question about dimmer switch

[LANCE65]

Can the stock dimmer switch handle full alternator voltage?(14.8 volts?) Thanks
-Lance

[Dragon]

It does every day of it's life.

[LANCE65]

Cool, THANKS.
My reason is I am going to build a headlight harness with relays BEFORE the dimmer and that way only ONE relays needs to be used. Think this will work?

[bluef250]

The relay handles the power needs of the lights. The power circuit is connected directly to the battery and should have a circuit breaker (auto reset if you have one.)

The stock circuits (wires and both headlight and dimmer switches) then become a control circuit handling only a small part of the power.

[ForingaMex]

Cool, THANKS.
My reason is I am going to build a headlight harness with relays BEFORE the dimmer and that way only ONE relays needs to be used. Think this will work?

In my opoinion that would defeat the purpose, to an extent anyway. You would be bypassing the headlight switch but the current would still have a long way to travel through the old thin/restrictive wire. I understand that your trying to get away with one relay instead of two but you would only reap about 1/2 of the potential benifit of using relays. That is just my Others will come along and will be able to explain the pros & cons a lot better than I can.

[LANCE65]

to bring this up again, I am actually working on my '77. I am not a big fan of the way split the headlight harness into 2 sides. I was wanting to kill two birds with one stone. Do you think the stock 16g wire will handle the power from the relays to the headlights? Thanks

[Thunderfoot]

16g is not heavy enough wire for the headlights... The stock wiring isn't up to much... Most of the new headlights use more current then the old ones and if you upgrade to higher watt lights it really wont handle it. You will see a big difference in brightness upping the wire size along with getting the full voltage to them.

[papabug71]

I would use no less than 12ga. if it were me. Actually, I have a brand new 500ft. spool of 10ga. i've been itching to bust open, so i'de go with that.

10ga. might be overkill, but you'll never have to worry about it burning out