Hey there guys I am about to upgrade the the big 3 on my ford f150 2006 4.6l. And I know exactly WHAT to do. just not HOW to do it for my truck. Anyone have a detailed picture tutorial for this?

One of my main questions are how to hook up the battery + to alt. (I see the location just dont know how to go about it)

And Which bolt to use for my Block to Chassis ( i dont see a factory bolt)

Thanks alot.

 

dont worry bout the alt to battery positive. it wont do anything unless u upgrade the alternator.
battery- to firewall. very short.
tranny/ starter bolt - wire wraps around to frame up next to passenger front tire.
then the cab mount on passenger side has a cable above it that goes to frame. that also is short. it is under passenger door.

 

actually battery + to alt will help. it wont do as much as a new alt would but it has a lower resistance the stock allowing the flow of more power.

 

i have researched that and the alt only puts out so much, changing that line does nothing at all. i was gonna do it, i even made the wire, common sense says it does nothing.
unless u change alt

 

yea the alt makes xx amps at xx rpms the bigger wire has less restance then the stock witch in return passes those amps easier making it easier to charge the battery and not dim your head lights when your bass hits.

 

What is the Big Three (Big 3) upgrade?
The Big Three upgrade, simply put, is upgrading the main three electrical charging wires in a vehicle's electrical system. These wires are the power wire from the alternator to the battery positive, the engine block to a ground, and the battery negative to a ground.

Why should I upgrade the Big Three?
The stock big three wires are often inadequate to handle the extra electrical draw of anything other than a stock electrical system. Since the majority of us like to upgrade our trucks, we often add on to the electrical system. People that see the most noticeable need for the big three upgrade are those running aftermarket lighting, just about any stereo setup that includes an amplifier, those running compressors, e-fans, ect.

Upgrading the big three often solves many people's electrical shortcomings by decreasing the resistance to the flow of electrical current in the vehicle's electrical system. This upgrade should always be the first step in attempting to solve electrical shortcomings (such as dimming headlights, your voltage meter reading 12v on the dash, etc.). It's by far the cheapest upgrade you can do for your electrical system. Also, if you already have, or plan on getting a high output alternator, upgrading the big three is an absolute must. The stock wiring is too small and can easily melt and catch your engine on fire. Then people like me get to come and jam a nozzle through your hood and fill your engine bay with water.

What does the Big Three Upgrade do?
Stock wiring for the big three in our engines can be as little as 8 awg wire. This was actually the case in my 1996 4.3L Jimmy. Very very few of our trucks actually came with 4 awg stock wires for the big three.

Ok, so what's wrong with 8 awg wire? Well, since no wire is 100% conductive, all wire has what is called resistance: the characteristic of the wire that impedes the flow of electrical current through it. Larger thickness (gauge or awg) wire has less resistance/impedence than smaller thickness wire. Longer wire has more total resistance than shorter wire of the same thickness. So to decrease the amount of resistance in a wire, you want to keep it as short and thick as possible. 8 awg wire is not very large and therefore has considerable resistance. If you try pushing/pulling a large amount of current through the wire, it will heat up (a form of electrical loss) and you still won't get the current through any faster (actually a hair slower because heat slightly changes the characteristics of the wire). It's like the difference of the flow of water in a garden hose and a 4" water supply hose from a hydrant to a fire truck. A hydrant can feed either hose, but the larger hose will move more water easier. An alternator can feed small wire or large wire, but larger wire will move more current easier.

 

well thanks for the input, the alt wont put out any more bcause u upgrade that wire, also the factory wire is sized for what it can do, ur right bout resistence, if u do that wire it must bbe fused, good theroy, in reality it is misplaced. ask that question at diyma.com see what answers u get, they have alot of experts on there and that line is a waste of time without upgrading alt. do what u want

 

It wont put out any more than the stock alt can carry but it will increase the rate at which the power can flow due to lack of resistance.

 

but the alt does not make instant power available when its needed it takes it a little bit for the regulator to adjust for the current output that is needed so you are still limited by the alt and not the wire. besides doesnt the alt have a fusable link in the wire to protect it from overload and catching fire? i dont think that everyone knows that it is still supposed to be fused after they change that wire out because everyone just says change the wire and dont really say to make sure you fuse it when you do.

 

needs fused

 

Alright Im gonna change the grounds first... Check resistance with DMM. Then Im gonna cut some + wire (all 0gauge) and check the resistance with the Battery (+) to Alt (+). and if its the same. I'll just use that same Power wire as my Fused power wire to my amps.

So
Battery (-) to Firewall
Battery (-) to Chassis
Starter Bolt to Frame
Cab to Frame


The if I did go with the Alt + and Battery + would I need a fuse the same size as the Alt?

Oh yeah and Im also going to be getting a Power Acoustik Capcell and trying it out from best buy. If it helps with voltage drops then ill keep it. If not then its back to the store it goes. Might as well test it right?? I'll let you know how it goes. ( And I know how all the Alt charging Batteries and Caps work. I just want to try it for myself)

I wanted to go with dual Batteries (kinteik or opti) but I hear so many bad things about mismatching batteries and I just got a new EverMaxx in my engine bay. I was going to get another EverMaxx but i dont want to risk the hydrogen leaking since all behind my seat.

 

i want to get another redtop for my truck but i still need to build a bracket.

 

Just curious, did you see any change in the resistance after increasing the wire size of your grounds?

 

Yes you should find less resistance. Meaning Current can flow through your truck easier and should help out with your "Voltage drop".