Wow. The laws of physics are real after all!

After installing a 170-amp alternator, I checked the voltage of the battery while the engine was running: 12.3V. A 4-awg cable was used to connect the alt + to the batt +. Also at that time, the stock cabling was used to ground the engine and batt to the car's chassis (looked like 8-awg.)

There were obvious problems with this get-up. One, a 4-awg cable can only push 150 amps -- this would cap off my alt's max output. Two, the smaller gauge cables used to ground the engine and batt were causing a bottleneck. I also realized that the system that is going to be installed soon will be using a 2-awg cable from the batt + to the distribution block in the trunk, implying that nothing less than 2-awg should be used between the alt, engine, and batt. Yes, I've done my homework!

So, I purchased JL's 2-awg power cable and connectors, made some cables, stripped the paint off the factory-chosen ground locations (which were only inches from the part they were grounding), and installed the cables accordingly. Of course, the 4-awg cable used to connect the alt to the batt was also replaced (shame on Load Boss for sending me that cable!).

The results? 14.4V at engine idle with accessories (AC, lights, radio) off. More than a 2V increase. Wow.

 

You could have got the 2V just by cleaning up the connections, however, and more important is current capacity has gone from around 80A, [or less] to 225A, now that will make a huge diff. 94