Why do you need the BIG 3 on stock electrical?

[wew lad 5,000+ posts]

he's saying that you'll get a gain due to simply having better surface contact and less corroded wiring - provided you crimp and sand all the metal properly.

this is the same thing as cleaning your exposed connections every year or two.

 

[-unknown-]

Its different for each car. Some will have 10 gauge, some will have 8 gauge and some cars actually have 4 gauge. Either way a bigger river = more capacity for better water flow. Even if its a little bit of water, its flowing down faster. 0 gauge is not needed in most cases under 1500 watts but even a 60 amp alt will greatly benefit from a 4 gauge big 3 upgrade.
Thing about car audio though, its a like a drug addiction, you'll always want more. Gotta future proof.

It makes sense but It doesn't make sense. If a wire can carry x amount of current, it can carry it period. Electricity moves fast, I don't see how a bigger wire can make current go faster. The only point I'm seeing so far is future proofing.

 

[wew lad 5,000+ posts]

It makes sense but It doesn't make sense. If a wire can carry x amount of current, it can carry it period. Electricity moves fast, I don't see how a bigger wire can make current go faster. The only point I'm seeing so far is future proofing.

take a few classes in physics.. you're not understanding the relationships between voltage, current, and resistance. the potential difference between two points is going to change depending on the wire you're using, and that absolutely has an effect. think of wire as a resistor, with extremely low resistance.

 

[big scott]

The stock wiring is able to carry the stock alternator amperage. Car manufacturers wouldn't put wires on there too small for the alternator. If they did, you would hear about a lot of car companies being sued, because of cars catching on fire. The reality is BIG 3 manufacturers want you to buy bigger wire so they get more $. It doesn't hurt anything to future proof if you plan on a high output alternator.

100% true.

but its only good for stock....

if you have just stock then your good.

but you start adding amps, subs and you will need more power. and the stock wires are not going to handle it and you will have a fire in no time.

and stock wires are bad for resistance.. putting a system in you want/need wire that will carry the power and do it with the least resistance.

resistance = heat.

 

[-unknown-]

Yeah, but, has anyone done the BIG 3 with stock size wires, or does everybody assume bigger is better?

 

[big scott]

It makes sense but It doesn't make sense. If a wire can carry x amount of current, it can carry it period. Electricity moves fast, I don't see how a bigger wire can make current go faster. The only point I'm seeing so far is future proofing.

its called resistance.

stock wire = high resistance

bigger ( better wire ofc ) = less resistance.

 

[-unknown-]

100% true.but its only good for stock....

if you have just stock then your good.

but you start adding amps, subs and you will need more power. and the stock wires are not going to handle it and you will have a fire in no time.

and stock wires are bad for resistance.. putting a system in you want/need wire that will carry the power and do it with the least resistance.

resistance = heat.

That brings me back to my point about stock wires can handle stock alternator amperage.

 

[-unknown-]

100% true.but its only good for stock....

if you have just stock then your good.

but you start adding amps, subs and you will need more power. and the stock wires are not going to handle it and you will have a fire in no time.

and stock wires are bad for resistance.. putting a system in you want/need wire that will carry the power and do it with the least resistance.

resistance = heat.

That brings me back to my point about stock wires can handle stock alternator amperage.

 

[big scott]

Yeah, but, has anyone done the BIG 3 with stock size wires, or does everybody assume bigger is better?

bigger can carry more power and do it with less heat.

if your running a very small system sure you could use stock size wire.

but its better to go 4ga or 1/0 .

i use all 1/0 for my big 4.

 

[els1989]

It makes sense but It doesn't make sense. If a wire can carry x amount of current, it can carry it period. Electricity moves fast, I don't see how a bigger wire can make current go faster. The only point I'm seeing so far is future proofing.

Less resistance the bigger the wire

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[big scott]

That brings me back to my point about stock wires can handle stock alternator amperage.

only if you are using stock system then your fine.

you start adding stuff and it starts calling for more power..

thats why most will need a high output alt... when you start getting into big systems.

but you can add a sub and amp to a stock alt.

but its linnet to how big the alt is, and how much power it takes to run them.

a stock car can only handle a small extra load.......

if you start adding more load you will over heat your stock wire and alt.

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

It makes sense but It doesn't make sense. If a wire can carry x amount of current, it can carry it period. Electricity moves fast, I don't see how a bigger wire can make current go faster. The only point I'm seeing so far is future proofing.

Bigger wire less resistance its basic physics. When you have a current demanded by multiple places energy will go through the path of least resistances and they will always travel through the big wire over the stock wire and your charging voltages increase. What should also make sense is that many people who do the big 3 on stock alts noticed a dramatic increase in resting and charging voltage, this should be basic common knowledge by now from all the results from the 1970s till now.

 

[-unknown-]

Bigger wires can carry more power, no doubt. The problem is, you're not upgrading your electrical you're upgrading the wires that carry the electricity.

 

[-unknown-]

Bigger wire less resistance its basic physics. When you have a current demand by multiple places. What should also make sense is that many people who do the big 3 on stock alts noticed a dramatic increase in resting and charging voltage, this should be basic common knowledge by now from all the results from the 1970s till now.

The wires aren't running 20+ feet. They're configured factory to handle the stock alternator. What if I do the big 3 with 8 awg and come back with the same results as everybody else, what then?

 

[big scott]

Bigger wires can carry more power, no doubt. The problem is, you're not upgrading your electrical you're upgrading the wires that carry the electricity.

a lot of times you can just upgrade to bigger big 3 .. and your good.

it all depends on alt, demand.. ect...