# 2013 SRT JEEP- Long time coming



## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

*This is my Build Log for my 2013 SRT Jeep
I will be updating this periodically as I continue to build.

The Beast










The equipment-(May change)*
*Head unit-*
Factory

*Processing-*
Mosconi 6to8 V8
*Amps-*
Front tweet-JL Audio 300/2 
Front midbass-JL Audio 300/2 
Front Midbass-JL Audio 300/2 
Rear powered off of factory amp and attenuated
Sub-JL Audio 1000/1 

*Drivers-*
front tweet-Boston Acoustics Z6 tweeters in the factory sail location
Front Midbass-Boston Acoustics Z6 woofers with modified factory mounts and grill(2 per door)
Rear- Boston acoustics Z6 component set in the factory locations with modified grill

Sub-13w7 ported tuned to 31hz


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

reserved for updates

Link to my photos on Driiive
https://driiive.com/SRTJEEP/SRTJEEP/?ifbcs=1415957357#

Mufflex Exhaust videos-
Part 1- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kV9o04zgFmE
Part 2- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzWrgPgKxJ8


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

Okay, Heres where it all started. I was driving one day and saw an SUV that stopped me in my tracks. I literally stopped in the road to see what it was. Hmm....it said SRT8 or something. I went home and looked it up and immediately fell in love with the 2006 model SRT Jeep. I vowed to one day own one in spite of the price. 

So Roughly a year later I had been working tons of OT and just so happened to have been hit in a Tbone accident and needed a new car.....Hmmm I wonder.

So I started looking for a used SRT Jeep. Boom found one!! I flew to Pheonix on a Friday afternoon and picked up my 2006 SRT JEEP and drove 26 hours by myself on beef jerky and rice crispy treats to make it home at 9PM on Sat.


























long story short a year plus some later.....gas prices boomed and the economy took a dive. I was facing layoffs every day and knew that I would need to make changes to afford to keep my family situation okay. I traded the Jeep on a 2008 Pontiac G8GT. 


























































Now I loved the G8 and it did save me some gas and cost much less. It was pretty fast and overall was a good ride but I knew that I missed the Jeep. From almost day one I knew that I would buy another one.

fast forward....the new SRT jeep came out in 2012 and I really liked it alot. It had all the things that were lacking in my 06. There was a wayyyyyy nicer interior. The back seat was now fit for human seating. There was a hitch and 5000lb towing capacity. It rode better. One of the things I noticed about it was the spare tire well with a factory spare. The 06 did not come with one. It had run flats. Well the new one had a spare and runflats.....and that is good for us audio nuts. It was a much more practical vehicle in so many ways.

SOOOOO......I vowed again that the WK2 SRT jeep was my next ride.

Life got better, the economy is now growing, after a couple military deployments I had purchased a new house for the wife and knocked her up(courtesy of return from the deployment). Our son was born and life was going great. I have a great life,wife, two kids (aged 15 and 1 year old), a new AWESOME career and again I am working Major OT.......You know what that means!!!!

Early Summer I started the search! After haggling at a few dealerships and preparing to once again fly out west to try to find another, I happened upon a 2013 SRT Jeep with 2500 miles for a bargain of a deal within 20 miles of me. They also gave me premium cash for my 08 G8GT so I was very pleased. I bought it May 25th 2014 while I was supposed to be camping. My Awesome Nephew went to pick it up with me and back to the campground we went.




















This is where it all began......Stay tuned for more.


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

First my nephew and I whipped up a temporary enclosure before I went on a trip. This is when I realized that the spare tire well was not quite deep enough to fit the sub and still be stealth with all the factory covers. It was about 3 inches too short. The enclosure was sealed with a LOC but it got the job done until I found out that my JL 1000/1 that has served me very well for about a decade now needed to be sent in for the infamous random mute issue. It took about a month and a couple weeks to get it back.


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## knever3 (Mar 9, 2009)

Great story so far, can't wait to see what transpires with this one. From one Jeep (and Pontiac) lover to another, hello.


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

So while my amp was out I went wacky trying to figure how the heck I was going to fit a 13w7 in there without cutting the floor....




























I went through many designs to try fit the amps, processor with the port and the sub all on one baffle under the factory load floor with enough space to load the bass off of a the load floor. 

Aint gonna happen..... Soooooooo.....grabbed the mini sabre saw and my design and....












cut a 11X17 hole











My awesome nephew and I cut up a fresh sheet of baltic birch and made the two part (upper and Lower) enclosure.















































The exposed parts of the enclosure are sealed inside and out with epoxy resin. I use epoxy resinn because when I used to use the good polyester resin, it was crazy stank. I could not do it in the house and due to the cold it would never have cured.

i made a little OOps when cutting the baffle. apparently if you make even a minor change to a baffle that already is very packed, you end up haveng to adjust other things....LOL!! below you can see that it is all sealed up. The Baffle is two layers of 3/4 baltic birch for 2 feet around the sub and braced with a kerfed brace. The enclosure is about 3 cubic ft and tuned to about 31-32hz. The port fires under the rear seats and the fully rigid load floor will losd the front of the sub. This is all planned in order to remain fully stealth and in an attempt to have a NASTY attack to the bass with LOWWWWWW extention. I also wanted the bass to be the same whether I have a load of cargo on a long family trip or whether the back is empty.


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## JoshHefnerX (Jun 13, 2008)

So am I seeing that right that you cut a hole in the bottom of the jeep? BALLS MAN! *Thumbsup* 

Is that a skid plate or gas tank that's showing through? May not be a bad idea to have a welder build you up a shell and weld that in just to give it some extra strength.

Josh


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

JoshHefnerX said:


> So am I seeing that right that you cut a hole in the bottom of the jeep? BALLS MAN! *Thumbsup*
> 
> Is that a skid plate or gas tank that's showing through? May not be a bad idea to have a welder build you up a shell and weld that in just to give it some extra strength.
> 
> Josh


Yes you are correct an fortunately for me I have both a welder and plasma cutter in the garage and aint afraid to use them.

The plastic skid plate is just for show. I am basically saving the metal that was cut out in order to weld it back in if I were to ever get rid of the Jeep. My plan is to keep it for a long time though.


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## Datsubishi (Jan 9, 2012)

Sub'd for updates on this beauty.


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

Okay, I updated post 2 with the links to my exhaust videos and my Driiive profile with all the photos I will be posting. Nice to have a single spot to post the pics since Cardomain F-ed itself royally. I cant even decipher my own profile let alone someone else try to figure it out.

I will also add that after hooking the sub up for a few day test bump, Dayummmm....this thing is very nice. There is no shortage of low end extension and it actually sounds louder than it has in the past for some reason. I am just going to end up turning it down most of the time....but nice to know that it is available when I want it. 

Besides, my Nephew likes it so I am happy. I actually did not want to port it but I did it just to please the bass head in him.  Thats my excuse and im sticking to it!!


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## The ///Man (Oct 6, 2014)

Love these Jeeps. Doing a build in my 2007 SRT currently. Vroom vroom.


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## optimaprime (Aug 16, 2007)

Ohhhhh wow ! Love itttttttttttt! Keep cutting!


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## cnut334 (Oct 17, 2009)

Nice work so far!!


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

The ///Man said:


> Love these Jeeps. Doing a build in my 2007 SRT currently. Vroom vroom.


Wheres the build log? Get on it!


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

optimaprime said:


> Ohhhhh wow ! Love itttttttttttt! Keep cutting!



No more cutting. I think I have done enough.lol! I really aggonized over it for a while. In the end using the w7 that I already have and love beat out having to buy a couple 12w6v3 subs and possibly not liking it


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

Update!!


I 
Hate
The 
Winter 
Time.



Sooooo pissed about this cold weather. It got too cold and too fast. I dont even feel like working on the Beast in 15 degree weather. And the garage is frickin 40 degrees if the door is closed all day. Soon as you open the door, the arctic breeze rolls through. 

I
Hate
The
Winter
Time


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## JoshHefnerX (Jun 13, 2008)

Dyna-Glo Delux 30K - 60K BTU LP Forced Air Propane Portable Heater-RMC-FA60DGD at The Home Depot


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## optimaprime (Aug 16, 2007)

I hear you on the cold weather I need a solid day to hear some tunes . But at 5 degrees this morning I be inside looking out the window.


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## rton20s (Feb 14, 2011)

I saw this...


ndm said:


>


And I was like...









Then I remembered this...









And I was like...


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## ben54b (May 30, 2014)

Looks like it will be a great build. Cutting the floor takes some nuts. Did you discuss this with the other half first or just did it. 
Interesting take on the commodore I mean g8. I haven't seen the hu mounted in the dash top like that, and out here we see a lot of commodore builds. Great work. Ben


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

JoshHefnerX said:


> Dyna-Glo Delux 30K - 60K BTU LP Forced Air Propane Portable Heater-RMC-FA60DGD at The Home Depot


I have one of those but I really hate the smell. It gets to me after a while. Besides, I want something that I can start before I leave for work and have it be toasty after I get home.....and not fire department toasty...LOL:cwm23:


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

ben54b said:


> Looks like it will be a great build. Cutting the floor takes some nuts. Did you discuss this with the other half first or just did it.
> Interesting take on the commodore I mean g8. I haven't seen the hu mounted in the dash top like that, and out here we see a lot of commodore builds. Great work. Ben
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


No reason to discuss with the wife for a couple reasons, 
1. she would just say no.
2. Its my Jeep.
3. I would have done it anyway. 

I mounted the HU up top since at the time there was not any way to take out the factory head unit without losing the HVAC control....That would not be good. The commodore is much better suited for car audio stuff in spite of the cars being almost the same.


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

optimaprime said:


> I hear you on the cold weather I need a solid day to hear some tunes . But at 5 degrees this morning I be inside looking out the window.


5 degrees in OK!!! Dayummm!! Why was I complaining? That's cold for southern states. 

I should not really complain since I work outside but I just rather not be freezing my nads off all day and then come home to do some stress relief in the cold too.


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

rton20s said:


> I saw this...
> 
> 
> And I was like...
> ...


LOL!! thats funny. since you brought up the old days, lets see some more examples of me hacking metal out of cars shall we?

My first experience at hacking metal....1997 GMC Jimmy laid out on Very fast Bags









Then my 2003 Blazer xtreme...same treatment...










Then I really lost my marbles and cut my poor mercedes rear deck!!!









Then the kick panels in the 2006 SRT jeep....but I did not get good photos...it was only a 5 inch hole in each kick for a 6.5 driver









Then some minor trimming in the G8Gt....Hacking the dash to fit the IVAD701 and some metal shaping to seal the enclosure against the rear seat wall









So you see....cutting metal and putting it back is my passion!!! lol

Really, that hole I cut is minor compared to some of the stuff I did when I was younger. The trick is being able to repair it whenever I want. These days I would not cut something that would be unsafe or that I cannot put back. I guess I have gotten older. 


If I ever have to replace my 13w7 I would probably go on a quest for a couple subs that could do what the W7 does for me. I have not found that sub yet. But if I find them in a 12w6 type of depth, I would weld the metal back in in a hurry. 

Fact of the matter is, when I put the metal back, most would never have known that it had been modified. It's hidden under there. 

Ok....now I am rambling....


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## KyleMDunn (Jan 27, 2009)

I couldn't imagine doing any of this to my wife's '14 GC... Awesome stuff man!


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

Currently reworking some things in my head. The factory load floor has a latch that sits WAYYYYY too close to the sub. I have been trying to source the exact carpet to match the factory color in order to make a replacement with a flat bottom. I am not having any luck. it is very close to being black but not quite. It is also very close to being dark graphite but not quite. I am contemplating either recovering all the factory carpeted surfaces so that everything would match the new carpet but that would mean that if I put it back to stock then the factory load floor will not match. 

I think I will just continue to look for the exact match or maybe try a small square of the dark graphite with a light dusting of dye. 

OCD is a total B330TCH!!!

EDit...Also found a neat idea to mask the age and condition of my amps a bit while still maintaining the Totally "Bad-Ass-ICAL" look that I am going for under the factory skin of it all. Oh, and yes, I invented the word "Bad-Ass-ICAL".

"Bad-Ass-ICAL"-Defined: An other-worldly description and state of being BADASS; Badass to the max; Totally and completely BADASS to the utmost extreme 

Here is a little example of what I am thinking.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2bvWArORSc


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## JoshHefnerX (Jun 13, 2008)

Interested to see what you find for carpet. I have a very similar 'off black' in my G8 trunk. I found some that is a hair darker but has more reflective fibers so it's very close in the sunlight.

Josh


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

JoshHefnerX said:


> Interested to see what you find for carpet. I have a very similar 'off black' in my G8 trunk. I found some that is a hair darker but has more reflective fibers so it's very close in the sunlight.
> 
> Josh


Found a "suitable solution". 

I tested a few pieces of the carpet that is too light and headed to my upholstery supply. They had some SEM spray dye that I used to dye the samples and it matches reasonably well but still too light. I sprayed a second coat and it got darker yet still slightly off. Overall I think that it is acceptable for me. In certain lighting conditions it is noticeable but I figure that since the angles of all the different parts are different, it will look factory. I will continue searching for an exact match but as of now I think it is okay to proceed with building.

On that note....

Today I got the mosconi 6to8 hooked up and hooked up the sub output. Seems that the factory radio is not extremely bad for clipping but it does have a good deal. I originally had the front high and front door subwoofer outputs hooked up and the mosconi began to mute at about level 23-25. Since that would not allow me to get good high frequency volume, I decided to hook the factory sub output as the channel 5 and 6 inputs. My reasoning for this is that I believe there is clipping going on in the higher frequencies. Since the factory sub does not play those frequencies I knew I could squeeze a bit more unclipped input into the 6to8. 

Worked like a charm.

I had to attenuate the bass on the factory radio to -5 out of -9 but that is good since at the moment the factory speakers are still hooked up. No need for the factory door subs to play the same stuff as the 13w7.

Preset 2-
Now, since the factory sub outputs are hooked into the rear channels i was able to fade to the front a bit. This also gave me just a bit more output. With all that settled, I set the amp gains with a 40HZ tone recorded at -5db. 
I then tested a few crossover points before settling on a 65hz 24db per octave butterworth for bass heavy listening. Did some listening for a very long time (hours). The processor did not mute so I am confident that the signal is clean.

Preset 3-"wife friendly setting" 
This one is set up for those occasions where the wife is in the car. Since the factory door subs begin to drop off at about 55 hz with the bass control turned down I chose a 40 hz lowpass at 24db per octave butterworth. This gives just enough authoritative bass fill from the 13w7. It blends very smoothly with the factory speakers. 

So thats where I am not. Crazy to spend all this time on a temporary bass setup while I am still getting things built. LOL......

testing and setup was done with a simple spectrum analyzer app on my phone, my ds203 o-scope, a Fluke multimeter and also using the auto-mute function on the 6to8.


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

For those that are photo junkies here are just a few.
I will be ordering 4gauge cable this week in order to wire up all the amps. the 4 guage that is currently there will be removed. I am making all my rca's from my healthy supply of Rean NYS352G connectors and Gepco 1801EZ cable.


Here is the dyed carpet next to the factory spare cover. The bottom right darker color next to the cover is the double dyed part. The top right is only one coat. 










Sexy mosconi 6to8v8










Ground distro block installed....Yes it is old..but still does the job. That is 2/0 cable connecting it to the chassis.










Power distro block....same old one as the ground. I dug these out of my old parts bin. 










The final layout of the equipment minus the passive crosovers for the rear components that will be under the rear seat.


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

Built my rca cables red and black out of gepco 81801ez cable and Rean NYS352G rca connectors.


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

JoshHefnerX said:


> Interested to see what you find for carpet. I have a very similar 'off black' in my G8 trunk. I found some that is a hair darker but has more reflective fibers so it's very close in the sunlight.
> 
> Josh


Boom!!!

Found it!!

I ordered up a sample sheet of carpet from Yourautotrim.com and wouldn't you know it, there it was. I almost missed it. There was the same color selection as the other places had but there was one hiding. It is called 2078 Special Graphite. What is funny about that is that my birthday is on the 20th of my birth month and I was born is 1978....Crazy huh
So I went outside and compared it to the factory parts and, yep, that's the one! The color seems to be a graphite but with an extremely dark blue hue in it. Either way, I am just glad I had enough patience to wait and find the perfect match.


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

Crap... So I am battling a few things. 
1. Keeping the factory head unit is proving more of a pain in the rear than I expected. 
2. Got my shipment of the carpet and it still does not match. It is closer but not quite there. 

Sooo.... Might be switching direction on this. I wanted it to look totally factory but honestly this dumb factory premium system is killing me. 

I ma thinking of either doing some 8" Jl zr800's an living with the factory crossover points between the midbass and midrange or maybe doing two sets of boston Z6's with one playing the factory midbass frequencies and the other doing the midrange up to the tweeter. 

So It would be 50-500hz on one Z6 mid, 500 to 3500 on the other Z6 mid and 3500 and up on the Z6 tweeters. The 13w7 will handle sub duty obviously.

Or 

Jl zr800 playing 50-500, Z6 mid playing 500 to 3500 and tweet playing 3500 and up.

Of course I have a jl 300/2 for each set in the front and a 1000/1 for the sub.

Now I am gonna just go ahead and start saving for a replacement head unit. Probably going with the best Kenwood excelon that I can get. I really did not want to change the radio but this is stinks that the factory system sounds better than the equipment that I have put in. 

So that's it.


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## optimaprime (Aug 16, 2007)

That's is poopy man&#55357;&#56862; on side note your bagged Blazers remind of. My bagged 96. S10 and bagged 92 full size I had. I miss them horrible


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

optimaprime said:


> That's is poopy man�� on side note your bagged Blazers remind of. My bagged 96. S10 and bagged 92 full size I had. I miss them horrible


Yes, I really loved those. I learned sooooo much from modifying them. I wish they were still made too. I think that they were a very awesome design and just very visually appealing. 

I was a young man back then....not so much any more. LOL!!! Although Im not yet to the big 40 yet. I have a while before then.


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## optimaprime (Aug 16, 2007)

I hear ha !! I love the bagged Blazers . Specially laying frame with back seat still intact!


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

That is it! I cannot take it!!

I absolutely must have some Jl zr800's to use in the doors. 

Here is the plan-
build Kickpanels to house a Z6 woofer to use as the midrange crossed from about 300 to 3500 hz. 
use the Z6 woofers that are in the door now from 50 to 300 hz.
tweets in the factory sails from 3500hz and up.

then...

one day buy the zr800's and install them in the door from 50 to 300hz.

This way I do not need to sum the two front factory channels per side. I can just work with the factory crossover points as they are and that should eliminate some of the phase issues I am having. 

I may then tune my sub enclosure even lower than it is now (31hz) by adding the needed volume to the bottom half of the enclosure that is under the vehicle. That is going to be just nuttz!!!

Once I have the funds to change the factory head unit I wont need to really change anything but the gains. That should be easy though by taking the voltages at the amps before I change the head unit and then replicate them with the new head unit. Then I will do whatever eq work is needed to clean it up.

Once this setup is done I believe that I will have a very dynamic and clean SQL setup with tons of output, very robust midbass and it should be very reliable with no speaker having to come close to overworking itself. 

I have chosen the kick panel setup simply due to the fact that it can be done without any modification to the factory panels. I will just make replicas of the originals to work off of. I also dont need too much airspace for the Z6 mids if they are playing 300hz -3500hz. I might even make them sealed. 

Now I am really feeling excited about going forward with this. 

Time to break out the epoxy resin and that big roll of woven mat in the basement. I gave up polyester resin due to the stench. When using the good polyester it is extremely pungent and makes me sick. The epoxy resin is much easier on the nose. Not to mention it actually cures in the weather we are currently having due to mother winter.


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## JoshHefnerX (Jun 13, 2008)

Be sure to to post pics!


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

JoshHefnerX said:


> Be sure to to post pics!


*As requested...

Door panel mids (temporary until I do 8's) have been installed.
Vinyl on the front Closed cell foam on the back.*
























































*Kickpanels in progress. Copying the factory plastics.*


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## GSlider (Jun 11, 2009)

Nice build thus far bud. I had the pleasure of driving a white 2014 SRT-8 Cherokee, and I have to say I didn't want to give the keys back! Their an extremely well rounded suv that's just insanely fast for what they are. I can sympathize with you wanting another.


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## JoshHefnerX (Jun 13, 2008)

Am I seeing that right that the factory door is basically sealed?


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

GSlider said:


> Nice build thus far bud. I had the pleasure of driving a white 2014 SRT-8 Cherokee, and I have to say I didn't want to give the keys back! Their an extremely well rounded suv that's just insanely fast for what they are. I can sympathize with you wanting another.



Yeah. It truly reminds me of that 2008 cadi CTS commercial ....."When you turn your car on, does it return the favor?" 

This particular model is the perfect ride for me. Very fast, big, tons of space for audio, comfy, and I can still tow with it and drive it in snow. Also the removable factory radio is partly why I went for the 2013 instead of the 2014. The 2014 is faster but I really would be stuck with the factory radio. Not to mention the $15000 I saved by buying used 13 with only 2300 miles.

One of the only things I dislike about it is the metallic black paint. My 06 was black black and looked Way more sinister when clean. 



JoshHefnerX said:


> Am I seeing that right that the factory door is basically sealed?


Yup... You got that right. When I am ready for the deadening stage I will be removing the plastic panel and covering the back in deadener, mlv and foam. 
I will then do the same to the front of the panel. I don't care about the weight. I want a quiet ride. The doors already had basically a 6X9 sub so they are pretty stout and should support the JL ZR800

I know...I am doing things backwards right. My plan was to get the setup perfected the way it is going to be then rip everything out and deaden and make it all show quality. I just knew that I would be changing stuff here and there and did not want to waste time and cash by finishing everything.

Hopefully that makes sense


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

Replicas of the factory plastic kickpanels completed. Now its time to plan the mid addition to the replica.


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

Got some work done.
Working on the kickpanel mids. Had to shorten the e brake lever. Works just fine.


















Test fit


















Final test fit before glass











2AM....layup curing


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

Kicks smoothed, sanded, smoothed, sanded again.......then again...then filled again and sanded again....LOL

Done and installed. Need to clean the dust off. 

Then started tuning for the added dedicated midbass. There will eventually be jl zr800 midbass in the doors and the Z6 in the door will move to the rear doors.

Still need to deaden the kicks and seal up the rear of the kicks. For now since it is playing 300hz and up I am not too concerned. The midbass in the doors is pretty good. I am very happy with how it turned out. My Phase issues from trying to sum the two front signals seems to be all better now. I will let my ears rest and do some tuning later. Looks like I might not have to change the factory radio out now. (althoughI probably will anyways)


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## el_bob-o (Nov 8, 2008)

The kick panels look great. I look forward to the future progression of this install.


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## JoshHefnerX (Jun 13, 2008)

Looking good. You do fast work too.


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

el_bob-o said:


> The kick panels look great. I look forward to the future progression of this install.


Thanks man.


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

ndm said:


> *This is my Build Log for my 2013 SRT Jeep
> I will be updating this periodically as I continue to build.
> 
> The Beast
> ...


Helix DSP PRO replaced the Mosconi 6to8 V8
my review can be found here--- http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/technical-advanced-car-audio-discussion/173404-switched-dsp-pro-mosconi-6to8v8-comparisons.html#post2244424


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

My tweeters used to be mounted too far behind the factory tweeter cup grill. It was giving me weird reflections and harsh sound. 










I got on the table-saw with some cheap PVC and milled it down to the proper size.










Here are the milled cups after some paint. 










Here is the new mount. I used a rather unorthodox method to give them a matte finish. I let them dry for about 15 minutes and simply touched them with my bare hands to dull the surface of the gloss black paint. I think that it turned out pretty good and matches the factory surround perfectly!

It sounds much better now. I will re-tune these soon.


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

Figured I would post some system diagrams for the current system. 

I have a new app that makes it kind of easy to do on my phone.


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## hot9dog (Mar 23, 2013)

Have been following this since the beginning , its starting to come all together now. Keep up the good work! Im liking where this build is going!


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## ben54b (May 30, 2014)

Love the tweeter mod. And you know how good the kicks look. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## lv_v (Aug 24, 2005)

Any update??

And what was the max sub depth in the spare tire well BEFORE the cut mod?


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## xrdcarbon (Jul 27, 2015)

wow,i like it


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

:army:


hot9dog said:


> Have been following this since the beginning , its starting to come all together now. Keep up the good work! Im liking where this build is going!


Thanks!



ben54b said:


> Love the tweeter mod. And you know how good the kicks look.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


 I do like how the kicks turned out too



lv_v said:


> Any update??
> 
> And what was the max sub depth in the spare tire well BEFORE the cut mod?


It was like 10.75 from the metal to the highest point that I wanted to go. I needed at least 14 inches for the sub clearance plus excursion. I did not want to sacrifice the almost entirely factory look. I was going to raise the floor but I could not find the exact matching carpet so cutting the floor was the last resort but the smart choice.



xrdcarbon said:


> wow,i like it


Well, Have not posted any updates in a while due to one simple reason.....

I am currently deployed for the sixth time and serving "Murica":army:.
I am developing new ideas and hope to redesign a bunch of stuff when I return home. I will have plenty of $$$ and time to do it. 

Possible plans....
Audiofrog GB25's, Jl zr800's, JL HD amps, Possibly might retire the 13w7 to home audio duty and possibly do either a couple Illusion C12 xl's or a big boy 18" sub.

Crapload of deadening, ccf, mlv and cld

They I will definitely do a hemholtz resonator to quiet down my exhaust at the problem frequencies...

New SRT replica wheels in a size 22 and murdered

Tint the windows dark and the windshield slightly



I absolutely cannot wait to return! I miss my family especially my kids. Been here done this before but I guess my age is starting to make these little trips sting a bit more and more every time.


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## optimaprime (Aug 16, 2007)

Dude **** it I'll come help you bagged it ! &#55357;&#56833; one of my fav builds happening right here ,because I also love to pic up air saw or saw all and just start cutting ! I can't handle old resto cars I like me some custome ! We can bag it then build sub boxes under seat and drag holes in them on highway &#55357;&#56833;&#55357;&#56833;

On second thought just ignore me and keep up the good work!


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## bradknob (Oct 26, 2009)

Love the ride! Helluva build u got going on too. I couldn't imagine cutting I giant hole in a $60k plus vehicle. Either way, u got me motivated to start working on my poverty 6 cylinder lol....










Murica!


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

bradknob said:


> Love the ride! Helluva build u got going on too. I couldn't imagine cutting I giant hole in a $60k plus vehicle. Either way, u got me motivated to start working on my poverty 6 cylinder lol....
> 
> View attachment 91793
> 
> ...


I had plenty of options to prevent from cutting that hole. The reason why it was not that big of a deal for me is because I have the tools and skill to actually close that hole right back up whenever I so desire. My addiction to that damn 13w7 is what made me crazy enough to do it. Many other combinations of subs would have worked and not required that cut. If I ever get rid if the Jeep I will close the hole back up with the same metal that came out and no one would ever know that it happened. Metal working tools and skill is one of best things I ever learned and purchase!


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

optimaprime said:


> Dude **** it I'll come help you bagged it ! &#55357;&#56833; one of my fav builds happening right here ,because I also love to pic up air saw or saw all and just start cutting ! I can't handle old resto cars I like me some custome ! We can bag it then build sub boxes under seat and drag holes in them on highway &#55357;&#56833;&#55357;&#56833;
> 
> On second thought just ignore me and keep up the good work!


I actually prefer old custom hot rods. I am actually going to try to make this beast the last modern car that I ever buy. I would like to build a bad ass old school with modern comforts for my next daily driver. The cost of buying "badass" is getting ignorant. Can you imaging what I could have built with the same money as this thing cost me? 

Besides, manufacturers are not making cars for longevity anymore. They are making them for a revolving door of profit. I do not blame them but at the same time I am tired of being the sucker standing in line to throw money into that open pit!


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## optimaprime (Aug 16, 2007)

ndm said:


> I actually prefer old custom hot rods. I am actually going to try to make this beast the last modern car that I ever buy. I would like to build a bad ass old school with modern comforts for my next daily driver. The cost of buying "badass" is getting ignorant. Can you imaging what I could have built with the same money as this thing cost me?
> 
> Besides, manufacturers are not making cars for longevity anymore. They are making them for a revolving door of profit. I do not blame them but at the same time I am tired of being the sucker standing in line to throw money into that open pit!


That's what I am saying man! I hate factory ! I gotta have something custom in or on a car. And I hate old restro jobs that just restore to old original condition . I like old with modern hidden twists


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## optimaprime (Aug 16, 2007)

That's just me and my opinions. Their worth nothing.


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

Coming soon!!

TM65 times 2 or 3 sets
HD600/4 times 3
HD1200/1
MLV 100% coverage
CCF 100% coverage
CLD 50% coverage
Helix dsp director


New kicks---maybe
New sub enclosure (lighter weight/finished too)
New exhaust mods (fix the drone)
LED lighting....Lotsa
Black on black on black interior
Black vinyl exterior mods
More go fast goodies!! (to offset any added weight)
New door panel look (slightly industrial/sinister:cwm23::devil::veryangry::evilgrin

Just gotta make it through the rest of this deployment and im going to go bonkers in this thing. Almost time to spend some serious coin!!


STAY TUNED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

Okay, Some progress...

So, I was very much interested in the JL ZR800's since I knew that they were some of the best 8 inch midbass drivers out there. The plan was to install the TM65's that I already have when I found a forum member that had some lightly used ZR800's and I purchased them.

So I always knew that there was a chance that they would not fit..No problem. I know that I can sell the ZR800's is they dont fit. 

Fast forward to yesterday, I am now home from my deployment and I have purchased a few tools (12vtools bit sets). So I took the door panels off to see what depth we are talking about. I figured that I would have about 3 inches of clearance which would force me to cut the door panels to make grills to give me more clearance. My hopes for 3 inch clearance was blown out of the water when I realized that I have at minimum 3.75 inches of depth at the top and 4 inches at the bottom.epper:

YES!!!

I installed the TM65's temporarily and OMG....these little buggers rock...If this 8 inch does not work out, I would be happy to run them. I might still keep them in the kick panels but I am unsure at this moment. I am pretty sure that the rears will be the TM65's. 

Next issue, I still have width issues......after thinking and making some test rings, I found the answer! slide the driver forward and centered with the factory grill. I will have to drill each hole out of the closed up grill sections but the ZR will in fact fit and the grill area will be just enough to clear the outermost parts of the rubber surround.....Bad ASS!!

So I have made some speaker adapters that will be epoxy puttied to the factory plastic door panel therefore sealing it up and making it one with the jeep. I will have to cut the factory speaker mount. Since I will be cutting a factory skin which will be a semi permanent mod, if I ever decide to sell the vehicle, I can just install a 4ohm 6.5 driver on a simple plate adapter and things will be good to go.

So here are some photos to describe what I will be doing. I am very thrilled. This will be 4 layers of baltic birch plywood with the top layer being kind of a plate adaptor to locate the adaptor perfectly on the factory location.


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

Excellent install day!! The ZR800-cw's are in and pounding the hell outta these doors. I am more than impressed with the output on these. I actually have not even reset the gains yet from the 2 ohm load of the TM65's and the midbasses still pound away. I had the sub turned off most of the time and it sounds fantastic. I cannot wait to get some tuning in. Either way, here are some photos of the days work.


Fitting the rings










Cut the plastic, screwed in the rings, reinforced and sealed up with multiple layers of CLD that I had laying around.



















Repeated on the drivers side.










Lines up perfectly with the factory grill....Mission complete!!


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## delosh (Feb 25, 2015)

Looks great! I'll be doing my Hertz components this weekend. Hopefully amps and head unit too. Sound by Sunday afternoon is the goal. Nice work.


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## bradknob (Oct 26, 2009)

Hell yea! Glad to see ur back at it.

Due to the limited amount of time I had to mess with mine I avoided 8"s in the doors. You made it look too easy. Nice work


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

bradknob said:


> Hell yea! Glad to see ur back at it.
> 
> Due to the limited amount of time I had to mess with mine I avoided 8"s in the doors. You made it look too easy. Nice work


If you want to add 8's in your door, I could send you a template to use for perfect fit. It uses two spots to perfectly locate the correct spot. Then all you have to do is some cutting and install the rings. Seriously, If I had the rings made up already I literally could do both sides in less than two hours. 

list of needed stuff

template
two double rings of baltic birch.
white pencil for marking
half a sheet of cld
some wood screws 
1/8 drill bit
drill 










In this photo, you can see the nub where the the divot keys in. It is to the right of the 5 inch mark. 










The template is used only for positioning. You only want to cut out the area of the rings.(Not the area of the template) In this pic you can see the little divot cut in the template on one side. You drop that on the factory nub in the speaker mounting surface. Then you line up the inside of the ring flush with the inside of the factory 6X9 mounting cutout. Then mark the inside and outside of the proposed cut. Once you mark it, then switch the template with the actual rings and make those. Once you mark the rings, you cut out the area of for the rings. You only cut to 1.5 in deep into the mounting flange. You want the rings to be flush with the factory 6X9 surface. The far side of factory sticker in the photo is about how deep you need to cut.

Honestly, it is really easy. Let me know if you do this and want some picture illustrations or perhaps a short video.


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## optimaprime (Aug 16, 2007)

Looking awesome man!!! Thank you for your services . God bless and keep building .


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## bradknob (Oct 26, 2009)

That's a mighty kind offer of you. I really have no intention (at this moment) of re-doing my door so I don't wanna put you through the hassle for nothing. If I do tho, I'll definitely take you up on the offer


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

Okay, equipment update...

Deadening-
I have 100 ft2 of mlv, 70 ft2 of Knu Kolossus on hand and a crapload of ccf being delivered tomorrow.

Amps- I am very close to having two jl HD600/4's and one HD1200/1. 

Midrange/Tweets- I am about to pull the trigger on the audiofrog GB10 and GB25 which is ridiculous because I also am waiting on two pairs of the SI M25's to show up.

Midbass-I currently possess three pairs of TM65's and am using the JLZR800's. I was thinking about using the TM65's in the rear doors but one thing is for sure, I am very happy with the ZR800's. I am so glad I was able to fit them. I feel kind of bad that I am not using the TM65's because they are awesome but....WOW, I am very pleased with the 8's. Now if there was a TM8 or something......That might make things really interesting!

Future plans-
Total deadening-Yep

new/modified sub enclosure- I would like to shave as much weight as I can and try to fire the port toward the rear instead of under the seat. I also want to try to get all of the sub enclosure back inside the cabin and not hanging under the cargo floor. I think the actual sub enclosure may be transmitting noise into the cabin.

New Amp rack-I will be able to save a ton of space with the HD amps and get more power at the same time. No brainer there.


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

Okay. I have my deadening materials in hand and have begun. So far I only deadened the front doors. 

I used knu kolossus on the inner and outer door skins and the door panels themselves. I added MLV and CCF to the doors and made a ring with adhesive CCF to seal them to the door panel. 

So far so good. doors are dead with wayyyyyy less energy transferring through the plastics. I do not know the results of the MLV because I dont have the whole vehicle done yet. These doors are a total pain to add cld because of all the curves, creases, valleys and crap. The doors just barely fit back on with the added layers. I may have to add some discreet fasteners at the edges to help them hold. 

Forgot to get photos of the mlv/ccf layer but I will get some next time I have to remove the door panels. 

I have a ton of work to do but this is a start...

Also....purchase some KAXBLTWT tweets that I will most likely try out but the actual plan is to do the GB10/25 combo. Also have a couple JL HD600/4's that should be purchased this week from a forum member as well as picking up a HD1200/1 locally. So it is about time to start a new amp rack and sub enclosure. I may just modify the current enclosure though.


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

Forgot one photo of the door panel 
If you look close, I added cld under each panel clip to prevent buzzing.


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## bradknob (Oct 26, 2009)

Nice dude! Def a pain in the ass trying to cover that inner door card, but well worth the effort. After I did mine I had to roll the window down and bear hug the door for the panel to snap back on.

Wound up with a small, but extremely annoying, rattle on the driver side. Turned out to be that little plastic piece behind the door handle that u have to remove to get to the bolt and screw that holds the panel on. Gonna have to deaden that too I guess


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

bradknob said:


> Nice dude! Def a pain in the ass trying to cover that inner door card, but well worth the effort. After I did mine I had to roll the window down and bear hug the door for the panel to snap back on.
> 
> Wound up with a small, but extremely annoying, rattle on the driver side. Turned out to be that little plastic piece behind the door handle that u have to remove to get to the bolt and screw that holds the panel on. Gonna have to deaden that too I guess


Simple trick for that plastic thingie...a small strip if carpet tape. Or a double sided releasable tape. 

In recent news.... I have purchased a Jl HD1200/1 and a jbl w15gti mkii. I am currently running the jbl in the enclosure that came with built to jbl spec. I must say, I am probably going back to sealed. I will be testing the 13w7 vs the jbl sealed and the winner will stay in the jeep. The loser will be used in my future home theater. So far the jbl is very impressive to say the least.

The best part is that both the 13w7 and w15gti are wired in 3ohm so both are connected to the 1000/1 and i just remove one wire on the one that i dont want to use. It is a 30 second swap.

I will hook the 1200/1 up soon.

Two hd600/4,s should be on the way next week.


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## teldzc1 (Oct 9, 2009)

Very curious to hear how you like the JBL vs the JL. 

I'm assuming you meant that you have the JBL spec ported box? If you haven't, try adding in a subsonic filter around the tuning frequency. I found that it helped the sound of the ported box I had for the W12GTI. 

You may also really like the sealed. Definitely try it.

Edit:

I just saw the for sale thread. You have the sealed box for the JBL and you're saying you like the sound of it. Makes sense now!


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

teldzc1 said:


> Very curious to hear how you like the JBL vs the JL.
> 
> I'm assuming you meant that you have the JBL spec ported box? If you haven't, try adding in a subsonic filter around the tuning frequency. I found that it helped the sound of the ported box I had for the W12GTI.
> 
> ...


Yup. This sealed enclosure sounds a...freaking....mazing


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## teldzc1 (Oct 9, 2009)

Yeah GTI have something special about them. I think people think they are just a slam sub based on the way they look but they are super musical.


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## bradknob (Oct 26, 2009)

You remember how much depth you had in the doors after u made ur speaker baffles?


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

bradknob said:


> You remember how much depth you had in the doors after u made ur speaker baffles?


Going off thefactory 6x9 mounting surface, top depth 3.75in. Bottom of 6x9 depth is about4.25 in. My new baffle is flush with the factory baffle.

From the baffle to the door panel is about .75 in but if you use a .75 adapter there is no room for driver excursion so keep that in mind.

I highly suggest zr800,s to anyone with a wk2 jeep. It was too easy to do. I have a template that I could send you to cut theexact correct areas. Then all you need is a little cld to seal up the rings and some screws.

Took less than an hour per door.


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## bradknob (Oct 26, 2009)

^^^ awesome man. Thanks

Although I said I wasn't, I can't get the idea of going back to 8"s in the doors. I've been spoiled by my last couple builds with 8s. And since I have TM65s now and you say the JLs are that much better..... I guess I'm just delaying the inevitable. lol 

Still a ways away from that happening though. But when the time comes I'll be hitting I up for that template.


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

teldzc1 said:


> Yeah GTI have something special about them. I think people think they are just a slam sub based on the way they look but they are super musical.


3hr drive confirms that this is a superbly musical sub.


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

bradknob said:


> ^^^ awesome man. Thanks
> 
> Although I said I wasn't, I can't get the idea of going back to 8"s in the doors. I've been spoiled by my last couple builds with 8s. And since I have TM65s now and you say the JLs are that much better..... I guess I'm just delaying the inevitable. lol
> 
> Still a ways away from that happening though. But when the time comes I'll be hitting I up for that template.


Pm me your address. I will send you a template for making the cuts and some rings and directions.....seriously.

Really...you need this midbass. It is very nice


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## bradknob (Oct 26, 2009)

ndm said:


> Pm me your address. I will send you a template for making the cuts and some rings and directions.....seriously.
> 
> 
> 
> Really...you need this midbass. It is very nice




I don't need this type of influence in my life right now!









....on that note PMd


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

UPDATES!!

New muscle for the Jeep!

Thanks ErinH for the stolen idea. Mine is brushed black 3M 1080 series. This is what they should have looked like from the factory. No doubt about that!!

Also Testing out the JBL W15GTI MKII to replace the 13w7

Pics ---


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## Bluenote (Aug 29, 2008)

Yeah, that's real nice! Must be a hard process deciding between the Jbl and W7...


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

Bluenote said:


> Yeah, that's real nice! Must be a hard process deciding between the Jbl and W7...


You have no freaking idea....


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## bradknob (Oct 26, 2009)

That's badass. I just got on a vinyl kick myself. Started wrapping that nasty gold/champaingn color on my dash. And that exact color was one of my options, I just feel
It didn't mesh well with everything else.


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## brett (Apr 27, 2005)

hey man, ive been keeping an eye on your build for a while now and its pretty rad. i might be picking your brains in the future as i just picked my '11 overland and really like it so far.

my first question is; was there an audible difference between the original hu and the kenwood it looks like you're running? i have the 730n stock unit, and it's actually got alot of great features, but if the audio signal isn't great, i'll have to swap it out.


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## teldzc1 (Oct 9, 2009)

Did you decide which sub you're going with? Interested to see your final enclosure.


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

New mid install. GB25 in the sails. Why the sails? Well everybody else with a WK2 Grand cherokee runs the mid in the pillar and tweet in the factory sail spot ....I wanted to do something different. Another reason is to get the mid as wide as possible and on axis. The last reason is because I want the pillar to be as non invasive as possible and that is much more possible with the tweeter in the pillar.

This is built with epoxy putty on the factory plastic piece. I wanted to get it in there and working before my long drive this weekend. I will finish it next week with filler and lots of sanding. I will have to get the tweeter in there tomorrow.
















































This is the view from the drivers side and passenger side mid. I placed the camera flat on the baffle and snapped the photos to kind of show the dispersion patterns.


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## bradknob (Oct 26, 2009)

Sick!


And what happened to your pics now?


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

bradknob said:


> Sick!
> 
> 
> And what happened to your pics now?


What do you mean?


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## bradknob (Oct 26, 2009)

ndm said:


> What do you mean?




Can't see any of your pics besides the ones you just posted....


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

bradknob said:


> Can't see any of your pics besides the ones you just posted....


Time for a new host site I guess. Driiive has been having some issues lately.


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## bradknob (Oct 26, 2009)

ndm said:


> Time for a new host site I guess. Driiive has been having some issues lately.




Eh, they all do.


What do you think of the ZR800 in the doors vs the kicks?


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

bradknob said:


> Eh, they all do.
> 
> 
> What do you think of the ZR800 in the doors vs the kicks?


The kicks would be pushing it. I was going to try it but the doors are just so incredibly perfect for the that I do not see any advantage to putting them in the kicks. 

Remember, I had to cut and move my e-brake pedal up in order to fit the boston Z6 mids. The 8's would be too big. Not saying that it would not be possible at all, I just do not see the point. I would put the time and effort into deadening the doors. I do not have much noise at all coming from my doors. 

Oh btw, I am still sending you those templates. If you decide to do zr800's before I get off my butt and do it just let me know and i will hurry up.


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## bradknob (Oct 26, 2009)

For some reason I thought u had the JLs in the kicks. Maybe I just remember the "Z" in the name.

This weekend Ima take the door panels off and see what kinda room i got to play with. Gonna keep an eye out for something for the right price to come along


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

bradknob said:


> For some reason I thought u had the JLs in the kicks. Maybe I just remember the "Z" in the name.
> 
> This weekend Ima take the door panels off and see what kinda room i got to play with. Gonna keep an eye out for something for the right price to come along


3.75 inches top

4.25 inch bottom

Both measurements to the brace behind the speaker.


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## Shane (Oct 8, 2009)

Hey - I have a similar install. I have the same JL amps in my Chevy Tahoe:
JL Audio HD 600/4 - Dynaudio Tweeter & Dynaudio MW162
JL Audio HD 600/4 - JL Audio ZR800
JL Audio HD1200 - dual JL 12" subs

as of now, I am saving up for a Helix PRO DSP, so that should be coming soon...

But I wanted to show you what I did with my ZR800. I built a fiberglass enclosure that holds the Dyn 6.5" mid and the ZR800 midbass. The whole enclosure is then mounted very securely to the door. There is a fiberglass back and then a front that was glassed together. Additionally, the Dyn 6.5 has its own small volume behind it that is separate from the ZR800. This is so the rear waves coming from each speaker don't interfere with the other driver. Currently, the whole install sounds ok, but I am sure that the Helix DSP will clean it all up. BTW, if you look on YouTube, Kyle Ragsdale has a great set of 14 videos on how he set up his Helix DSP Pro.


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

Shane said:


> Hey - I have a similar install. I have the same JL amps in my Chevy Tahoe:
> JL Audio HD 600/4 - Dynaudio Tweeter & Dynaudio MW162
> JL Audio HD 600/4 - JL Audio ZR800
> JL Audio HD1200 - dual JL 12" subs
> ...


You should make a single grill to cover both drivers. It looks nice but Definitely would look slick with a single grill. 

I am running the setup in my sig below now. I am about 5 hours from running IB (true IB as in vented to outside). 

I cannot wait to see how it sounds.


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## Shane (Oct 8, 2009)

Yeah I should have made a single one piece grill but I was about half way done by the time I thought about it and there was no turning back without significant rework. 

Where did you set your crossovers on the drivers??

Also, be careful running the ZR800 8" with the HD 600/4. I had too much power running thru them and fried them. So they have been replaced once already. 

Q: I'm getting a terrible alternator whine thru the high and mid signal from my Pioneer PRS 80 head unit. Any suggestions? I've upgraded the Big 5 wires with 0 gauge...

Your install looks awesome!!


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

Shane said:


> Yeah I should have made a single one piece grill but I was about half way done by the time I thought about it and there was no turning back without significant rework.
> 
> Where did you set your crossovers on the drivers??
> 
> ...


Really! Thats crazy. Mine so far are fine. I set my gains conservatively though and use an oscilloscope. 

My xover is set at like 60hz to about 300 hz to meet my gb25's.


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## Shane (Oct 8, 2009)

What kind of oscope did you use?? I have to get one. 

Also , Kyles YouTube videos look very helpful. You should take a look. 

I'll be getting the Helix Pro very soon. But I might look into the regular Helix DSP also maybe. Did you compare the two? Suggestions between them??


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

Shane said:


> What kind of oscope did you use?? I have to get one.
> 
> Also , Kyles YouTube videos look very helpful. You should take a look.
> 
> I'll be getting the Helix Pro very soon. But I might look into the regular Helix DSP also maybe. Did you compare the two? Suggestions between them??


https://www.amazon.com/SainSmart-DSO203-Portable-Oscilloscope-Bandwidth/dp/B0057M7YLE

Went from mosconi 6to8v8 to the pro. Never even looked st the regular helix.


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## bradknob (Oct 26, 2009)

Shane said:


> Q: I'm getting a terrible alternator whine thru the high and mid signal from my Pioneer PRS 80 head unit. Any suggestions? I've upgraded the Big 5 wires with 0 gauge...
> 
> Your install looks awesome!!




Probably blew the pico fuse, very common with pioneer head units. Try grounding the RCAs to the chassis of the pioneer.


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

Updates...

New setup is in my signature below.

Gb25 works better for me in the pillar sealed up so thats where they live now.

Subs are nestled into the raised floor. The floor was raised about an inch and a half to allow for excursion. Total room for excursion is 2.25 inch.

I could not live with the first carpet attempt since the carpet did not match.....so....i used the factory carpet again. Now it does not look entirely factory but it is still hidden pretty well. Still need to finish a few things but I had to ttake a family vacation so I will finish after the trip is over.

Here are the pics...the amp rack up top was temporary


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## Huckleberry Sound (Jan 17, 2009)

Amazing!!!


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## Bluenote (Aug 29, 2008)

What was the problem with GB25 in the sails? Is your width similar or better now? Everything looks great btw!


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## knever3 (Mar 9, 2009)

Fitting W15GTI's in the floor, WIN!! I love it!! My favorite SUV and with that system to boot I'm in!


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

Bluenote said:


> What was the problem with GB25 in the sails? Is your width similar or better now? Everything looks great btw!



It was simple. I had some nasty nulls that I was trying to deal with. Then I saw bradknobs build where he sealed his GB25's and did not have that issue. I figured that I would go with what was proven. I also realized that asthetically the sail pods just did not work for me. Even if I was able to make them look good, which I dont see it being a problem, I just think that the sail pods never would grow on me. 

As for the difference in sound, i definitely lost some width. What I gained is depth and generally a more natural sound. It is still mostly on access but the new setup is less in yo face.

Honestly, i might gain back some width after actually tuning it but I had some serious width before so we will see.


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

knever3 said:


> Fitting W15GTI's in the floor, WIN!! I love it!! My favorite SUV and with that system to boot I'm in!


The funniest thing is that I realize after I have built it, i actually could have done it without cutting the floor. The spot where the subs are now is not cut at all. I massaged the metal a little under the subs but no cutting was needed. Eventually I will weld up the hole that I made to fit the W7 back there.

I am still amazed that it all fit back there with only having had to raise the floor a tiny bit. I am even more surprised that it doesnt look half bad.

Edit......forgot something, after removing the spare,factory sub, factory amp, factory mufflers,load floorand all that factory crap, the vehicle only added about 40lbs more than it did from the factory...that there is just amazing to me. I will eventually rebuild the enclosure out of all fiberglass but with a baltic birch baffle to drop about 30% of the weight.


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

UPDATES.....!!

Got some lighting done. Funny thing is I originally planned to sew diamond pattern in the Faux leather but decided not to. Now the LED's reflect a diamond pattern and I am happy!


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

Next step- build an enclosure extension that will take the sub enclosure from 3.28ft3 up to about 5ft3 in order to boost my lower end. I already have the gains set extremely conservatively with no overlap. This expanded enclosure size will get me a bunch more low end efficiency. 

As things are right now, my bass is extremely punchy and I do not expect that to change the only thing I want now is to boost the lower octaves a bit. I am running basically the JBL spec enclosure but after measuring, I have found what I think will be the sweet spot. 

The extension will also serve as a blocker for more exhaust noise by hopefully helping to reflect some of the noise away. 

From the beginning, I wanted to keep my exhaust sound on the outside while doing my best to block it from getting annoying inside as much as I can. I believe the phrase "have my cake and eat it too" applies here.

This is where the proposed extension will go. I planned to weld that hole up eventually but didnt since I knew I might do this extension eventually. Pics below. You can see my hemholtz resonators that I welded up to kill my primary drone frequency. Yes, I know the right one is not level. Ill get to it eventually. It just needs to be rotated up a little.


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## JoshHefnerX (Jun 13, 2008)

Not sure that exposed wood is the best choice under there. Weather, and heat from the exhaust don't seem to be the most friendly.


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

JoshHefnerX said:


> Not sure that exposed wood is the best choice under there. Weather, and heat from the exhaust don't seem to be the most friendly.


The exposed wood is Baltic birch ply which is already very resistant to the weather but it is also coated with multiple coats of epoxy resin. It has been exposed like that for about 2 years and is doing fine. There is a plastic cover that covers the underside of the jeep from the factory. 

I also made sure to wrap the wood in HVAC duct aluminum tape to further protect things before I made recent modifications and once everything is finalized, I will have an MLV blocker plus spray everything with undercoating.

I feel confident that it will all last a very long time.


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## delosh (Feb 25, 2015)

Looking good!! Nice work.


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

Damnit Chrysler!!!!You guys suck!!

I should have never modified my sails:mean:

This stupid factory plastic sail panel molding has been increased in price from about $100 for the pair to...........get this...................$Two hundred Ninety fricking bucks for the pair....WTF. I am never amazed anymore by this fuc---king company but this one really pisses me off. I mean WTF. The cost was damn near one third less a month ago. 

Looks like my Jeep is going to get custom tweeter pods instead of just doing the replacement pod with the GB10's.


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## bradknob (Oct 26, 2009)

Wow.....

That's fkn absurd.


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## JoshHefnerX (Jun 13, 2008)

Price going up if they're not making them anymore.


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

HOLY BIG ASS BREMBO's!!!

Time for new rotors and pads. These things look bigger than my subs!


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## UncleHungry (Jul 18, 2017)

ndm said:


> If you want to add 8's in your door, I could send you a template to use for perfect fit. It uses two spots to perfectly locate the correct spot. Then all you have to do is some cutting and install the rings. Seriously, If I had the rings made up already I literally could do both sides in less than two hours.
> 
> 
> 
> ...




I need a video!


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## chithead (Mar 19, 2008)

I'm amazed 8's fit in the doors that easily! Have a set of Eton 8" woofers in storage, and debated on trying the SB Acoustics 8" in our 14' WK2 Overland. Didn't think they would fit because of how much headache I had in a 2010 Ram trying to just fit 6.5" woofers into that 6x9" cutout on the carrier plate.


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## jamesjones (Mar 8, 2007)

Don't know how I missed seeing this build. I love the false floor. I might have to do something similar if I'm not happy with the two 6.5s in a TLine I'm putting in my X5.

Awesome work.


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

The hole in the cargo floor was a bad idea but now it is all patched up. Got rear ended by a drunk driver and the jeep got banged up. $15k later, i got a nice looking jeep again. 

Since she was like new, I figured it was time to make her factory fresh again. The bodyshop did not fix it because it was preexisting. So I welded the original panel back in and the SPI epoxy primer is curing as we speak.


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## brett (Apr 27, 2005)

whoa, sorry to hear about this man. did the accident happen to be affected by the cutout, or the other way around? this was something i was considering doing and this type of accident is what i was afraid of.


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

brett said:


> whoa, sorry to hear about this man. did the accident happen to be affected by the cutout, or the other way around? this was something i was considering doing and this type of accident is what i was afraid of.


No, the hitch took the majority of the force. I have been planning to weld the metal back up for a while now and this gave me the perfect excuse. Since the equipment had to come out anyway for the repair. 

Im sure that there is a little decrease in the structural strength though with the metal gone. The floor is a structural part of the jeep. 

I probably would not do it again if I had to do it all over again. The jeep has more than plenty space to add subs. I currently have 5 ft³ and could easily have like 6 ft³. Hell I think I know a way to have like 7.5 ft³ if I want to relocate my amps and do a bunch of work.


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## Theslaking (Oct 8, 2013)

SPI epoxy primer is awesome. 7.5 cu sounds like 3 15's to me


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## ndm (Jul 5, 2007)

Theslaking said:


> SPI epoxy primer is awesome. 7.5 cu sounds like 3 15's to me


SPI PRODUCTS!! I put that Sh!t on everything!


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