OP
Great. That's what I will do. Thanks so much for the feedback.
Nashville TJ's Build - Continued
- Thread starter NashvilleTJ
- Start date
OP
Today I started into the rest of the wiring for the amplifier. First, pull the bezel and yank out the stereo to get access to the wiring harness.
I spent a bunch of time trying to decide whether or not to run new wiring to the main speakers. Running new wires and leaving the factory harness intact would have allowed me to more easily go back to stock if I ever needed to do so.
Ultimately, I decided not to because it would have been a royal pain to do the rear. My cage is fully padded and covered, and to pull new wire back there would have meant pulling all the covers, padding, and about 6 miles of black tape - and then putting it all back. @skrelnik's advice was that that stock wiring would work fine, so, I took the easy way out. Thanks dude.
I pulled out the FSM, identified the eight wires for the main speakers, and cut into the harness. I needed to extend those wires from behind the head unit over to the location of the amp. I solder spliced and heat shrank some 18 gauge speaker wire, which did the trick. After labeling those wires, I heat shrink'd the cut wires coming out of the connector.
That done, I added the RCA cables I needed for the pre-amp connection to the amp, and labeled those as well.
After routing all the new wires back to the amp location, I stuffed it all back in place.
Notice I have not yet put the bezel back in place - I'm not quite that confident in my wring abilities....
I spent a bunch of time trying to decide whether or not to run new wiring to the main speakers. Running new wires and leaving the factory harness intact would have allowed me to more easily go back to stock if I ever needed to do so.
Ultimately, I decided not to because it would have been a royal pain to do the rear. My cage is fully padded and covered, and to pull new wire back there would have meant pulling all the covers, padding, and about 6 miles of black tape - and then putting it all back. @skrelnik's advice was that that stock wiring would work fine, so, I took the easy way out. Thanks dude.
I pulled out the FSM, identified the eight wires for the main speakers, and cut into the harness. I needed to extend those wires from behind the head unit over to the location of the amp. I solder spliced and heat shrank some 18 gauge speaker wire, which did the trick. After labeling those wires, I heat shrink'd the cut wires coming out of the connector.
That done, I added the RCA cables I needed for the pre-amp connection to the amp, and labeled those as well.
After routing all the new wires back to the amp location, I stuffed it all back in place.
Notice I have not yet put the bezel back in place - I'm not quite that confident in my wring abilities....
OP
While I was working out in the shop, this thing shows up. Man, I could'a used it about a week ago!
OP
Next up was to tackle the sub. First step - pull the console. I always use Weatherpack connectors when I need something to be removeable, and the console is no exception. I have a winch controlled mounted in the front, and that is that second connector. I'll add a connector for the new sub wire as well.
I pulled apart the console to get to the sub, and I can't imagine why that sub needs so many wires, and a 12 pin connector!
Oh yeah, that's it...
That goes as well. Good riddense. Anyway, I rewired the sub in series as @skrelnik recommended. This should give me 4 ohms resistance. But again, not trusting my wiring abilities I pulled out the multi-meter. 3.8 ohms - so I'm good.
I pulled apart the console to get to the sub, and I can't imagine why that sub needs so many wires, and a 12 pin connector!
Oh yeah, that's it...
That goes as well. Good riddense. Anyway, I rewired the sub in series as @skrelnik recommended. This should give me 4 ohms resistance. But again, not trusting my wiring abilities I pulled out the multi-meter. 3.8 ohms - so I'm good.
OP
Tomorrow I'll complete the final connections to the amplifier, mount the amp in its new home, and test it all out.
Meanwhile, I pulled the crate off of the new toy. I'll miss my big old Laguna, but I'll get over it...
This thing is a beast. It was too tall to bring into the shop through the overhead door. I had to get my neighbor to come over and help me tip it over at an angle and drag it in. Which was no small feat as it was 628 pounds sitting on the pallet.
Meanwhile, I pulled the crate off of the new toy. I'll miss my big old Laguna, but I'll get over it...
This thing is a beast. It was too tall to bring into the shop through the overhead door. I had to get my neighbor to come over and help me tip it over at an angle and drag it in. Which was no small feat as it was 628 pounds sitting on the pallet.
Work of art! You will love it. The weight is one of the things that makes it do what it does well.Tomorrow I'll complete the final connections to the amplifier, mount the amp in its new home, and test it all out.
Meanwhile, I pulled the crate off of the new toy. I'll miss my big old Laguna, but I'll get over it...
View attachment 303962
This thing is a beast. It was too tall to bring into the shop through the overhead door. I had to get my neighbor to come over and help me tip it over at an angle and drag it in. Which was no small feat as it was 628 pounds sitting on the pallet.
Oops. I started my post before dinner and then hit post reply afterwards...
That is a badass looking press.
Looks like a band saw to me
And a drill pressLooks like a band saw to me
Does this mean you can retire the circular saw from metal cutting?Tomorrow I'll complete the final connections to the amplifier, mount the amp in its new home, and test it all out.
Meanwhile, I pulled the crate off of the new toy. I'll miss my big old Laguna, but I'll get over it...
View attachment 303962
This thing is a beast. It was too tall to bring into the shop through the overhead door. I had to get my neighbor to come over and help me tip it over at an angle and drag it in. Which was no small feat as it was 628 pounds sitting on the pallet.
OP
It still has a place in the arsenal. The bandsaw would not have done me any good when I cut the 14 bolt…Does this mean you can retire the circular saw from metal cutting?
Might be a little tough to hold it up there!The bandsaw would not have done me any good when I cut the 14 bolt…
I saw this a bit late, but you did the right thing to wire the voice coils in series for 4ohms. They woofer says 100w, not sure if they was per VC but probably not. Your amp is 200w at 4ohms, so you are good and it is a bit easier on your amp to provide a 4 ohm load than a 2 ohm. You get a bit better dampening factor with 4 ohms anyway, not that you'd ever be able to tell.
I wouldn't have bothered with replacing the factory wiring either. I didn't for mine. Your ears will give out long before the LCR of 18 gauge wiring becomes a factor.
I wouldn't have bothered with replacing the factory wiring either. I didn't for mine. Your ears will give out long before the LCR of 18 gauge wiring becomes a factor.
OP
OP
This morning I cut all the wires to length, made sure everything was labeled correctly, and tinned all the bare wire connections. I also added a weatherpack connector for the amp trigger.
At that point it was all plug and play.
Turned everything on, looked for smoke (luckily none...
), and tested it out. Big difference in volume and clarity, and it drives the sub much better than it ever has before.
I am having an issue though - I'm getting some static when nothing is playing, and it increases and decreases with the volume. Not an issue that I've ever noticed before. I can really hear it when I turn the volume up high. I've checked all the connections, and walked through disconnecting all the input and outputs one at a time to see if it was any specific channel - with no change.
The manual for the amp recommended that the ground for the amp be in the same location as the ground for the head unit. They are not as the ground for the head unit is still in the stock location. Could that be creating the issue? Anything else I can check while I have access to everything?
At that point it was all plug and play.
Turned everything on, looked for smoke (luckily none...
), and tested it out. Big difference in volume and clarity, and it drives the sub much better than it ever has before.I am having an issue though - I'm getting some static when nothing is playing, and it increases and decreases with the volume. Not an issue that I've ever noticed before. I can really hear it when I turn the volume up high. I've checked all the connections, and walked through disconnecting all the input and outputs one at a time to see if it was any specific channel - with no change.
The manual for the amp recommended that the ground for the amp be in the same location as the ground for the head unit. They are not as the ground for the head unit is still in the stock location. Could that be creating the issue? Anything else I can check while I have access to everything?