Subs

[Dean Kolar]

Alright so I have a set of 12 inch kicker subs that are 600 peak I believe..my only question is once you pull out the stereo what wire do u need to run in order for them to connect with the speakers..sorry kinda dumb on this audio stuff

 

[Dean Kolar]

Btw it's a 2002 st

 

[Todd Z]

the stock sterio will NOT run them.... you need an amp and special wiring.....



Todd Z

 

[Dean Kolar]

Ok that's what I thought..I knew I needed an amp I just didn't know about the stereo...thanks

 

[Dean Kolar]

Does this then need to be wired through the heat shield to the battery for the ground?? Sorry kinda short on cash so if I do this I want to do it on my own

 

[Carey Frennier]

Yes. You'll need a OEM interface module, bass control knob, amp kit, power cord from the batter straight to the amp. You will need to match the amp to the impedence of the subs or it will not work correctly. So decide how many Ohms you will play and what RMS power your subs have. Peak power is basically advertising and really doesn't matter when your engineering your system.



If your amp plays 300w RMS at 2-Ohmns, then you need to make sure that that is the impedence your sups play at when wired up together.



I'd recommend a new head unit with a high and low pass filter to compliment that of your amp. That way you can minimize some of the distortion that you will get playing at high sub/bass/volume levels.

 

[Dean Kolar]

Ok do you happen to know the exact specifications for the stock speakers?? And then how would you go about from getting it to the battery to the amp if I have the sub placed on the back seats

 

[Bryan Tobey]

Dean,



Do some web surfing for car audio info. Crutchfield.com is a worthwhile look.



Psycareyo gave some good info. To match impedance from sub to amp you also need to know if you'll be wiring in parallel (both hooked to the same outputs on amp) or series (one hooked to amp and second hooked to first).



You'll need to run power from the battery to the amp (fused), then find a suitable ground. You'll need to find a "turn-on" power source in the fuse panel to trigger the amp when you turn the key on.



Then, you'll need a line converter to take the amplified signal from the stereo and turn it into a signal the amp can understand.



You're best bet is to replace a factory head unit with aftermarket with "pre-amp" (RCA style) outputs, turn on trigger for the amp, crossover control to adjust frequency cut-off, etc.



This isn't difficult, but cheap won't bring you bang for the buck. If you're set on doing what you described, have at it. Be reasonable in the questions you ask, this isn't like baking a cake. You need to understand basic electrical theory and that information is at your fingertips...



Last question, why have the subs sitting on back seat? If it's because they don't fit, sell them. Buy a new high end head unit and high quality replacement speakers and you'll never want for a sub again...unless you just want to make everything rattle in your truck.

 

[Dean Kolar]

Haha sorry for seeming like an idiot..I'm a high school kid just trying to put some more sound in the car and I have a sub laying around the house so I thought it would be sick to put it in the car. Yea it's gonna rattle the heck out of the car but I'm gonna do some research this weekend on the audio stuff and once I get more knowledge then ill ask some reasonable things. Plus gotta find a way to convince the parents ik what I'm doing....

 

[Art Garcia]

I did this for a friend. He wanted to go cheap and just have the sub working.



You need an amp to power the sub. ( you can wire the sub directly to your speakers but you won't get much of a thump)

You'll need line output converter.

YouA'll need RCA leads running from the amp to the line output converter.

On the line output converter run the L+, L- and/or R+, R- and splice into your factory speakers.

The remote turn in wire on the amp can be ran to the battery, fuse, or power wire on headunit.



And there you have it.



Call me if you need any help on step by step on how to do this or more questions



865-309-7830

 

[Dean Kolar]

Alright when I have time to goof around this weekend I can check it out but @ Arturo I think I still need a new head unit to control the sub or would the amp come with a remote to control??

 

[Carey Frennier]

I think it would be in your best interest to talk to a pro, at a store, near you. Disclose your budget and what you already have. That way you don't ruin your truck because it's a VERY real posibility that you can seriously damage your vehicle if you 1) don't know what your doing and 2) are not 100% confident in your work.



I know a lot about this kind of stuff. However, for complicated, high end stuff...I still leave it up to a pro. The added benifit is that they assume all liablity!

 

[Dean Kolar]

Thanks very much guys I was planning on asking some guys this weekend as I could easily screw the truck up so once I do this if I have any issues or installation questions ill comment back on here.

 

[Bryan Tobey]

FWIW, the first stereo I put in was at age 12. Age isn't a factor, it's knowledge.



See if you can find a book called "Car Audio Cookbook" (I think that was the title). It goes through all the simple and complex theory you need to tackle this.



As you go forward in your gearhead development, remember that folks are willing to help, but you first need to do the basic research. That takes time, you'll need to invest some.

 

[Dean Kolar]

Ok so after looking around for a bit I read that u can make RCA jacks out of the rear speakers and splicing the wire so that they are still in use...does this seem possible??