I'm about to order everything to put a new sound system in my Jeep Wrangler and I've been planning the locations to run new wires and cables. I got to looking at the area's where I could run the power cable for the amp and have come to 2 conclusions. I could either drill a hole in a very difficult to reach but hidden area behind the dash and try to hide the cable on the interior of the Jeep all the way to the rear where the amp is.. or, I could run the cable inside the hollow frame rails (which have many pre-drilled holes to slip the cable in and out of) under the Jeep and then just drill a hole to the interior in an easy to reach location near the amp. My only concern is that the cable's insulation will breakdown and crack prematurely due to exposure to water and road salts.. is this a real risk if I run the cable on the exterior of the vehicle? Or will the cable hold up just as well as any other cable such as those in the engine compartment? Thanks for your help!
Honestly I Would Run The Wire Inside The Truck Why? Because The insulation Of The Wire Is Gonna Wear Out., And You Never Know A Sharp object Might Cut Your Wire And Cause A Short Or Even A Fire... I Would Run It Right Next To The Seats Under Neath The Carpet..
I have installed a system for a friend in high school, and he INSISTED i run it under the car. We ran the cable up through a rubber drain plug/grommet in the trunk area. Just check the wiring yearly to make sure its still in good condition. Wire takes a LOT of heat and other elements of the weather under the hood, a good quality wire should last for a good amount of time running outside the vehicle.
Keep it inside. Run it under the sill plates and carpet (or rubber flooring). If you put it outside and it wears through the insulation (for what ever reason, elements, chaffing) it could cause a serious problem, even a fire, as it would be directly to the battery.
You'll have no problem running the power wire thru frame rails the cable is designed to weather the elements under the hood so it will work under the car just make sure to secure it solidly in as many places possible so it can't droop and snag on road hazards
