Items Used:
Drill
9/32" drill bit
Jigsaw
12mm socket
#12x1" sheet metal screws
$0.99
1 roll 3/8" foam weatherstrip tape
$2.99
1 half-sheet plywood 1/4"
$5.00
300 watt amp wiring kit (Wal-Mart)
$19.99
misc nuts, bolts & washers to install speakers
Phillips & Flathead screwdrivers
2
6-1/2" OZ woofers (pawn shop)
$30.00
75x2 watt Targa amplifier (pawn shop)
$20.00
Disconnect the
battery. Remove the plate below the wiring harness entering the
firewall on the driver's side. There are 2 nuts inside the truck above
the brake pedal on the firewall held on by 2 12mm nuts. Once the nuts
are removed, take off the brass plate. It will be stuck on with double
sided foam and will take some effort. Once the plate is off, drill a
9/32 inch hole in the center to run the amp power wire through. You
can use the grommet included in the kit, but you will need to drill a
larger hole. I chose not to use the grommet because the wire will not
be moving much. Begin feeding the power wire before replacing the
plate. |
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I chose to feed
the wire along the firewall using the zip-ties included with the amp
wiring kit. Make sure you run it behind any moving parts & avoid
anything hot. |
Inside the truck
I continued to run the power wire behind the plastic fuse panel, close
to the floor. Remove the driver's side door sill (held on with 5
phillips screws) and run the power wire along the edge of the carpet.
Next remove the trim piece along the outside of the driver's seat and
feed the power wire under the seat. To mount the amp, I first placed
the amp on the floor and using a marker, marked the hole (I only used
1 bolt to hold the amp) to be drilled on the carpet. Drill the hole,
but be careful, the drill will twist up a bunch of insulation from
under the carpet before drilling into the metal. I then ran the remote
power wire & the RCA cables from the back of the radio, along the
bottom of the center console, removing screws along the way & routing
the cables over the 2 screws to keep the wires from falling out. There
will be a bunch of extra length of the RCA cable, just use a zip-tie
to bundle the extra into a loop. Next, attach an eye loop to the
ground wire & attach it to the screw holding on the lower seat trim.
Once all the wires are attached to the amp, insert the bolt through
the hole in the floor. Remember to use a washer & tighten the nut. If
you do any water crossing, remember to add some silicone around the
nut to keep out any water.
NOTE:
Remember the frame rail runs under the outer side of the drivers seat,
so drill the hole closer to the center of the truck |
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The lid covering
the compartment is held on with 3 phillips screws. After removing the
screws, the lid has 2 tabs that must be broken in order to remove it.
Take the lid and flip it upside down on the plywood & trace the
outline. Make sure NOT to cut out the finger hole used for
lifting the lid, or the cover will not be airtight. The line along the
bottom (opposite of the rounded corners) can be cut straight. Place
the cut piece of wood on the compartment for a test fit and while
holding both tightly, flip over so the wood is down. Mark the 4
exposed holes on the wood. These will be used to hold the wood to the
compartment. Measure the center of the wood horizontally & vertically.
If your speakers did not come with templates (as mine didn't), you
will need to make some. After measuring the bottom of the speakers (as
close as I could), I used Corel Draw 9 to draw a circle & printed it
on plain paper. I cut out the circle & used the paper (not the cut out
circle) to measure a fit on the bottom of the speaker |
Once you have
the correct hole size, place the cut out circle on the wood & trace
around. Then cut out the circles & drill starter holes marked on the
bottom of the wood for mounting the wood to the compartment. Mark &
drill the holes for mounting the speakers & mount the speakers to the
board. Apply the foam weatherstrip tape along the edge of the wood.
Re-install the compartment. Drill 2 holes or 1 large hole in the side
of the compartment to run the speaker wires through. I used the 9/32"
bit & made 1 hole & enlarged it with the bit until the wires fit. |
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If you want to
apply Dynamat to the compartment, you can, but I tried it without &
have no rattles. Attach the wires to the speakers and flip the board
over. Use the #12x1" sheet metal screws in the 4 holes previously
drilled to mount the board into the compartment. Do not overtighten
the screws, or you will strip out the plastic liner holding them in.
Cover the speakers with the carpet. You can hold it down with velcro
if you want, but it is under the seats & isn't really going anywhere. |
The last step is
to tighten the foot located on the bottom of the passenger side rear
seat. You only need to tighten the inner-most foot. Loosen the nut
with a pair of pliers or a wrench all the way to the bottom of the
foot. Then tighten the foot until it is as close to the seat as
possible. The seat will lock back down, but it will take a little more
effort than before, but you won't have to slam it down. Remember to
reconnect the battery. |
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