Looking for some help with the audio “big three upgrade”

I have 2 10” and they both pull 150 rms. I’m looking into doing a big three upgrade and possibly a bigger alternator. I want to upgrade my energy capacity because I also want to run an amp to some after market door speakers that are a mid/tweeter combo and they each pull 100 rms. I want to understand how the alternator is connected to the system before I change the wiring and or alternator. Could some help me understand how I could run these door speakers in my 2.4l? I bought them when I was like 16-17 (currently 20) when I didn’t know any better and now I’m just trying to get the most out of them.

 

You'll definitely want to upgrade your alternator.

Being that you're a 2.4L 5 lug, I'll let others chime in on a suggestion.

As for running door speakers, we don't know what you're wanting to run so no one can help you...you're asking a vague question.

What I've done in the past is use a speaker panel/template (normally comes with separates), and fiberglass a small enclosure for said speakers.

I've also done it with tweeters on a sail panel.

Easy DIY stuff, just make sure you're in a well-ventilated area when doing so.

 

I have a 4 kicker 46CSC654 speakers That have replaced the stock speakers and I’m wanting to run them off of a dedicated amp instead of the radio. I’m pretty sure they pull 100 rms wattage a piece. My question is basically if I was going to upgrade the wiring because I get a new alternator what would I have to worry about reconnecting/ what would the plug from the alternator go too?

 

There's an audio specific forum, you might have better luck there...

That said, unless you're running ridiculous amps and speakers for like a comp setup, the big 3 probably isn't necessary. Big 3 is more for winches and other high draw items that draw a more consistent power, and the alternator can't keep the battery charged

I can't imagine speakers pulling more power than a winch, at least over an extended time.

You should already be running the amps straight off the battery. The alternator isn't connected to the "system". All it does is recharge the battery.

Maybe look into some capacitors?

 

The important parts here being the big 3 which include wires to and from alternator, and grounds.

You will be running your own speaker wiring from the amplifier to your dedicated components; this has nothing to do with your big 3 upgrade.

Your speakers will only pull as much power that you demand from them IE if you're at low volume, they will pull minimal current and not utilize the full "100 watts"

I use the multimeter method to measure voltage when adjusting sensitivity on said amp.

 

The big 3 removes a large inhibitor here though, so yes even a stereo system can benefit from the wiring upgrade.

 

I dunno, I guess that's the old codger in me that thinks anything that big stuffed into the cab of a 5 lug would just make cerebral fluid leak out your ears.

The big tree only allows the alternator to charge the battery quicker (less of a bottleneck). As you said, you're not likely to see massive spikes anywhere near the peak or even the max rms draw for extended periods of time.

I'd think that unless you're seeing consistent voltage drops when playing your nickleback, the big 3 is not going to do that much. Although the big 3 is relatively cheap and easy to do. I'd say a better battery wouldn't hurt either.

@Neo0152, is there something particular that you're noticing that is leading you to believe you need a bigger alternator etc...?

For things like the lights dimming when the bass hits, you need a capacitor. Alternators and big 3 wiring don't do anything there.

Those speakers don't pull 100 watts a piece. That's what they're rated for. So don't go throwing more than 100watts at them or they'll blow. As @Kwikvette said, at lower volumes, they don't see anywhere near that.

 

Yes, this is really what I'm getting at. The big 3 allows for faster charging of the battery, and if you aren't draining the battery, it's not "really" necessary. Does it hurt? No.

It's really the amp that's pulling the power. The rating on the speakers just ensures that you don't blow them up, like if you have a 100 watt speaker powered by a 200 watt amp. Doesn't mean it WILL blow up, but it can if you push the amp higher.

 

You're going to want a 4 channel amp that can put out about 100wrms per channel. If you're going to add a sub, you'll want an extra channel dedicated for that. You can get 4+1 channel amps designed for this that work well (its what i've got in the frontier). They key is to not undersize the amp . I know that sounds weird. The issue is that when you overload an amp (by driving it too hard into too large of a load), instead of putting out a nice sinusoidalish musical signal, it clips off the peaks of the signal, essentially giving a square wave to the speakers. This is bad news for speakers in that it can overheat the voice coils, destroy the insulation between the turns of the coils and short them (which can then destroy an amp if it goes unnoticed). No good.

As far as the big three, even if you get 400 rms for your speakers and another 200 rms for a sub, and toss in another 100w for inefficiencies, thats only 700 watts or 58 amps - with everything cranked up and your ear drums bleeding. I wouldn't worry about the big 3 unless you start seeing dimming headlights or low voltage sags at the amplifier.

 

The amp pulls current from the vehicle's power, which is generated via the alternator.

A larger alternator will mean there's less strain on said alternator, and larger gauge wiring means more current is allowed to flow to said components as needed per draw.

Yes I know amps are pulling the power, not really the speakers. But when you drive up the volume, the speakers are being asked to play at a certain decibel, thus the amplifier provides said power to allow the speakers to reach said volume.

Speakers don't blow up due to being overpowered, it's actually the opposite.

Speakers blow up due to being overdriven and underpowered.

 

Yeah, that's true, I wasn't quite using the terminology correctly (re: overdriven v. underpowered)

Here's a quick read on what I'm trying to get at. Not that these upgrades don't work, but that they just likely aren't necessary (like diff drops )

Here's a quick read.

https://www.crutchfield.com/S-TTY8sd4UPKJ/learn/big-3-alternator.html

tl;dr

 

Modern vehicles are much more efficient with higher output alternators.

Good example are halogen bulbs; look how dim and inefficient they are, paired with low current alternators, and shoelace thin wiring.