Recently i have been thinking about adding some extra power to my stock system, i already have a really nice set of polk coaxials up front that i got on sale, they work awesome, and the rest is stock. Audio/electronics is my weakest part of cars so please take it easy on me

I listen to Metal pretty exclusively so i was thinking about adding 2 of the shallow mount kenwood 8" subs in the rear door speaker ports (my speakers in the back right now are barely even necessary, i run the fade mostly to the front). These subs are 100 bucks each and i realize they may not be the best but it is decent for the price. I realize i still need an amp(prolly mount under passenger seat), but would it be possible to run the stock headunit? would i need a capacitor or upgrade alternator for that?

I am also open to suggestions on setup, like what to buy thats decently priced, or any help on wiring and such too.

 

Since most "rock" doesn't have that real deep bass, I would think 8"s would work fine. Yes, you would need an amp. I would suggest maybe a good 4ch amp with 40-50 watts per channel. You could use this amp to power all 4 speakers or bridge it for your sub's. A cheap way to power it is to get a little device from Walmart. Brain fart right now, But you find it in the car audio section. Its made by Schoshe (sp?) you wire your factory speaker wires into it. You then run RCA's out the other side to the amp. You will then need to run new speaker wire to your speakers. Keep speaker cables away from power cable. Walmart will also carry amp wireing kits with everything you need. For safety, disconnect your battery when you work with the power cable for the amp.

Hope this helps.

 

thanks for the reply, and yes that helps. i was thinking of completely ditching the rear speakers, just running 2 6x9 up front, and the 2 8" subs where the stock 6x9s are now. Would i still need 4 channel amp for this? im looking to get a small amp to go under the passenger seat.

Also, can i keep my stock head unit? i like how it fits with theinterior and it looks low profile so nobody breaks in.

 

Wirelessly posted

Yes you can. You need a line output converter. This splices into your pos and neg speaker wires and adds in RCA's so you can add your amp

 

awesome. as far as amp goes do i still need the 4 channel or can i get 2 channel?

How do you guys feel about Kenwood 8 in subs? i wanna keep it reasonably priced.

 

You would get more out of your system with a 4ch, but you could just get a 2ch for the 8's. They will need more power than your deck can put out. You will also need to look into some kind of cross-over for your subs. When looking for your amp, see if it comes with one. Tell the store what it is you are looking to do and they should be able to help. Beware though, they are looking to make $$$ so they might try to sell you more than you need. To keep your factory deck you will need a "line out converter". This will change your enable you to use RCA cables to hook up your amp. Although, some amps will let you hook your factory speaker wire directly to them. I have not seen one of these in a while, but they used to be out there. You will also need some kind of box for your 8's to work at their best. Not sure putting them in the door is the easiest. Not saying it can't be done, you will just have to do some work. Look for good installers if you are not up to it. They can do it. There is another thread here that tells about fiberglassing. You could make a small enclosure in your door. If you do it right you will be able to put the door panel back on just fine.

 

Very concise response, thanks. I am up to making the enclosure, that part is the easiest for me, its the wiring that im not that keen on. so by the sound of it, i will stick to a 4 channel amp, and ill add a crossover for the subs, is that just another set of wires? ill also make sure i get the line out converter.

Does it matter what i make the enclosure out of? wood, fiberglass, metal?

I am planning on ordering this stuff online after i find the best prices, im in no rush to do this. what does everyone think about the kenwood shallow subs? should i avoid?any suggestions on these?

 

Most 4ch amps will come with some kind of x-over so you could save $$$ and the hassle of having to buy an external one. For the box, I think you could use MDF and maybe some fiberglass to strengthen it up. Make sure it is very sturdy and attached to the door. I would also use the peel and stick sound deadening sheet on the inside of the door to, well, deaden the sound. Think, make sound less tinny. I put some on the back wall of my cab where the sub is and it made a huge differance (sp?). The material adds mass to the panel it is attached too. This means it is harder for that panel to vibrate and add noise that you don't want to hear.

Something else to keep in mind, stuff in the door : locks, window's and the mechanism. If you place the sub low enough you might be able to avoid these things. Try to GOOGLE something like, subwoofer's in vehicle doors. I think I will after posting this just to see what I find. Maybe an article on "How To"?

Good luck, and post pic's of how you do yours.

 

Just found DIY Mobile Audio. Check the Forums. There looks to be several threads where ppl have posted pic's of installs. You might find some good info there.

 

what do you guys think about these?

8 inch sub


Amp
http://www.alpine-usa.com/product/view/mrp-f300

what do you guys think?

 

anyone?

 

The Polks need a little over 6.1" depth ( I'd go 7 for the hell of it ) clearence.
The Infinity need 5-3/16" depth ( 6 would work good ) clearance.

I don't know how much room you have for that to clear.

I've never had a problem with either of those brands but then again I've never run any under 10"...

That amp would be under powering the subs ( in my opinion ) but would be good for the door speakers.
I'd look for something in the 150 / 200 and up range for the subs if it were me... Not so big that it blows the doors off, but something that you'd be happy with at the end of the day, and not whishing you went bigger to begin with...

It is a nice compact amp though...

 

For the subs, look at their sealed enclosure minimum requirements. A lot of 8" subs still require at least .5 cu. ft. to sound anywhere decent.

I have a single Lanzar Max8p in a .25 cu. ft. sealed box that fits under one of the jump seats. I'm running it with 140W using the x-over in the head unit (Clarion DB285USB), and it works great for most music (I listen to a wide range). I am thinking of adding a second, but if you're simply matching it to a stock head unit, even just the one should be fine. I looked into putting them in the rear doors, and you're going to be much better off with a small box.

The Lanzars use very little air space, and they're inexpensive.

By the way, I listen to a lot of metal myself, so this might help you decide.

 

awesome info, after some thought, im thinking if i am going to stick with the sub in the door idea, i should try the cargo area directly below the speaker, ill have to sacrifice a bit of space, but i think its worth it if i can make it look clean.

Y2K when u say 150-200 is that total power of all the channels combined or each one, not exactly sure here.

the thought just occured to me, dont rangers with the tremor package come w a stock sub? would that be a viable option in this circumstance?

 

Wirelessly posted (Blackberry 8530)

I was going to put the sub in that spot, but there isn't much room, plus if you want to do that, you'll need to remove the bar that limits how far you can open the door and replace it with a strap (or be careful that when you open the rear doors they don't swing around and hit the bed). There is a thread with pics of a guy on here that did it. It's pretty clean, but I don't remember if he mentioned how it sounded. Ideally sound wise, your best option would be to try and seal the door and just mount the speaker on a plate. Trying to make even a .25 cu. ft. Box in there is nearly impossible.

 

just for the subs. 4 channel bridged to 2 channel or a nice 2 channel just for them... Or a 4 channel to run the entire setup, but you'd want 150 - 200 just for the subs. the fronts would sound better with something closer to what they are rated at rms wise.

Don't know about the Tremor package, I think someone else tried it and wasn't happy with it. You could try the bazooka tubes but I don't know how they sound.

 

bazooka tubes? sounds intriguing, what are they?

 

Found that thread. Check out this guy's build. It might interest you: Sub Box/Tuck Project

 

sweet just want i wanted, thanks!