Stryker908

Hey guys I was planing on building a grounding kit for my car, I went to Lowes today and got some 4 gauge copper wire ... but when I got back here I noticed most people are using what looks like speaker wire. It looks braided .. Mine is about 13 strands of thick copper will this still work ?

here is a pic sorry its burry my camera is only 2.0 MP

NonovUrbizniz

I'd get stereo ground wire... like good stuff though.. monster cable or the like.

That stuff looks like home grade which is for MUCH higher voltage so it needs to be thick stranded to prevent fires... low voltage runs better through thin stranded good quality copper wire.

bryan305

The whole purpose of the grounding kit is to reduce the resistance that the current has to flow through to get back to the battery. Hook up an ahmmeter to that wire, you'll get 0 ohms. It'll work just fine for your car. It probably won't be as flexible, though and might fail from fatigue.

Stryker908

YAY ... 0hms

EBP_SI

putting a connector on the end may not be a fun job though.

You'll see solid wires used a lot in new home construction becuase it is cheaper to buy and you can bend it around corners and it will retain its shape.
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That stuff looks like home grade which is for MUCH higher voltage so it needs to be thick stranded to prevent fires... low voltage runs better through thin stranded good quality copper wire. </TD></TR></TABLE>

higher voltage, yes, but home wire really only has to carry 120v though the wire must be rated to carry 600v. This is also talking about 12awg. The size of the wire only determines the maximum current it can carry.

I fail to see how thick strands would help prevent fires. I think that has more to do with the insulation which on that wire seems to be very thin. I'd look into getting some stereo grounding wire because the insulation is much thicker on those and it designed to be used in the engine bay.

Stryker908

yeah its 600V....

Chris y0!

whats wrong with the stock grounds?

Foozball26

they aren't as thick and some are only like 16 guage wire that runs through the wiring harness

plus its bling bling to use colored wires

I made my own with gold terminals from radio shack and 8 guage wire from a stereo shop and noticed the car starts up way faster.

NonovUrbizniz

because the thinner the strands the hotter it runs... if you run HIGH voltage through thin stranded wire it BURNS... the home grade wire is rated to 600v so that incase of an over load it doesn't BURN... which wire does when it runs higher voltage than it should.

If you run too high AMPERAGE through thin guage wire it burns because it can't contain the energy. Now imagine running 120v instead of 12v through some stereo wire...

Lots of thin strands are better for flow of low energy electricity thick strands are better for high volume of high energy...

I never said it won't work but it in CERTAINLY not the best wire to use. wire is wire... you could TECHNICALLY use that as you're spark plug wire... Are you going to?

euclid

i was thinking about 8 gauge speaker cable, my stock grounds are rusted and splitting apart.

NonovUrbizniz

yeah like I said I used 8guage black ground wire from a stereo shop... it smoothed out my idle a little but nothing dramatic... no lights not dimming but I also didn't mock a kit I just re-did my head ground... then I found that my tranny and battery ground are much thicker guage so I left them for now till I get some 4guage audio ground wire.