Nashville TJ's Build - Continued
- Thread starter NashvilleTJ
- Start date
Shop looks amazing, makes sense that you are into photography. The more pictures I take the more the surroundings and their order matters. Makes me want to go start throwing some of my hoard parts pill away!
On a 14 bolt? I wouldn’t run anything less than 17” simply due to tire availability. You can fit 15” depending on backspacing but unless you’re shaving your front calipers you’re not fitting smaller than a 16” but 16” and 16.5” tires aren’t that common anymore.
those axles are wide enough i'm not pushing the backspacing any shallower than i have to.
we get lots of 16.5" military tires around here cheap, just figurin the options. i know the rims can be re centered.
but 17" is ok by me. just glad it's not larger. i need to find some roller wheels in the near future.
Yup - I'm running a 17x9.5 at 4.5 backspace. A 16 might clear the brakes - but it would be really tight.
Back in 2017 I installed a new stereo, speakers, sub-woofer and GPS into the rig. I added a Kenwood DNX773S head unit, a set of Polk DB522 5.25" speakers front and rear, along with a Bazooka 6.5" sub in the console. I've always been fairly happy with the install, and it has served me well. But, the head unit only puts out 22 watts to the 100 watt speakers, so I've always thought I was leaving something on the table.
So fast forward to a couple of weeks ago. Itching for a little project I reached out to the audio gurus on the forum and asked about possibly adding an amp to boost the power and clarity a bit. If you are interested and have not seen it, here is the thread:
https://wranglertjforum.com/threads...-polk-db522s-would-it-improve-my-setup.58459/
The result of the discussion was my purchasing a Soundstream Picasso Nano Amplifier. It's a 5-channel pushing 60 watts to each main speaker and 200 watts to the sub. After some delivery delays due to weather here in Nashville, it showed up on my doorstep today.
So now that I have a little project, time to start picking up some pieces and get a plan together for the install.
So fast forward to a couple of weeks ago. Itching for a little project I reached out to the audio gurus on the forum and asked about possibly adding an amp to boost the power and clarity a bit. If you are interested and have not seen it, here is the thread:
https://wranglertjforum.com/threads...-polk-db522s-would-it-improve-my-setup.58459/
The result of the discussion was my purchasing a Soundstream Picasso Nano Amplifier. It's a 5-channel pushing 60 watts to each main speaker and 200 watts to the sub. After some delivery delays due to weather here in Nashville, it showed up on my doorstep today.
So now that I have a little project, time to start picking up some pieces and get a plan together for the install.
Before my Jeepin hobby and my mountain biking hobby, I was a huge audiophile nut-job, but in the home setting. My Jeep at least is hopelessly a flawed environment to get any kind of good SQ, but I do like trying. Good amplification helps a lot with clarity and allows you to be able to run some EQ for the problematic environment without running out of steam.
I still have a very long way to go, but the 5ch Alpine really unleashed the potential. "Digital amps" aka class D is really the way to go in a vehicle situation. They are just far more efficient and they have extremely low output impedance, which is layman's terms means they control the motion of the woofer extremely well.
Look forward to seeing your progress.
I still have a very long way to go, but the 5ch Alpine really unleashed the potential. "Digital amps" aka class D is really the way to go in a vehicle situation. They are just far more efficient and they have extremely low output impedance, which is layman's terms means they control the motion of the woofer extremely well.
Look forward to seeing your progress.
This morning I spent some time thinking about the best way to mount the amplifier up under the dash. Although I considered using @sourbluff 's idea of using a piece of phenolic cutting board to build a mount, I decided that I wanted to tuck it up under the steering column mount just a little tighter. So I pulled out my CAD skills and mocked up a mount that will be held in place by the two bolts which hold the back of the steering column. Here is my thought:
I'll make it out of 3/16" steel, and spend some time with a few hole saws to hog out a good bit of the plate to allow for cooling, while keeping it rigid enough since the amp is heavy. Then I think instead of using blue painter's tape, I'll weld the two tabs to the mount.
You may remember that a few months ago I ordered a big metal cutting band saw for the shop which would be perfect for this project. I just got a note that it won't ship now until close to the end of the month. Dammit! I guess I'll be bustin' out the old plasma.
I'll make it out of 3/16" steel, and spend some time with a few hole saws to hog out a good bit of the plate to allow for cooling, while keeping it rigid enough since the amp is heavy. Then I think instead of using blue painter's tape, I'll weld the two tabs to the mount.
You may remember that a few months ago I ordered a big metal cutting band saw for the shop which would be perfect for this project. I just got a note that it won't ship now until close to the end of the month. Dammit! I guess I'll be bustin' out the old plasma.
I think the painters tape should be more than strong enough and welding those tabs on is just plan overkill... 
Unless he bought the cheap knockoff painters tape...I think the painters tape should be more than strong enough and welding those tabs on is just plan overkill...
So...............................When do these go into production? 
Awesome. Looks like all the snow you had before is gone?
My snowpack has gone down but I still have 2.5' of snow on the ground. It's suppose to be 37* here today but we got a dusting last night. I was expecting to hear a sound test of the new stereo system.
Yesterday I built the mount for the new amplifier. Using the pattern I made earlier in the week, I cut out the main piece. To much of a pain to pull out the plasma to make two short cuts, so I used my trusty old circular saw / abrasive blade trick. Unlike the plasma, it makes a very clean cut that requires zero cleanup.
Then I cut and drilled the two tabs out of 1/4" bar, and beveled the lower edge for welding.
I did have to make a change from the pattern. I originally had the tabs centered on the plate, but there was not enough room to slide it on to the steering column bolts with the amp attached (that's why we tack, right?). So I cut the original tacks and offset the tabs.
Then I cut and drilled the two tabs out of 1/4" bar, and beveled the lower edge for welding.
I did have to make a change from the pattern. I originally had the tabs centered on the plate, but there was not enough room to slide it on to the steering column bolts with the amp attached (that's why we tack, right?). So I cut the original tacks and offset the tabs.
Yeah, last week's snow was long gone. We had some rain which quickly washed it all away. But it is coming down like a banshee at the moment.
Had some fun this morning, my daughter Kristen is a nurse and she spent the night here last night in case the roads were bad. They were, so I was up at 5 to take her to the hospital. Fun ride.
The dog in the video is Toby, Kristen's dog.
Here is the amp mounted to the plate.
Not a very good picture, but here it is setting in place.
Not a very good picture, but here it is setting in place.
After checking the fit, and making sure it will be easy to install and remove (which I will have to do often when I wire it in and set the levels), I finish welded the tabs.
...and yeah, I bobbled that weld on the left just a bit. I need to remember to first take a practice run when I've not welded for a while.
...and yeah, I bobbled that weld on the left just a bit. I need to remember to first take a practice run when I've not welded for a while.
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