CLEAR ANSWER: Alternator Upgrade.

[Nitrofreak]

I want to possibly upgrade my alternator/ charging system. I run 4 HI-mod, and 4 hella 500's, and a 300W sub amp and 4 cab speakers on 55w deck power. Today while bombing down a dirt road (35 minutes) running everything full blast all lights on, I noticed that my charging system coudnt keep up and I had to start shutting stuff off to recharge.

What am I looking at to help my charging system? I have read the alternator threads and cant see a CLEAR answer. what is my stock alternator? where do I go from here?

truck is:
94 ecsb 5.7 4x4 fully loaded (A/C, power everything)
running two batteries (simply in parrallel nothing fancy)

 

[jdyates]

Stock alternator is 105 amps. You will probably want the Big 3 mod, possibly a bigger alternator, and harnesses for all your lighting to pull power from the battery instead of pulling the full load from the alt. I had HIDs running off stock wiring for a few months and burned out a ballast. I don't know if you have HIDs, but a harness will help nonetheless.

 

[Darkrider]

Do what joesph posted and look into getting your alt rebuilt with a 160 amp upgrade kit and consider getting the back half of the case replaced with one that offers more cooling for the alt.

Sent from a 6.5 Detroit Diesel powered smartphone

 

[Nitrofreak]

Can I swap an AD244 into my truck? If the plugs dont match will a simple sauder job fix it? Is there something more compicated than that going on? Im gonna run 8AWG from my alt to my batt, My auxilary passenger Batt is already grounded to the frame so that should cover my grounding and my running lights are all on relays and direct power. If the frame is grounded why do they still upgrade the ground to the manifold aswell?

 

[thered95]

you want more than 8awg that is like stock. you want at least 4awg or even better 1/0awg. think of the alt as a motor you need power and ground. if you upgrade pos to the alt with 1/0 you also need to upgrade the groung for the alt. that is why you upgrade the manifold ground. to take it a step further run a ground from the alt mounting bolt to the frame or battery.

 

[Knockoutpie]

http://www.dbelectrical.com/c-7348-high-output.aspx

Here's the site to buy your alts from I've purchased a 250 amp alternator from them about 2 years back now because of my 2,000 watt rms amps, 17 amp draw train horn, HID 4hi Mod and a whole bunch of other stuff, If you're really trying to keep a charge get one of these, you're problem with having two batteries on a stock alternator doesn't surprise me that you can't charge lol.

The big 3 is an easy upgrade, Negative battery to chassis, Positive to alternator. I forgot the other :d But it helps a ton if your lights ever dim in your car.