8 gauge run or just run a single 4 gauge run of good wire.

 

[mylows10 5,000+ posts]

if the wire is good wire you'd prolly be ok,but if she starts popping fuses then change or add another run

 

[slvrado28z 10+ year member]

just get 2 or 0 gauge main then run two 4 gauge wires

 

[Mitch86 5,000+ posts]

Pick up a run of 4 gauge in the classifieds for cheap and a 4gauge to 2 8 gauge distribution block. Shouldnt cost much at all.

 

[CTGT2005 10+ year member]

The thing is, I probably have some extra 8 gauge laying around, which is my reason for asking. Is there any advantage to running 4 gauge to a distribution block then splitting it versus two seperate runs of 8?

 

[Bettr n' Revrse 5,000+ posts]

just get 2 or 0 gauge main then run two 4 gauge wires

That's a little over kill...

 

[Pearson 10+ year member]

Pick up a run of 4 gauge in the classifieds for cheap and a 4gauge to 2 8 gauge distribution block. Shouldnt cost much at all.

This.

 

[Mitch86 5,000+ posts]

The thing is, I probably have some extra 8 gauge laying around, which is my reason for asking. Is there any advantage to running 4 gauge to a distribution block then splitting it versus two seperate runs of 8?

If you already have some 8 gauge laying around you can use it. But you'd need to fuse it close to the battery also.

 

[bds0688 10+ year member]

The thing is, I probably have some extra 8 gauge laying around, which is my reason for asking. Is there any advantage to running 4 gauge to a distribution block then splitting it versus two seperate runs of 8?

Aesthetics, maybe? Fuse it and secure it properly and it's the same end result for less cash.

 

[04murdalanche]

http://www.caraudio.com/forums/electrical-wiring-classifieds/535090-11-foot-10-inches-jl-4-gauge-wiring.html

25 shipped to you.. some good JL Audio 4 gauge, dosent get much better than that.

 

[akheathen Premium Member]

the 2nd run 0f 8awg would be fine, actually. asthetics would be the reason i would change that. here's the benefits:

1: 2 runs of 60a=120a

2: cable sizes by about a factor of 4 numbers doubling iirc, or about 25% per single digit, either way, in this case, it would have close to the same circular mills as a single run of 2awg.

3: install. 2 runs of skinny 8awg is easier to pass through grommets and under carpet/trim effectively.

cons: someone may "read a book by the cover" and view it as cheap. and may need an extra connector/fuse holder.

good deal on that 4awg though, and it will do what you want.

 

[04murdalanche]

good deal on that 4awg though, and it will do what you want.

Yeah man what he said:naughty: