OK, got my new amp and speakers in yesterday and started tearing stuff apart today. Decided to put the new rear speakers in first just to see how they sound with the head unit's onboard amp. I decided to make some new mounts since 5.25" speakers don't fit the factory hole completely. I also wanted to seal the door as much as possible, too.
Here's the rear door all stripped and ready
I made some mounting rings out of 1/4" MDF and screwed them to the opening and sealed them all around with silicone.
I siliconed any sheetmetal joints just to prevent any buzz from the bass.
I filled all the seams inside the door with expanding foam just to seal them for better acoustics.
The finished door with new speaker. The hole on the side acts like a big port and ported speakers require higher amp output to operate properly, so I filled it in with some Dynamat.
I decided to put the new amp under the passenger seat. I made a platform out of MDF for the amp to sit on. The bottom has legs to let it sit level and two mounting blocks in the middle that a screw goes through into the sheetmetal.
The top of the platform. I aprayed it flat black so it is unobtrusive. The slots are to bring the wires through and keep them neat.
To make installation easier I removed the bottom seat cushion. Here's the platform in place.
The amp on the platform. With it like this I have easy access to all the controls from the front of the seat.
The view from the back of the seat. I have easy access to all the speaker/power connections. Again, the slot keeps the wires neat and protected.
My back started tightening up and my foot was throibbing, so the wiring will have to wait until tomorrow or Sunday. Just the new speakers made an improvement, but the amp has separate crossover controls for front and rear channels that will allow me to better tailor the output to the speakers. Right now I have too much bass going to the rear speakers, but the only way to control it is to adjust the fader so they get less power. With this amp I can adjust the rolloffs independently and still retain my fader. More to come...
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2000 Dodge RAM 2500 Sport SLT+ Quad Cab 4X4, 8.0 V10, 4.10 gears, Borla SS Headers, Edelbrock muffler, K&N CAI, KYB Shocks, Hell Bent 2" Level Kit, 17" American Racing Wheels (Baja), factory camper/towing pkgs, WAAG Sidesteps, member White Truck Club #87
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Vehicle: 96 ram ext cab 4x4 that followed me home and drained my bank account
Location: North Tonawanda NY,
Posts: 570
Does the amp have any built in crossovers to filter out the lower bass? They sell bassblockers at any car audio store or bestbuy to help with that also and they are cheap and east to wire in.
looks good. I just hope nobody messes up the wiring connections with muddy feet.
This is a 4-channel amp and each pair of channels (1/2 and 3/4) have their own set of crossover controls so I can adjust them independently and turn down the bass to the rear speakers.
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2000 Dodge RAM 2500 Sport SLT+ Quad Cab 4X4, 8.0 V10, 4.10 gears, Borla SS Headers, Edelbrock muffler, K&N CAI, KYB Shocks, Hell Bent 2" Level Kit, 17" American Racing Wheels (Baja), factory camper/towing pkgs, WAAG Sidesteps, member White Truck Club #87
Vehicle: 2001 Dodge Ram 1500 2WD with a 5.9L 360 Magnum
Location: Floydada, Texas
Posts: 271
Do those dynomats make a difference? I've heard they do by some and that they're useless by others....But I'd like to upgrade them into my truck someday
I'm really not wanting to put a sub in. I like bass, but I don't want to give up any cab space and I don't need to shake the windows. I just like good, clean sound.
The head unit has been in for little while. It's a Sony MEX-BT3700U. It has stereo bluetooth built-in so as soon as I get in the truck it connects to the phone and I can take/make calls and play music from my phone through it. I also have the HD radio module and a 10-disc CD changer that plays MP3s, so one disc holds like 10 albums. Enough music for even the longest road trip.
As for the Dynamat, yes, it makes a big difference in quieting the road noise down and making the cavernous doors a dead space so only the music comes through. I've only spent about $250 on the Dynamat, but it was worth it. The bass response is much better without all those sound waves reflecting off the back of the speakers.
Can't wait to finish it up!
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2000 Dodge RAM 2500 Sport SLT+ Quad Cab 4X4, 8.0 V10, 4.10 gears, Borla SS Headers, Edelbrock muffler, K&N CAI, KYB Shocks, Hell Bent 2" Level Kit, 17" American Racing Wheels (Baja), factory camper/towing pkgs, WAAG Sidesteps, member White Truck Club #87
Stereo upgrade has been finished.
