# Opinions on Under-Seat Amp Install Idea?



## xt577 (Apr 19, 2011)

*Options on Under-Seat Amp Mounting?*

My amp fits nicely under either of the front seats, and my goal is to install it there without going into the car's metal.

What I came up with (through searching this forum) is a 1/2" thick HDPE cutting board with threaded inserts, which I will slide underneath the carpet and then bolt the amp to. 

I'm thinking it would be more secure to attach the cutting board to the car's metal floor first (with something like 3M snap-lock), and I'm wondering if people think this extra step is really necessary, or if it will be secure enough simply sandwiching the carpet.

Also, if I did mount the board to the floor I would have to remove the foam padding first, so should I try to put some type of noise isolator over the board and under the carpet (this install is fairly basic and I haven't used a barrier elsewhere, but I don't want to induce extra noise)? Thanks


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## humandrummachine (May 17, 2010)

Depending on how tight the carpet goes over the board it might not be necessary. I suppose you could take the board you have and build small little 1-2" feet and velcro those feet to the metal then you wouldn't have to take out all the foam just the small squares where the feet will be.


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## edouble101 (Dec 9, 2010)

I used 1/2 plywood to mount the amp to. I sprayed the uderside of the plywood with spray glue. This made the plywood nice and sticky. I simply laid that on top of the carpet. The amp doesnt budge and if needed I could lift it off the carpet.


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## Alrojoca (Oct 5, 2012)

You can saw/ stitch the Velcro to the carpet and tape the other ends to cutting board ( I would use long pieces or at least 6/8 small pieces) then screw the amp's feet to the board. Make sure you have at least 1.5 inches clearance on the top of the amp. And if you want it more secure, drill 2 holes on the board and carpet, loop a thick zip tie to secure the board to the carpet without touching the floor/metal.


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## evilspoons (Jul 5, 2012)

To install my amp under my seat I simply bought some heavy duty velcro from Home Depot (big 4 foot by 2" strip, with really dense hook/loops) and put a couple strips of the hook side on the bottom of the amplifier, leaving the loop side unused. It sticks to the carpet on its own extremely well - the only possible problem would be if I hit a huge bump (like flying through the air) the amp could lift the carpet up with it and then clunk back down, but otherwise it's not going anywhere.

It takes significant, deliberate effort to pry it off the carpet as it is.


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## AccordUno (Aug 7, 2009)

Do you want something permanent or something you ca remove in case you want to sell. 

I started down the path of amps under front set, found 3 or 4 factory holes that I could use to secure a metal rack to and then the amps to that. Why the metal racks, I didn't want to block the a/c vents under the seats.. 

Permanent - affix strips (wood, plastic, etc) using 5 minute epoxy make sure you pre-drill and insert either nutserts or if plastic - tap to match your hardware.

Not permanent - look for factory holes and use material to attach your amp to..


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## BuickGN (May 29, 2009)

evilspoons said:


> To install my amp under my seat I simply bought some heavy duty velcro from Home Depot (big 4 foot by 2" strip, with really dense hook/loops) and put a couple strips of the hook side on the bottom of the amplifier, leaving the loop side unused. It sticks to the carpet on its own extremely well - the only possible problem would be if I hit a huge bump (like flying through the air) the amp could lift the carpet up with it and then clunk back down, but otherwise it's not going anywhere.
> 
> It takes significant, deliberate effort to pry it off the carpet as it is.


I did something similar. Nothing short of a wreck is going to move my amps. The way my floorboard is designed, it has a bump under the front of the seats so even if the car were involved in an accident there's no possible way the amp can come out from under the seats unless they exit from the rear. I'm huge on securing items that can hurt or kill in a wreck but there's just no possible way these amps are going anywhere with velcro.

In a car that has more space under the seat (my JL HDs barely fit height wise) maybe it would be good to secure them better.


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## Alrojoca (Oct 5, 2012)

I would still use some board under the amp, to keep air circulating. Just over the carpet may work, I just would not do it unless I add height to it or raise the amp's feet.

Let us know how you install it, take a few shots and post them for us to see!


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## ecbmxer (Dec 1, 2010)

Look for any random bolts under there that could be used to secure the board. My floorboard had some humps and then there was a spare bolt/nut. So I routed out a recess to clear the hump and then created a countersunk hole that I could feed the existing bolt through to secure the board. Carpet goes back no problem and the amp just screws to the board right through the carpet. Post a pic of the area under the carpet that you had in mind.


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## xt577 (Apr 19, 2011)

Lots of good ideas here to consider. I need to get under that carpet so I can further evaluate my options.


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## xt577 (Apr 19, 2011)

It turns out the floor metal is uneven to the point that mounting a board or feet to it would not be very easy.

My plan is to sandwich the carpet between the amp and cutting board - it should be fairly secure short of a serious accident. I may also put dabs of adhesive around the screw holes in the carpet to prevent tearing.


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## Alrojoca (Oct 5, 2012)

xt577 said:


> It turns out the floor metal is uneven to the point that mounting a board or feet to it would not be very easy.
> 
> My plan is to sandwich the carpet between the amp and cutting board - it should be fairly secure short of a serious accident. I may also put dabs of adhesive around the screw holes in the carpet to prevent tearing.



Another thought I had, and I did not share was maybe with cardboard cut a piece that will snap side to side and maybe even front or back, just to get an idea to fit it tight, use it as a template for the cutting board or wood. If you cut the wood to fit that way then you will only have to worry about attach it to the carpet on the front or the back depending on the side you choose to place it. The wood will be tight against rails or molding and it will not move, you may need to sandwich the amps feet to the carpet just in case to prevent up and down movement but that will be if you go off road and get wild jumping bumps. The best way to reduce excessive cuts and tears on the carpet is to remove the entire seat after you cut the wood, to have more room and space drill/cut hole on the carpet. If you do this you may have to level the board also by adding extra shims under the wood. Instead of glue you can use some strong tape, maybe duct tape or something better that will not tear easy, on both sides of the carpet even if it does not bond to the carpet but the tape will help it to keep it from tearing.

Woa! I wrote a lot on this post. I hope it was worth it


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## xt577 (Apr 19, 2011)

I appreciate the reply. I considered trying to press-fit a board around the seat-rails, etc, but on my particular ride I don't believe I could get a tight fit.

As for removing the seat to get a straight drill path, I will be installing threaded inserts in the board prior to slipping it beneath the carpet, and then using a socket wrench to bolt it down with minimal clearance.

I'll keep considering your ideas. Thanks again.

(carboard is my amp's dimensions)



Alrojoca said:


> Another thought I had, and I did not share was maybe with cardboard cut a piece that will snap side to side and maybe even front or back, just to get an idea to fit it tight, use it as a template for the cutting board or wood. If you cut the wood to fit that way then you will only have to worry about attach it to the carpet on the front or the back depending on the side you choose to place it. The wood will be tight against rails or molding and it will not move, you may need to sandwich the amps feet to the carpet just in case to prevent up and down movement but that will be if you go off road and get wild jumping bumps. The best way to reduce excessive cuts and tears on the carpet is to remove the entire seat after you cut the wood, to have more room and space drill/cut hole on the carpet. If you do this you may have to level the board also by adding extra shims under the wood. Instead of glue you can use some strong tape, maybe duct tape or something better that will not tear easy, on both sides of the carpet even if it does not bond to the carpet but the tape will help it to keep it from tearing.
> 
> Woa! I wrote a lot on this post. I hope it was worth it


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## Brian Steele (Jun 1, 2007)

*Re: Options on Under-Seat Amp Mounting?*

I've done a number of below-the-seat amp installs.
"
Here's what works for me - I use 1" dowel or inch-square wooden "legs" , one for each mounting point on the amp, sized so that the amp is level when they're siliconed or glued into place on the bare metal and the amp is rested on top of them. Then I put the carpet back in place and screw the amp down onto the legs. A similar method, which I used for the last install because I had a lot of space to work with, was to use the same process to install a mounting plate, then screwed the amp down onto the plate. The use of the additional mounting plate offers some protection against the occasional shoe.


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## xt577 (Apr 19, 2011)

*Re: Options on Under-Seat Amp Mounting?*



Brian Steele said:


> I've done a number of below-the-seat amp installs.
> "
> Here's what works for me - I use 1" dowel or inch-square wooden "legs" , one for each mounting point on the amp, sized so that the amp is level when they're siliconed or glued into place on the bare metal and the amp is rested on top of them. Then I put the carpet back in place and screw the amp down onto the legs. A similar method, which I used for the last install because I had a lot of space to work with, was to use the same process to install a mounting plate, then screwed the amp down onto the plate. The use of the additional mounting plate offers some protection against the occasional shoe.


Great idea. I was wondering what could be used to get the amp to sit even on an uneven surface. Thanks for sharing.


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