where can i get some 8 gauge power cables for cheap?

[Maximus96]

i want some 8 gauge cables to make a grounding kit for my car. where can i find it for cheap. i don't want to pay $80 for a "kit"

 

[Insane3D]

http://www.partsexpress.com/webpage.cfm...O=2&&DID=7&CATID=56&ObjectGroup_ID=478

http://www.cardomain.com/shop/list.pl?b...udio&type_plural=Power+Wires&x=27&y=18

For 8ga, I would suggest either the 25ft roll of the "P3" wire on the 2nd page of the parts express link, or the lighting audio stuff on the Car Domain link. the LA wire is probably the best of the bunch...high strand count, nice jacket..looks good.

 

[Maximus96]

is 8 gauge sufficient for a groung wires? or should i go 4 gauge? will be for scion tc.

 

[Insane3D]

Originally posted by: zaku
is 8 gauge sufficient for a groung wires? or should i go 4 gauge? will be for scion tc.

It depends on what you are trying to ground really. What exactly are you using it for? Car stereo install?

 

[So]

copper bus tubing is the only viable route.

 

[Maximus96]

Originally posted by: Insane3D

Originally posted by: zaku
is 8 gauge sufficient for a groung wires? or should i go 4 gauge? will be for scion tc.

It depends on what you are trying to ground really. What exactly are you using it for? Car stereo install?

i want to make a "hyper grounding" kit or whatever they're called. like 4-6 wires grounding different parts in the engine bay. suppose to improve throttle response among other things

 

[Insane3D]

Originally posted by: So
copper bus tubing is the only viable route.

???

 

[Insane3D]

Originally posted by: zaku

Originally posted by: Insane3D

Originally posted by: zaku
is 8 gauge sufficient for a groung wires? or should i go 4 gauge? will be for scion tc.

It depends on what you are trying to ground really. What exactly are you using it for? Car stereo install?

i want to make a "hyper ground" kit myself. like 4-6 wires grounding different parts in the engine bay.

8ga should be fine for that. You could go 4 ga, but that would be overkill. If you want it to look good, go with the Lightning Audio or P3 wire...both look good, but have different "looks"...

The P3 wire is cheaper for a 25ft roll, and it has a braided silver jacket covering the wire. The LA is finer stranded, and has the wire inside the jacket bundled, and weaved, which is the best for noise cancellation...

 

[So]

Originally posted by: Insane3D

Originally posted by: So
copper bus tubing is the only viable route.

???

Substations use them. Clearly it is the only safe option for his scion.

With copper bus, he can overvolt his car and gain well over 100HP! :Q

 

[Maximus96]

overkill shmoverkill, 4 gauge it is then. do i need noise cancellation for grounding? i thoughts that for wiring amps and stuff

 

[Maximus96]

also, what the hell do you use to crimp a terminal onto a 4 gauge wire? my wire crimper is only good for smaller gauges.

 

[Insane3D]

Most noise in a 12v car system comes from the grounds. If yu have one bad ground in the car, it can create noise in the system. You don't need it, but if you get either of those wires, you will be geting it. Two things help with noise cancellation...the finer stranded that better, as with the LA wire, but taking those fine strands, bundling them and weaving them together pretty much kills all the noise.


Have fun...

 

[Insane3D]

Originally posted by: zaku
also, what the hell do you use to crimp a terminal onto a 4 gauge wire? my wire crimper is only good for smaller gauges.

There is a couple of ways around that...

You can either get higher end terminals that don't need to be crimped, and have a allen screw to hold the wire in. You could use crimp on terminals and solder them on, but even a 100W soldering gun will have trouble keeping the wire hot enough with such a fine stranded, larger gauge wire. The best way around that is to use one of those mini propane torches. Finally, you can put the crimp on terminal on, lay it down on a hard surface like a cement floor or pavement, and give it a couple of quick smacks with a hammer.

Regardless of the method, use some heatshrink to keep things tidy...

 

[Maximus96]

thanks insane for all your help.

 

[Insane3D]

No problem...have fun. You should be able to find all you need at either of those sites...

 

[AmdEmAll]

Go HERE

This guy can custom make them to fit your car.

I have it on my Impreza, made quite a big difference.

 

[ThisIsMatt]

www.weldingsupply.com for cheap, high stranded, very flexible cable. Not sure if they have 8ga, but they have from 4ga down to 4/0. For large terminals it's really easy to use a vise to crimp them down, or channel lock pliers for not-so-easy crimping. Either way you just crimp the one side down/in, then crimp the other side down over the first. Or, you can get the set screw type, but they're generally a bit more bulky and won't fit into as many places as easily as crimp rings, and more expensive.

 

[Insane3D]

Originally posted by: AmdEmAll
Go HERE

This guy can custom make them to fit your car.

I have it on my Impreza, made quite a big difference.

That guys price on wire is about the same as the other two places, and he doesn;t even give any specs on it...

Besides, half the fun is doing it yourself...

 

[AmdEmAll]

Originally posted by: Insane3D

Originally posted by: AmdEmAll
Go HERE

This guy can custom make them to fit your car.

I have it on my Impreza, made quite a big difference.

That guys price on wire is about the same as the other two places, and he doesn;t even give any specs on it...

Besides, half the fun is doing it yourself...

He's a vendor on rs25.com and nasioc.com

He had a kit custom made for my car (exact lengths)

$30 shipped is pretty cheap

If 'specs' are needed he can be pm'ed or emailed... not really a big deal.

EDIT: On the site is says the standard kit is "high grade 8ga wire that contains over 735 strands of oxygen free wire" what other specs would be needed?

 

[alkemyst]

There are 'anvils' / dies designed for > 8g crimp on connectors.

Alot of wire is 6 gauge for ground in cars, a guy named Murph is selling 6g at $0.75 a ft on forum.sounddomain.com

 

[fbrdphreak]

Very interesting stuff, I didn't realize grounding would affect throttle response

 

[mrchan]

"grounding kits" are a waste of time unless your car is old and the wires are corroded. save yourself the money.

 

[Maximus96]

i wouldn't rule them out so fast until i tried it out for myself. the tc doesn't have a throttle cable and is all electronic. other tc owners in scionlife reported better response after adding additional grounding wires.

 

[brian_riendeau]

Go here for cheap cabling and accessories like terminating rings:

http://www.knukonceptz.com/

They have been around for years, very good quality cable. high strand count, good shipping.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: zaku
i wouldn't rule them out so fast until i tried it out for myself. the tc doesn't have a throttle cable and is all electronic. other tc owners in scionlife reported better response after adding additional grounding wires.

If it's not a double blind test, I am not trusting anyone that spent $100 on wiring for a entry level vehicle. What are they going to say, yeah I am a retard?

The 'Big 3' upgrade does help when you are adding major stereo gear.