Aftermarket subwoofer replacement for factory subwoofer?

I ended up with the same setup as WHBonney, but instead of pulling out my console tray and putting it on top, I took the tray out and used a dremel to cut 5/8" off the bottom of the tray and then epoxied a piece of acrylic to bottom to cover the hole. My wife cut a piece of black craft felt to sit in the new raised bottom of the tray for a OEM-ish look. As WHBonney said, the sub is a ripper and is by FAR the best bang for your subwoofer buck. My head unit has a built-in Subwoofer volume control, so I omitted the rotary subwoofer knob and instead set the sub on MAX volume and then use the headunit to control the sub level.

NOTE: Others have previously stated that the power line for the factory subwoofer is not sufficient to power this aftermarket Sound Ordinance sub. The fuse for the factory subwoofer is 20A, while the fuse in the side of the Sound Ordinance sub is 15A. You can (and I do) power this aftermarket sub with the factory sub wiring harness.

For those of you out there without the subwoofer center console, the Sound Ordinance 8" subwoofer is shallow enough that you can mount it under the rear seat *if* you put 1" spacers under the rear seat mounting brackets.
 
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I ended up with the same setup as WHBonney, but instead of pulling out my console tray and putting it on top, I took the tray out and used a dremel to cut 5/8" off the bottom of the tray and then epoxied a piece of acrylic to bottom to cover the hole. My wife cut a piece of black craft felt to sit in the new raised bottom of the tray for a OEM-ish look.

Im curious: why’d you trim the tray? The sub didn’t fit with the tray above? WHBooney’s and mine fit with plenty room to keep it original.



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Im curious: why’d you trim the tray? The sub didn’t fit with the tray above? WHBooney’s and mine fit with plenty room to keep it original.



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Yes, the 8" Sound Ordinance sub is slightly too tall right under the center console tray. When you put the SO sub under the center console, it's basically laying directly on the Jeep tub, which is metal....not the best idea for a thumping subwoofer. So, after you put down a something to insulate the sub from the tub, the sub is about 1/2" too tall and it touches the factory center console tray. Your options are:

1. Clearance the tray so it doesn't contact the sub.
2. Pop out the rivets holding the center console tray to the console, then remount the tray on the top of the center console (this is what WHBonney did).
3. Put 1" spacers underneath the rear seat mounting points and then mount the sub under the rear seat.
4. Put the sub in the back behind the rear seat and deal with having even less rear storage space.

For me, this Wrangler is for my wife and daughter, so I wanted this to be as OEM as possible. Since nobody in my family has used cassettes for at least a thousand years, it seems that giving up 5/8" of depth in the center console tray was the least-worst option.
 
Im trying to think.....not sure which size sub speaker Ive got, ha! It’s already been that long. I also padded below my sub, but I just used carpeting. Maybe a leftover piece from my Bedrug, if memory serves me right.


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Im trying to think.....not sure which size sub speaker Ive got, ha! It’s already been that long. I also padded below my sub, but I just used carpeting. Maybe a leftover piece from my Bedrug, if memory serves me right.


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If you have a Sound Ordinance 8" sub, you probably have the older model that was a bit shorter (when laid on its side) and a bit wider. WHBonney's sub didn't fit with the tray mounted as it normally would be. If you go back and look at the install pictures in post #37, you can see that the black tray was removed and remounted from the top of the console, which is what yielded the extra clearance for the subwoofer. It's clear to me that WHBonney's finish work is much higher quality than mine, because I could not have gotten away with remounting the tray from the top and have it pass muster with the missus.
 
If you have a Sound Ordinance 8" sub, you probably have the older model that was a bit shorter (when laid on its side) and a bit wider. WHBonney's sub didn't fit with the tray mounted as it normally would be. If you go back and look at the install pictures in post #37, you can see that the black tray was removed and remounted from the top of the console, which is what yielded the extra clearance for the subwoofer. It's clear to me that WHBonney's finish work is much higher quality than mine, because I could not have gotten away with remounting the tray from the top and have it pass muster with the missus.
I lined the floorboard under the console with adhesive backed weather stripping (camper shell type) as well as any rub points or places corners could bang on the trail. Also pushed in a few pieces of large foam to hold it snug. The console fit without removing the tray but was tight. I mainly pulled the tray to mount the sub level dial since I think it's easier to turn it down for a given track than scroll through menus on the deck. An added bonus was that I could see/ reach inside to make sure my wires and rca plugs were not too tweaked. The Sound Ordinace sub came with a few strips of skinny adhesive backed foam strips that I stuck around the top rim of the console before putting the tray back in. It fits like a glove. Tight enough not to rattle but still removable to give a bit of access. Loving the upgrade so far. The sub sounds great, out of the weather, feet etc. with no lost cargo space.
Thanks for the idea and the props!
 
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My TJ had a sub at one time but the PO must have removed it. It has a nice Kenwood head unit, Sirius ready along with an Alpine amp. The system sounds good but needs bass so here's what I installed in the factory enclosure. Had to remove some of the inside plastic but anyone with basic skills can do this. The sub will be powered by a Kicker mono amp. that I have not ordered yet. After I applied the decals it dawned on me that they will never be seen. 🤣🤣🤣

DSCN1536.JPG
 
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My TJ had a sub at one time but the PO must have removed it. It has a nice Kenwood head unit, Sirius ready along with an Alpine amp. The system sounds good but needs bass so here's what I installed in the factory enclosure. Had to remove some of the inside plastic but anyone with basic skills can do this. The sub will be powered by a Kicker mono amp. that I have not ordered yet. After I applied the decals it dawned on me that they will never be seen. 🤣🤣🤣

View attachment 91280

I finally added a Kicker 42PXA2001 amp. to power this sub.. The bass is great and adds a new dimension to the sound.
 
Hello to all!

Need advice.
I've been reading all about that subwoofer substitute but don't understand properly what I should get.

I want to get the Kicker CompRT 6.75 subwoofer but which model. The 1 or 2 ohm?
Since they are dual voice, on a 1ohm amplifier, this will become a 0,5 ohm which I read that wasn't the way the amplifier was build for?

I did a bit of researching as to understand if 1 vs 2 is better with no luck.

I just need a bit of guidance since I am leaning toward the 2ohm model for the subwoofer and also for the 2ohm model for the amplifier but I can't tell you why and if it's ok.

Any help really appreciated since it is not my domain of expertise. 😁
 
Hello to all!

Need advice.
I've been reading all about that subwoofer substitute but don't understand properly what I should get.

I want to get the Kicker CompRT 6.75 subwoofer but which model. The 1 or 2 ohm?
Since they are dual voice, on a 1ohm amplifier, this will become a 0,5 ohm which I read that wasn't the way the amplifier was build for?

I did a bit of researching as to understand if 1 vs 2 is better with no luck.

I just need a bit of guidance since I am leaning toward the 2ohm model for the subwoofer and also for the 2ohm model for the amplifier but I can't tell you why and if it's ok.

Any help really appreciated since it is not my domain of expertise. 😁

I previously posted this on the kicker woofer, but you need to pick an amplifier to know what ohm your kicker woofer should be.

If you purchase that Kicker sub, which I do recommend buying, it has dual voice coils, so simply stated a 1 ohm dual voil coil wants an amp to supply 1/2 ohm or 2 ohms, while a 2 ohm dual voil coil wants an amp to supply 1 ohm or 4 ohms.

The reason the Kicker sub can take either half or double the stated ohm value is because it has dual voice coils, so you wire in series or parrallel.

The 1 ohm kicker sub, when paired with that Kicker amp, gives you two options, either use 1/2 ohm with 200 watts or 2 ohms with 50 watts, but the Kicker 2 ohm speaker gives you one option, 1 ohm with 100 watts.

In order for the 1 ohm kicker sub to utilize the 1/2 ohm with 200 watts, it must be wired in parrallel, and to use the 2 ohms with 50 watts they must be wired in series.

That Kicker 2 ohm, when paired with this specific Kicker sub, must be wired parrallel in order to utilize the 1 ohm with 100 watts.

Parrallel wiring vs Series Wiring - Picture will be better than my words:

series_parallel_speakers.jpg
 
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Hello to all!

Need advice.
I've been reading all about that subwoofer substitute but don't understand properly what I should get.

I want to get the Kicker CompRT 6.75 subwoofer but which model. The 1 or 2 ohm?
Since they are dual voice, on a 1ohm amplifier, this will become a 0,5 ohm which I read that wasn't the way the amplifier was build for?

I did a bit of researching as to understand if 1 vs 2 is better with no luck.

I just need a bit of guidance since I am leaning toward the 2ohm model for the subwoofer and also for the 2ohm model for the amplifier but I can't tell you why and if it's ok.

Any help really appreciated since it is not my domain of expertise. 😁


It sounds like you are trying to replace the factory subwoofer and keep the factory sub enclosure. If you attempt to reuse the factory sub amp, YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE A BAD TIME. The factory amp is a "Bridge-Tied Load" style amp that pumps out 40 watts at high distortion. While that Kicker will certainly fit (with minor mods to the enclosure) and it WILL make sound, it won't be particularly good sound. Also, the original speaker was dual 2-ohm voice coils, tied together to make present a 1-ohm load to the amp. If you present the amp a 0.5 ohm load, it will either blow up or go into thermal self-protection after use.

Something else to consider is that Kicker has a pretty low efficiency for something that will only see 40 watts at peak power. If you are determined to keep the factory sub enclosure, I'd recommend you give up on the factory amp and instead mount a dedicated sub amp under one of the front seats. That kicker will still be choked out by the tiny sealed sub box, but at least each bass note won't sound like a bass chainsaw.
 
Thanks for the reply!

Nooooo, I wouldn't dare using the stock amplifier.
I will buy the Kicker sub and the small Kicker amp.
Was just wondering which one I should get.

So the 1ohm connected in parallel would have more watt vs the 2ohm, is that correct?

Let's say I take the 2ohms amplifier,
It doesn't matter if I take the 1ohm subwoofer vs the 2ohm?

Why am I not understanding, it seems obvious, no?:unsure::sleep::poop:
 
I have 2005 sport with factory sub in the center console... I've read about the Quadratec replacement sub, but the reviews are just ok.....
Has anyone upgraded to a better sub or retrofitted a larger name brand sub into the center console....
Replaced mine with the Quadratec unit. Seem good enough considering all the cab noise in a TJ. There probably are better units available.
 
Thanks for the reply!

Nooooo, I wouldn't dare using the stock amplifier.
I will buy the Kicker sub and the small Kicker amp.
Was just wondering which one I should get.

So the 1ohm connected in parallel would have more watt vs the 2ohm, is that correct?

Let's say I take the 2ohms amplifier,
It doesn't matter if I take the 1ohm subwoofer vs the 2ohm?

Why am I not understanding, it seems obvious, no?:unsure::sleep::poop:

Grab the 1 ohm kicker sub with the Kicker 42PXA2001 amp. This amp supplies 200 watts at 1/2 ohm, wired in parrallel.

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_206CWRT671/Kicker-CompRT-43CWRT671.html
https://www.crutchfield.com/p_206PXA2001/Kicker-42PXA2001.html
 
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Grab the 1 ohm kicker sub with the Kicker 42PXA2001 amp. This amp supplies 200 watts at 1/2 ohm, wired in parrallel.

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_206CWRT671/Kicker-CompRT-43CWRT671.html
https://www.crutchfield.com/p_206PXA2001/Kicker-42PXA2001.html
So, I have the 1 ohm kicker sub but not the amp, after about 40 minutes of use the sub completely cuts out, nothing, nada. I have to wait for a few hours after the vehicle has been turned off for it to start working again. The sub is about 2 months, I don’t know what the issue is, will the amp make the difference?
 
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Thanks for the reply!

Nooooo, I wouldn't dare using the stock amplifier.
I will buy the Kicker sub and the small Kicker amp.
Was just wondering which one I should get.

So the 1ohm connected in parallel would have more watt vs the 2ohm, is that correct?

Let's say I take the 2ohms amplifier,
It doesn't matter if I take the 1ohm subwoofer vs the 2ohm?

Why am I not understanding, it seems obvious, no?:unsure::sleep::poop:


So, the rule of thumb is "half the ohms, double the power"..... BUT that is only true *IF* the amp has the current available *AND* the amp is stable at the new ohm load. So, if you have an amp that can supply 100 watts at 2 ohms, that same amp would also supply 200 watts at 1 ohm if the amp is stable at 1 ohm. Not all amps are.
 
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So, I have the 1 ohm kicker sub but not the amp, after about 40 minutes of use the sub completely cuts out, nothing, nada. I have to wait for a few hours after the vehicle has been turned off for it to start working again. The sub is about 2 months, I don’t know what the issue is, will the amp make the difference?

The factory sub amplifier is not stable at 1 or 0.5 ohms. The sub shuts off because the amp is going into thermal protection, which disables the power amp until it cools off.


EDIT: I'd like to take this opportunity to remind everyone that the factory sub harness has a 20amp fuse and power wire capable of supporting 20 amp operation. 20amps @ 12volts = 240 watts of power consumption, which should technically support a 150 - 200 watt sub power amp. The stock harness makes it pretty simple to wire in an aftermarket power amp and mount it under one of the front seats.
 
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The factory sub amplifier is not stable at 1 or 0.5 ohms. The sub shuts off because the amp is going into thermal protection, which disables the power amp until it cools off.

So, I have the 1 ohm kicker sub but not the amp, after about 40 minutes of use the sub completely cuts out, nothing, nada. I have to wait for a few hours after the vehicle has been turned off for it to start working again. The sub is about 2 months, I don’t know what the issue is, will the amp make the difference?


What @ardweebno said. You should get a new amplifier, you can go for that Kicker mono amp posted above, or you could look at a five channel like this one and wire your kicker sub in series to pull 2 ohms, and then add four new speakers, like the Polk DB522 which are 4 ohms, and this amplifier will produce 60 watts at 4 ohms

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_530PN5640D/Soundstream-Picasso-Nano-PN5-640D.html
  • 80 watts RMS x 4 at + 350 watts RMS x 1 at 2 ohms

  • 60 watts RMS x 4 at + 200 watts RMS x 1 at 4 ohms
 
What @ardweebno said. You should get a new amplifier, you can go for that Kicker mono amp posted above, or you could look at a five channel like this one and wire your kicker sub in series to pull 2 ohms, and then add four new speakers, like the Polk DB522 which are 4 ohms, and this amplifier will produce 60 watts at 4 ohms

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_530PN5640D/Soundstream-Picasso-Nano-PN5-640D.html
  • 80 watts RMS x 4 at + 350 watts RMS x 1 at 2 ohms

  • 60 watts RMS x 4 at + 200 watts RMS x 1 at 4 ohms
Sweet thanks @ardweebno and @skrelnik, I didn’t do my research on the stock amp. I figured I would save money for college and just use the stock amp, I guess I’ll have to make a sacrifice and get the amp.