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Recommended Wire Gauge for Current
A Voltage drop is the amount of voltage lost through
a wire. Example of a 2 Volt drop would be if one end of the
wire has 12 Volts and the other end has 10 Volts. Voltage
drops are caused by undersized wiring in the vehicle,
resulting in solenoids not getting the needed voltage for
proper operation. A voltage drop occurs as current is pulled
through a wire by the load. A load is any device being
supplied power by the wire, example a Transbrake solenoid.
When a load is put on a wire, a Voltage drop will occur. The
larger the wire the smaller this voltage drop will be. To
minimize the voltage drop through the vehicle wiring, use
the listing below to select the wire gauge needed.
1-15 Amps 14 gauge
16-25 Amps 12 gauge
26-40 Amps 10 gauge
41-60 Amps 8 gauge
61-80 Amps 6 gauge
81-120 Amps 4 gauge
The length of wire also affects the amount of the
Voltage drop. Every foot of wire used will increase the total
amount of Voltage dropped by the wire. To compensate for
this;
If the wire is less than 5 feet long you can use the next size
smaller wire. (20 Amps less than 5 feet – use 14 gauge)
If the wire is more than 10 feet long you need to use the next
size larger wire. (20 Amps more than 10 feet – use 10
gauge)
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