Amp, Sub and Dynamat Install (Long post/heavy-pic warning)

[mikes2017gt]

Well my friend, only you can answer that question. I did the exhaust before the bug for a subwoofer bit me, so I didn't have to deal with making the choice you're looking to make now.

What's your skill level with both mechanical and electrical work? I.E. can you install both the exhaust and the sub by yourself?

I did both and I can tell you that the exhaust was a lot easier. As in two hours and I really took my time. Most of the time was spent trying to get the exhaust tips completely symmetrical (damn near impossible...for me anyway) but they are close enough that only a fellow gearhead REALLY staring at them, would notice.

I highly recommend the Dynamat as it really helps quiet things down inside. But I understand for some folks, they may want a lot of tire/exhaust/road noise in the cabin. My car, my priorities. But if you don't do the Dynamat, you can have the subwoofer installed and amp all wired up in 4-8 hours, depending upon skill level, how fast you work, number of beers consumed, etc.

Sponsored

 

[Ecoboost_Jim]

Mike, I can do both jobs. Not a problem. I agree that the Dynamat should go in regardless of installing a Subwoofer or not. I need an 8th day of the week .

 

[mumbles]

I need an 8th day of the week .

I'll see your 8th day and raise you a 9th!

 

[Boggus]

I have a single JL 10W3 in an enclosure, mounted in the spare tire area. Went through a couple of amps but stuck with the MTX Thunder5000.1 finally. Used a PAC SNI35 for signal from the rear deck and it's all mounted behind the stock woofer. Everything looks stock when you open the trunk. Bass knob mounted in the console. Swapped front tweeters and center speaker while I was in it.

 

[mikes2017gt]

@Boggus : Pics of knob mounted in console? I just found out that the "Shaker" plate right above the coin tray is hollow behind it (suspected that) and just pops out without having to remove the center console. Did not know that part. This was a :doh: moment b/c I could've mounted my remote gain knob there rather easily. That location is really the only one I preferred. Easy to get to, yet out of the way. The first area I thought of was the plastic panel under the steering wheel, right above your knees, but there is an airbag there. :eyebulge:

 

[Boggus]

I would have mounted mine in a different spot but the knob shaft was not long enough (heard that before). So it ended up in the console. Rather have it on the shaker plate.

 

[scott_0]

@Boggus : Pics of knob mounted in console? I just found out that the "Shaker" plate right above the coin tray is hollow behind it (suspected that) and just pops out without having to remove the center console. Did not know that part. This was a :doh: moment b/c I could've mounted my remote gain knob there rather easily. That location is really the only one I preferred. Easy to get to, yet out of the way. The first area I thought of was the plastic panel under the steering wheel, right above your knees, but there is an airbag there. :eyebulge:

mine is mounted down there, but not in the center, knob would be too hard to reach, so I removed the usb port (which wasnt working since I replaced the console port with a dual port

 

[vnzbd]

Boggus, What type of enclosure did you use for the 10W3 in the spare tire well?

I went with the 10TW3 because of depth issues. I didn't think the W3 would fit...

 

[Boggus]

Built a box using 1/2 MDF. The magnet barley clears the bottom of the box. Had to use a mallet and hammer the raised section down flat so the box will sit flat.

 

[vnzbd]

Sounds like a good install. That hump you hammered down is really in the way! With the shallow depth of the T3 I was able to use 3/4" mdf. I did a triple front motor board to protect the woofer since I took out the foam used for the tire kit.

 

[mikes2017gt]

Curious what "hump" you guys are referring to in the spare tire well? Are you talking about the upside-down u-shaped bracket the spare tire bolts down to?

This thing?

I would think the force needed to hammer that flat would distort the spare tire well pretty badly. If it was really in the way, you'd be better off using a cutoff wheel to just cut it off as flush as possible and grinding the remainder down flat. As I found out when Dynamatting it, the spare tire well is pretty thin-gauge metal, as compared to the rest of the body. Me leaning my weight on certain sections made it "pop out" towards the ground. Scared me a little the first time it happened.

 

[irootbeer]

Just wanted to check back in with a few more questions. I finished my install today using a Rockford Fosgate R500x and an old sub I had lying around to test the system. Unfortunately the amp starts up in protect mode but it does turn on, the remote and power seems to be ok. However I believe my ground is whats causing these issues for me. Whenever I connect my DMM across the power leads while the amp is off I'm reading around 11.5V-11.9V but once remote power is applied I'm dropping like 3 volts to ~9V.
Could this be due to my ground? I don't really trust the connection, I used the bolt holding down the back seats but only had fine grit sandpaper. It's ground down as good as I could get it but obviously something is up. Is there any other good grounding points other than the one holding the spare tire? I don't have the hardware to bolt it there and I don't particularly want to go searching for that stuff.

Also did you guys ground your LOC? It says in the manual to ground if the amp doesn't work but most installs I've seen skip that step.

Any help would be appreciated, I'm so close to having decent bass I can almost feel it

 

[vnzbd]

mike2017, The hump I am referring too is what the spare tire tie down bracket sits on. It is elevated approximately an inch between that bracket going back towards the rear of the car. The trunk is not flat so when building a box for the spare tire well you must take that hump into consideration as it reduces the depth. I was able to work around it without any modification. I also sound dampened my trunk in that area using a spray that Parts Express sells.

 

[Lorne34]

Well my friend, only you can answer that question. I did the exhaust before the bug for a subwoofer bit me, so I didn't have to deal with making the choice you're looking to make now.

What's your skill level with both mechanical and electrical work? I.E. can you install both the exhaust and the sub by yourself?

I did both and I can tell you that the exhaust was a lot easier. As in two hours and I really took my time. Most of the time was spent trying to get the exhaust tips completely symmetrical (damn near impossible...for me anyway) but they are close enough that only a fellow gearhead REALLY staring at them, would notice.

I highly recommend the Dynamat as it really helps quiet things down inside. But I understand for some folks, they may want a lot of tire/exhaust/road noise in the cabin. My car, my priorities. But if you don't do the Dynamat, you can have the subwoofer installed and amp all wired up in 4-8 hours, depending upon skill level, how fast you work, number of beers consumed, etc.

Hey, I am going to by dynamatting my trunk this week.... I am trying to find a video that shows how to remove all of the side panels from inside the trunk but cannot find one... I removed the push/snap in pins, but I am not sure how to get the trunk coverings to come off of the bolts that are sticking out on the inside by the tail lights.. I removed the plastic screw cap, but cannot get the liner material removed without the plastic molding getting in the way..any ideas?? Thanks...

 

[wjfawb0]

The side trunk liners are held in place by push pins under the back seats. I believe they may be obscured by the plastic in the rear of the car:

After removing the screw on knobs in the rear, the black plastic piece has to be pulled off of the studs and then up and forward. See the fingers and clips in this picture of the rear of the black plastic rear trunk liner. When reinstalling, you have to tilt the four bottom hooks into the holes while trying to seat the three clips and get the holes over the studs. You can see on mine tht the holes are pretty chewed up from the three or four times it has been pulled off and put back:

Sponsored