dual alt wiring question

[jj53913 10+ year member]

Well I am going to do a dual alt setup on my truck. Because of avalible money it will be 2 stockers for now (I got a new reman from my dads extra parts) and I was wondering when I wire them together what do I do on the the main fuse in the fuse box? Its a 140 amp fuse and I would think that I would then have to have a 280 amp fuse but they don't make that type of fuse that big. What do I do?

The vehicle is a 99 dodge ram Deisel.

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[Horsemanwill 10+ year member]

on a dual alt you don't wire them together. you keep one the way it is stock and the other one will feed the audio battery.

 

[DBBOOM 10+ year member]

As long as your audio is wired directly to the batteries, the fuse on the vehicle will never see any more current than the vehicle OEM accessories draw.

 

[jdawg 5,000+ posts]

on that system i would use i alt to go to the audio alone. I used to sell Chrysler parts and that fuse it expensive (like $30 i think, could be wrong). If you hook up both alts to the stock system the fuse wont blow automatically, the alts dont 'put out' current, you accesories draw from it, if they draw more than 140 or so it will pop. Leave the stock alone and just runs a wire to you audio batts for just your audio. I used to sell a ton of those for those trucks cause guys would put in stereos, bunch of fog lights, a million trailer lights, snow plow (that was a big killer), cb, etc etc. They can get pricey.

 

[jj53913 10+ year member]

Ok that all makes sence. The chances of one stock alt (136 amp) and one deka batt powering a RD 3250.1 are slim and thats where my problem comes in. My plan was to put 2 deka's under the hood and one by the amp and run all three tied together. So untill the money came to spend $600 on a 250 amp alt for the system alone I figured the 2 stockers would do ok.

Anyone got some ideas for me to contimplate over?

 

[RNSkipper]

Just use the second alt to power your amp, hook it up to your batteries, I would suggest 2 deka's in the back, one stock alt with the extra batteries will power that rd 3250.1, because nothing else is going to be drawing from that alt.

 

[jj53913 10+ year member]

I have to find the room for the second batt. But if two batts and that alt would get me by till the cash came in I will have ti figure it out somehow.

 

[Linkz 10+ year member]

I would just wire the second alt to the main battery. Then do a few runs of 1/0 to the back with the dekas in a rack (copper bar for the + and - terminals). Solder +/- wires to the respective bars to the amp. Finally a few runs of - to the front or ground to frame.

I think you would have plenty of power.

 

[jdawg 5,000+ posts]

I would just wire the second alt to the main battery. Then do a few runs of 1/0 to the back with the dekas in a rack (copper bar for the + and - terminals). Solder +/- wires to the respective bars to the amp. Finally a few runs of - to the front or ground to frame.
I think you would have plenty of power.

I still bet he pops the underhood factory fuse, I dont know what guys do to get around it. That amp is like 5000w isnt it? I dont know if you can eliminate it or not. Well some to think of it if you add all 1/0 on top of the factory wires it might not blow. Current will follow the easiest path. If you could somehow eliminate the fuse up there and use Dekas in the stock locations under the hood and another in the back thats what I would do.

 

[Linkz 10+ year member]

I still bet he pops the underhood factory fuse, I dont know what guys do to get around it. That amp is like 5000w isnt it? I dont know if you can eliminate it or not. Well some to think of it if you add all 1/0 on top of the factory wires it might not blow. Current will follow the easiest path. If you could somehow eliminate the fuse up there and use Dekas in the stock locations under the hood and another in the back thats what I would do.

The way I would wire it should keep the fuse from blowing in the cars fuse box. The amp will only draw from the main battery to back battery path. The cars main fuse would only blow if the oem equipment draws to much power (like the lights or cigarette lighter). Granted, the fuse on the wires to the back should be set to the highest amount they can carry. One for each wire. Power will flow evenly between each run.

 

[jj53913 10+ year member]

I would just wire the second alt to the main battery. Then do a few runs of 1/0 to the back with the dekas in a rack (copper bar for the + and - terminals). Solder +/- wires to the respective bars to the amp. Finally a few runs of - to the front or ground to frame.
I think you would have plenty of power.

Ok I think I understand, your saying leave the fuse and all there and just by-pass the fuse box with aditional runs of wire from the alt to the batt. and fuse those runs individually correct? If so I understand and thats my plan.