# New Build - 2019 JL Wrangler 2 door



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

*I want to do something different with this one... The goal is LOUD with a fair amount of SQ, and a sorta inconspicuous installation as it will be parked with the top off sometimes. Unfortunately, there will be no chrome anywhere in this Jeep, so the AudioFrogs will all be for sale. *

I am thinking 3 way:

*Midbass*
It has small pods in the dash, that might be just about useless (I'll have to pull them out and take a closer look), so I am thinking about midbass in the kick panels. No clue on what drivers to look at. 

*Tweeters/Midrange*
The dash has some midranges I believe, so there is some room up there, but not much. Drivers must be small, thin and sealed back, but no clue on those either. 

*Sub*
I can't fit more than a 10" if I want to down fire the sub in the trunk. It has to be a beefy 10", though, it will get 2,000 watts at 2 ohm. Or maybe two 8"s.

*Source*
Fiio X5 digtal to dsp

*DSP*
MiniDSP 8x12 with Dirac Live

The only equipment I am keeping from my previous are the amps, Mmats Hifi6150 (150 watts x 6) and M2000.2.


----------



## toneloc2 (Nov 29, 2015)

David you bought another Jeep!!!!!!!!! Hurray. Now I have to hold off on finishing mine to see what you do. Dam you. Lol.


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

toneloc2 said:


> David you bought another Jeep!!!!!!!!! Hurray. Now I have to hold off on finishing mine to see what you do. Dam you. Lol.


Yeah, man! For personal reasons (divorce) the Trackhawk is not happening right now, so this is the substitute! 

I loved my 2016 JK, and this thing is even better!


----------



## diy.phil (May 23, 2011)

Congrats on the new Wrangler!! hmmm.... can't wait to see what you mean by sorta inconspicuous installation lol


----------



## toneloc2 (Nov 29, 2015)

O sorry to hear that. Yes the new ones are nice lov mine. But more noise then the jk. Just remember everything you make you have to make 2 of. One for me lol


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

diy.phil said:


> Congrats on the new Wrangler!! hmmm.... can't wait to see what you mean by sorta inconspicuous installation lol


Well, I am going to "try" to keep it stealth this time, but I often say that and then end up with ornaments on the dash!! Lol


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

toneloc2 said:


> O sorry to hear that. Yes the new ones are nice lov mine. But more noise then the jk. Just remember everything you make you have to make 2 of. One for me lol


Ok! Lol

I find mine to be slightly less noisey before sound deadening, but I also remember deadening made a big difference in my 2016 JK... 

What size speaker did you say would fit in the pods?? I am trying to decide if I should go with kick panel mids bass or try to make something out of the pods...


----------



## rton20s (Feb 14, 2011)

Ah... so this is where all of your other posts are coming from?


----------



## toneloc2 (Nov 29, 2015)

i think metra now has dash pods to fit a 6.5 speaker in the dash... but same problem air volume..... thats why i did the door pods,,, way better defiantly have the mid-bass i was missing. gb 25 in factory dash... the dash grill is the same shape as my door grills so i might do dash pods with the tweet and mid-range and try to keep the same shape... my install is pretty much done for now, playing with tuning,, i just need to try and get my stage higher up....looking forward to see what you do bud... i,m here if you need support lol...


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

rton20s said:


> Ah... so this is where all of your other posts are coming from?


Otherwise it would have seemed as if I'd lost my mind, right?! Lol


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

toneloc2 said:


> i think metra now has dash pods to fit a 6.5 speaker in the dash... but same problem air volume..... thats why i did the door pods,,, way better defiantly have the mid-bass i was missing. gb 25 in factory dash... the dash grill is the same shape as my door grills so i might do dash pods with the tweet and mid-range and try to keep the same shape... my install is pretty much done for now, playing with tuning,, i just need to try and get my stage higher up....looking forward to see what you do bud... i,m here if you need support lol...


Thank you!

Interesting about your stage height being low... I had that issue at first in my JK, but playing with crossovers and of course EQ fixed that pretty easily. 

One idea I have had with the pods is using them, but enlarging them closer to the volume needed. Picture a tumor type enclosure added on to the pod. It would be really cool to have a truly sealed midbass enclosure with the correct volume! We all know that doors are never actually sealed unless the driver is isolated from the window area...


----------



## toneloc2 (Nov 29, 2015)

yes hard to seal doors, thats why i built mine on the panel itself so nice and tightly sealed... ya my stage is at the height of head unit.


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

The Metra pods might be a better way to experiment with enlarging the pods, rather than hacking up the factory ones... At $54 per pair, I'll probably try these first. I wish I could find info on how much cu.ft. they are.



http://metraonline.com/files/products/INSTJP-1014_web.pdf


----------



## toneloc2 (Nov 29, 2015)

Yes go with new pods if that’s were your going. The factory pods have reset for the factory speakers. The new ones don’t.


----------



## rton20s (Feb 14, 2011)

DavidRam said:


> The Metra pods might be a better way to experiment with enlarging the pods, rather than hacking up the factory ones... At $54 per pair, I'll probably try these first. I wish I could find info on how much cu.ft. they are.
> 
> 
> 
> http://metraonline.com/files/products/INSTJP-1014_web.pdf


With the pods being a smaller sealed enclosure and not quite as exposed to the elements compared to a normal door install, it might open up quite a few options from the raw driver side of things. If you get some, take volume measurements and fitment dimensions (diameter, depth, etc.) and I bet we can find you some really nice options. One thing you may have to do, once you've got them in hand, is see how much additional sealing and bracing they may need to stand up to a more robust driver.


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

rton20s said:


> With the pods being a smaller sealed enclosure and not quite as exposed to the elements compared to a normal door install, it might open up quite a few options from the raw driver side of things. If you get some, take volume measurements and fitment dimensions (diameter, depth, etc.) and I bet we can find you some really nice options. One thing you may have to do, once you've got them in hand, is see how much additional sealing and bracing they may need to stand up to a more robust driver.


I will for sure... I think the potential is there for it to perform as good as a door, as long as there is a reasonable amount of volume and matched with an appropriate driver... Again, I don't mind taking the time to enlarge the pod, too.


----------



## toneloc2 (Nov 29, 2015)

hey David i did a quick 2 hour tune tonight. this is my results so far.. so there might be hope for the JLU lol..


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

toneloc2 said:


> hey David i did a quick 2 hour tune tonight. this is my results so far.. so there might be hope for the JLU lol..


Looking great, man!


----------



## moparman79 (Jan 31, 2008)

Looking good! A down firing sub setup should work good in the back. I haven’t worked on these newer ones yet. A older sport I worked on had the tomb stone tweeter in the dash, midbass enclosures in the dash. Worked well using them for midbass, I just use the hybrid audio mirus V convertable in front and the coaxial version in the rear. They sounded pretty good for the money ($250 a set and $200 for coaxial) played very loud and still had good sq. To be honest for a Jeep setup that all I will ever use going forward. Then used a Audiomobile 10” sub on the tailgate. It sounded great as well, with great output.


----------



## onlyontwo (Aug 25, 2011)

Following! Just got part of my JLUR done. PacPro to Zapco ADSP-Z8, Hybrid Legatia L3SE in factory dash location, Unity 2 ohm 6.5" in the Metra pods and a Sundown SD3 10" in a sealed box right now. Sub is only getting 240 watts right now and seems way underpowered. Looking to swap out the sub and feed more power to it.


----------



## toneloc2 (Nov 29, 2015)

onlyontwo said:


> Following! Just got part of my JLUR done. PacPro to Zapco ADSP-Z8, Hybrid Legatia L3SE in factory dash location, Unity 2 ohm 6.5" in the Metra pods and a Sundown SD3 10" in a sealed box right now. Sub is only getting 240 watts right now and seems way underpowered. Looking to swap out the sub and feed more power to it.
> 
> View attachment 259228


Hey Andrew did you happen to measure the air volume of the pod...nice we have 4 jlu builds going on...


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

toneloc2 said:


> Hey Andrew did you happen to measure the air volume of the pod...nice we have 4 jlu builds going on...


I ordered them too. If he didn't, I definitely will as soon as I get them!


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

Let me ask you something, could there be a more perfect fit?!?! 

The amps drop right in to the storage area and even leave plenty of room under them to store the dsp and all the wiring...


----------



## toneloc2 (Nov 29, 2015)

nice fit... it was about an inch to short for my zapco's..


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

toneloc2 said:


> nice fit... it was about an inch to short for my zapco's..


Lucky as **** fit, huh?! Did you realize that plastic thing IS the body? There is no sheet metal under or around it...


----------



## Porsche (Jun 29, 2008)

what happened to the track hawk


----------



## toneloc2 (Nov 29, 2015)

DavidRam said:


> Lucky as **** fit, huh?! Did you realize that plastic thing IS the body? There is no sheet metal under or around it...


yup i did mines bolted and glued.


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

Porsche said:


> what happened to the track hawk


My wife and I have begun divorce proceedings, so I decided to put that dream on hold until I see this drama through...


----------



## Porsche (Jun 29, 2008)

DavidRam said:


> My wife and I have begun divorce proceedings, so I decided to put that dream on hold until I see this drama through...


damn dude, hate to hear it. good luck and have great holiday


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

Porsche said:


> damn dude, hate to hear it. good luck and have great holiday


Thank you and you too!!!


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

My OCD has sometimes been uncomfortable with some of the wiring in my previous builds, so this one MUST be laid out and routed to perfection... 

I'm gonna run power AND ground outside of the vehicle and drill holes in the storage tub with 0 gauge running right into distribution blocks.


----------



## onlyontwo (Aug 25, 2011)

How are you going to deaden your hardtop? I got the Hot Heads headliner kit, but not sure what to do otherwise.


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

onlyontwo said:


> How are you going to deaden your hardtop? I got the Hot Heads headliner kit, but not sure what to do otherwise.


I have the factory headliner, but I will probably pull if and add some cld and maybe some ccf to the top and then reinstall the headliner. I did this in my 2016 and it work good. 

I would used the thinner, lighter 80 mil KnuKonceptz cld for the top:





Kno Knoise - Resonance Control







www.knukonceptz.com


----------



## toneloc2 (Nov 29, 2015)

onlyontwo said:


> How are you going to deaden your hardtop? I got the Hot Heads headliner kit, but not sure what to do otherwise.


Lol dam you thought we were going to but 2 for a deal. Definitely going with the hot head complete kit minus the strips will put my own deadener then then the headliner. Had the factory one in my jk yes it helped but the hotheads one is better. Listen if your planing on deadening your Jeep. Put a sub in the back and play some low notes. Before you strip out interior. Grab some masking tape and start marking all the vibrating spots before you put interior back in.


----------



## onlyontwo (Aug 25, 2011)

toneloc2 said:


> Lol dam you thought we were going to but 2 for a deal. Definitely going with the hot head complete kit minus the strips will put my own deadener then then the headliner. Had the factory one in my jk yes it helped but the hotheads one is better. Listen if your planing on deadening your Jeep. Put a sub in the back and play some low notes. Before you strip out interior. Grab some masking tape and start marking all the vibrating spots before you put interior back in.


Sorry man! I ended up buying on black friday on impulse. 

I have my sub in now. It isn't generating enough bass to rattle crap. Haha. I am astounded at how quiet it is actually - it isn't like 240 watts is nothing...


----------



## toneloc2 (Nov 29, 2015)

shouldn't need more then that just shut off all other speakers if you could and play some low sweeps... believe me.. lol after all the deadening i did and after my tune i played some sweeps this morning and ya the dash my a pillars and some panels... so will be pulling pieces off one at a time to fix,, thought i would give you and David a heads up...


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

toneloc2 said:


> shouldn't need more then that just shut off all other speakers if you could and play some low sweeps... believe me.. lol after all the deadening i did and after my tune i played some sweeps this morning and ya the dash my a pillars and some panels... so will be pulling pieces off one at a time to fix,, thought i would give you and David a heads up...


That is good advice and exactly what I always do too... I even drive around with a role of tape for the same purpose, so I can tag any rattles I come across.


----------



## onlyontwo (Aug 25, 2011)

Any progress on your rig, David?


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

onlyontwo said:


> Any progress on your rig, David?


Not really, just lots of measuring planning and ordering product... I have the sub box designed nailed down, and all of the equipment either in my possession or on the way.


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

I received the Metra pods for the dash and I also ordered the severely overpriced ScanSpeak aperiodic vents... I was going to make my own, but I don't want to take the time to fiddle around with that.

I'll figure out the metra pod's airspace and post that up when I get a chance, and I am also going to take a look under the dash to see if I can enlarge the pods a little. Just by looking at the pods, I think they might need modifying to fit the Morel's, but that should be easy with a heat gun or a torch.


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

I dropped the Morel mids into the dash and they look like they were made for that location! Also, the supplied Morel tweeter mounts are surprisingly perfect to simply mount to the factory grille! Sorry guys, no exciting custom work on the tweets and mids, this was too easy! Lol


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

Here is the MW6 (almost) in the Metra pod... It is much closer to fitting than I thought it would be. I'll make a baffle for the speaker and trim the opening a little, and that should do it. It's very plasticy though, so I think I'll line the inside with something, but I am not sure with what yet. The outside will get a full cld wrap...


----------



## toneloc2 (Nov 29, 2015)

you lucked out, so no extra templates lol.... well once it warms up here i will be doing custom dash pods...keep going bud.


----------



## toneloc2 (Nov 29, 2015)

DavidRam said:


> Here is the MW6 (almost) in the Metra pod... It is much closer to fitting than I thought it would be. I'll make a baffle for the speaker and trim the opening a little, and that should do it. It's very plasticy though, so I think I'll line the inside with something, but I am not sure with what yet. The outside will get a full cld wrap...


maybe try lining with the bondo and resien mix.. cant wait to hear your results on those pods..


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

toneloc2 said:


> you lucked out, so no extra templates lol.... well once it warms up here i will be doing custom dash pods...keep going bud.


Lol! Not yet!

I am going to see about making these pods bigger... One of their sides has to have a little room to add on to, and I'll put the aperiodic vent at the end of the add-on. Or maybe I'll test them like this, because my JK (after venting) sounded really good and I think the pods are about the same size as these ones, IIRC.


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

toneloc2 said:


> maybe try lining with the bondo and resien mix.. cant wait to hear your results on those pods..


That is a pretty good idea to make it stiffer... I could even give it a layer of fiberglass wrap.


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

For those of you who buy my used gear, here is one of the things I do to protect stuff while fabricating and installing... Amps are wrapped in a couple layers of shrink wrap and then taped along the edges. On top of that I am really careful, as one little slip or a dropped tool can really do some ugly damage (as we all know).


----------



## diy.phil (May 23, 2011)

^looks mummified. Are those the Class AE Ancient Egyptian amps stolen from a tomb in one of those movies??


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

Got a little bit done. Sound deadener in and around the tub and then carpet put down with spray adhesive:


----------



## diy.phil (May 23, 2011)

Not good!!! You went thru too much trouble to get all the text/logo to line up!!!


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

diy.phil said:


> Not good!!! You went thru too much trouble to get all the text/logo to line up!!!


Yes sir, OCD is a *****!!


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

Btw, I have gone through a couple CLD rollers and I have finally found my favorite: FCHO Car Sound Deadening Roller Metal Installation Tool 3 Pcs for Auto Noise Roller Car Sound Deadener Application Installation Tool Rolling Wheel Interior Accessories:Amazon:Home Improvement

They are heavy and strong and being corrugated helps against slipping around.


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

I got the power and ground wire done... A first for me, I ran the power outside the vehicle with it tethered to the frame with a combination of wire clamps and zip ties were appropriate.


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

Here are the mini distribution blocks in side the tub...


----------



## shdw03 (Dec 30, 2018)

DavidRam said:


> Here are the mini distribution blocks in side the tub...


knu distro block? looks like the same ones i used. Like the compact simple design


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

shdw03 said:


> knu distro block? looks like the same ones i used. Like the compact simple design


Yep, that's them... I have used them a lot and I like them too.


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

Finally had a little time!

Here is a comparison of the factory pod vs the Metra. Unfortunately, the Metra is slightly smaller than the factory one, but it's my only option... There is no way the factory one could be made to hold a 6.5". 




















I cut a hole and epoxied in the aperiodic vent. 























Rough cut for the 1/2" birch plywood baffle


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

Btw, I have seen a few videos and read instructions on how to remove the driver side speaker pod on the JL, and they all say that you need to disassembled most of the dash. This is absolutely not true. I removed my pod quite easily by taking out a few of the screws and simply pulling the lower dash panel back enough to drop the pod out. Very similar to how it's done on the JKs...


----------



## imickey503 (Dec 16, 2015)

Are the Metra Boxes Glass FIber Reinforced Plastic? Or just Plastic / ABS? Would there be any benefits to internal bracing of the Metra unit? And have you been able to hear a difference between the ABS and other enclosure types? My mind and experience say yes. From an Instrument viewpoint, the quality of the materials matter. I just wonder at what point does mass vs stiffness not matter when it comes to Plastic vs wood or Fiberglass or Carbon Fiber for that matter? 

Somewhat off topic, but would a 3D printed enclosure work better here since you can control the contours and the bracing? Even match the volume requirements of the drivers? With how most Cars from the factory simply let the door be the enclosure? Or the Dash? This seems like a perfect way forward then just fiberglass? Less labor and faster results and less inventory would also be really cool. 

I'm guessing that as soon as the Speaker Brands start to do this with their drivers by including a CAD file for that years and makes of cars, they can better tailor make drivers for a car that work very well that would be drop ins and bolt ons. 

Its already fairly easy to get the Space dimensions of the doors and speaker locations. I'm guessing in the future, folks like Bravia Works may offer stuff like this in the future. Same for companies Like Morel or JBL with their cost no object separates that they are offering now. 

In fact with the serious amount of Image manipulation horsepower software we have now, just a few photos could in theory be all you need for a computer to map out a custom enclosure design for the space you need. 

It does make me wonder since you used a Plywood on the front baffle. In your opinion, is there a very audible sonic difference instead of using something like ABS of the same mass you can hear? Or measure in your application? 

It just does not seem right to put Super High end drivers in an ABS box


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

imickey503 said:


> Are the Metra Boxes Glass FIber Reinforced Plastic? Or just Plastic / ABS? Would there be any benefits to internal bracing of the Metra unit? And have you been able to hear a difference between the ABS and other enclosure types? My mind and experience say yes. From an Instrument viewpoint, the quality of the materials matter. I just wonder at what point does mass vs stiffness not matter when it comes to Plastic vs wood or Fiberglass or Carbon Fiber for that matter?
> 
> Somewhat off topic, but would a 3D printed enclosure work better here since you can control the contours and the bracing? Even match the volume requirements of the drivers? With how most Cars from the factory simply let the door be the enclosure? Or the Dash? This seems like a perfect way forward then just fiberglass? Less labor and faster results and less inventory would also be really cool.
> 
> ...


They are just plastic, but it is pretty strong and there is no bracing needed. I am going to line the inside with polyfil and wrap the outside with cld, that's it. 

This enclosure is not optimal for any driver, but it's all you have in a Wrangler (unless you do custom door pods like toneloc). The good thing is, this is my second time putting these exact drivers in little, Jeep dash pods, so I know it works fine...


----------



## onlyontwo (Aug 25, 2011)

@DavidRam - Pardon the newbie question, but what do those aperiordic vents do that a hole doesn't? I cut holes in my pods and filled with poly, but now I am questioning my decision.

Cheers,
-A


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

onlyontwo said:


> @DavidRam - Pardon the newbie question, but what do those aperiordic vents do that a hole doesn't? I cut holes in my pods and filled with poly, but now I am questioning my decision.
> 
> Cheers,
> -A


Well, I am not smart enough to give you a very technical or scientific answer, but here is my understanding from what I have read... We know the pods are too small and the speakers don't have enough room to breath, so obviously this helps them breath with a controlled movement of air. 
This straight from Scanspeak: 
_Aperiodic vents lower the Q of your driver in a sealed box. They essentially makes your sealed box woofer act as if its in a box that is roughly 20% larger. We recommend using one vent for boxes up to 1.5 cubic feet and two vents for larger speakers. If your box is really undersized or if you are using a large woofer in a small box, you could use two or more, to help reduce pressure in the box. _

In my JK I just cut a hole like you did, and that worked fine, but since then I have wanted to try using a vent like this, so here I am full circle! __


----------



## ToNasty (Jan 23, 2013)

I bought some Aperiodic vents as well to test in some sub since I am limited to room. It's new to me as well but that's why this is fun


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

Cleaned up the baffle and painted it.


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

Wrapped it in CLD. It's amazing how different the plastic sounds now! It sounds thick and solid when you knock on it...


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

I think it looks alright!


----------



## diy.phil (May 23, 2011)

Yeah it's looking good now!


----------



## toneloc2 (Nov 29, 2015)

hey David are you able to power that baby up to hear how it sounds?


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

toneloc2 said:


> hey David are you able to power that baby up to hear how it sounds?


Not even close, man... Nothing is installed. Empty trunk 













I am gonna assume it sounds good and move forward with the passenger side next week... They are really quick and easy to remove it there are any issues. 

With the CLD, the Metra pods plastic sounds really solid and I'll add a layer of polyfil, too. I hope the vent gives me at least the performance I had in my JK with the same speakers and just a 2" hole in the pod. This vent is approx 4.5"...


----------



## NW JLUR (Dec 3, 2018)

I’m very interested to see how well the vents work in the enclosure. Was thinking of making my own vents in the back, but I’d have to adjust the vents. 
I was looking at my dash cover and noticed there’s only a small area for the 4” speaker that’s perforated in the plastic. Any plans on making more perforations in the panel for the larger speaker? Anyone have an idea how to open them up? I was thinking of a soldering iron to melt the plastic, drill them out, or razor to cut them.


----------



## NW JLUR (Dec 3, 2018)

DavidRam said:


> With the CLD, the Metra pods plastic sounds really solid and I'll add a layer of polyfil, too.


I have read fiberglass insulation is better than polyfil. Any experience with it? I’ve never tried it but will once I get my pods and/ or kick panels built.


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

Sub's here and looks beautiful! It looks like a big tough beast, which will go well with the whole Wrangler thing...





















Some nice terminals










Done


----------



## toneloc2 (Nov 29, 2015)

David you better put at least a 2 inch lift in the back of your jeep before you add that..


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

toneloc2 said:


> David you better put at least a 2 inch lift in the back of your jeep before you add that..



Wheels and tires first and next the lift... These will be here next week:

Method Roost wheels & Nitto Ridge Grapplers 285/75/17


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

I'll decide what height lift I need after all the audio is installed... I'll keep an eye on the measurements front and back, but 2" does sound about right. My JK really got a "Cali Lean" from the Sundown sub, box and amp it had in it. 

My old 2016

Here is stock NO audio










Stock WITH audio











With Rubicon springs (approx 1.5" lift)


----------



## dgage (Oct 1, 2013)

That’s why you need such a big subwoofer, big, noisy tires.  Look good though. Please tell me you go offroad some or are those just for looks?


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

dgage said:


> That’s why you need such a big subwoofer, big, noisy tires.  Look good though. Please tell me you go offroad some or are those just for looks?


Actually, they are just A/T tires that are barely louder than stock...They are mostly for looks, but I will do some occasional, mild off-roading.


----------



## dgage (Oct 1, 2013)

They definitely look better than the stock tires which advertise for the Goodyear Blimp on the side.  Nice looking Jeep!


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

dgage said:


> They definitely look better than the stock tires which advertise for the Goodyear Blimp on the side.  Nice looking Jeep!


Thank you!


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

To you other JL guys, the factory pods are actually ported with some degree of tuning... I actually think the pod and sound could be improved upon with better 4"(?) speakers, especially if one was to determine the port tuning and match it with the aftermarket speaker. 










Where my thumb is


----------



## miniSQ (Aug 4, 2009)

DavidRam said:


> Sub's here and looks beautiful! It looks like a big tough beast, which will go well with the whole Wrangler thing...


I am dying to see how close the screw holes are to the surround.


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

miniSQ said:


> I am dying to see how close the screw holes are to the surround.



I suspect they are an appropriate distance and I'll get pics and measurements when I have a chance... I know where you are going with this.


----------



## oabeieo (Feb 22, 2015)

Ive done 2 JL wranglers now and my goodness there a pain in the arse to take apart them dash speakers compared to a JK 
What a task. Still not as hard as a Mini Cooper , okay actually just as hard, they definitely didn’t make it easy for install aftermarket


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

oabeieo said:


> Ive done 2 JL wranglers now and my goodness there a pain in the arse to take apart them dash speakers compared to a JK
> What a task. Still not as hard as a Mini Cooper , okay actually just as hard, they definitely didn’t make it easy for install aftermarket


Hmmm, I found them similar to the JK's... One issue I have run into with the passenger side Metra pod, is that it's to deep and it's pushing against the dash. Of course I added a 1/4" baffle to it, so without the baffle it would probably have been ok... 
I'm just going to modify the mounting points on the pod to allow it to recessed further back into the dash. 

Btw, not audio, but here are the new wheels/tires I just installed:


----------



## dgage (Oct 1, 2013)

DavidRam said:


> Btw, not audio, but here are the new wheels/tires I just installed:


I walked by a Jeep with the stock tires with the white type and yours are a huge improvement.


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

dgage said:


> I walked by a Jeep with the stock tires with the white type and yours are a huge improvement.


Thanks! Imho, these Wrangler don't look cool stock, but there upgrade potential and the aftermarket mods that are available can make them awesome!


----------



## Coppertone (Oct 4, 2011)

Nicely done, had you posted the wheel / tires specs already and sadly I missed them ?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## thedynoguy (Jan 5, 2019)

DavidRam said:


> Hmmm, I found them similar to the JK's... One issue I have run into with the passenger side Metra pod, is that it's to deep and it's pushing against the dash. Of course I added a 1/4" baffle to it, so without the baffle it would probably have been ok...
> I'm just going to modify the mounting points on the pod to allow it to recessed further back into the dash.
> 
> Btw, not audio, but here are the new wheels/tires I just installed:


My kid did some Method wheels on his new JL as well. Pretty cool looking wheels...


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

Coppertone said:


> Nicely done, had you posted the wheel / tires specs already and sadly I missed them ?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


Thanks! Method Roost wheels & Nitto Ridge Grappler 285/75/17 tires.


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

The good news about the new wheels and tires is that up to 50 mph there is no difference compared to the stock tires (whatever tire/road noise there is/was is being drowned out by the wind noise, lol). With how aggressive their tread is, this really surprised me, but many Jeep guys with these tires said that noise what not an issue at all, too...


----------



## dgage (Oct 1, 2013)

DavidRam said:


> up to 50 mph


And above 50?


----------



## Holmz (Jul 12, 2017)

dgage said:


> And above 50?


In SoCal?


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

dgage said:


> And above 50?


All hell breaks loose! 

J/k

I haven't had it over 50 yet with the new tires... I did have it over 90 with the oem tires and that can be a little unsettling in a Wrangler. Lol


----------



## dgage (Oct 1, 2013)

DavidRam said:


> I did have it over 90


You’ll have that TrackHawk one day.


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

dgage said:


> You’ll have that TrackHawk one day.



I hope so... One day. This Jeep is super slow! Lol


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

A little more progress on my super slow build...










The outer baffle got really close! 



















These 1/4-20 tee nuts are big, but I think I can make them work...


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

JCAudio inspired to put a little time into making the bracing not only strong and effective, but also nice looking 



















Glued and screw the tee nuts in


----------



## diy.phil (May 23, 2011)

hmm yeah not bad! Got some style there!!


----------



## onlyontwo (Aug 25, 2011)

Lookin' good!


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

Slow going...


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

I got a little side tracked from the sub box and started mocking up a little enclosure for the remote. It absolutely will not fit anywhere else, but right where it's going... I do like having the volume and bass knob right at my finger tips while my arm is resting on the armrest.





























Obviously it won't be cardboard! I'll use some 1/4" plywood (of course) to make the structure and wrap it in vinyl upholstery to match the center console. The top will not show the MiniDSP logo, there will be an aluminum cover or faceplate to finish it off. 

That was the third one I made after different shapes, sizes and angles... The remote will actually lean forward a little, to give it more of a gap from the center console lid and allow me to add a larger volume knob.


The finishes will be similar to the one I made for my Mazda. I might even be able to cut it and use it...


----------



## Niebur3 (Jul 11, 2008)

nah....the cardboard looks nice enough.....lol

I'm sure what you do will be over the top excellent.


----------



## VegasStereo (Jan 22, 2020)

DavidRam said:


> I got a little side tracked from the sub box and started mocking up a little enclosure for the remote. It absolutely will not fit anywhere else, but right where it's going... I do like having the volume and bass knob right at my finger tips while my arm is resting on the armrest.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Really cool stuff. 👍


----------



## toneloc2 (Nov 29, 2015)

at least use textured paint on the cardboard. lol
looking good.


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

Thanks guys!


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

Back to the sub box:
Nothing exciting. Just got the window's mounting frame done... You guys can see how OCD I am about things fitting perfectly.
The radius of the acrylic window was supposed to be 1/4", but it came in 5/16" (maybe from polishing?). So I had to adjust the radius up for the outer cut out and down for the inside cutout, then figure out which one of my flush trim bits would give me the right radii... Blah blah blah




















Too close to the edge?! I had to use the M5 tee nuts because I got some special hardware for the window. I had to trim them flush with the opening. I'm pretty sure 8 automotive grade bolts will hold the window really well.

I used a 1/4" forstner bit on the drill press. Getting that close to the edge with a drill and regular bit would have probably broken the edge.


----------



## toneloc2 (Nov 29, 2015)

Hey David this is we’re I temporarily mounted my director. I ordered another lower trim panel And will mold it in there. Very easy to reach for me when my hand is resting on the shifter.


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

toneloc2 said:


> Hey David this is we’re I temporarily mounted my director. I ordered another lower trim panel And will mold it in there. Very easy to reach for me when my hand is resting on the shifter.


That looks good, man! The MiniDSP remote housing is about twice as thick as the Director, so in that spot it would be really close to the gear shifter...


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

And back to the remote housing... I think it's starting to take shape.

Stainless steel face plate: 




























I think this knob looks about right...


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

Finished up the housing...

Shaped the stainless steel faceplate:










Test fit... Hey, it looks just like the cardboard template!



















Wrapped it in matte black vinyl










I glued the faceplate to the housing with E6000










I am happy with the fit-n-finish, it turned out pretty clean, imho


----------



## Blu (Nov 3, 2008)

Are those drywall screws in the background of the "finished" item photos?


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

Blu said:


> Are those drywall screws in the background of the "finished" item photos?


No sir, those are truss head screws.  You will not find any drywall screws in my garage (except in the drywall)... Lol


----------



## Porsche (Jun 29, 2008)

looking good david


----------



## Gump_Runner (Aug 2, 2014)

DavidRam said:


> Finished up the housing...
> 
> Shaped the stainless steel faceplate:
> 
> ...


You just might spend more time taking pics of your build than I do on my installs. Your attention to detail is top notch.


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

Porsche said:


> looking good david


Thank you, sir


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

Gump_Runner said:


> You just might spend more time taking pics of your build than I do on my installs. Your attention to detail is top notch.


Thank you!

Originally, I was going to screw the faceplate into the console, but after more thought I decided it would be nice with no visible hardware... So I took my time to get the faceplate to fit well and clamp firmly to the console... Plus, a strip of foam helps the console lid put some pressure on it when it is closed, so no need for hardware!


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

I am also thinking about adding a bit more aluminum trim, as it looks a little plain... The Jeeps dash has quite a bit so I could mimic that.


----------



## toneloc2 (Nov 29, 2015)

nice David


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

I am sooooo glad I went with red lights! I was testing it out today before I finally seal the box up... Also, wanted to make sure you can not see the LEDs themselves at all. This has become a pet peeve of mine, I hate seeing the individual diodes reflected.










This is the view you will have into the box once it's all sealed up. 










No individual diodes visible!!! Actually, the picture doesn't do the lighting justice, if looks kinda like fire!


----------



## fatstrat (Jul 12, 2019)

DavidRam said:


> I am sooooo glad I went with red lights! I was testing it out today before I finally seal the box up... Also, wanted to make sure you can not see the LEDs themselves at all. This has become a pet peeve of mine, I hate seeing the individual diodes reflected.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Nice job !! Looking good.


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

fatstrat said:


> Nice job !! Looking good.


Thanks!!


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

I think the remote housing blends well with the interior of the Jeep... I don't think I'll be doing anything else to it.


----------



## dgage (Oct 1, 2013)

I’m trying to figure out what that reminds me of. Just kidding. Looks great!


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

Got my round overs and sanding done... .75" on the sides, and .25" everywhere else.


----------



## toneloc2 (Nov 29, 2015)

the box is coming along nice bud..


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

toneloc2 said:


> the box is coming along nice bud..


Thanks, man!!


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

Embedded the wires in the wood, filled it with epoxy, mounted lights and a then a coat of paint:


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

We have carpet!







































Below is the back and top, neither of which will be visible... Soooooo, I had a little fun with the seams!


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

The feet for the sub to float on




























And she floats




















Keep in mind there will be beauty panels with more LEDs around the sub, like this


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

Done


----------



## Porsche (Jun 29, 2008)

nice buddy


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

Porsche said:


> nice buddy


Thanks, man!


----------



## peace2peep (Nov 15, 2008)

So good! i love the location and dimension of the plexiglass...not too much! You are a master-class in class!


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

peace2peep said:


> So good! i love the location and dimension of the plexiglass...not too much! You are a master-class in class!


Hey, thanks very much!!


----------



## Blu (Nov 3, 2008)

That looks really good David! Kinda evil... in a good way


----------



## mrmill (Feb 11, 2013)

Been watching the install, truly impressive work thus far sir.


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

Blu said:


> That looks really good David! Kinda evil... in a good way


Thanks!! I'll take evil in a good way...


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

mrmill said:


> Been watching the install, truly impressive work thus far sir.


Thanks a bunch!!


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

Finishing up the wiring... Kinda sucks to hide these beautiful RCAs! I think it's pretty tidy...


----------



## mrmill (Feb 11, 2013)

The amp rack is a perfect fit and i'm in love with that sub enclosure. super clean all the way around


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

Finished one of the two beauty panels... I think I am gonna make perforated aluminum a signature of my builds from now on, and always add at least a little bit. 














































It looks pink. It's NOT pink!!


----------



## oekundar (Dec 31, 2018)

I like the accent!


----------



## diy.phil (May 23, 2011)

Wow that's pretty!


----------



## Dremgragen (Jul 14, 2008)

Looks beautiful! Love the light in the sub box!

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

Thanks guys!


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

done




























Sorry the pictures are pretty crappy. It looks really cool in person, imho. 

I fired it up and everything is good... This weekend, a diyma member is going to walk me through the dirac process!! Can't wait!


----------



## rton20s (Feb 14, 2011)

DavidRam said:


> done


----------



## ajt976 (Feb 27, 2019)

Wicked, as always!


----------



## opekone (Mar 24, 2020)

Awesome work. I cant stop thinking about what it would look like if the box was finished instead of carpeted.


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

opekone said:


> Awesome work. I cant stop thinking about what it would look like if the box was finished instead of carpeted.


Thanks! I did consider that option... I thought of truck bedliner... 

I have some plans to dress the box up a little bit with some aluminum detail. Stay tuned


----------



## dgage (Oct 1, 2013)

DavidRam said:


> Thanks! I did consider that option... I thought of truck bedliner...
> 
> I have some plans to dress the box up a little bit with some aluminum detail. Stay tuned


Damn man, are you ever going to get done? Lol!


----------



## Ge0 (Jul 23, 2007)

This guy is OK at installing stuff I gue. ss.

Bahhh. Just fooling you. You have my undivided attention.. Running power wires under you vehicle is a little risky though. Ever consider conduit?

Ge0


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

dgage said:


> Damn man, are you ever going to get done? Lol!


See post #147


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

Ge0 said:


> This guy is OK at installing stuff I gue. ss.
> 
> Bahhh. Just fooling you. You have my undivided attention.. Running power wires under you vehicle is a little risky though. Ever consider conduit?
> 
> Ge0


I agree and I did the best I could to make it safe...

The power wire got a layer of Techflex first and then I wrapped it in Tesa's exterior and heat resistant automotive tape. I ran it between the Jeeps frame and body wherever I could and secured it more often than every 12" with a wire clamp or zip tie. I even took the time to file down sharp edges that could rub through the insulation. Of course I made sure that moving and hot parts could not come anywhere near the cable...


----------



## rton20s (Feb 14, 2011)

DavidRam said:


> done





DavidRam said:


> I have some plans to dress the box up a little bit with some aluminum detail. Stay tuned





DavidRam said:


> See post #147


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

Made the last beauty panel


----------



## moregrip1 (Jul 17, 2018)

excellent work my friend!


----------



## ejeffrey (Oct 8, 2015)

Great work, David!


----------



## marshdrummer (Mar 17, 2009)

Nice work!


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

Thanks guys!!!


----------



## Extended Power (Jun 8, 2014)

Looks awesome David!
If you remember my boxes and door panels were done in bed liner...it’s hard as hell to color match correctly, and isn’t as nice as carpet that matches the carpet of the vehicle IMHO.
Stellar job man!!!


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

Extended Power said:


> Looks awesome David!
> If you remember my boxes and door panels were done in bed liner...it’s hard as hell to color match correctly, and isn’t as nice as carpet that matches the carpet of the vehicle IMHO.
> Stellar job man!!!



Thanks, man!!


----------



## NW JLUR (Dec 3, 2018)

DavidRam said:


> Hmmm, I found them similar to the JK's... One issue I have run into with the passenger side Metra pod, is that it's to deep and it's pushing against the dash. Of course I added a 1/4" baffle to it, so without the baffle it would probably have been ok...
> I'm just going to modify the mounting points on the pod to allow it to recessed further back into the dash.


Did you modify the mounting points of the passenger side pod? I have the same problem and it looks like the mounting points could be cut and moved. Have any suggestions on how to reattach them?


----------



## DavidRam (Nov 2, 2014)

NW JLUR said:


> Did you modify the mounting points of the passenger side pod? I have the same problem and it looks like the mounting points could be cut and moved. Have any suggestions on how to reattach them?


I installed the pod to where the upper tab was behind the mounting point rather then in front. and used a bolt to attach it. The lower tab still attached like normal, but the side screw (obviously) would not line up anymore... Hope that makes sense.


----------



## NW JLUR (Dec 3, 2018)

Thank you and yes it does make sense. I’ll have to pull that side apart again to adjust the pod. Luckily the dash is half apart still. I did a similar spacer out of abs plastic.


----------

