battery in the trunk...what guage wire

[Brightyellow69rtse]

i wanna put the battery in the trunk. what guage wire should i get to run back to the trunk? i can buy it at work for cost. i only have to run the positive back to the trunk correct?

anyone know how much i should buy?

[Nacho-RT74]

everybody will tell 0 gauge... personally I used 4 gauge ( original is 6 ) on a Dart I'm working it and it works nice. Maybe 2 gauge was to be better ? dunno, but 4 works just as nice. IMHO 0 gauge is not really necesary.

The only moment you need the full power and a reason for the big gauge wire from batt is on cranking, rest of the time would work nice even with 8 gauge, so if the starting/ignition system works just fine, you'll never be in troubles with 4 gauge ( even less with 2 )

[elacruze]

I used #2 Excelene welding cable, and I'm very pleased. Amperage charts will indicate #0 or #00, but the load on the positive cable is of short duration so it's not a problem. I bought 24' and it was perfect length.

[Nacho-RT74]

Amperage charts will indicate #0 or #00, but the load on the positive cable is of short duration so it's not a problem.

exactly

[Ghoste]

Just as a sidenote curiousity what did they use in the factory Super Stock cars with the trunk mount battery for guage?

[Nacho-RT74]

maybe oversized wires on undersized alts LOL...

[Rolling_Thunder]

yes -  #2 welding wire works great.

[dodgechar]

    ran booth positive  and negative from trunk  and grounded on engine block, if i remember it wouldnt work  with a trunk body ground, but that might have been my luck, maybe  not nessasary, used welding cable.  legnth of car -  5 '  or so  x2.

[levix]

This chart (taken from IASCA) is accurate, obviously it assumes copper AWG wire will be used.

                          Length of run (in feet)
Current     0-4  4-7 7-10  10-13  13-16  16-19  19-22  22-28

   0-20A     14   12   12     10     10      8      8      8
  20-35A     12   10    8      8      6      6      6      4
  35-50A     10    8    8      6      6      4      4      4
  50-65A      8    8    6      4      4      4      4      2
  65-85A      6    6    4      4      2      2      2      0
85-105A      6    6    4      2      2      2      2      0
105-125A      4    4    4      2      2      0      0      0
125-150A      2    2    2      2      0      0      0     00


So for a typical battery located in the trunk, 4 or 2 gauge will be sufficient.

[Nacho-RT74]

actually depends on Starter motor and ign efficiency. You are basing the gauge opinion on the alt output ratio, but a starter motor can suck up to 130 amps, so if ignition system is not efficient, 4 or even 2 gauge could be not enough if you have to keep cranking constantly.

as stated on an efficient ignition system when engine starts up with just couple of seconds cranking, 4 or 2 gauge will be enough, but just under that condition

[levix]

True Nacho. I was making the assumption that one would pick the gauge wire based upon the maximum possible output amperage not the average.