# 2022 Ford Explorer ST - Helix, Mosconi, Morel, Raven



## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

I finally started really getting the installation started this week. I've been acquiring, designing, and building odds and ends for the past few months. I also picked up a new hobby learning to use Fusion360 and 3D print my own parts. Without further adieu, here is the component list.

OEM Interface: NavTV Zen A2B
DSP: Helix DSP Pro Mk3 w/ HEC BT HD module and Director
AMP1: Mosconi Pro 4|10 (Tweeters, Mid Range)
AMP2: Mosconi Pro 4|10 (Mid Bass, Rear 6.5)
AMP3: Mosconi Pro 1|10 (Subwoofer)
Tweeters: Morel Supremo Piccolo Lotus
Mid Range: Morel Elate Carbon MM3
Mid Bass: Morel Elate Carbon MW9
Rear: Morel Tempo Ultra Integra 602 Mk2 6.5"
Subwoofer: Raven 12XL
Wiring: Blue/Clear Stinger HPM Series
Interconnects: Stinger 8000 Series, StingerX Tos-Link
Sound Treatment: ResoNix CLD, ResoNix CCF, ResoNix Fibermat, Second Skin Luxury Liner Pro, BlackHole Tiles


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## RickWilson (Nov 11, 2021)

Man - this is truly a fantastic composition of gear. Going to be a killer, killer build.

Almost exactly what I’d spec out for myself if I did it all over again. The Raven is in my Top 3 for pieces of gear I’m curious to try alongside 3.5WM and the Morel Ultimo subs.

Next build I truly hope to integrate a Raven into it. How much air are you looking to give yours?

very much looking forward to seeing this one come together.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

I’ll be curious to hear your thoughts on the single 12XL. A single C12XL just wasn’t cutting it for me so I wound up with a pair.
I really wanna try a pair of 12XL’s but I gotta get through this winter project first.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

Yea, I'm pretty stoked as this will be by far the best system I have put in one of my vehicles. I have been off all week, but didn't get as much done as I wanted due to it raining almost every day. I wanted to get the CLD applied to the doors, the amp rack mounting locations secured, and rack layout done. I wanted to have continued access to the spare tire, to I had to get a little creative with the amp rack mounting locations, but I got it figured out and got the tub around the spare tire deadened.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

UNBROKEN said:


> I’ll be curious to hear your thoughts on the single 12XL. A single C12XL just wasn’t cutting it for me so I wound up with a pair.


I'm not sure if it will suffice for me either, luckily the box my IDMax is in just happens to be the size I need for the Raven. The plan is to see if a single sub will do or if I will need to add a second one and add a second Pro 1|10. If I'm unsatisfied, my entire layout is going to change. I'll have to lose the spare and go your route.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

Tub has had Resonix CLD applied. It's not the best looking job, but it will work. Ill get the area under the trim when I'm ready to start running wire.


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## slowride (Jan 26, 2009)

Great list of gear. This build will truly come down to install. I also want to try dual raven 12s. but my budget sounds like frogs right now. Interested on your thoughts once built out


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

Mounting locations for the amp rack. I used some factory mounting holes to mount some 1/2" aluminum angle that will get 4" magnets so secure the rear of the amp rack. for the sides, I 3D printed some pretty thick brackets out of ASA, and for the center, I used a tall nut (I forget what it's actually called) and attached a 3D printed support that the center of the amp rack will be bolted to. The center support is made out of carbon fiber infused poly-carbonate. It's very stiff and has zero flex unlike the ASA where I wanted a little bit of flex. To remove the amp rack, I will simply remove the side 6mm bolts, the center 10mm bolt, and slide it back an inch to release the magnets; I can then simply lift the entire rack out of the way to remove the spare.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

Once I got the 1/2" HDPE sheet cut, I started looking at layout of gear. My original vision of a 2 tier design to hide all the wires, but still make it accessible went into the toilet. So I looked for a layout that allows for easy accessibility and installation, but also still look nice.

Once I got a couple different options, I felt that option A and B would probably be the easiest for wire routing, but I don't thing I would be happy looking at my gear from the side, so I went with a variation of option B. Once I started working through the power wire routing, I found that there wasn't enough room to run all 6 4g wires around the right 1|10 amp, so I decided to build 11mm risers and run them under the amps. Signal cables will run around the left or under the amps also, I just have to figure out how to take up the excess cable.





































Final layout.










Prototype risers being printed.










Finally, the HDPE looks like a sack of , so it's going to get wrapped with Matt Black Vinyl. I've never done a wrap, so we'll see how it goes tomorrow. Then I can get the heat-set inserts installed in all the holes and start wiring everything.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

slowride said:


> Great list of gear. This build will truly come down to install. I also want to try dual raven 12s. but my budget sounds like frogs right now. Interested on your thoughts once built out


That's the idea, if it doesn't sound good, then clearly I did a  install. I'm not looking forward to installing all the Luxury Liner Pro, that will be a Christmas break job as I will be off work for 2 weeks.


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## slowride (Jan 26, 2009)

Luxury liner pro sucks to work with. I really wish the resonix barrier was around when I first started my build. I know it’s pricy af but looks way easier to use.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

It was on back order and I wasn't really interested in paying 3 times as much. It did look to be much easier to work with and was probably worth it. Had it been available, I probably would have just bit the bullet, cried about it for a minute, and then got over it. I'll probably regret my choice later, especially after I saw how thick and stiff the LLP was.


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## Turb0Yoda (Jan 4, 2019)

Yeah. I got LLP in my car, and I stopped at the front 2 doors because of how much of a PITA it was to work with hah.

let’s see what you do with that printer of yours


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

So far, I have all my adapters printed. The most complicated thing I have been working on is a mount for the director. Think of it like a cup phone, but it will fit in this goofy spot designed for a small phone. I have the mount built, but I haven't created the part that actually goes in the location that the mount bolts on to.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

Here is a rendering and an actual print of the Director mount I am working on. In the background of the pic, you can also see the center support for the amp rack that mounts to the existing spare tire support.


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## saltyone (Feb 2, 2019)

I may be interested in buying one of those mounts, after I see it in the vehicle. Looks cool!


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

I designed it so that the mounting base can be what ever shape the end user needs it to be. I'm sure I'll still have to make some adjustments, but I think I got it really close. I may have to adjust the height depending on if I recess the base or make it flush with the console.


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## saltyone (Feb 2, 2019)

Very nice!


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## winkychevelle (Jun 26, 2016)

BobTheBirdTurd said:


> I designed it so that the mounting base can be what ever shape the end user needs it to be. I'm sure I'll still have to make some adjustments, but I think I got it really close. I may have to adjust the height depending on if I recess the base or make it flush with the console.


You may want to consider adding star washers to the inside of the tongue/groove pivot points. This would lock down both sides much more tightly without relying on friction only. Allowing for a stiff pivot point once tightened


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## optimaprime (Aug 16, 2007)

BobTheBirdTurd said:


> Mounting locations for the amp rack. I used some factory mounting holes to mount some 1/2" aluminum angle that will get 4" magnets so secure the rear of the amp rack. for the sides, I 3D printed some pretty thick brackets out of ASA, and for the center, I used a tall nut (I forget what it's actually called) and attached a 3D printed support that the center of the amp rack will be bolted to. The center support is made out of carbon fiber infused poly-carbonate. It's very stiff and has zero flex unlike the ASA where I wanted a little bit of flex. To remove the amp rack, I will simply remove the side 6mm bolts, the center 10mm bolt, and slide it back an inch to release the magnets; I can then simply lift the entire rack out of the way to remove the spare.
> 
> View attachment 355670


What brand of ASa you using ? I have futru asax and I haven’t found way to make it print and not be so brittle.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

winkychevelle said:


> You may want to consider adding star washers to the inside of the tongue/groove pivot points. This would lock down both sides much more tightly without relying on friction only. Allowing for a stiff pivot point once tightened


The plan is to use a hirth joint, but for now the clearance is pretty tight and doesn't take much to keep it secure. I haven't learned how to do it in Fusion360 yet, but once I do I'll adjust the design.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

optimaprime said:


> What brand of ASa you using ? I have futru asax and I haven’t found way to make it print and not be so brittle.


I mostly use Priline PC-CF as it's stiffer, has a higher glass transition temp, and prints easier than ASA. (most of the time) The red amp rack supports are printed in Polymaker ASA. That stuff prints pretty good and I was able to get a print that took up most of the 320mm bed without warping. ASA shouldn't be brittle if you have good layer adhesion. I had a boatload of trouble printing with Overture, I never could get any of their filaments to print correctly. I tired PLA, ASA, and PETG and all of it printed like 💩. The stuff had terrible extrusion consistency or would snag because the roll was poorly wound. Give the Polymaker a try, I haven't had too many issues printing any of their filaments once I get the profile down. Before I had it completely dialed in, I woke up to this one morning. I thought it was funny.










It was supposed to look like this.


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## Turb0Yoda (Jan 4, 2019)

I had good luck with overture nylon in the markforged- but never tried any of their other filaments. Polymaker is a sure bet for all of their filaments. super consistent.


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## winkychevelle (Jun 26, 2016)

BobTheBirdTurd said:


> The plan is to use a hirth joint, but for now the clearance is pretty tight and doesn't take much to keep it secure. I haven't learned how to do it in Fusion360 yet, but once I do I'll adjust the design.


That would work just looks hard for anything other than a resin printer to print in that small scale


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

Update for the day. I got a lot of work done on the amp rack today. I did my first ever wrap using VViViDx Matte Black. I fully expected to have to do it twice, but I think it turned out pretty good. Good enough I wasn't going to redo it. I had some issues on the corners, but it will work. I also got the heat-set inserts installed and verified all the components mount to the mounting points correctly, then verified it fits in the vehicle securely and can be removed when necessary.

Before wrapping, I did sand it to ensure all the holes were flat from drilling and scuffed it up a bit to help with glues adhesion. 









Wrapped and cutout the mounting holes.










Cutout all the mounting holes.










Installed all the M4x8 heat-set inserts and test fit the amp risers.










Made sure everything fit, amazingly I hold had to adjust one insert that was a little off. It was the very last one I put a screw in for the auxiliary distribution block.










And finally, a test fit in the vehicle.










I also installed the 4" magnets and the 3/4" steel strip on the bottom of the rack. I did a test to see how secure it is, and it will stay put until I slide it back for removal of the rack. It works as intended.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

winkychevelle said:


> That would work just looks hard for anything other than a resin printer to print in that small scale


Not sure if it will work or not, but I can print M6 and M8 threads, so I should be able to do it. Besides, I like a challenge and learning where I need to upgrade my printer to make it do what I want. I may not be able to use the carbon fiber filament as it doesn't print smalls details very well, but i have some regular black poly-carbonate that will. I just like the look of the CF filaments. I do like your star washer idea as a back up though.


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## winkychevelle (Jun 26, 2016)

BobTheBirdTurd said:


> Not sure if it will work or not, but I can print M6 and M8 threads, so I should be able to do it. Besides, I like a challenge and learning where I need to upgrade my printer to make it do what I want. I may not be able to use the carbon fiber filament as it doesn't print smalls details very well, but i have some regular black poly-carbonate that will. I just like the look of the CF filaments. I do like your star washer idea as a back up though.


One day I'll get into 3d printing I just don't have the space or time right now. 90% of my year is spent in a rather large camper traveling for work so 12hr work days and the hassle of RV life and limited storage cuts down on what I can do. It does get interesting when I'm building in a campground spot in Wyoming or Indiana or south Texas. Some places are open minded and don't care as long as you are mindful of quiet times and just pick up your mess afterwards others are downright jerks. But if I want to get anything done sometimes I just have to do it where I can. 

Build looks good btw


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

In all honesty, I wasn't sure if I would get into it either. I knew I was going to need a way to build things and I figured I would give it a try while I was waiting on all my parts for the build. So I didn't spend much on my first printer, but had the intentions of upgrading to to print higher temp filaments if I was able to learn it and the CAD part, and produce parts I felt were usable to my standards. I can be a bit OCD, so I had that hurdle to get over. I found that I liked it so much, I bought a second smaller printer as an upgrade project. If I stick with it, I may even buy one of the fancy Bamboo ones like Turb0Yoda has. Those things are getting great review and clearly, they can print some amazing things. I'm not a nic-nak collecting kinda guy, everything I print is functional and doesn't need to be absolutely perfect.


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## winkychevelle (Jun 26, 2016)

BobTheBirdTurd said:


> In all honesty, I wasn't sure if I would get into it either. I knew I was going to need a way to build things and I figured I would give it a try while I was waiting on all my parts for the build. So I didn't spend much on my first printer, but had the intentions of upgrading to to print higher temp filaments if I was able to learn it and the CAD part, and produce parts I felt were usable to my standards. I can be a bit OCD, so I had that hurdle to get over. I found that I liked it so much, I bought a second smaller printer as an upgrade project. If I stick with it, I may even buy one of the fancy Bamboo ones like Turb0Yoda has. Those things are getting great review and clearly, they can print some amazing things. I'm not a nic-nak collecting kinda guy, everything I print is functional and doesn't need to be absolutely perfect.


That's the flip side my ocd tends to make me hyper fixate on things so I think I would love it especially once I learned the cad part. I do end up watching alot of 3d printing vids on YouTube because I enjoy them pushing the envelope on what's possible. CNC/laser is just as interesting to me. Both can be costly though.

Hopefully I can get more or less settled this year coming up with less traveling. I'm supposed to be sitting at this one refinery for practically the next year and a half. Which is nice, even nicer when I'm working 70-80hrs weeks


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

A CNC that can do Aluminum is on my wish list. One project at a time though.


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## Dr.johnmmartin (8 mo ago)

when i grow up i want to be rich like you.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

Dr.johnmmartin said:


> when i grow up i want to be rich like you.




Not rich, far from it. Not poor either. My mother died and we sold her house. Paid off my new vehicle and spent some on the tunes.


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## Dr.johnmmartin (8 mo ago)

BobTheBirdTurd said:


> Not rich, far from it. Not poor either. My mother died and we sold her house. Paid off my new vehicle and spent some on the tunes.


sorry for you lose man, hope the tunes cheer you up. btw i was joking. do me a favor and play one really loud for her when the system is finished


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

Dr.johnmmartin said:


> sorry for you lose man, hope the tunes cheer you up. btw i was joking. do me a favor and play one really loud for her when the system is finished



She was awesome, I always cranked it up for her when she rode in my vehicles. She loved her some loud music. She bought my Phoenix Gold ti2 amp for me as a gift when my Arc 4150xxk kicked the bucket.


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## Dr.johnmmartin (8 mo ago)

BobTheBirdTurd said:


> She was awesome, I always cranked it up for her when she rode in my vehicles. She loved her some loud music. She bought my Phoenix Gold ti2 amp for me as a gift when my Arc 4150xxk kicked the bucket.


thats awesome to hear. you only live once, enjoy it.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

Well, it's dark when I get home so I am working on small things. Today, I got the shape figured out for the Director mounting base. The spot has a taper to it, so the top is actually wider than the bottom. The first full size test print is going to take a couple hours, I'll be able to test fit in the morning and adjust the angle if necessary. I'm also working on wire retention. Everyone (almost everyone) does the zip-tie method, I wanted something cooler looking so I am making these little doodads to hold the wires down. I"m making a bunch of 2 wires ones, I'll also make some 4 and 6 wires ones. They print pretty quick and actually look pretty good. And, yep; you are see that right in the last picture. I am missing a digit.


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## slowride (Jan 26, 2009)

Wire retention looks great


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## optimaprime (Aug 16, 2007)

BobTheBirdTurd said:


> I mostly use Priline PC-CF as it's stiffer, has a higher glass transition temp, and prints easier than ASA. (most of the time) The red amp rack supports are printed in Polymaker ASA. That stuff prints pretty good and I was able to get a print that took up most of the 320mm bed without warping. ASA shouldn't be brittle if you have good layer adhesion. I had a boatload of trouble printing with Overture, I never could get any of their filaments to print correctly. I tired PLA, ASA, and PETG and all of it printed like 💩. The stuff had terrible extrusion consistency or would snag because the roll was poorly wound. Give the Polymaker a try, I haven't had too many issues printing any of their filaments once I get the profile down. Before I had it completely dialed in, I woke up to this one morning. I thought it was funny.
> 
> View attachment 355849
> 
> ...


I’ll try em man appreciate the help. Been playing with sunlu petg and it’s been printing very nice


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## optimaprime (Aug 16, 2007)

That is pretty funny you had train wreck print


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

optimaprime said:


> That is pretty funny you had train wreck print


I've had a few, but that has been the worst one so far. It taught me a lesson on printing ASA, use a brim and reduce z offset.


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## optimaprime (Aug 16, 2007)

Which YouTube channel for 3D printing you watch ? I like few guys teaching tech might be my fav .


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

optimaprime said:


> Which YouTube channel for 3D printing you watch ? I like few guys teaching tech might be my fav .


My Tech Fun = Great for filament analysis
ModBot = One of my favorites
Teaching Tech = Also one of my favs.
Product Design Online = Fusion360 tutorials are very good and easy to do.
CHEP = nice short videos, but I can't get his profiles to work for .
Ricky Impey = Has some good tutorials on fine tuning the printers

There are several others, but those are the ones I watch whenever they have something new.
Chris Riely
Crosslink
BV3D: Bryan Vines
EB3D Printing
and a handful of others.


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## optimaprime (Aug 16, 2007)

What cad program you using ? I am trying learn but in dark blind fumbling around trying figure it out


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

Fusion360.


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## jrhaze (Aug 30, 2009)

I’ll be watching this - it’s weird to see a current install so similar to what I’m doing..

morel elate carbon pro 93a front (alto tweeters instead of piccolo)

same rear speakers, same DSP, same amps (using one additional 4/10 bridged to the midbass So 4 amps total in mine.

one of the only real differences is I’ll be using a 10” focal K2 power ported under the rear seat But powered by a mosconi pro 1/10 

yours will be done before mine I’m having a-pillars made and they’ll be a while. Really keen to hear how yours ends up working.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

jrhaze said:


> I’ll be watching this - it’s weird to see a current install so similar to what I’m doing..
> 
> morel elate carbon pro 93a front (alto tweeters instead of piccolo)
> 
> ...


I may wind up with 4 amps also, but it will be an additional 1|10 to power a second Raven. It all depends on if I'm satisfied with a single 12". I'm have pillars made also, They have had them for almost 2 weeks and haven't heard a peep. They said they would call and have me come in for a prefit before they do all the fiberglass. When I dropped them off, I asked about how long, he said it depends on the weather and we got a lot of rain last week plus the holiday. I asked it would be a week or 2 and he rolled his eyes. Hopefully I get them within the next couple weeks so I can finish the install while on Christmas break. I hope to have the amp rack wired up ready to go in the vehicle by this weekend, that is what I'm working on this week. This weekend, I hope to start running wire in the vehicle and start installing the Resonix in the doors.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

Well, had a printer go down with a busted cooling fan. My second printer is small and is a project, but got my main o e fixed today. Gotta make some more wire management retainers and need some different sizes to secure the RCA cables. I wound up remaking my Amp risers to give 15mm height and allow for cables to pass through. Right now it looks like a hot mess with blue tape holding and zipties holding everything down. It's turning out pretty good though. Hopefully I'll be done with the amp rack tomorrow.


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## stilldouble (6 mo ago)

Crossing powerlines and signal cables is a recipe for introducing noise. It might work for you, but why gamble?


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## clange2485 (Dec 10, 2020)

What is this piece?


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## Turb0Yoda (Jan 4, 2019)

Bet it's a Blue Sea fuse box


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

I know it isn't ideal, but there isn't really any other way. I crossed at 90 degrees and the cables are quality so it should be fine. In my old install, I had even less room and the RCAs ran along side the power for about a foot without issue. We'll see though.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

clange2485 said:


> What is this piece?
> 
> View attachment 356683


It's a 3 way distribution blocks. It has 2 independent positives and a common ground. I had always used independent ones to power accessories before, thought I would try this one for this build.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

Turb0Yoda said:


> Bet it's a Blue Sea fuse box


Yes, it is a Blue Seas fuse box.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

Pretty much done routing and securing all the cables. I have a little cleanup to do with the RCAs at the DSP, and I needed to print 3 more small retainers to secure the tweeter, midrange, and sub speaker cables. Once they are secured, I'll double check everything and mount the amps. It's a lot of wires crammed into a tight space.


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## saltyone (Feb 2, 2019)

They should add that image to the site’s banner. Nice job!


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

saltyone said:


> They should add that image to the site’s banner. Nice job!


Thanks, it's about as DIY as you can get. I think it turned out about as good as it could given the space available. I really find the RCAs annoying though. They have the extra piece at the split that is a pain to deal with. If I have to take it back apart to add another amp, they will get replaced with something else


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

Done for the night, got everything wired up except for the speaker wires at the amps and the remote wires. I think it turned out well.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

Doing some tinkering trying to design something for the tops of the speaker terminal blocks. The clear plastic tops came nice and scratched up from the factory, and I don't really like white label maker. I may have a sticker made if I cannot get a good 3D print for a new cover. This will be a perfect test for my upgraded small printer.


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## Turb0Yoda (Jan 4, 2019)

I’ll give you a good print .
Finishing up 30 hours of printing on a 2.5’ tall mass relay from mass effect Atm.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

Turb0Yoda said:


> I’ll give you a good print .
> Finishing up 30 hours of printing on a 2.5’ tall mass relay from mass effect Atm.


I'll give it a go to verify dimensions, your printer is more fancy than mine so you can probably get better detail. If I can't get it done, I'll hit you up.


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## Turb0Yoda (Jan 4, 2019)

My printer is like me, a boujie bih


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

My wife always calls me boujie. I can't help it if I like expensive electronics, steak, and soft TP.


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## Dgan21 (Mar 25, 2021)

BobTheBirdTurd said:


> Pretty much done routing and securing all the cables. I have a little cleanup to do with the RCAs at the DSP, and I needed to print 3 more small retainers to secure the tweeter, midrange, and sub speaker cables. Once they are secured, I'll double check everything and mount the amps. It's a lot of wires crammed into a tight space.
> View attachment 356786


Very clean wish mines looked like lolwhat material are you using for ur amp rack and how thick is it?


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

Dgan21 said:


> Very clean wish mines looked like lolwhat material are you using for ur amp rack and how thick is it?


I'm using 1/2" HDPE. If I were to do it again, I would use a stiffer lighter material. Maybe blown PVC. It is easy to work with, but is pretty heavy. Once installed, it will be supported on all on each side by 4"x 3" ASA supports bolted to the body, the back is supported by aluminum angle attached via 4" magnets, and there is a 80mm center support attached to the 10mm threaded rod that hold the spare tire and jack. It will be quite secure and won't warp under the weight.


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## Dgan21 (Mar 25, 2021)

BobTheBirdTurd said:


> I'm using 1/2" HDPE. If I were to do it again, I would use a stiffer lighter material. Maybe blown PVC. It is easy to work with, but is pretty heavy. Once installed, it will be supported on all on each side by 4"x 3" ASA supports bolted to the body, the back is supported by aluminum angle attached via 4" magnets, and there is a 80mm center support attached to the 10mm threaded rod that hold the spare tire and jack. It will be quite secure and won't warp under the weight.


Thank you for replying. Im definitely going to go ur route. My current setup are the mosconi 5/30 and 4/30 so I will definitely need something that will hold up.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

Stopped and had my test pillars test fitted and angles checked. They need to make one minor adjustment and will start the fiberglass work.









Once completed, they should look similar to this pic.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

I missed what your plan is to mount the midbass but if it helps you out I have a pair of 2” thick HDPE adapters cut for this car. They’re cut for an 8WM with an opening of 7.3125” but you could easily rabbit the opening to fit your MW9 at 7.56”


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

UNBROKEN said:


> I missed what your plan is to mount the midbass but if it helps you out I have a pair of 2” thick HDPE adapters cut for this car. They’re cut for an 8WM with an opening of 7.3125” but you could easily rabbit the opening to fit your MW9 at 7.56”
> View attachment 356986


Thanks, the MW9s are quite large but do fit. I 3D printed some 1" (28mm actually) adapters out of poly-carbonate. I had made a 38mm one, but it was a little close to the door panel for me to be comfortable with. The mounting holes for the adapters themselves is actually on the inside of the adapter. Weird thing is, the specs for the MW9 says it calls for a 7.56"/192mm cutout. I found that hole size wasn't even close. I had to use a minimum of 199mm but found that 201mm gave me the needed wiggle room to ensure everything lined up.

close


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## Flygts (Aug 17, 2021)

Those are really nice!


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

Flygts said:


> Those are really nice!


Thanks. It took me getting to final version 8 and a couple rolls of filament to get it right. I had no clue how to use Fusion360 when I started the process a couple months ago.


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## Flygts (Aug 17, 2021)

Yeah, I’m illiterate when it comes to 3d printing. I used a router and flush trim bit for mine


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

I had that method as a backup plan.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

Not much has happened this week, I did some initial measuring and wiring for the components. This weekend, the fun starts since the weather is supposed to be nicer. Nothing really worth posting except Mr. UPS brought me a couple early presents to my self. My second Raven and XS Power D4800 showed up. I'm still not sure if I'll use the second Raven, but I have it if I need it.

















































Who am I kidding, the sub will get used eventually when I do the rebuild. Some of you are a bad influence.


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## RickWilson (Nov 11, 2021)

BobTheBirdTurd said:


> Some of you are a bad influence.


Whattttt? Who? Me? No wayyyyy…..


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)




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## Turb0Yoda (Jan 4, 2019)

You got me one as well right?


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

Turb0Yoda said:


> You got me one as well right?


i got you a link to one.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

You have 2 you install 2. It’s the law…or at least it should be.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

I'm relatively certain, both will be used, but adding a second means I either add a second 1|10 or buying a Zero 3. I still want to know how a single sounds. I already have a box with correct dimensions for one. I'll build a temporary second box for 2.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

So, I did some modeling for adding the second sub. I really have 2 choices, more power or bigger box. I can run both off the single Pro 1|10 but I need about 4cuft. I eventually wanted to do something similar to Unbroken and hide everything so that I can keep my cargo space, so getting 4cubs would be really tough. In the end, I think it may take a combination of the 2. Thoughts? FYI, there is a lowpass L-R 67Hz filter applied.


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## RickWilson (Nov 11, 2021)

More power would be my choice. 4 cf is a pretty cumbersome box but the Ravens are notorious for wanting a fair amount of air. I think their specs call 2.0cf at 500 watts being optimal. 

Your qtc is still below 1 which should be fairly tune-able in either case.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

RickWilson said:


> More power would be my choice. 4 cf is a pretty cumbersome box but the Ravens are notorious for wanting a fair amount of air. I think their specs call 2.0cf at 500 watts being optimal.
> 
> Your qtc is still below 1 which should be fairly tune-able in either case.


To get 4 cf, I would have to glass the spare tire tub. Even then I'm not sure. I can do 2.6 cf pretty easily, but will cost me another arm for either a second 1|10 or a Zero 3. I think it would be easier to fit a Zero 3 vs a second 1|10. I'm already power distribution ready if I need a 4th amp.


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## winkychevelle (Jun 26, 2016)

BobTheBirdTurd said:


> To get 4 cf, I would have to glass the spare tire tub. Even then I'm not sure. I can do 2.6 cf pretty easily, but will cost me another arm for either a second 1|10 or a Zero 3. I think it would be easier to fit a Zero 3 vs a second 1|10. I'm already power distribution ready if I need a 4th amp.


Aside from the aesthetics and rerouting of cables would it not be cost effective to change the 1|10 for something like an mmats amps? I don't run mosconi so I wouldn't understand the draw of them over other options I know they are quality and class ab iirc but ive yet to find a mmats amps lacking.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

winkychevelle said:


> Aside from the aesthetics and rerouting of cables would it not be cost effective to change the 1|10 for something like an mmats amps? I don't run mosconi so I wouldn't understand the draw of them over other options I know they are quality and class ab iirc but ive yet to find a mmats amps lacking.


It's a sub amp, but I don't know if my OCD will let me use a non-matching amp. It bothered me because the power/ground wire for the DSP was different. That's dumb and I know it, but it still bothered me. The Mosconi's Pros have a very small footprint for an A/B amp, that is one of the main reasons I chose them, not because everyone says Mosconi is the best. I am not opposed to a different sub amp if it fits the build, all the wiring will have to be redone anyway. Ideally, I would like the Qtc to be between .8 and .9, but as long as it's below 1; that will probably work. I also have a Focal FPX 1000.1 that is absolutely tiny and ran my IDMax 12 quite well.


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## winkychevelle (Jun 26, 2016)

BobTheBirdTurd said:


> It's a sub amp, but I don't know if my OCD will let me use a non-matching amp. It bothered me because the power/ground wire for the DSP was different. That's dumb and I know it, but it still bothered me. The Mosconi's Pros have a very small footprint for an A/B amp, that is one of the main reasons I chose them, not because everyone says Mosconi is the best. I am not opposed to a different sub amp if it fits the build, all the wiring will have to be redone anyway. Ideally, I would like the Qtc to be between .8 and .9, but as long as it's below 1; that will probably work. I also have a Focal FPX 1000.1 that is absolutely tiny and ran my IDMax 12 quite well.


Yea don't get me wrong I like the 1|10 and the rest of that line aesthetically but the zero 3 I personally don't like the looks of and especially the footprint. 

And yea I like matching amps.i personally am planning the mmats hifi 6150 and m2000.1 on a pair of 10s in an iso 6th order. 

That's another configuration that may allow you to use both subs and save space. iso the 2 subs to cut the airspace needed in half. In iso you might could do a 4th order to expand the bandwidth and save space over 2 sealed, but I wouldn't know without modeling them.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

winkychevelle said:


> Yea don't get me wrong I like the 1|10 and the rest of that line aesthetically but the zero 3 I personally don't like the looks of and especially the footprint.
> 
> And yea I like matching amps.i personally am planning the mmats hifi 6150 and m2000.1 on a pair of 10s in an iso 6th order.
> 
> That's another configuration that may allow you to use both subs and save space. iso the 2 subs to cut the airspace needed in half. In iso you might could do a 4th order to expand the bandwidth and save space over 2 sealed, but I wouldn't know without modeling them.


I don't have a trunk, not sure how I would do an isobaric. I've never done it or considered it for subs. I watched a few videos on it to learn what it was and to see what all the hoopla was about.


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## winkychevelle (Jun 26, 2016)

BobTheBirdTurd said:


> I don't have a trunk, not sure how I would do an isobaric. I've never done it or considered it for subs. I watched a few videos on it to learn what it was and to see what all the hoopla was about.


Iso baric is mounting the subs facing each other and wiring them reverse polarity of one another. Combined 2 subs to make 1. This practically cuts the required box size in half. So instead of 2 cubes you only need 1.

This isn't infinite baffle you still use the sealed box but with 2 subs in the same hole. You can do parallel iso but the coupling chamber should be kept to minimum size in order to not provide it's own air spring effects.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

Hmm, I was thinking of infinite baffle. I know even less about Isobaric then. Looking at pictures, it looks like it would more than double the mounting depth required. Admitidly, I know nothing about it though. I will research it regardless to expand my knowledge.


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## winkychevelle (Jun 26, 2016)

BobTheBirdTurd said:


> Hmm, I was thinking of infinite baffle. I know even less about Isobaric then. Looking at pictures, it looks like it would more than double the mounting depth required. Admitidly, I know nothing about it though. I will research it regardless to expand my knowledge.


 It's not a solution for everyone as it gives you the same output as 1 woofer in a normal sized box but it uses 2 in a box half the size. Works really well in band pass because the subs are usually inside the box and don't awkwardly take up room 

This is one I designed for 2 10s in a center console. It's a parallel 6th but the iso baric part is just how the two speakers are mounted


This box has a 1cubic foot chamber at a .75cubic got chamber.
In a non iso design I would only use 1 sub but the chambers would be 2 cube and 1.5cube respectively

I really don't get significant space saving in this particular situation because my chambers are small making long port lengths but it's still smaller and fits my application.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

There’s no way in hell I’d burn a pair of Raven 12XL’s in an isobaric configuration even if there was enough room to do it and still have a floor to use…which there isn’t. Terrible idea for this car.


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## winkychevelle (Jun 26, 2016)

UNBROKEN said:


> There’s no way in hell I’d burn a pair of Raven 12XL’s in an isobaric configuration even if there was enough room to do it and still have a floor to use…which there isn’t. Terrible idea for this car.


Like I said not for everyone. Far as I'm concerned 4cubes isn't a real big box I shoved 3cubes and ports under the back seat of my truck for my last build. 

2 dayton ho 10s on 1500w tuned to 36hz 










I probably will never play with a raven sub due to the price and my music preferences tend to lean towards more bass heavy at times. But a required 2cubic feet of sealed airspace is a bit high for any sub in a car. 

If space was a concern I don't see any reason to run multiples of that sub


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

We simply have different goals. Like anything with car audio, there has to be comprises. I can do it with 2.6 cf, I just might need more power. It's an SUV, I can put whatever I want back there. However, I want to maintain my cargo space and have a more stealth install. Therefore I have to compromise on somethings.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

winkychevelle said:


> Like I said not for everyone. Far as I'm concerned 4cubes isn't a real big box I shoved 3cubes and ports under the back seat of my truck for my last build.
> 
> 2 dayton ho 10s on 1500w tuned to 36hz
> 
> ...


So, I did a bit of light reading on the subject and I will agree with Unbroken on this one. Why would I burn a $1000 sub, I would just run 1 and save my self a grand and use less space in the process?

In my case, I think I'm just going to run a single sub off the Pro 1|10 in a box I already have that meets the requirements. Let it break in for a couple weeks while I build a another temporary wedge box for the 2 subs and see how I like it off the single Pro 1|10. If I'm happy, I'll redesign the back end, lose the spare tire, and learn to do fiberglass. If it needs more power, I'll add more power.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

From someone that’s learning to do fiberglass right now also…all I can say is buy more supplies than you think you’ll need because you’ll need them. And buy pro grade stuff…not auto parts stuff. It’s not only better but cheaper in the volume you’ll use. I burned a gallon of resin on my kick panels and a-pillars…thought for sure I’d have stuff left over. lol
And Evercoat filler products > everything else. Rage Gold sands so easy compared to Bondo brand stuff it’s not even funny. It’s actually been pretty fun to figure it all out.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

UNBROKEN said:


> From someone that’s learning to do fiberglass right now also…all I can say is buy more supplies than you think you’ll need because you’ll need them. And buy pro grade stuff…not auto parts stuff. It’s not only better but cheaper in the volume you’ll use. I burned a gallon of resin on my kick panels and a-pillars…thought for sure I’d have stuff left over. lol
> And Evercoat filler products > everything else. Rage Gold sands so easy compared to Bondo brand stuff it’s not even funny. It’s actually been pretty fun to figure it all out.


Thanks for the info. I'll probably order some and work with it a bit and learn to do it before I jump right in making a big ass enclosure. I think it will be fun as it's something I have always wanted to learn.


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## RickWilson (Nov 11, 2021)

UNBROKEN said:


> From someone that’s learning to do fiberglass right now also…all I can say is buy more supplies than you think you’ll need because you’ll need them. And buy pro grade stuff…not auto parts stuff. It’s not only better but cheaper in the volume you’ll use. I burned a gallon of resin on my kick panels and a-pillars…thought for sure I’d have stuff left over. lol
> And Evercoat filler products > everything else. Rage Gold sands so easy compared to Bondo brand stuff it’s not even funny. It’s actually been pretty fun to figure it all out.


Nick was recommending US Composites products to me as well but I have yet try anything out but I am under the assumption that is what he uses. I'll see first hand in a few weeks.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

Spent the day mostly cleaning out the garage to make room for all my interior panels and seats. Fun begins tomorrow. I did get some more prep work done. I got the adapters that will be soldered to the speakers done. The MM3s and Piccolos are still with the shop while they work on my pillars. Pillars should be done early this week 

I installed 33uF protection caps to protect the tweeters. With a 6 ohm, the chart put the cutoff at about 800hz. This is my first time using protection caps, so if I chose the incorrect ones, please feel free to post


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

I can't believe I tor apart a new vehicle. It wasn't too bad though.

Today I pretty much got the interior tor down. Started adding more deadning where it's needed. I'm not going to do 100% coverage on the floor, but will the doors. I will cover all the flat spots that can resonate. The factory sub will also be removed, the area behind it sounds like a drum. I'll probably have to open certain spots again to fill some voids with fiber mat or something.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

Working on the Explorer again today after a cold rainy day yesterday. I decided to shift focus to getting the front done today so I can get the driver's seat back in it. I was going to apply the cld and LLP, but I found a bunch of factory deadner sprayed in. Not sure how to handle this. I can just put some CLD on top, but I don't think I would be able to get all the air out. I could also just do the exposed parts. Thoughts?


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## RickWilson (Nov 11, 2021)

BobTheBirdTurd said:


> Working on the Explorer again today after a cold rainy day yesterday. I decided to shift focus to getting the front done today so I can get the driver's seat back in it. I was going to apply the cld and LLP, but I found a bunch of factory deadner sprayed in. Not sure how to handle this. I can just put some CLD on top, but I don't think I would be able to get all the air out. I could also just do the exposed parts. Thoughts?
> View attachment 358666


CLD right on top and roll it well.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

RickWilson said:


> CLD right on top and roll it well.


Thanks.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

I got the CLD applied to the driver's and passenger's front foot wells today. The factory Sound deadening was a pain to go over. It's in the low 40s here so the CLD gets cold pretty quick and while it will stick, it's much less flexible. So, I had to break out the heat gun and warm up the tiles.

I also gave the Luxury Liner Pro a go, this is the most difficult area, and towards the end of the day, my patience with it had been exhausted. There are areas and angles I just can't use it, so there will be uncovered spots. I debated even doing it, but I figured 90% coverage would be better than 0% coverage. Plus I had already bought it, so might as well. Once my Patience-O-Meter has been recharged, I may give those problem areas another go

I also finally received my HEC BT HD card I ordered 2 months ago from Vangard.

















































Also found another use for the 3D Printer. It can pull extra duty as a CLD warmer.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

Another busy day, I got the front deadning and Luxury Liner Pro finished up for the 2 front seats. I got the carpet reinstalled in that section so I can put the front seats in. Before I do that, I wanted to get the power and ground run the the firewall. I also wanted to go ahead and replace the battery, but that is where I hit a snag. More on the below.

Put some CCF on these small panels that go on the console, there was a lot of plastic on plastic.










Next up was power, I used 2 stainless steel cable glands, there was a nice spot below the battery box. It was difficult to get to and drill the holes, I had to buy me a new tool, but I got it done. Turned out good. Sprayed the holes with some red Rustolium Pro to protect the bare metal.



































I also finished up the mounting bracket for the NAV-TV ZEN. Test fit is good, the one screw was a tad off, but it works. 

















Last up and where I ran into problems. This Ford has overly complicated battery terminals. I'm having difficulty attaching the terminals securely to the battery. It tool me over an hour to connect the ground because of the method they use to tighten it down. The positive is completely different and gave up as it was dark and I was starting to get super frustrated. Another issue is the distribution plate claped down onto the factory battery, it won't do the same on the XS Power. 

Hopefully UNBROKEN sees this and can give some tips as this is the same setup as his.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)




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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

I had to trim that bracket a bit for it to sit down on the D4800 but I don’t remember it being a big deal…maybe some little clips or tabs or something. This is how I did my connections.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

UNBROKEN said:


> I had to trim that bracket a bit for it to sit down on the D4800 but I don’t remember it being a big deal…maybe some little clips or tabs or something. This is how I did my connections.
> View attachment 358876


How did you secure that positive plate? On the factory battery, it has some retaining tabs that clamp on to the battery. Is that the part you had to trim? I also had issues connecting the ground because the post was too big for the terminal. I can't rotate the ground terminal like you did without replacing the factory ground cable. Another dumb question, are the XSPower posts different sizes by any chance? I didn't think to look at that, but the ground was too big and the positive seemed too small.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Once it trimmed it to fit…and I wish I could remember exactly what it was but it’s been too long…it sat down on the battery and everything tightened up when I secured the + terminal.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

UNBROKEN said:


> Once it trimmed it to fit…and I wish I could remember exactly what it was but it’s been too long…it sat down on the battery and everything tightened up when I secured the + terminal.


Thanks, as long as I know it can work, I'll figure it out in the morning before the temp starts falling tomorrow. It's supposed to drop quickly after 11am or so.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

I won't get much done today, but I did get the battery installed. My problem was a simple one, I was simply unaware that the battery posts were different sizes. It was hard to tell unless they were side by side. This may be common knowledge, but I didn't know as I have never replace a battery that had separate posts except for old Chevy batteries that had side mount screws.

For the top plate, it will not latch to the battery like it does on the factory battery, but it is secure and will fit flush if you trim the ribs and 2 posts that I have arrows pointing to. I just used some flush cutters and it fit nicely.


















I also got the Power/Ground cables run to the back and secured under the dash. It's crazy how much free space is in the channel, but I don't know how Unbroken fit 2 0 gauge and a bunch of 12 gauge.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

It’s pretty snug in mine. I had to use zip ties to keep the top in place on those factory channels. It fit though. lol


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

Making good, slow, and steady progress. Yesterday, I managed to finish up the CLD in the second row area and met up with the cargo area. Got the Luxury Liner Pro applied to the floor also. I still have more to apply to the spare tire tub, then I can start on the tire wells and voids in the back. I was also able to get the front seats installed so I could take the vehicle to have a final test fit of the pillars before wrapping.



















Today worked on getting the speaker wires run into the rear doors so that I can start treating the front trim panels and getting them installed tomorrow. I only got the rear doors done because they were a pain to do. I had to run the wire through moles connectors, which wasn't nearly as easy as YouTube videos shows it to be. I tried drilling the first one and it started cracking the connector. So I switched to a slower but safer technique of trimming with flush cutters and rhen heating and cutting with an exact knife. It took a while to do, but it turned out well and I didn't screw anything up.










































Tomorrow's goal is to get the speaker wire run into the front doors so I can get the front trim panels reinstalled. I also want to finish up CLD/MLV application in the rear. If time permits, I'll start treating all the trim panels with cld and ccf, and hunting potential rattles.

During a bad weather day Monday, I went ahead and fixed the mount for the NavTV Zen, now all the holes are perfect. Also printed it a different way to make it looks cooler. It will never be seen, but I know what it looks like.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

Got everything done today I wanted to get done. Basically I wanted everything finished up upto the B pillar.

I got the speaker wire for the MW9s run into the front doors. Drivers side was a mothereffer, took me almost 2 hours. Passenger side was easy, only took about 30 min.

Treated the kick panels, side dash trim and B pillar trim pieces with Resonix CLD and CCF. Hunded down any potential squeaks and rattles as I was treating and instilling the trim pieces.

I reused the small piece of factory fibermat since Luxury Liner Pro won't work for this area. I barely got the trim pieces on. They are nice and snug. Each piece is about 80% CLD covered.










Found some potential rattles here, so I wrapped with cloth tape.











One final touch I do is put cloth tape around the holes where the trim panels snap in.










We are supposed to have bad weather all day tomorrow, so I won't get much done. I'm going to try and treat the trim panels in the garage. I'm going to have to order another box of Resonix CLD and CCF. Might order some Fibermat also for the doors.

Question, if I use Fibermat, is it still necessary to use CCF?


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Just wanna add…I did every treatment possible to my front doors and still had a rattle. It was the damn lock rod where it passes through the hole in the door panel. Some butyl rope around the trim that snaps into the door panel for the rod to pass through then a small piece of Tesa tape around the rod itself fixed it…it drove me nuts for a month though. If you didn’t hit those spots you might as well hit them now.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

UNBROKEN said:


> Just wanna add…I did every treatment possible to my front doors and still had a rattle. It was the damn lock rod where it passes through the hole in the door panel. Some butyl rope around the trim that snaps into the door panel for the rod to pass through then a small piece of Tesa tape around the rod itself fixed it…it drove me nuts for a month though. If you didn’t hit those spots you might as well hit them now.


I think I read where you mentioned that before. I don't recall where I read it. I haven't touched the doors yet except for test fitting and running cable, but I noticed there was a lot if noise in that piece of the door panel. It's very sloppy plastic on plastic.

I'm hoping to finishing up all the other panels so I can get my vehicle back together before I head back to work Monday. Then I can tackle the doors next weekend depending on if I need to order more materials. 

I wanted to get some Resonix Fibermat but it's on backorder. I may pickup some Thinsulate as an alternative.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

More progress today even though I have some sort of stomach bug, feel like 💩 the goal for this weekend is to get the interior back in and get the main power circuit breaker install. Received 2 of ResoNix yesterday that has the Fibermat. This allowed me to start working on the large panels that cover the rear wells.

I got the passenger side treated and put back on. Tomorrow I'll do the driver's side and get the NavTV installed 

I'm soooooo tired of deadning and I haven't even touched the doors 

Not too many pics, here are a couple boring ones. I also stuffed fibermat in the voids, so the well is pretty stuffed. The Luxury Liner Pro made it a PITA to get the panels back on.

























Final build for the circuit breaker mounting bracket.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Just a hint for that breaker…200amp will be considered “under fused” if you’re running 0 gauge through it and competing. 0 gauge should be fused at 250A.
And I feel you on hating deadening. I did all mine a little at a time months before I even thought about the audio install. It’ll suck the life right out of ya. lol


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

UNBROKEN said:


> Just a hint for that breaker…200amp will be considered “under fused” if you’re running 0 gauge through it and competing. 0 gauge should be fused at 250A.
> And I feel you on hating deadening. I did all mine a little at a time months before I even thought about the audio install. It’ll suck the life right out of ya. lol


Thanks for the tip, I was fusing based on charts for a 15' run of 1/0AWG. Charts say 150A, but I had a 200 and a 300.already on hand. Figured 200A was close enough.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

So, before I started putting panels back in today, I had one issue I had ro locate. Ad I mentioned in Rick's thread, I have an annoyingly loud squeek/vibrarion coming from the back and a boat load of road noise. The road noise sounds like I have the back hatch open driving down the road.

I had my wife drive me around while I crawled around the back, hunting for the sources. 

The road noise was the easiest to figure out, it was the vent. I confirmed by putting a piece of MLV over the area and it cut down the noise quite a bit. So this area is going to get heavily stuffed with fibermat. I can't block it, but I can try and redirect the sound and absorb some of it.









Next up is the squeak. We had to find the right road, but I was able to isolate it to the seatbelt mechanism pictured below. This one, I am unsure how to resolve as it is internal to the mechanism. So if anyone has any Ideas, I am open to suggestions.


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## saltyone (Feb 2, 2019)

Screw it…take the seat belt out. Stereo before Safety. How often would that seat be used anyway? 😊

Seriously…assuming you want to keep the belt, you may have to treat it like the vent and pack as much sound adsorption material as possible around it to try to muffle the squeak.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

Unfortunately it gets used quite often. Plus the vehicle will ***** at me every time I turn it on because it knows its not there. This is the normal family vehicle.

If this was the 3rd row, I would absolutely consider removing it.


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## Mike_Saw_75 (8 mo ago)

I would stick some CLD on as many spots as possible then wrap with some Fiber Mat. Should quiet it down.


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## clange2485 (Dec 10, 2020)

saltyone said:


> Screw it…take the seat belt out. Stereo before Safety. How often would that seat be used anyway? 😊
> 
> Seriously…assuming you want to keep the belt, you may have to treat it like the vent and pack as much sound adsorption material as possible around it to try to muffle the squeak.


Thats funny, i cut one out of mine a couple weeks back.

Im not sure what part is making the noise but butyl rope is very helpful in tight places.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

I think I found the source. The top part the secures it to the body isn't bolted. It simply fits into a slot. They had some factory rubber pieces in a couple spots and one didn't wrap all the way around. I am certain it was metal on metal. I wrapped the snot out of with cloth tape and secured the rubber pieces drom the factory. I also found a spot behind it that was in dire need of som cld. I'll go take a drive shortly and see if that was iit.

EDIT: CONFIRMED

Squeak has been unsqueaked.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

Next problem. The NavTV harness doesn't fit the factory harness. Ugh! Nothing is ever easy.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

Well, I didn't quite get everything thing done I wanted. I still have rhe issue with the NavTV I gotta figure out. I'm going to contact them tomorrow and see if they have a different harness. If, not I will just modify that one.

I did get my primary goal mostly completed and that was to get the interior back together I still have some small bolt cover to treat and put on, but that is easy stuff. Once I get the NavTV issue resolved, I can put the final trim pieces on and then the fun begins. 

One last boring pic. It has seats again. Yay!!!


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

Spoke with NavTV support yesterday, they told me to just shave a rib off the plug and it will work fine. I'm going to verify the wiring diagram also, but that puts me back on track. I also stopped and checked on my pillars yesterday and they should be done today. He knew I didn't like the suede he first showed me, so he found a different type. Hopefully I will be able to post pics tonight as he showed me the one that was complete and it looked good.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Awesome. Can’t wait to see your pillars.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

Got a call, my pillars are finally done. I dropped them off the week before Thanksgiving, so it took months. I'll post picks later this afternoon. Super stoked.

Yesterday I did some more prep work. Installed the HEC BT HD card into the Helix and installed the circuit breaker and mount. I left the power/ground un-terminated for now. Will post pics of that this weekend when I finish up under the hood.


























Had to order some wire for the Director power and I want to make a quick disconnect for it and make a small mount for the Director adapter. It took me a minute to figure out how to connect it as it's different than a Pro MK2. I actually had to break out the instructions.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

FINALLY!!!!

They need to be cleaned up a but I like them so far we'll see how the look installed.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

Getting the MM3 mids wired up, got the leads soldered on. I'm also inspecting the pillars an they and they are going to work for now, but I'm not super happy with the build quality. They are solid and so look nice, but whoever cut the rings did it with what looks like a jigsaw with their eyes closed.

The inner portion of the mid ring is too big and isn't even remotely round. Because the cutout is so big, almost all the screws have to go in at an angle. I didn't take the tweets out, so I don't know if they are any better.

This is why I do **** myself.


















Look how crooked these screws are. They had some small black Phillips screws, I switched them to hex head buttons screws.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

Geez…I’d be disappointed as well. 2 things though…go ahead and open the back of the pillar up some more around the mid…it looks pretty choked off. And you’ll need to close off the back side of that vent as well or sound is gonna pass right through. I had to do the same on mine…I just cut a piece of suede a hair bigger than the vent, stuck that to a piece of CLD that was about 1/4” bigger then stuck it on the back side. Looks very clean from the front and it’s all sealed up now. You’re pretty meticulous so I doubt I need to tell you to cap off the vent in the dash where it used to feed the pillar vent.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

UNBROKEN said:


> Geez…I’d be disappointed as well. 2 things though…go ahead and open the back of the pillar up some more around the mid…it looks pretty choked off. And you’ll need to close off the back side of that vent as well or sound is gonna pass right through. I had to do the same on mine…I just cut a piece of suede a hair bigger than the vent, stuck that to a piece of CLD that was about 1/4” bigger then stuck it on the back side. Looks very clean from the front and it’s all sealed up now. You’re pretty meticulous so I doubt I need to tell you to cap off the vent in the dash where it used to feed the pillar vent.


Thanks for the tips. They actually deleted the vent on the pillar itself and fiber-glassed over it. I was going to cover the area where it was with CLD anyway. For the air vent, I knew it needed to be capped, but I wasn't quite sure how I was going to do it yet. I'll get the Dremel out and clean that ****show up behind the driver, I'll probably rotate the drivers so I can can drill some better screw holes, a couple I barely got to screw in and actually hold. On top of that, I don't even know where the drivers are pointing. They were supposed to be pointed at the opposite B pillar just slightly off-axis, well see once I put them in.

Making my own will be the first order of business once everything is hooked up and I get a box built for the 2 subs. While I'm breaking in the subs, I'll work on new pillars and learn the art of fiberglass. I'll then use those skills to fiberglass the tub for a more permanent installation.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

Last night I finished soldering on my leads to the mids and tweets. While doing so, I took a closer look to try and figure out what and where I need to do to fix these pillars as best I can. I ordered a cutting tip for my Weller, it should be here tomorrow. As UNBROKEN noticed, both drivers are pretty choked off and there are large voids that will cause some serious sound issues. I also mocked up the passenger side last night as I was curious as to what direction the drivers were pointing. It looks like the passenger side is point at where my legs would be against the driver's door. It's just an estimate, but I think it's in that general area.

Here are some better pics of the areas behind the MM3s, you can see the poor ring work for your self. Feel free to discuss. The areas in red will get cutout if the drivers are pointing even remotely close to where I ask them to point them. If you look closely, you can see where they used small pieces of mdf to angle the rings.


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## StaudiA6 (Nov 13, 2021)

It is a bummer to see not all shops have the same passion as we do on quality. You will make it right! Very excited to see how these turn out. Just bought Morel Piccolo, MM3, and MW9 Elate Carbons to upgrade my front stage.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

I think in this case, the well respected business over estimated the ability of their fabricator. They will work long enough for me to get everything else done and decide on my sub stage.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

Things are starting to move quick. The interior is now fully back together mins the bolt covers for the seats.

Today I started by getting the NAV-TV hooked up. Per support, I had to cut the ribs off the factory harness as seen tin the picture.


















Next I got the remaining panels on, I only had the side panel that covers the NAV-TV and the rear hatch bottom panel.

I then cleaned up the back and reinstalled the jack a spare tire. With the addition of the Luxury Liber Pro, the factory bolt/rod thing no longer fit so I made a custom one that would allow me to adjust the nut the secures the jack. On the left, you cannsee the assembly that will be used to support and secure the center of the rack.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

That’s using your noodle on the amp rack support.


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## BobTheBirdTurd (Oct 5, 2020)

Once I was done in the cack of the vehicle, I turned my attention back to the rack and finished getting it prepared. I made a harness for the Director power and secured the Director adapter.









Now that I finished that, I was ready to install the rack into the vehicle. Since the rack was pre-built, this went pretty quick. I only had to connect the main power and ground, the remote wire to the DSP from the NAV-TV, the SPDIF cable, and connect the Director cables.

I still have some wire management to do and connect speaker wires, but I will do that after I set all the gains in the morning.









Finally, the last thing I did today was get the main power and ground terminated to the battery. I pulled out the multimeter and there is no voltage drop going from battery to distribution blocks. I checked all the other connections and everything looks good. With vehicle runnin, I'm getting almost 14.8v at the rack.


















Plan for tomorrow is get the NAV-TV and DSP configured, and get gains set. That shouldn't take to long, so hopefully I will get the pillars fixed and installed, and then start working on the front doors.


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## RickWilson (Nov 11, 2021)

Looking good man. Getting close!


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