# 2006 Toyota Tundra by Handcrafted Car Audio



## handcrafted (Sep 22, 2009)

Finally I got to do some real custom work again, seems like it's been forever. This customer is a great guy who loves to try out new speakers and gear all the time. He comes back regularly just to change things up a bit. This time, he wanted to take the kickpod plunge with his brand new Hybrid L3SE's and rework the door speaker position a bit. Since he does change drivers often, we had to make the door pods very user friendly so that he could. Here we go.









Stackin templates to relocate the speaker location.








Now, one shape.








All the rings stacked up. You can see the countersinking set that is screwed into the base is removable to allow for the trim panel design.








We cut the factory grill to use it for it's shape.








We applied some UPOL over the whole surface and over the edge to get rid of the area where the factory plastic and grill roll into eachother.








All done, ready for vinyl.

On to the kicks








These connectors take up a lot of space in the kicks.








Which just will not do








So, we removed them from their plastic container, cut away a small section of the a-frame and tucked the connectors inside. This gave us atleast another 1 1/2" behind the factory plastic kickpanel.








ys think?


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## handcrafted (Sep 22, 2009)

Here, you can see the shape of the future kickpod cut out of the plastic. I really prefer to do pods as and add-on, instead of building onto the factory plastic.








Same thing for the passenger side, except much more room over there.








Cutting the same shape out of each side allows us to use templates! So, we were able to build almost the entire kickpod out of MDF, outside the vehicle.








Next, we added a 1/2" trim ring to the shape, which gave us a 1/4" overlap all the way around to cover up the cut.








And the speaker ring goes in place, checking for fitment.








A little fiberglass getting some sun.








All the pods almost completely wrapped up. We couldn't find a match for color and grain, so we matched grain and we'll dye it for color.


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## handcrafted (Sep 22, 2009)

Here is the speaker baffle and the door panel installed.








Now the trim panel goes on.








And of course the speakers.

And here are some finished pics.








































These are some custom sail panels we made for his Hybrid L1R2's previously.

What do you guys think?


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## cobb2819 (Jan 13, 2011)

Gorgeous as always jon!!! 


Jacob Brown
Owner / (hdme)
505.750.8358
Sent from my iPhone


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## Goindef154 (Apr 26, 2008)

Looks incredible man, can't believe how clean and factory it looks. Would love to do something like that in my next vehicle, always wanted to try glassing.


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## yuri (Apr 11, 2009)

super clean work , i wish i had a fraction of your skills ............


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## handcrafted (Sep 22, 2009)

Thank you guys.


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## jimmy2345 (Jul 12, 2010)

Nice work. Not a fan of on axis tweets though.


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## rav<3 busa (Jan 17, 2011)

nice work.Factory like.


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## m0sdef (Nov 16, 2010)

Sweet build! I like how those kicks have that factory look.


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## Schnitz (Jun 26, 2008)

Great work! Customer must be very happy.


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## adhumston (Mar 1, 2009)

Wow, really impressive work! Question... how did you attatch the pod to the kicks?


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## handcrafted (Sep 22, 2009)

I embedded some "christmas tree" body panel clips into the base of the kick pod which lined up with holes in the frame. So, they snap into the vehicle just like the factory kick panel would.


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## mattyjman (Aug 6, 2009)

is this ISTUNDRA's truck? Looks eerily familar, minus the custom work of course. Great Job as always Jon!


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## quality_sound (Dec 25, 2005)

Those pods (all of them) look freakin' amazing!


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## IBcivic (Jan 6, 2009)

:thumbsup: wow, super clean work!


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## handcrafted (Sep 22, 2009)

Thanks guys, and yes Matt, it's his truck. Soon, we are going to finally scope and RTA that thing and really get it sounding great.


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## mattyjman (Aug 6, 2009)

Awesome... when I last heard his truck I thought it could benefit from a threeway set up... im interested in how this turns out. Maybe at the next meet?


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## handcrafted (Sep 22, 2009)

For sure, Don and I are trying to work something out for end of May.


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## sydmonster (Oct 5, 2009)

Fantastic quality install! Those L3SE's will sing in those KP's!


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

Thanks guys, I'm extremely pleased with the way it turned out.

I’ve been mulling over for months what to do with this system. I knew I wanted to redo the doors, as the factory midbass location wasn’t located centrally behind the grill and it was even partly blocked behind the door panel. For the kicks, I’ve been rolling around for months all ghetto with mids sealed in small pods taped to the floor. I went to Handcrafted and had a few half-baked ideas on what to do, but really Jon came up with the design on these so all the credit goes to him.

The doors look a million times better. I may switch to my L6SE so I have an all HAT setup, but for now Handcrafted sized the pods to fit the SS 18W’s shown, which are physically my largest 7” driver.

Locating the mids lower in the kicks and more aimed on-axis may have resulted in better imaging, but I didn’t want them to end up being footrests for clueless riders and they won’t get dirty up where they are (it is a truck after all). Regardless the kicks turned out great and the L3SE’s still sound really good off-axis. 



handcrafted said:


> For sure, Don and I are trying to work something out for end of May.


Why not shoot for mid-May? Chances for still decent weather then are still good. The heat will be on blast by end of month.


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## cheesehead (Mar 20, 2007)

We need a custom shop like yours here in West Michigan! You interested in opening up a satellite shop? 

Very nice work!!


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## GSlider (Jun 11, 2009)

Clean and simple. The best way to roll. Nice work guys.


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## RedAggie03 (Jun 7, 2009)

Looks great. I wish I knew someone with your skills in Houston!


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## handcrafted (Sep 22, 2009)

This truck came back in today for a little addition. The customer wanted to add some acoustic padding to the underside of the drivers and passengers side dash to kill any harsh reflections from the kickpods. Simply sticking foam to everything would not be cool, so this is what I did.

















I started off by cutting pieces of 1/8" abs to shape so that the cover conforms to the shape of the components down there pretty well.
















Then, i added some pieces to cover up the front of the components, again trying to make the cover as small and form fitting as reasonably possible.
























This fastener will mount the piece.








Here you can see how I strengthened the bond of the plastic pieces. I used a 24 grit roloc disc to chew into the plastic a bit before applying the duraglas. Once it was cured, I used it as backfill to grind away the sharp corners of the piece. Especially near the kick pod. 








Here it is mostly finished and installed. We weren't quite sure what to cover the whole thing in and also weren't sure if we were going to try a different type of foam so we just left it as is for now. He'll be back next week for me to do the drivers side, wrap them both and to tune the truck with a scope and an RTA.


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## HondAudio (Oct 19, 2006)

If you have the room for it, there's a tremendous opportunity to fill the inside of that box with material to quell the noise from the fan and motor. Foam, CLD, "HeatWave"... whatever.


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## sinister-kustoms (Jul 22, 2009)

Top notch work again!


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## in2ba8 (Jan 25, 2011)

Hi Jon, having a 2006 Tundra I have seen attempts at custom door and kick panel pods. They do not even come close. It sometimes pays to be a perfectionist. I was curious what you might recommend for sub installation under the rear seats using the storage compartments?


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## HondAudio (Oct 19, 2006)

Did that box around the blower motor do anything to quiet the fan noise, or does it still come through the vents?


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## HondAudio (Oct 19, 2006)

HondAudio said:


> Did that box around the blower motor do anything to quiet the fan noise, or does it still come through the vents?


Self-bump for group curiosity


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

It had nothing to do with quieting fan or motor noise. The box around the blower housing and the other **** protruding from under the dash is there to provide a uniform surface to attach the sound absorbing foam to. I wanted to add the foam to help suppress high frequency reflections from the underside of the dash. At the time I was playing the midrange in the kicks up to 8khz.

In the end, I don't know that the foam helped much. At 1/2" thick, it's only helpful down to ~5khz or so (I'm guessing), and I LP my mids at that point now anyway. The foam has been finished with black cloth and looks pretty stealth now.


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## redbaronace (Sep 27, 2011)

tagged.


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## GENEXXA (Aug 30, 2010)

Why put the mids in the kick?
Do you have ears down at you feets? 
Should have build it in the dash.


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## redbaronace (Sep 27, 2011)

Were the door pods made (speaker relocation) so that the magnet could clear the window channel bars?

Also wanted to ask if a Dynaudio 242 mid woofer (6.5") can clear that magnet in the factory location or is it simply too deep of a speaker?

Thanks,


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## handcrafted (Sep 22, 2009)

GENEXXA said:


> Why put the mids in the kick?
> Do you have ears down at you feets?
> Should have build it in the dash.


Are you ****ing with me?


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## handcrafted (Sep 22, 2009)

redbaronace said:


> Were the door pods made (speaker relocation) so that the magnet could clear the window channel bars?
> 
> Also wanted to ask if a Dynaudio 242 mid woofer (6.5") can clear that magnet in the factory location or is it simply too deep of a speaker?
> 
> Thanks,


Actually the pod was made mostly to move the speaker into the middle of the hole in the door panel. From the factory, some of the speaker is covered up. If I remember correctly, the dyn speakers that were tried before fit just fine in the factory location using an appropriate spacer.


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## GENEXXA (Aug 30, 2010)

handcrafted said:


> Are you ****ing with me?


No.
Can you tell me why you placed it in the foot area, rather then the ear-area?
You feet will get in the way, and interrupt the preformance of the speaker.


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## dobslob (Sep 19, 2011)

It is most likely about path lengths from the speaker to the listener's ears. The smaller the difference in lengths, the less correction you need with a processor if there is one in the system. If there is no processor, it will leave the listener as centered between the speakers as possible. The space in the kick panel also allows for the construction of an enclosure to control the sound of the mid range driver. 

Pillar or dash mounts in vehicles with a more upright seating position and with a windshield that s relatively close to the listener leave one speaker significantly closer to the listener, causing more side bias. This can result in a very off center stage or at least one that is much harder to correct. While time alignment can make for a great sounding system for one listener, the more adjustment that is made will make the sound much worse for others in the same vehicle.

Many people are concerned with the speakers/pods blocking their view and wouldn't want them anyway. I don't know if this is the case here, but it is a valid concern to some.


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## handcrafted (Sep 22, 2009)

Thanks Doug! By the way, I honestly thought you were ****ing with me, I wasn't trying to be a dick, but probably sounded like it..


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

Just to add to what's already been mentioned here...

I personally don't like pillar/dash pods for aesthetic reasons and the up high mids sound too "in your face" hot for my tastes, so I opted for the kick panel location. A larger mid and/or placement on the floor or more in the kick corners may have offered better imaging but I compromised on location because I didn't want them to become footrests or get dirty (it's a truck after all). I do have the P99 HU so I can use its tuning features to help overcome some of the location and mid-tweeter seperation issues. Even so, I'm completely happy with the way these turned out and how they sound, although I'm itching to try other 3" mids.

As for the doors, the change was completely unnecessary and done mainly for cosmetic reasons, although as Handcrafted mentioned -the stock midbass location placed the driver partially behind the door panel. That probably didn't affect performance much but I wanted the driver to be centered in the grille opening and more prominently seen/accessible. Now with the added pod, there is lots of extra depth so I could mount just about anything, including the Scan 18WU Illuminator that's got everyone squirting glue in their pants over lately. Even without the mod, there was about 3-1/8" mounting depth at the stock location so the Dyn midbass should fit ok. 

An added benefit of the new door pod design is that I can change drivers without pulling the door panels. I pulled my L6SE's last week and put the Scan 18W's back in, in just a few minutes.


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## Frank Drebin (May 30, 2011)

That is such a great idea for the kicks. Thanks for sharing, I may steal this idea for myself. I would appreciate any comments on the three way setup as well, I understand that it would probably be better to have the woofers in the kicks vs the mids, but the woofers are so intrusive.


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## handcrafted (Sep 22, 2009)

Steal away sir, steal away.


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## redbaronace (Sep 27, 2011)

ISTundra said:


> Just to add to what's already been mentioned here...
> 
> I personally don't like pillar/dash pods for aesthetic reasons and the up high mids sound too "in your face" hot for my tastes, so I opted for the kick panel location. A larger mid and/or placement on the floor or more in the kick corners may have offered better imaging but I compromised on location because I didn't want them to become footrests or get dirty (it's a truck after all). I do have the P99 HU so I can use its tuning features to help overcome some of the location and mid-tweeter seperation issues. Even so, I'm completely happy with the way these turned out and how they sound, although I'm itching to try other 3" mids.
> 
> ...


Guess i will give the Dyn's a try when they get here and figure out how to make them work.


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## subwoofery (Nov 9, 2008)

GENEXXA said:


> Why put the mids in the kick?
> Do you have ears down at you feets?
> Should have build it in the dash.


Because he can  Having a left-hand wheel helps ; no pedal in the way 

Kelvin


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## GENEXXA (Aug 30, 2010)

dobslob said:


> It is most likely about path lengths from the speaker to the listener's ears. *The smaller the difference in lengths, the less correction you need with a processor if there is one in the system.* If there is no processor, it will leave the listener as centered between the speakers as possible. The space in the kick panel also allows for the construction of an enclosure to control the sound of the mid range driver.
> 
> Pillar or dash mounts in vehicles with a more upright seating position and with a windshield that s relatively close to the listener leave one speaker significantly closer to the listener, causing more side bias. This can result in a very off center stage or at least one that is much harder to correct. While time alignment can make for a great sounding system for one listener, the more adjustment that is made will make the sound much worse for others in the same vehicle.
> 
> Many people are concerned with the speakers/pods blocking their view and wouldn't want them anyway. I don't know if this is the case here, but it is a valid concern to some.


If the mids where intergrated in the dash with enclousure, aint the path lenght shorter?
If I understand you correctly, you are talking against yourself.


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## handcrafted (Sep 22, 2009)

GENEXXA said:


> If the mids where intergrated in the dash with enclousure, aint the path lenght shorter?
> If I understand you correctly, you are talking against yourself.


It's not a matter of making path lengths shorter, it's a matter of making path length differences smaller.


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## subwoofery (Nov 9, 2008)

GENEXXA said:


> If the mids where intergrated in the dash with enclousure, aint the path lenght shorter?
> If I understand you correctly, you are talking against yourself.


*PLD*, not PL
Technical info 

Kelvin


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

Got some time off for the holidays so I made a few changes...

Due to frequent driver changes, the MDF is starting to get pretty chewed up and warped a bit, so I wanted to counter that issue, plus I wanted to put a slightly smaller driver in, so I had aluminum adapter rings machined.

I added a 2mm thick foam gasket to seal the AL ring to the MDF baffle, and then cut out 1.2mm thick gasket rings to seal the driver against the AL ring. This allowed me to install my Pioneer stage 4 midbass as shown.

I could've trimmed the speaker gasket a little cleaner, but I plan to have a decorative aluminum ring mounted over the driver if I decide to stay with this one. I might have them anodized eventually, but for now I like the raw AL look.


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

Next... I picked up a set of Voce mids in a forum buy, so I wanted to try them in place of the HAT L3SE's in the kicks.

Same treatment... AL ring & gasketing, and the Voce looks like it belongs there. I need to re-tune for the new drivers still.


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

In the meantime... I'm going to try the L3SE's in the kicks in my Lexus in place of L4SE's. When the kicks were made, I was reluctant to have a permanent modification made in the car to vent the pods externally, so they ended up being .8 liter sealed pods. This is too small of an enclosure to play the L4SE's down very low, so the low ends suffers, plus this install is tweeterless (for now), so it's been impossible to get the sound stage above the dashline.

The L3SE's should do ok in the sealed pods on the low end, and already seem more "airy" on the upper end, so I'm hopeful this will be a good change with tuning. The AL ring has a second mounting hole pattern, so I can also try the Scan 10F shown below. Note all of the AL rings have the backside chamfer.


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## HondAudio (Oct 19, 2006)

Nice. Where did you have the rings machined?


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## Goindef154 (Apr 26, 2008)

X2 man, looks awesome. Also interested in where you got them machined at?


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## syncal1 (Aug 11, 2009)

I'm going to ride your nuts a little here and say wow you as well as your installer are a hard act to follow. I also have an 06 and was stoked to see what you have done to your turck. I happen to think those kicks are sick!If I may ask, did you remove your E-brake to house your kicks? I also hope I don't offend you by saying I plan on borrowing your idea for your door speakers. I promise I'll give it back though haha.


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

Yeah the E-brake was removed. It's possible it could have been left in after the kickpod was installed but it would need to be bent over toward the brake pedal a little to clear. I don't need it for now, but it could be re-installed if I ever need to put the truck back to stock.

Be sure to post any mods you do.


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## Mopar244DIY (Dec 1, 2009)

Removing the E-brake takes nerve. I can see why you did it though. Nice work. Subscribed !


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## mattyjman (Aug 6, 2009)

Todd,
Care to comment on your changes and what it's done for you?


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## Tarheels1 (Jan 20, 2011)

You could have done wonders on my 06 Tundra!


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## handcrafted (Sep 22, 2009)

Still can! Ha ha, it's not that far right?


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## Tarheels1 (Jan 20, 2011)

I like dummy sold my Tundra. It was an SRX 4WD and got 11 MPG on the hwy! I needed an oil company to keep it full. I should have kept it and just used it as a secondary and not my primary vehicle. It was a beautiful burgundy four door truck with leather. It is better than my 1993 Ford F150 Flareside.


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## simplicityinsound (Feb 2, 2007)

a lil OT but man, there are a LOT of you guys in PHX...plus a bunch of guys i know not from this forum...gonna visit PHX for hte first time maybe late feb or march, love to meet a whole bunch of you 


Except Jon, dont care to meet Jon, hes old news since hes no longer the reigning installer of the year  hahahaha 




































(i met Jon at ces this year)


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## mattyjman (Aug 6, 2009)

simplicityinsound said:


> a lil OT but man, there are a LOT of you guys in PHX...plus a bunch of guys i know not from this forum...gonna visit PHX for hte first time maybe late feb or march, love to meet a whole bunch of you
> 
> 
> Except Jon, dont care to meet Jon, hes old news since hes no longer the reigning installer of the year  hahahaha
> ...


sounds like a good time to do a group meet... i'm in!


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

mattyjman said:


> Todd,
> Care to comment on your changes and what it's done for you?


Matt, missed this earlier.

After making this switch, I haven't really put in much tuning time to get it dialed in. I have some nasty resonance in the passenger door to track down, so in the meantime I had to cut 80-125hz pretty severely to calm it.

They didn't seem to test all that great in Bikinpunk's recent testing, but I do like the Thesis Voce mids so far. They're pretty laid back sounding compared to the HAT L3SE's and they don't have the extended range or off-axis response of the L3SE's, but they do sound more pleasing on vocals, to my ear.

In the next few weeks, I plan to put Phass midbass and tweets in the truck, paired with the Voce mids (although I do have a few other mids around to try as well). When that's done I'll work on getting it dialed in and maybe we can all plan a meetup soon.


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## BP1Fanatic (Jan 10, 2010)

Awesome work!


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## ALL4SQ (Mar 28, 2009)

Love the kicks. Really like the Grills too.


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

Time for an install update...

Been fighting on-going issues in my Lexus install, so I Decided to start moving my best gear into this install, since it's so much easier to deal with.

First up, Phass MD0790 midbass

















I had a couple of aluminum mounting rings made for these, with a generous chamfer on the backside and black anodized









Ring bolted in, with a thick gasket behind them to seal off against the MDF 









Driver mounted, the grille trim ring is sandwiched between the driver and the AL ring, with gasket layers between each

















With grille placed, it came out pretty flush and looks really nice


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

Next, Phass DTM25 tweeter

A while back, I purchased these machined pods from Buzzman for the DTM25's.

























I was reluctant to use the pods before, mainly because I have an aversion to pillar installs but finally warmed to the idea. I thought they would gel better in my install if they were black, so I had them powdercoated to closely match the anodize on the tweeter.


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

Tweeter pod installed pics. Just had to drill a hole in the pillar cover, and nut the mounting post stud on the backside. The stud is mounted through a thin piece of aluminum strip that runs along the inside of the pillar cover to help distribute the pod load and reduce the chance of the cover flexing.

























































The HAT tweets in the sail panels are disconnected and serving as "hole plugs" for now


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

All done, except one of the Thesis mids started sounding scratchy so as a short-term fix I replaced them with Hertz HL70's, hoping they would sound similar (they don't). Except for HAT L3SE's, none of my other mids would drop right in, so I'm rolling with the HL70's for now.









Listening impressions? Right away, without even aiming the tweeter pods, my stage never sounded so high and forward before. Once the Buzzman set me up with the tune deluxe... holy ****. My system has never sounded this good before! The stage is high, centered, and decently forward, something I have always struggled to achieve in this install. The tonal balance is pretty good overall. 

The MD0790's sound very natural, a nice amount of warmth, but not too much where they over-color the bass, like an 18W can (to me anyway). The HL70's are a weak spot. They don't sound horrible, but unremarkable is probably the best description I can provide. The DTM 25's are a real surprise. I had originally tried them in the sail panels with the HAT tuning and they were pretty bright sounding, but in the pods and re-tuned (HP'ed at 2.5khz, 6db) they are buttery smooth & nicely detailed. 

One downside to this latest install/tune is that now it really reveals how inadequate my sub is (10W3 stealthbox, 250w). The MD0790's are pulling more of the sub-bass duty than they probably should be, which creates some door resonance on some songs. Still, I'm pretty happy with the sound. This is the setup I'll bring to the GTG next weekend.

Future upgrades:
-Replace the HL70's, likely with a Scan 10F in an adjustable mount (working on it)
-Replace the JL500/5 with an Audison 5.1k. I probably won't change the sub, but more power to it can't hurt.


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## handcrafted (Sep 22, 2009)

Bing you bastard! Is this because I didn't sit next to you at dinner?


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## nelsondog (May 10, 2006)

Wow! Love the pods! How much and can get some??


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## jp_over (Dec 21, 2011)

I wish those pods were for sale too!


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## cobb2819 (Jan 13, 2011)

The pods are available from Phass designed for their tweeters, they look great!!!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

Small update...

I replaced this









With this (disregard my hack wiring job)









Love the 500/5, I've had it in this install for 2-1/2 years and it's been my favorite amp all-time but it just can't keep up with the rest of the system anymore. The LRX 5.1k seems a little warmer* and has balls o' plenty. I threw a -5db level set on all channels and now my low bass impact is back. 

The HL70's never impressed me, so the L3SE's are back in the kicks for now, but I'm contemplating a redo of the kickpods to stuff a set of Scan 10F's back into the corners and more on-axis.



*yeah I know all amps sound the same...


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

Time for an update... New kickpods, with Phass FD 0496 4" full range installed


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## sydmonster (Oct 5, 2009)

oooooh.... axis!


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## xxx_busa (May 4, 2009)

Looking Good !!! 

hand over my m/r 



Gotta jump on the AT28EVO you'll love them..................


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## bbfoto (Aug 28, 2005)

Really awesome work, Jon and Todd! Love the design so you can swap drivers easly.  Really looks factory, too...except for the tweeter pods, but they look super clean. ;-)

I don't know if you've already tried this or not, but I always seem to have better results when I've lined the inside of kickpanel pods with Cascade V-Block spray and then lightly filled with polyfill, enclosure wool, etc. Try with & without doing this with 3"-5" mids in a pair of small MDF bookshelf-type enclosures. Listen at very low volume with your ear right next to the speaker cone...hear the difference side by side. 

P.S. Jon, is that a "Pro Carpenter" tape measure you have there? My favorite. ;-)


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

A sneak peak of what's coming next...


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## bamelanc (Sep 13, 2009)

Found a replacement for the 10w3?


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## fj60landcruiser (Oct 10, 2011)

Nice, I wish I had the money to replicate that in my Sequoia!


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## handcrafted (Sep 22, 2009)

bbfoto said:


> Really awesome work, Jon and Todd! Love the design so you can swap drivers easly.  Really looks factory, too...except for the tweeter pods, but they look super clean. ;-)
> 
> I don't know if you've already tried this or not, but I always seem to have better results when I've lined the inside of kickpanel pods with Cascade V-Block spray and then lightly filled with polyfill, enclosure wool, etc. Try with & without doing this with 3"-5" mids in a pair of small MDF bookshelf-type enclosures. Listen at very low volume with your ear right next to the speaker cone...hear the difference side by side.
> 
> P.S. Jon, is that a "Pro Carpenter" tape measure you have there? My favorite. ;-)


Thanks for the compliments man. I love doing work for Todd. He is always cool and doesn't rush us at all and very appreciative of the work we put in. He is definitely one of my favorite clients. I'm not sure which pic you're referring to but yeah I love the pro carpenter tapes too. I have the standard/metric, the lefty/righty and the flatback.


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

fj60landcruiser said:


> Nice, I wish I had the money to replicate that in my Sequoia!


Well, I've spent a small fortune on "R&D", so if you ever do want to get adventurous -I can save you some by telling what/what not to do.


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## bbfoto (Aug 28, 2005)

How is that all-Phass front stage sounding compared to your other setups?

Interested about the new sub as well. How/where do you plan to install it?

Looks super-clean so far, man! I recently picked up a new Hyundai Santa Fe SE AWD for the girlfriend and am itchin' to do a new install in it! Might have to bite your style a bit, but will keep the tweeters a bit more stealthy.

Jon, have you worked on any of the late-model Santa Fe's?...any tips?


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

Thanks! This current Phass setup kicks the **** out of all the other gear and setups I've tried. The only other setup I thought came close was the Pioneer Stage 4 3-way setup, which was a while back.

The new Phass sub is going into a JL Stealthbox currently in the center console. It's almost a size-on match for the 10W3 so I'm hoping it will essentially be a drop-in replacement. It's much more efficient than the 10W3 but otherwise I don't know much about the Phass sub specs (it's a new/redesign). I've been pretty happy with the 10W3 so if the SW1025 sounds any better than I'm all tits.

The tweeter pods aren't as stealthy as I'd like them to be, but they really helped with moving the stage forward and being able to improve the imaging with their adjustability. I'm working on developing a redesigned tweeter pod that will be a little smaller/simpler yet still be adjustable, so more changes are coming.

I'd really love to run the entire system off one of those Tru super billet-8 amps but I haven't yet convinced myself that it's worth it to drop that kind of coin on an amp. I'll try upgrading all of the wiring first and see what if anything that nets.


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## bbfoto (Aug 28, 2005)

Thanks Todd. Glad to hear that the new Phass drivers are kickin' @ss. Keep us posted when you get the new sub in, and the new tweeter pods as well. Looking great as it is though!


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

Finally had some free time today to update my install...

So the aluminum tweeter pods I've been using are stylishly clean and functional, but jeebus they're a pain in the ass if you ever want to adjust them. To adjust, you have to remove the tweeter to get to the adjustment nut, and then it's so tight internally that the only way you can get to the nut is with long nose pliers. The nut is diffcult to really tighten down very well, and then once you put the tweeter back in and realize it's not aiming where you thought it was... frustration!

It got me thinking how I could improve the adjustment method for the tweeter, so I can point it where I want and then lock it down. I came up with this adjustable mounting stem design which gives me ample angle & rotation adjustment.









Then I came up with a new pod design, machined from delrin, not as nice as the spherical aluminum pods, but simpler & lower cost to produce.

























Sprayed them with some bedliner for texture









Speaker cable routes internally









And then mouted to the pillars. I had to add a flanged washer at the attachment point to fill in a large hole in the pillar from the previous pods.

























Overall, pretty happy with the way they turned out. They give me the easy adjustment I wanted, and are easy to lock down once I have them aimed. I started thinking about a way to improve the design, so I'm going to replace the hex nut with this serrated edge round nut, which will look a little more aesthetic. 









I'm also going paint or plastidip the serrated nut, as I'm worried that the anodized aluminum will turn purple over time from UV exposure.


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

Another small change I made recently...

My sail panels were glassed a while back by Handcrafted for HAT L1SE's. Since I've moved the tweeters to the pillar and needed to address the sails. I bought new OEM sail panels but for some reason they don't fit, so I had to resort to a hole filler plug . These machined delrin plugs got the job done.

















A little bedliner texture on them and they now match the sail panel. They're not inconspicuous by any means but they'll work out for me.


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## markland556 (Dec 2, 2008)

Very nice job with the leather wrapping


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## markland556 (Dec 2, 2008)

not a big fan of the tweeter mounting...


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## [email protected] (Nov 7, 2010)

Are those tweeter mounts temporary until you decide how you want them angled and then you plan on doing a mount to the pillar, or will they always stay like that?

Do you have issues with moving your feet around and the image changing do to reflections off your legs in different positions? What happens to the sound when you have a front seat passenger? (I ask because I recently acquired one of these trucks and I was trying to decide where to put my speakers (I have the Voce 3 way set..))


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

JOey Knapp said:


> Are those tweeter mounts temporary until you decide how you want them angled and then you plan on doing a mount to the pillar, or will they always stay like that?
> 
> Do you have issues with moving your feet around and the image changing do to reflections off your legs in different positions? What happens to the sound when you have a front seat passenger? (I ask because I recently acquired one of these trucks and I was trying to decide where to put my speakers (I have the Voce 3 way set..))


Well, I realize the pods aren't everyone's cup of tea, but for now I intend to keep the pods mounted as they are. But hell... look at all the changes I've made in this thread to date. Pretty much anything I do in this install should be considered "temporary".

RE: kickpods... I noticed much more impact on the sound from my leg placement when I had the previous off-axis kickpods than I do with the current on-axis style. I tend to keep my leg in a certain spot when I drive so I try to tune around that.

Would like to see how you finish out your back wall with those amps & DSP in place. I was eyeballing mine today trying to figure out how I could get some Genesis or Tru amps back there. This truck sucks for space, that's for sure.


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## [email protected] (Nov 7, 2010)

Here is what I have so far. The top opening will be a piece of lexan with audison engraved in it, the bottom triangle will be another piece with the audison A engraved. Both of those will be edge lit. I didn't want to go too overboard, its a truck and with the seats in place you never see any of it.
I had to make the trim piece bigger (much higher than the amps) because the previous owner had cut it out a LOT.
Those pieces are just sitting there right now, once I have the lighting and lexan I will put it all together..


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

Looks nice, I like it! Any build pics and pics of what it looked like before you started? Does your back window still go down?


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

A new update today... pulled my stealthbox and swapped the 10W3 for the Phass SW1025 sub.









Added an aluminum adapter ring

















Was too anxious to send it out for anodize, but it's not really going to matter in this case

















And back in the center console location









This gives me an all-around Phass driver setup. Now I'm gonna go exercise it.


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## FLYONWALL9 (Nov 8, 2009)

Love the tweeter pods. This could be the answer to my just over 1" a pillars if my kicks aren't going to work out.


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

The pods are not the stealthiest by any means, but I'm ok with them for now. I have pods for a few other drivers queued up that I plan to try at some point.


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## FLYONWALL9 (Nov 8, 2009)

OMG!!!!!! PLEASE give me some info on the two way pods. I MUST have a set...... Who made them, how long did they take, how much (I know the saying if you have to ask you can afford, but I'll save up!) would they make a set for me you think? I have a set of OZ (superman) 4" components the need a treatment like this. Also, I could really use something trick like this for a subwoofer baffle. STELLER WORK! LOVE THIS

any more photos of them would be great, the back, heck anything. POD PORN!


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## bertholomey (Dec 27, 2007)

That Phass Sub looks incredible.....I had no idea they were introducing a sub to their line up.....it looks like they went all out from the start.......All Phass - Wow! Love it!


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## Buzzman (Jul 26, 2007)

bertholomey said:


> That Phass Sub looks incredible.....I had no idea they were introducing a sub to their line up.....it looks like they went all out from the start.......All Phass - Wow! Love it!


Jason, the SW1025 has been a part of the Phass lineup since about 2005. I used it in my Mazda 6. In late 2010 they went away from the kevlar cone to a paper cone version, but the demand for the kevlar version was such that they went back to it and made some updates. It is this updated version that Todd is using.


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## AccordUno (Aug 7, 2009)

ISTundra said:


>


If possible, could you share you sourced this item?


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

It's a custom assembly. My company has an 8-man machine shop down the hall from my office. I designed it, a guy from the shop machined it.


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## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

FLYONWALL9 said:


> OMG!!!!!! PLEASE give me some info on the two way pods. I MUST have a set...... Who made them, how long did they take, how much (I know the saying if you have to ask you can afford, but I'll save up!) would they make a set for me you think? I have a set of OZ (superman) 4" components the need a treatment like this. Also, I could really use something trick like this for a subwoofer baffle. STELLER WORK! LOVE THIS
> 
> any more photos of them would be great, the back, heck anything. POD PORN!


x2!!!!.. where can we get these made!!??!?


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## bertholomey (Dec 27, 2007)

Buzzman said:


> Jason, the SW1025 has been a part of the Phass lineup since about 2005. I used it in my Mazda 6. In late 2010 they went away from the kevlar cone to a paper cone version, but the demand for the kevlar version was such that they went back to it and made some updates. It is this updated version that Todd is using.


I must have missed the subs when I was staring at the US, Japanese, and Euro sites...... I guess I was so focused on the beautiful component sets and amplifiers


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## FLYONWALL9 (Nov 8, 2009)

I've been struggling trying to find a machine shope that can make parts like these along with a custom designed fuse/distro block. The distro block I know is going to cost some coin and I'm not scared because I know it will end up being one of the center pieces of my install. I just need to find someone that can make it.


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

Fly, I just rolled through your build thread. With your mad fabrication skills, not sure why you would want machined pods, unless you just want the look. Anyway, if you really want to look into something, send me details on your drivers and I'll model something up and get you a price.


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## bbfoto (Aug 28, 2005)

FLYONWALL9 said:


> I've been struggling trying to find a machine shope that can make parts like these along with a custom designed fuse/distro block. The distro block I know is going to cost some coin and I'm not scared because I know it will end up being one of the center pieces of my install. I just need to find someone that can make it.


Did you already check with ToolMaker to see what it would cost to produce what you want? Here's a Link to Kirk's thread showing a set of ToolMaker's custom fused battery terminals/distro-blocks for his Acura TL install:

http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/build-logs-project-install-gallery/127906-2005-acura-tl-part-2-a.html


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## FLYONWALL9 (Nov 8, 2009)

Sorry, I didn't realize you posted a reply here. 

Thanks for the compliment, but, I don't feel like my mad skills are that mad. The reason why I like those pods are two fold, one yes I really like the look, and ease of installation in my kicks would be the second.

I did see another post of yours about some rings and the price you quoted is within reason of what I would pay. When I get to my sub enclosure I'm going to need something like those because to keep weight down I'm going to use balsa core fiber glass for a baffle. 

Lastly, I have a REALLY cool project I just need to find someone willing to do it and with your shop I'm sure you guys could. I already know its going to cost coin so no worries with that. I am trying to find someone who can make me a PORSCHE crest about 8" to be used as a distro/fuse block. The crest where the graphics in the center would be raised and in relief. If you look at a crest you can then see what I'm talking about. I think it would be a really neat project for a shop to showcase work that can be done...


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## FLYONWALL9 (Nov 8, 2009)

bbfoto said:


> Did you already check with ToolMaker to see what it would cost to produce what you want? Here's a Link to Kirk's thread showing a set of ToolMaker's custom fused battery terminals/distro-blocks for his Acura TL install:
> 
> http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/build-logs-project-install-gallery/127906-2005-acura-tl-part-2-a.html


I hadn't seen that before thank you. I'll see if ISTUNDRA wants the work first. What I want to make is pretty complex and the fewer amount of people that know about it the better. Not everyone will read this so keeping this part of my install hush to an extent, reason why I haven't asked a good many people.


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## mattyjman (Aug 6, 2009)

so how does it sound Todd?


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## [email protected] (Nov 7, 2010)

Bump for how it sounds??? 

(I attached a picture of my amp trim piece completed...)


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## speakerpimp (Feb 15, 2012)

I love how y'all have tried so much different equipment. The build really allowed for it which is an awesome aspect.


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

I would recommend a more focused approach rather than spending $$ trying nearly every boutique driver on the market. With that said... more changes are in the works.


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

JOey Knapp said:


> Bump for how it sounds???
> 
> (I attached a picture of my amp trim piece completed...)


Looks cool, any other pics?


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## jtaudioacc (Apr 6, 2010)

ISTundra said:


> I would recommend a more focused approach rather than spending $$ trying nearly every boutique driver on the market. With that said... more changes are in the works.


boutique? must be time for some JL Audio and Kicker!!


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

jtaudioacc said:


> boutique? must be time for some JL Audio and Kicker!!


Team Xplod!


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## speakerpimp (Feb 15, 2012)

ISTundra said:


> I would recommend a more focused approach rather than spending $$ trying nearly every boutique driver on the market. With that said... more changes are in the works.


You know, I'm not sure I ever want my car to be "finished", sure I want to achieve my sonic goals and whatnot, but one of the things I love about car audio things always seem to change. Personally, I feel if you have the ability to try a bunch of different equipment in your ride it will allow a better understanding than hearing speaker A in this Civic and then hearing speaker B in that Volvo and so forth. Better than most sound boards for comparing end results as well.

I like the fact you have taken the time and expense to audition all that boutique stuff IN your car. I take the feedback on equipment in a build like this more seriously than most because the variables have been isolated and tested in-car.


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

As my install and tuning abilities have improved, I bet I would like a lot more of the gear I've tried & dismissed in the past, but I still enjoy changing out and trying new stuff from time to time so that's not gonna change.

I do plan to stay with the Phass gear but looking to upgrade other parts of my install now.


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## leo_ca (Nov 29, 2012)

Great thread. I wish you were local to me and my Tundra Double Cab!


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

Time for an update...

I upgraded my tweeters from the Phass DTM25 to the AT28 EVO. 









They are a mid-sized tweeter, and with some heft due to the machined aluminum housing, so I needed to come up with new tweeter pods. Came up with these, machined in delrin. 


















Here's some trial fit pics. There's a aluminum flanged stem that attaches them to the pillar. I ended up painting the pods a gloss black, but I'm a ****ty painter so I'll need to redo them.


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

Also changed out the amps. Now running the tweets off a Genesis Stereo 60:









Running the midrange, midbass, and sub off a JL HD900/5









Also went from the P99 to the PS8 for active processing. So far, only some basic tuning as I learn the processor. Frankly, between the software glitches and the powerful feature set - the PS8 scares the **** out of me. Still running my P99 as the HU, just in case I go back to it.


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## BP1Fanatic (Jan 10, 2010)

ISTundra said:


> Time for an update...
> 
> I upgraded my tweeters from the Phass DTM25 to the AT28 EVO. I forgot to take pics of the tweeter before installing but there's some out there on the web. They are a mid-sized tweeter, and with some heft due to the machined aluminum housing, so I needed to come up with new tweeter pods. Came up with these, machined in delrin.
> 
> ...


Nice! I like the fact that you didn't have to fiberglass.


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## Offroader5 (Apr 8, 2011)

I still have yet to listen to your setup after the numerous get-togethers 

I'm going to have to make a point of it at the meet this month.

I've been contemplating kicks and I like the fact that your new ones are a nice size, but still don't extend all the way to the floor. This leaves foot room and they seem to float there.


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## IBcivic (Jan 6, 2009)

Very nice job with the machined pods. :thumbsup:
Delrin is not a paint-friendly material. There are a couple of vids on youtube that illustrate how to prep the surface for better paint adhesion.


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## jcwgibson (Jan 19, 2012)

Great install and thread, thanks for taking the time and documenting it. Saves people like me with limited "Play" time from learning on the job. What are your impressions on D-class amplification vs A/B?

For an install without processing, will the kicks still produce a noticed increase in Imaging?

Have you ever considered/tryed both your mids on-axis in the door?

Thanks for any responses, and keep up the great work.


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## audio+civic (Apr 16, 2009)

Just bought one of these trucks myself. What do you think of the JL enclosure?


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

Spendy, as most Stealthboxes go, but I like it a lot. The box is kinda small to get down low though, so if you're a basshead it won't be enough. It gives you nice upfront bass and is really the best option if you don't want to custom fab something into the small storage area under the rear seat. You do lose almost all of the center console interior space with it.


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## audio+civic (Apr 16, 2009)

Have you tried to find buttons for the right side of the steering wheel where the blanks are opposite of the audio controls? I think I might want a little more bass. Thinking of doing the sub in the floor where the jack is and cutting some metal underneath and welding up a box.


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

A recent small update, new tweeter pods again for my AT28's...

Machined in black delrin









Tweeter installed. Cables route through the mounting stem

















A mockup trim piece that slides over and bolts in from the back.

























Attached to the pillar cover with a nut on the inside









I changed out the trim piece for a flatter version that looks cleaner than the funnel shaped one. They're not aimed up as much as it appears in the pics.

















I like these pods the best so far. Now I just need to figure out how to finish them.


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

A sneak peek of what's coming:


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## subwoofery (Nov 9, 2008)

WHAT THE?????  

Kelvin


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## IBcivic (Jan 6, 2009)

This is calling out to the machinist in me... Subd!


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## BP1Fanatic (Jan 10, 2010)

[email protected], tube amps! Nice work on the tweeter pods!


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## HondAudio (Oct 19, 2006)

Is that delrin plastic difficult to machine?


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## Kellyo77 (Dec 5, 2009)

HondAudio said:


> Is that delrin plastic difficult to machine?


As long as your tooling is sharp(endmills and drills) it can be machined pretty easily. sometimes fixturing can be challenging. You can't just crank down the vice like you can if it was steel being machined. 

Some great looking machine work in this project. Very well done!

I'm anxious to see the tube amp install. Would love to hear it.


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## xxx_busa (May 4, 2009)

Nice - The waveguides just what this Tweeter Needs. I'll bet,after some tuning you'll agree. One of my top 5 fav tweets


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

The next adventure in my install begins...

It's long been my desire to consolidate my amps and other components into a cleaner install showcase, but the 1st gen Tundra has scant storage space available, and so I've been forced to stash gear under seats and in a tiny odd shaped storage well under the rear seat that's just large enough for small form factor amps like the Arc KS mini's. Part of that storage well also holds the jack and tire tool set also so overall the space isn't useable for much.

Here's the area: 









General plan is to cut the metal and floor pan as needed and fab in a new storage well that's as large as possible in the same area. I'm going to attempt to do some of this myself (which could be a huge mistake), but I have lined up a coworker who's a talented welder/fabricator to help out with the sheet metal fab and welding. This could turn into a big fiasco but only way to find out is to start cutting metal. First I'll be scraping off my ****ty damplifier job from 5 years ago. Any tips on removing this stuff? I've seen suggestions to use a heat gun or liquid nitrogen, but really all I have on-hand is a putty knife and a can of goof off. After that, should have the sheet metal cut out and start sizing up the replacement box, so this could take a few weeks to wrap up.


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## [email protected] (Nov 7, 2010)

Be careful, the gas tank is on the driver's side, very close to the metal recess. It is very tight under the whole area. I have attached a picture that I found when researching mine. 
I plan on cutting out the passenger side and fiberglassing as much airspace as I can get. The exhaust and driveshaft are close to that area...


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## JayinMI (Oct 18, 2008)

[email protected] said:


> Be careful, the gas tank is on the driver's side, very close to the metal recess. It is very tight under the whole area. I have attached a picture that I found when researching mine.
> I plan on cutting out the passenger side and fiberglassing as much airspace as I can get. The exhaust and driveshaft are close to that area...


JOey: Fiberglass?!?! I thought you were the welder guy. lol

IS: Really like the pods. Did you listen to them with both trim pieces on? Did the larger waveguide seem to make a difference? I agree the second one looks better, but I wasn't sure how they effected functionality.

Jay


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

[email protected] said:


> Be careful, the gas tank is on the driver's side, very close to the metal recess. It is very tight under the whole area. I have attached a picture that I found when researching mine.
> I plan on cutting out the passenger side and fiberglassing as much airspace as I can get. The exhaust and driveshaft are close to that area...


Yeah I knew the gas tank is under the driver's side, but can I really get any extra depth right over it? It doesn't look like much from your pic. I'd like to get 4-1/2 or 5" depth in my enclosure there if possible. Is there any structural stuff to worry about?

edited to add: just crawled around underneath. I'm not looking to go any deeper, just square off the walls and flat bottom the area. It looks like I can do that much. It does get tight to the gas tank in a few spots. Gonna find out for sure in a little bit!


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

JayinMI said:


> JOey: Fiberglass?!?! I thought you were the welder guy. lol
> 
> IS: Really like the pods. Did you listen to them with both trim pieces on? Did the larger waveguide seem to make a difference? I agree the second one looks better, but I wasn't sure how they effected functionality.
> 
> Jay


I think the waveguide made a very very slight difference. They'd probably be more effective if they were a proper shape and deeper, but I've just been using the other trim piece. I'm contemplating new pods again.


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

There's no going back now...

















Right at 5" of depth over the gas tank, maybe a little shy for a sub enclosure but for my plans it'll work fine.


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## Offroader5 (Apr 8, 2011)

Looks like you're gaining a lot of width too. If you go straight down in the back at the top of the slope. Removing the curved slope at the back will net a bunch of extra space.


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## [email protected] (Nov 7, 2010)

So, this is for storage space? 
Thanks for the pictures, I am going to cut mine up soon I hope...


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## [email protected] (Nov 7, 2010)

And, thanks for posting these teaser pics.. I have cars to work on and my IOTY submission, but now all I can think about is cutting my truck!! lol...


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## [email protected] (Nov 7, 2010)

And, was that all airsaw?


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

Offroader5 said:


> Looks like you're gaining a lot of width too. If you go straight down in the back at the top of the slope. Removing the curved slope at the back will net a bunch of extra space.


Yup, the curved back wall on the stock area made this area pretty useless for anything but small accessories. Now I have 12" width, could have gone a little more towards the cabin back wall but this should be fine.


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

[email protected] said:


> So, this is for storage space?
> Thanks for the pictures, I am going to cut mine up soon I hope...


I plan to put 3 amps and a distro block here, maybe even a battery too.



[email protected] said:


> And, thanks for posting these teaser pics.. I have cars to work on and my IOTY submission, but now all I can think about is cutting my truck!! lol...


I have lots more pics and will be taking more as it progresses, if you need more detail let me know.



[email protected] said:


> And, was that all airsaw?


angle grinder


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## [email protected] (Nov 7, 2010)

Ah, thanks for the info. Why not do the amps on the back wall?

I can't wait to see the pics! I think I am going to cut mine with an airsaw. The angle grinder is very invasive. The airsaw is less messy to me... 

What did you use to clean off your soundproofing?


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

The amps I plan to use are a bit taller than most, so there wasn't enough clearance between the back wall and seats to fit them there. 

The angle grinder worked great and cut through the metal pretty quickly. It was a little tricky down in the corners though. Just hold it so the cutting wheel doesn't go too deep around the gas tank area. It did make a little mess but plastic was taped on the panels and a heavy drop cloth was hung to block off the front part of the cabin and the headliner (tucked it into the back window to support it).

I used goof off, a wire brush, and a putty knife to scrape the butyl off. Probably not the easiest or quickest method but it worked.


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## audio+civic (Apr 16, 2009)

All I am thinking about now is cutting my 06 tundra double cab now.


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## [email protected] (Nov 7, 2010)

audio+civic said:


> All I am thinking about now is cutting my 06 tundra double cab now.


I'm with ya! I built a test box with the assumed airspace (1.2 cuft) for 2 Audiomobile GTS 10's and set it on the floor where they would be (drivers on the pass side) and it sounds really good.. .I can't wait!


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## Deadpool_25 (Apr 2, 2010)

I'm in Phoenix and, because of this thread, will be going to visit Jon in the next day or two. He obviously knows his ****.


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## Midwestrider (Aug 10, 2007)

HA!.... cutting metal seems addictive. I don't have a Tundra but makes me want to cut my truck. 
I like what you are doing here IST!!!


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## [email protected] (Nov 7, 2010)

Bump... How is this coming????


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

Slow...

Unfortunately, I've had a number of issues. I've been busy with work & traveling lately, and help from a coworker hasn't played out as I had hoped, so progress has been painfully slow on this. Plus, I'm great at overestimating my DIY abilities and over-complicating the **** out of things.

The new enclosure is 80% complete. I decided to make it as large/deep as possible, to potentially accommodate a sub in the future, so that means it's not a simple rectangular enclosure anymore. Just needs some finishing touches/cable routing holes/amp deck finalized and then it'll be ready to go in. I'll post some pics this weekend.

An impediment... the front wall of the factory storage well is welded to both the lower floor pan and the upper deck where the seats are mounted. When I cut this out - the upper deck is no longer strong enough to support the seats with someone seated in back, so I've got to figure out how to reinforce this before the enclosure goes in. I probably will have this done somewhere, like an auto restoration shop. I'd recommend that anyone doing this leave the front well wall in if possible.

After that, some finishing touches (trim carpet,finish all metal,run all new wiring,etc.). Probably gonna be a while for all that to be complete.


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## [email protected] (Nov 7, 2010)

Thanks for the update. I was wondering about the support for the seat. I don't think it would be too difficult to reinforce that, though.

Good luck with it, I am looking forward to more pictures!





ISTundra said:


> Slow...
> 
> Unfortunately, I've had a number of issues. I've been busy with work & traveling lately, and help from a coworker hasn't played out as I had hoped, so progress has been painfully slow on this. Plus, I'm great at overestimating my DIY abilities and over-complicating the **** out of things.
> 
> ...


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## Offroader5 (Apr 8, 2011)

Well damn...I was hoping to see this all done on the 19th. Sounds like it'll take longer than that


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

Anyone have suggestions on the best approach to sound deaden and heat protect the underside of the enclosure? The deeper part of the box is just above the exhaust pipe and even after a short drive the box floor was quite warm in that area. I'm going to wrap the exhaust pipe with thermal tape or one of those clamp on heat shields in that area, which should help. Will dynamat or other sound deadener hold up on the underside of the box? I'd be worried about it peeling off later and/or the butyl burning off. The inside floor of the box will be lined with some type of deadening also.

Still planning to post update pics, just been getting home too late the past few days for daylight shots.


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## IBcivic (Jan 6, 2009)

Header wrap on the muffler and deadener applied on the underside of the box will do the trick. The wrap will keep the heat from radiating and the deadener's foil will reflect the remaining heat away from the enclosure.


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## xxx_busa (May 4, 2009)

Heat shields off the sheet metal will do the trick, and plenty wrap on the pipes and other surfaces.


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

Is anyone familiar with this product?

Peel and Stick Heat Shield | Heatshield Products

I was thinking/hoping that plus some wrap/barrier on the exhaust pipe would be good enough.


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## [email protected] (Nov 7, 2010)

Man, this is awesome, you are doing all the hard work and research for me before I do my build! haha.. 

I can't wait to see pictures!!!


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

The boss is out of town this weekend so I'm finally making some new progress on this. I'll post pics soon, got a few mods to my box left to make.

2 Questions...

1. Are there any issues with attaching ground underneath the truck? I'm using a 0ga wiring, but running it underneath the chassis in flexible conduit and into the box through a cordgrip. I have a perfect spot on one of the cross-frame members to attach the ground. would that liquid tape stuff hold up well enough to the elements to keep the attachment point sealed and from rusting? Maybe a dumber question... Does plastic-dip work as an electrical sealant? I love that stuff.

2. I have several gaps to seal where my box sits on the uneven floorpan. I've bought a few different types of gasket seals to trial, but does this stuff below work ok in a car environment? It's cheap and super compressible.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

At this point I'd drop the tank and section it down. Plastic weld it back together and call it done. Open up that whole area for fabrication instead of hunting for little bits wherever you can. On the exhaust...if you have 1/2" between it and any sheet metal you'll be fine.


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

yeah... I'm not doing that. The overall box shape is final. To do what you describe would be a major setback progress-wise.


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## [email protected] (Nov 7, 2010)

Finally an update!!!! 

The FRAME is a great place to ground. I am concerned about that crossmember, though. If I recall on my truck it was just riveted in place. If you were going to ground there, I would also drill a hole through the crossmemeber and the frame and clean the metal and then bolt the 2 together, just to be on the safe side. 
I don't see why the plastidip wouldn't protect it... Works on whole cars, and has worked on my crimper handles for 8 years... 




ISTundra said:


> 2 Questions...
> 
> 1. Are there any issues with attaching ground underneath the truck? I'm using a 0ga wiring, but running it underneath the chassis in flexible conduit and into the box through a cordgrip. I have a perfect spot on one of the cross-frame members to attach the ground. would that liquid tape stuff hold up well enough to the elements to keep the attachment point sealed and from rusting? Maybe a dumber question... Does plastic-dip work as an electrical sealant? I love that stuff.


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

Yes, the cross-member is riveted to the frame rails. There are some sizable flanges at the contact points but there may be paint under those flanges so it may not have good contact with the rest of the frame. (you can actually see the flange/rivets in the pic below). I have enough ground cable to run ground to the frame rail. I was just trying to keep it short and at a more accessible location. I was eyeballing this area on the cross-member. Nice & flat and existing holes to utilize.










Any experience with that foam weatherstripping? I'd post more pics tonight but photobucket is a PITA.

On a side note... I usually steer clear of Harbor Freight cheap **** tools but they've come in handy on this project. Don't know how many grinding/cutoff wheels and deburring tools I've gone through and a cheapie HF rotary tool has held up. And the $17.99 creeper has been a godsend on my back for getting around underneath.


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## [email protected] (Nov 7, 2010)

That area would be fine, I would suggest cleaning the metal and bolting through the crossmember to frame, though..

For my metal working I have 3 different harbor freight grinders, I leave a cutoff wheel in one, a flap disc in the other, and a grinding disc in the 3rd. Makes it much faster having all 3 available... (and I don't normally like HF tools either..)

No help on the weatherstripping. The biggest issue I would see would be the adhesive, but if you are sandwiching it and it is squished well, that wouldn't be a problem...


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## ebrit003 (Oct 27, 2013)

I'd buy some legit automobile weather stripping for that hole, not the Home Depot Foam.

I love that hole in the floor, and can't wait to see what happens next. Keep up the good work


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

Yeah I've been looking at the same automotive weatherstripping foam at McMaster-Carr. Actually bought some of the basic edge trim without the gasket to cover the cut edges, but you're right I should probably buy the real deal instead of this HD stuff.

Update pics coming soon, just trying to get a little further along.


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## 69Voltage (Jul 30, 2013)

Looking good Todd and hope we get to see it on December 7th.

Couple of things...

- isn't it going to get a little drafty with that big ass hole in the middle of your truck? 
- try imgur.com for hosting pics. Free and easy to use.


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

Thanks for the Imgur suggestion Mike. I'm uploading pics there now and will post an update later today.


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## ebrit003 (Oct 27, 2013)

Sweet! I can't wait to see some new pics.

Quick suggestion on your sail panels

1. You could buy a new set on eBay, and sell your old set on eBay - somebody would probably love to have some already molded sail panels, and would probably pay at least $100

2. You could do a swap with some one, and have them send their OEM panels/money your way. 

Those door titties are scary - LOL


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

OMG. I took me all day just to run power & ground in flex conduit underneath the truck. And I haven't even landed the ends yet. Freakin' ridic. 

So, finally a real update….
To recap, I wanted to enlarge the tiny rear underseat storage wells in my Tundra. The initial plan was to make this area more useful for amps/processors, power distribution, etc, as I had been forced to stash this gear partially in the stock wells and also under the passenger seat. Accessibility was always a PITA, although it did make it a little easier to hide my wiring messes. But, I have new gear going in so I wanted to have a nicer install to show.

I needed to cut the floor out under the seats to see what was in the area and the available space to work with before proceeding, so an angle grinder was used to cut a 12” x 42” area of the floor pan out, as shown in previous photos. I then started measuring and mocking up enclosures with foam board to see what would fit (no pics of this process), and decided on a final shape. One of the challenges was to find as much room as possible, to allow for future system changes.

So the box was initially going to be made of fabbed & welded sheet metal. I lined up a welder at work for help with this task, but unfortunately he wasn’t available for several weeks at the outset. Tired of not making any progress, I had to take matters in my own hand and redesigned my box to be a bolted assembly of basic 1/8” aluminum machined parts. So I ended up with this design:

















And in real life it looks like this (loosely bolted and minus a few panels & some
screws): 

































All simple plates, joined together with small angle plates and a ****boat of screws. Not the most attractive result, but in the end product most of that will be hidden and all joints sealed. Plus, it makes it easier to remove and take apart/mod pieces as I figured out mounting points, access holes, etc., or if I screw something up. Turns out the enclosure fit very snugly into the cutout (after trimming/squaring some floor edges), and uses virtually all of the available space. There’s ~1/2” clearance above the gas tank, ~3” above the exhaust pipe/drive shaft (deeper would have dropped it below the frame rails). The odd “L” shape in the bottom in the result of needing to clear the exhaust hanger that’s right in the area. Not having that would have made the box simpler, but there was a benefit to it that I will touch on later.


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## [email protected] (Nov 7, 2010)

Wow, awesome! Do you have specific dimensions, or a calculation of how much airspace that is?


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

Here’s the box test fit in the hole after I painted the opening. Fits really well. I used the foam tape I posted earlier and also some thin adhesive backed foam I found at Michael’s around all the opening edges to try to seal all the gaps somewhat. It's not an airtight seal on the floor but after a test drive around the neighborhood I was mostly pleased with the sound level, for a first pass. The foam may not be the final solution if it doesn’t work, but I can always pull the box and apply something else.


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## [email protected] (Nov 7, 2010)

Here is what I did with my sail panels..


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

One problem I created was… cutting out the stock storage well considerably weakened the floor in front of the opening where the rear seats are mounted. This area would have buckled as soon as someone sat down. My welding help was finally available at this point so I had him weld in a 12ga steel plate length-wise across the front of the cutout. Kind of hard to see the plate welded in, but here are some pics during the paint step:


















Now it’s boxed in and suitably rigid. The floor behind the opening is double-walled/thicker and rigid so it doesn’t require any reinforcement. BTW, when the welder saw my box, he’s like “man that is a crazy complicated box. I would’ve just welded all that together and been done with it.” Well duh… but he’s a really creative and talented guy. He has a garage full of toys he created or heavily modded. Custom bikes, skateboards, a hot rod golf cart, jet skis, etc. He was showing me his newest creation, which I though was the coolest thing ever. A drift trike:


















He’s still working on it, but was eager to fire it up and ride, so he rigged the Gatorade fuel system up and we took it for some spins in his cul-de-sac. It was crazy fun.


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

[email protected] said:


> Wow, awesome! Do you have specific dimensions, or a calculation of how much airspace that is?


I modeled it in SolidWorks, so I have all dimensions and volume. If you closed off the top, it would be 1.75 cu. ft., but there's only 5" of depth on the gas tank side, so some larger subs might be too deep for that side.


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

[email protected] said:


> Here is what I did with my sail panels..


I need something like that. I'm not in love with my sail panel plugs, but I bought a new set of sails from the dealer for same year/model, etc. and for some reason they don't fit (don't line up with the factory attachment points), so I'm stuck with what I got for now.

Gotta upload more pics, be back later.


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

One last pic with the box in the hole. There's an added bar thats fills large gaps at each end and brings that area up to the approximate elevation of the rest of the floor.I plastidipped and tapped these so that the bars are bolted to the floor through existing holes. Another set of tapped holes were added to bolt the box to these bars. These bars will be under the carpet eventually.









Kinda hard to see, but inside the box, I added the riser blocks along the sides. They will support an upper deck where the amps will be mounted on ABS sheets. This will allow me to run all the wiring underneath and out of sight, and also hide anything else I stash in the deeper side, such as the distro block, jack, lighting control, and probably an additional battery. I added several extra tapped holes to the riser blocks so there would be available holes later to attach wiring ties, straps, etc. as needed.

I started to trim the carpet around the box but ran out of light/time. The carpet will be under the top bars on the box, so that will hold it in place. Eventually the top bars will have rounded/beveled edges for a nicer finished appearance.









So that’s up to where I’m at now. Next steps are to complete the wiring, then finish out the box. I’ve wavered between black anodize and bedliner as the base finish, but now I’m thinking more about plastidip. It’s easy to apply and pretty forgiving, not to mention easily removable if I change my mind later. Plus, it will help seal the corners and keep the screws from loosening over time. Then I’ll need to decide on how to address NVH and heat.

To address heat transference from the exhaust to the box, I bought a few different types of heat shields/tape to try. Plan is to cover most or all of the external faces of the box with some combination of this stuff.


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## mattyjman (Aug 6, 2009)

that's impressive work Todd, keep it up.


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## BP1Fanatic (Jan 10, 2010)

Awesome work! That trike is wicked!!!!


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## HondAudio (Oct 19, 2006)

ISTundra said:


> A drift trike:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Not sure if Gatorade bottle or nitrous oxide...


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## handcrafted (Sep 22, 2009)

I was just thinking about you the other day Todd, wondering what came of this idea. This looks fantastic man! Swing by some day, I'd love to see it.


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## PUREAUDIO (Jun 16, 2008)

Love the install, love the way around issues and not being scared to start cutting and welding, love the opened minded of trying new things and sure love that lil 3-wheeler.... Great job guys


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

This is all done, I'll be posting an update soon.


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## BP1Fanatic (Jan 10, 2010)

Cool!


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## claydo (Oct 1, 2012)

Holy ****........must. have. Drift. Trike.......


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## ebrit003 (Oct 27, 2013)

Sweet! I can't wait to see it.


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

I think people would rather see more of the drift trike.


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## [email protected] (Nov 7, 2010)

Nonsense! Show us the Tundra!!!!!!!


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## luisc202 (Oct 29, 2013)

Wow you have skills... I like the way you made the MDF pieces for the speakers.


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## audio+civic (Apr 16, 2009)

How wide is the box front to back?? Love the box.


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

J[email protected] said:


> Nonsense! Show us the Tundra!!!!!!!


:laugh: They're coming soon. I'm working on tuning and testing a few things and need to grab some finished pics. I'll probably start a new thread for this though. I'm about to dump my photobucket account so a lot of the pic links in this one will likely go dead. Plus there's a lot of old stuff in here that's long gone from the install.


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## DJSPANKY (Dec 15, 2009)

Killer build!!! 
Killer trike!!!
Can't wait to see how it turns out- the build that is. I love it when folks aren't afraid to push the boundaries and do unconventional things to their vehicles!!!
Keep up the good work sir!!!


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## DJ Welfare (May 18, 2011)

In on this thread 3years late!! 05 Tundra dc crew holla!


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