8 gauge to 4 gauge

im going from 8 gauge to 4 gauge will that give my amp more power to my boss 1200.2 watt amp?

 

What are the specs on the system you are running?

If it is a small amplifier 200W it will not make any difference, if you are running a large amplifier 1000W it might make a difference depending on how hard you are pushing it.

You have to be very careful running cable too small if you are trying to pull too much current through it and the cable is not rated for the draw it will start to heat up. I have seen cable heat up to the point of melting the jacket.

 

It will allow your amp to draw more power before the wire burns up, but the main thing controlling how much power your amp gets, is your amp

 

Both of above.

4 g will offer less resistance/loss and higher capacity. Be sure to fuse correctly on any install and be sure to use same g ground wire. Fuse should be weak link for current capacity of the system.

With specs of amp, advertised at 400 watt stereo rms, I doubt you are going to find any difference in output doing the upgrade. How the amp actually specs clean I don't know. Some brand amps will spec over rms rating and some will actually put out less than advertised.

BUT, having said that, if you do the 4g upgrade, wire it safely and correctly, it won't hurt and you have that in place if you later decide to change your amp to a more powerful one which matches the system and capacities. Just remember to not get sucked in by MAX figures. Always look at RMS numbers.

Here is kind of a cool chart for wire size to capacity that might help.
http://www.offroaders.com/tech/12-volt-wire-gauge-amps.htm


I'm assuming you are running sub/s with the amp so keep in mind that box design/installation also plays a huge factor in output. Also correctly setting your gain structure.


Sounds like you are already doing the 4g upgrade so I'd suggest that you might also want to look at your charging system. There is loads of info on how to do the "big 3" on the net. I'd suggest doing this with any install. Just helps make sure your charging system is running at its optimum.

ABOVE ALL THINK SAFETY! Keep wires grommeted, protected, fused, zip tied away from moving parts or heat etc. etc.

Cheers

 

yeah i have 1 alpine type r 12 im going to upgrade my amp to a 500rmp rated amp and get a sealed box ported sucks to me and i got my 4gauge wire for free so thats why i upgraded.

 

To me 4 gauge wire is more of a pain than its worth. Back in the day when I had subs i was running two 12's and just had to have 4 gauge but its a pain to run anywhere and doesnt really bend very well. For my current system I have 8 gauge and its a lot easier to work with and plus I don't need that much power, but hey if you got it for free go for it.

 

if you know what you are doing (especially when it comes to working on a TOYOTA) running a 4 gauge wire is going to be about the same amount of work as running an 8 gauge wire. basic rule of thumb is if your running 500 watts or more, just use a 4 gauge. of course if you want to get technical about it:

 

^nice chart. Like it better than the one I linked to as easier for people to perhaps understand. Of course, you know I snagged it

Running any power cable takes planning to ensure it is the correct size, run safely away from potential damage spots and fused correctly. Keep in mind also, car audio power cable has evolved. There are still variances by brand, but now you do have "flex" type power cable available that makes it MUCH easier to run the bigger diameter cables where you need to bend them in tight spaces. You do tend to pay a bit more for them though.