Where to go through fire wall?
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Joined: May 2005
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Where to go through fire wall?
I am installing a new stereo system and need to run a 4 gauge power wire from the battery all the way to the rear of my 1998 D. If anyone has done something similar, what is the best way to get through the fire wall?
I only see one hole there near the steering column that has a huge rubber grommet and wiring harness going through it. I don't think there is enough room there to fit a hair through it! I need another place to go through. 4 gauge wire is very thick so it will need to be a sizeable hole without sharp edges that might cut through the insulation.
Also, I ran the amp turn-on wires and RCA cables to the rear along the driver's side door jam channel. It was tough enough getting those 3 things in there. Has anyone tried a different route to the rear that would accomodate a thick gauge wire like this and still completely hide it? There is another reason for finding a different route. I have heard that running the power wire separate from the RCA cable is a good idea to keep it from inducing noise on the RCA cable.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
By the way, I chose to install just one 12" subwoofer to keep from taking up all the space in the rear. I wanted to get as much bass as possible with just one sub so I bought an Audiobahn 1206T sub, rated at 1100 watts RMS at 2 ohms (2200w peak), a Phoenix Gold Class D amp also rated at 1100 watts RMS, a single 12" Sealed Enclosure made of 5/8" MDF, and a Power Acoustik 3 Farad stiffening capacitor. It's probably going to bulge the windows in the back a little but that's ok!
I only see one hole there near the steering column that has a huge rubber grommet and wiring harness going through it. I don't think there is enough room there to fit a hair through it! I need another place to go through. 4 gauge wire is very thick so it will need to be a sizeable hole without sharp edges that might cut through the insulation.
Also, I ran the amp turn-on wires and RCA cables to the rear along the driver's side door jam channel. It was tough enough getting those 3 things in there. Has anyone tried a different route to the rear that would accomodate a thick gauge wire like this and still completely hide it? There is another reason for finding a different route. I have heard that running the power wire separate from the RCA cable is a good idea to keep it from inducing noise on the RCA cable.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
By the way, I chose to install just one 12" subwoofer to keep from taking up all the space in the rear. I wanted to get as much bass as possible with just one sub so I bought an Audiobahn 1206T sub, rated at 1100 watts RMS at 2 ohms (2200w peak), a Phoenix Gold Class D amp also rated at 1100 watts RMS, a single 12" Sealed Enclosure made of 5/8" MDF, and a Power Acoustik 3 Farad stiffening capacitor. It's probably going to bulge the windows in the back a little but that's ok!
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Joined: May 2004
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From: Camp Pendleton
RE: Where to go through fire wall?
I ran 1 guage down the drivers side, it's completely hidden, but I had to drill a hole in the floor and run the wire under the truck and then come back up through the engine bay to get it to the battery. The amp turn on and RCA cables were run down the passenger side. It was a pain getting the trim pieces back into place but it was done, and looks nice with no problems.
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Joined: Jun 2004
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From:
RE: Where to go through fire wall?
Make a small slice in the rubber grommet, and any wire should fit. I had to do the same thing when I installed electric tailgate locks on my 99 ram. The wiring harness ran down the frame but I had to route it up into the engine compartment and through the firewall. Just when your finish touch it up with a few pieces of electrical tape to help seal the grommet.