94 speaker gage size

[MrHendren]

Random question, anyone know off hand what size the stock speaker wire is? I ask this because I bought new speakers a few weeks back and they are not what I expected. So Im gonna buy a new amp. The amp Im looking at is a 4 channel, at 60 watts RMS at 4 ohms,(which my speakers RMS is 60) I am wondering if the stock wiring from a 94 X will be ok with handling this wattage. I have the explorer with the amp already installed (btw i have already by passed the amp and its out of my x), the headunit only doing 14 RMS per speaker, so I want a amp to push my speakers, but will the stock wiring be fine with this?

 

[arco777]

Stock wire is pretty lame. I believe it is 18 or 20 gauge. Online stereo wiring guides will give you a quick primer on what size wires you need for what wattage over what distance. Personally for the price I have run new 16gauge speaker wire on my Explorers even without an amp, just to provide for future upgrades. The Scosche brand sold at Wal-Mart has pretty affordable spools of decent quality stereo wire.

 

[Jason94sport]

How far you want to go? If it's not in great shape to begin with & you just want tunes I wouldn't waste the time running new wire. You may get some resistance loss, but not enough IMHO for the SQ you would expect out of these little speakers.
You could just wire the rears since the amp will be back there & leave the fronts on the stock wiring this way you don't have to deal with getting the new wires to the front speakers.
Of course if your goal is SQ & a full setup & you want it to perform the max then run new wires.

 

[Maniak]

IMHO.. Unless you have spare time or going for ultimate SQ don't bother swapping the wires..

We have been running through the factory wires for years using a 100wx4 channel Sony Amp for years (I think its 100x4.. been years since I've seen the amp itself). Am I getting voltage drop and lower power to the speaker which in turn hurts my spl/sq... probably, but its fine for us and sounds good. Its no competition system but I haven't had one of those since the mid 90's and don't need one anymore.

~Mark

 

[MrHendren]

I'm not looking for a competition sound system, on that note I still want a good sound system. the amp will be placed in the back, and my plan was if the stock wire could transfer the wattage without much if any lost and handle the output of the amp I want, I was gonna take the wire that's in the back of th the X, where it was to the stock amp, splice the wires there and wire it to the amp. if the stock wires won't hold the charge I want, I will end up replacing it with a larger gage (I'm looking at about 30 feet off Crutchfield website, they sell it by the foot) but that will be pretty time consuming to wire all up. just from personal experience do you think stock wire will do? or will wiring a thicker wire make a better difference? so far great advice from all you. starting to get a picture of what I want to do

 

[IAmTodd]

I bought a spool of 16ga wire from Amazon for cheap and ran new wires directly to the speakers. Was much cheaper than any amp bypass kit and only took a little bit of time.

 

[MrHendren]

I bought a spool of 16ga wire from Amazon for cheap and ran new wires directly to the speakers. Was much cheaper than any amp bypass kit and only took a little bit of time.

well at the time when I installed the new speakers and the new head unit I did not plan on buying a amp. now that I am here, if I want a better quality I am gonna have to get a amp. other wise I would had done the wiring from the get go.

 

[Maniak]

To help save money, I buy my speaker wire by the spool (500 ft) I usually buy 12 gauge. I use that for the Home Theater and any other house speakers but I have also used it in vehicles where I had to run wire (only had to run it for the sub in the explorer). IIRC, my first spool of 12 gauge came from Home depot but I don't think they still carry it by the spool.

My amp for the door speakers on the explorer is in the back of the X in a false floor (hence why I haven't seen it in years) and I ran wires from the amp to the wires that are by the old factory amp (which is still behind the panel, just not used). The factory wires carry the sound fine and it still sounds good.. Of course I'm just running Pioneer and rockford speakers in the doors (5x7's). Its not like I'm running higher end components.

~Mark

edit: My last spool came from Amazon

 

[MrHendren]

my speakers I just bought are Pioneer TS-A6885R 6" X 8" 4-Way. and that's the answer I was waiting on. if your stock wires do just fine with your set up, I believe I'll skip taking the door panels down (again) wiring it all up and just take from the old amp wire and wire it to that. thanks you all for your help and input. if I hook it all up and it's not to my linking my next step will to be to replace the wire.

 

[Jason94sport]

Its no competition system but I haven't had one of those since the mid 90's and don't need one anymore.

WHAT!!!!!!

just from personal experience do you think stock wire will do?

Yes. Had a 75X4 Sony amp using the factory speaker wires in a Bronco II for 3 years.

 

[Maniak]

WHAT!!!!!!

We spent the money on the Home theater instead of the car systems(too many vehicles). We are using a Pioneer elite to power the Martin Logans for now and a Behringer 1300 RMS amp to power the sub (big sonotube). I have a pair of 6 channel Kenwood Stage 3 Amps (135wx7) that we may someday install so we can bi-amp the mains. We even have a McIntosh 2105 amp in reserve that we plan to use for 2.1 music experience but I haven't picked up some deidcated music speakers.

Also, We are old enough now That we got the shaker 1000 system in the '06 mustang and its good enough.. sometimes I miss a real amp/sub at higher volumes but I like that I didn't have install a system in a brand new vehicle when we got it.

And no.. I'm not deaf yet.. The competition system had a remote AND I wore hearing protection if I was in the car for the competition. I was only in the 0-200 watt class most of the time. BUT, The home system we have now can be heard easily by the neighbors 1/4 away.. of course, we are in the boonies and scrub brush doesn't stop sound

~Mark

 

[MrHendren]

WHAT!!!!!!


Yes. Had a 75X4 Sony amp using the factory speaker wires in a Bronco II for 3 years.

thanks man what I needed to know... Gonna make life much easier.