Alternator

I have two 12 inch subs that are 1300 rms together in my first gen tacoma. I also have a speaker rack that is pulling about 350 watts and doors that are also pulling about the same. I have a stock alternator and just a big 3. Would a new high output alternator make my subs and speakers louder? I know i’m not getting the full power because the stock alt is about 70 amps. I also know it will help me not blow any of my equipment.

 

I dont see how it would. The power for your audio system is pulled off the battery(s) and all an alternator does is recharge the battery. Back in the day high end systems... subs and other high powered speakers were capacitor charged and fired, has anything changed in the past 20 years?

 

Oh okay, i just figured because my voltage is dropping a lot that it would help.

 

How many amps are you pulling at full load? Think of your battery as an electric sponge. If the voltage is dropping at full load then yes a higher capacity alternator "might" help, the problem is that many alternators do not put out maximum amperage at engine idle speeds, if they did the load on the motor might stall the motor.

 

Not sure i just know my vintage drops a lot and my amp has cut off before from it. So should i get a second battery instead?

 

As an experiment you can get a second battery and connect it with jumper cables and give it a try. Adding a second battery in a Tacoma can be challenging.

 

You already have the big 3 which is a big help. If you are using the cab as a ground, make sure it has a solid ground the the battery.

A larger alternator can help. A second battery will also help. A gm cs144 alternator can be made to fit and are probably double the amperage.

My crawler has 4200rms with a 130A alternator, but I have 260aH of battery. It's hard to keep an alternator spinning fast while in the rocks.

 

I’ll see if i can get a second battery. Wouldn’t i just hook up positive from my main battery to the positive on my second? Then ground the battery on the frame?