Anyone know of or has used a high output altenator on there max? Mine stock one is going bad and I would like a higher output.

 

why do you want a bigger alternator?
the one you've got is pretty hefty to begin with. ~100A.

I'm running a 2500W RMS system in my car with no problems on the factory alternator.

 

I figure a factory replacment is almost as much as a high output. So why not, cars i have seen them on also have lights that burn alot brighter.

 

$5-600 for a high output alternator doesn't bother you?


go with a autozone one for $89 for a VG and about $189 for a VE, with lifetime warranty. you shouldn't ever need more than that kinda current anyway. if you do, you shouldn't be driving the car at the same time, as it'd be too loud to be lega.

 

yea i have a friend that's competing in that IASCA stuff, his alternator is around 100A too and has no problem.

 

Typically a stock alt is not sufficient for a high-end system. I gained over 3db with an alt upgrade (210 amp). What happens is the batt will eventually run down its charge and then the alt will have to power the car and the system, so the voltage will drop.

A simple test is to pound you system with the headlights on and maybe another accesory or two, then monitor the voltage. If it cannot stay at 14.4-14.3 then the alt is not sufficient. Note that this test will 1) not allow the alt to develop full current/rpm and 2) Since its only for a sort period it will not allow the battery to drain down.

It would be good to have a LCD voltage readout in the car while driving. That way if the voltage drops due to a loose belt or whatever else you'll have good warning.

Typically most alts rated output is at 2-3k rpm. The high current one that I was using put out almost 200amps AT AN IDLE! now thats impressive. Also thats an accurate number b/c I have a clamp on DC ammeter.

 

You could always get a second battery or some capacitors instead of beefing up your alternator as another option.

 

i have a costume job done in my car i got a 350 amp alt. it is actually a caddi fleet wood ant. caising on costume supot brakets, you could e mail me for more inf. espimax@comcast.net

 

Very impressive.....where did u get this alternator? and how much?? is there some kind of a regulator so the alternator doesn't over charge the battery??? My facotry rebuilt alternator cannot handle my 280 mtx amp (my only amp) for my subs and it ****es me off.

 

I can get a high out put for 350-450. i believe its 180-210. I know my voltage droppes below 12.5 at idel with the system going, and thats with a 1 farad cap. I figure, why not get one, if i add more power/ assecories, i kno i will have the power. The $85 ones are junk. Cant trust them.

 

Stage auto electric, in pompanamo bay Fl. The guys name is Chris stage. They have a web site. I got a special price, but they should run around 400-500

 

1. you need a bigger cap.
2. you shouldn't be playing the system that loud if you're sitting at idle, unless it's very short term.
2A. if you listen to it that loud, that long, I'd hate to be around you in 10 years when you're so deaf that you have to yell across the dinner table.
2B. you're breaking all kinda of laws with the noise. don't say I didn't warn you when you get a $300 ticket.

3. ANY alternator isn't made to put out much current at idle. mine only runs about 13.1-2V at idle, but when I get above 2000-2500RPM, it slowly rises to mid 14s, where it should be.

4. your system doesn't suck ALL the current ALL the time. that's why caps work so well on music systems. they only need that high current for fractions of a second, then they have quite a bit of time to recharge.

5. As I said before, my system is 2500+ W RMS. it'll pull over 300A at full power. I have ZERO problems with keeping the thing running. alternator hasn't had any problems either. my headlights dim like crazy, but then again, I don't drive around town blowing my ears out at night either. I crank it up for short periods of time at car shows and that's it. anything else (i.e. cranking it in public) is unsafe and asking for a ticket.

 

page 4 of my cardomain page.

 

driving around with the car that loud is just plain stupid
A. cant hear jack sh it around you
B. pain in the *** to other drivers, i can't stand it when some car comes ghetto blasting next to me and drones out my led zepplin playing....just wrong

 

Not sure why you are directing this at Matt93SE. Did you even read his whole post? Secondly, why do you assume he is blasting "ghetto music?" Those are some extremely dangerous stereotypes to be tossing around. And in this case, they aren't even remotely accurate.

 

mean't to add in that i was aggreeing with matt. shouldn't be driving around with music that loud. I did not say "ghetto music" i'm not directing towards ethnic groups or anything of that sort if you are implying that route towards me.

 

also im going to end my posts here. Don't wish to go further into this issue.

 

Can you give us the web site??

 

Exactly, i dont drive around blasting music at ear damaging levels, as i have hearing imparment problems in my family. And as i said, for just a little more money i can get a better quality/ higher output alt then OEM. And i know how caps work, if i didnt i would have gotten one.

 

I can't find it, it used to be www.stageracing.com but it must have changed.

here is some other info I found:


Stage Charging Systems 9750 N. Powerline Rd.
Pompano Beach, FL 33073 USA
phone: 954-974-7977
fax: 954-975-2362
eMail: altman127@aol.com
website: stageracing.com
contact: same
owner: christian k.stage


Give them a call.

 

Again, then what's the point? Why spend the money on it if you don't need it? it's as simple as that.

 

Loud music = bad

Last I heard they don't have ear drum transplants so you better get the most mileage at of the ones you have now.

Try listening to some Mozart or Bach, that's what I wanna see blasted out of a system. I bet that would turn some heads...

 

Just remembered what I was originally gonna post.

With all of this quest to get the most power from our engines doesn't throwing a 300 to 500 amp alternator sort of defeat some of that?

A 1200watt system translates into 1.6hp of power required in a perfect system. (IE no energy loss) Figuring an efficiency of 80 percent it turns into 2 hoursepower required to run that 1200watt system.

Another example a 400amp alternator on a 12volt system translates into 4800 watts. This translates into almost 6.5 horsepower. Then figure in an efficiency of 80 percent and you need 8 hoursepower to provide that much power.

Granted your car isn't going to be drawing that much juice all the time and all. But still if you put a fat alternator on the car and crank up the juice don't be surprised if the car is a little slower.

Of course my math could be all off and stuff, I believe Matt93SE might be able to correct me since he's an engineering major also. Electrical if I remember right...

 

that's true, but it won't make much difference.. I highly doubt you'll be blasting the stereo at the same time your'e trying to line up at the stopli, errr dragstrip.

 

that is the problem i have.. i turn on my lights at night and if i am parked in a lot facing a wall, i see my lights,, and if i step on the gas then the headlights get brighter. Also if i have my subs on i am running 2 12' rockfords with a rockford 500s amp briged, does that mean 1000 watts? any how, i have a cap and if i put the system on ful blast it dipps up and down and sometime dipped to 12.5-13 or so when the max is on. but if i have the cap on and the subs to next to no loise the voltage is about 14.5 do you think i am having a dying alternator.? and is the pepboys or autozone alty same as stock, and would my voltage be consistant 14's?

thanks.

 

Well I"d reccomend you upgrade a lot of the ground wires. The stock wireing in the max is not meant to support a high current stero system. Its a compromise for the manufactuer, to sacrafice some performance for cost savings (not to mention connections corroding over time). You would have to install a ground wire from the alt to the body, another from the (-) of the batt to the body. And it would be a good idea to upgrade the pos. from the alt to the pos of the batt.


Caps are great, but only when the charging system can handle the load. Otherwise there a waste, because they are only smoothing out whatever voltage the system can regulate at.

 

Thanks for the help everyone, I'll save some money and get a oem replacment. Probably be easyer in the long run.

 

Depending how much power your running, or if you want to do some competing. It would also be resonable to add a small battery in the truck to put in parallel with the amps. But if you use a regular lead acid battery remember to mount the battery so that hydrogen cannot build up in the truck. It would be easy to do if the battery were positioned next to the left or right side, since there is a open vent there that leads under the car, and then putting the battery in an enclosure (maybe with plexiglass and neon ).