I am in process of getting all of the parts to intall my system together for the near future. This has brought a few new questions up that I could use some help to answer.

Are the ground blocks noteably better than a ring terminal when using 1/0 gauge wire?

Do grounds need to be fused for competion?

On the power line from the battery does it have to be fused at the distro block at in the trunk or can I use a T block and fuse the smaller wire just infront of the amps?

When fiberglassing a spare tire well should I put brownbread between the metal and tub or just leave the metal bare?

That is about it for now, but I am sure that I will have more questions for you later.

Thanks for the help.

are u doing spl or sq? if u are doing spl i wouldnt put any fuses, distro block, ground blocks or breakers anywhere period. just use 1/0 ring terminals and thats it. It's obviously not safe but all those things make your spl drop, believe me.

BUT

if you are doing an sq install then i would use all the things u mentioned. then i'd use a ground block or whatever block instead of a ugly 1/o ring terminal. u have to have fuses on your power wire if u are doin sq install, i belive u loose big points if your power wire is not fused.

Thanks Tinted. It is going to be sq. My question about the fuses is not if I should use them, it is where they need to be. I heard that every time you change gauge you have to use a fuse. What I would like to find out is if the fuse has to be before the smaller gauge or just in the power line at some point.

I think that I might make my life simple and just pick up a streetwires combo block. But it doesn't fuse the grounds (don't know if that matters or not).

I still wonder if the grounding block is any better than a ring terminal. I know it looks better but I would want it to perfom better in order to shell out the cash for them.

If I use the streetwires combo block do I still need to fuse just infornt of the amp (they don't have internal fusing) or is it fine to just have it at the distro block. It would not be a long run of wire between the two.

Sorry this is so long.

lol i dont know about where the fuses go in an sq install, i dont use any fuses but thats for pure spl wiring. maybe some of the sq guys on here can help u out.
as far as the ground block goes....i'd personallly use a reing terminal, nothing gives u a better connection than a sadared ring terminal

dude, the world is "solder" [img]smile.gif[/img]

No fuses on grounds. Fuses on power wire as close to the battery and every time you step down or divide that wire as close to the step down. This is best accomplished with a fused distribution block.

Some people like to deaden the metal before they glass a spare tire well. I never do.

Actually the current iasca rule book doesnt state that at all..

It says something like: All equipment must be fused individually, And onboard fuses meet this requirement as long as they are easily accessed.

But obviouslly if your going from a 1/0ga wire to a 16ga wire for processors you would fuse the 16ga..

The gauge would drop from 1/0 to 4 going to the amps. If I use a fused distro block do I still have to use the outboard fuses that my rockford amps require? I am pretty sure that I wouldn't but I want to make sure.

Milton, regardless of what anyone tells you it is a huge safety issue to NOT fuse something. If there is no fuse at the battery and something should happen inline on the power wire, it will burn the entire way until it has no power to burn anymore. Every system including a SPL system needs to have a fuse at the battery to protect the vehicle. Every piece of product (amps, processors etc) should have a fuse just before it. Most amps have fuses in them now but most of those fuses are only there to protect the power supply, not to proctect the car and the rest of the system. Even if the amp has a fuse in it you should always fuse the power input wire. You don't have to always fuse wire everytime you step it down or up in size, so long as your battery and gear is fused you will be ok.

I believe that Maxi Fuses are generally a better quality of fuse since most aren't SOLDERED like AGU fuses are.

When in doubt................fuse it.......... [img]graemlins/thumb.gif[/img]

PLus you can use fusing to really spice up an install, just look at Tim's Regal, it really looks trick when the fusing is laid out in a eye pleasing manner.

And if you want to see fusing gone wild, check out Corey Himmel's Astro van, he has more fuse blocks than you can shake a stick at in the Stinger factory!

^^^
That is one the best posts on here in quite a while [img]graemlins/thumb.gif[/img]

I agree i fused all my spl gear its just too much money for me to throw away. I seen a guy try to make his own distro block and didnt fuse his power wire at the battery it was a real mess. The smoke rolled from under his hood, he cooked his battery, his power wire and his alternator wiring harness it was pricey.