# RAMROD's Bass Upgrade- American Bass,Mechman,Odyssey,XS Power,ToolMaker,CSCStang....



## run2jeepn (Mar 21, 2015)

*Run2jeepn Bass Upgrade- American Bass,Mechman,Odyssey,XS Power,ToolMaker,CSCStang....*










I have been collecting parts for some time on this build and I couldn't have done it without the help from these Companies and many of the forum members here..

Huge thanks goes out to Odyssey Batteries, XS Power, Mechman Alternators, American Bass, Toolmaker Metalworkz and of course CSCStang for a Custom box.

Parts List as of now...It may grow :thumbsup:
CSCStang - Custom Box
Mechman Alternator - 240a
American Bass 4480.1D Amp 2200 @ 1Ohm
American Bass XR-12 1200w RMS
Odyssey PC1350-A for Main Battery
XS Power XP750-CK for 2nd Battery
Toolmaker Metalworks - to me announced.....

My goal here was to really improve the Bass and not get to carried away with over all weight. Reasons why I went with a Single Sub set-up, Smaller sized Amp, Birch wood and a smaller lighter weight 2nd Battery.

Now as I post pictures and start this build. I will need some help and have some questions. I'm sure of it. I will also be giving my opinion and reviews on products as I go.

I noticed with my old set up. Just a single Memphis PR 10inch. That a lot of my bass was lost before it made it into the Cabin. So To fixed this issue. I'm moving up from a 500w set up to a 1500w-ish set up. I'm also running a 6 inch port through the rear deck. The sub will be firing off the side of the trunk just behind the seats. The port once it is through the rear deck is about 1in away from the back glass(at its closet point) I'm hoping the combination of all this will dramatically improve my Bass. 

Also with my last set up. Just that 500.1 Prime Amp pulled enough to Dim my lights and slow my idle at hard bass hits. So to help fix this b/c it was already a problem and I knew it would just get worse. I'm jumping up from a stock 140a Alternator to the Mechman 240a which as an idle output higher then my stock could put out at max. I'm also switching out my Stock Lead Acid battery for a Big AGM from Odyssey and a 2nd Battery from XS Power. I will be also adding a BIG 3 kit. My car already has a 0g from Alt. to Battery. So I will be adding 0g for my grounds and a 0g from Alt. to Starter.

That's were I'm at now... If you see anything I need to address. Let me know...


----------



## run2jeepn (Mar 21, 2015)

Pic's will come very soon... I can post a teaser of the Box... Will have more pictures of the box soon.. CSCStang has been great at sending me updates. We hit s small hick-up, on measurements from AB but we are squared away now.

Box Size 26.75 x 17.75 x 15


----------



## run2jeepn (Mar 21, 2015)

Couple more Box Build Pictures.


----------



## run2jeepn (Mar 21, 2015)

More Box Pic's....I'll get everything out of the box and get pictures up tomorrow.










































Electrical Upgrades


----------



## run2jeepn (Mar 21, 2015)

Parts Pics


----------



## run2jeepn (Mar 21, 2015)

Updated Pictures of the Box


----------



## run2jeepn (Mar 21, 2015)

Box is all done.. Should have it any day now.. Can't Wait..


----------



## porscheman (Jan 1, 2012)

its that a 1/4" thick plexi window?


----------



## run2jeepn (Mar 21, 2015)

porscheman said:


> its that a 1/4" thick plexi window?


Yes it's 1/4in.


----------



## run2jeepn (Mar 21, 2015)

Box came in today.. Fits like a glove...


----------



## run2jeepn (Mar 21, 2015)

Got a little work done. Got a hold of a jigsaw, 1/2in MDF, hardback board and Carpet. Also pulled the Back seat out.

Figured out my layout. I'll be getting a lot of work done this coming week. 

My LEDs came in from Diode Dynamics


















Now that looks SEXY...









Picture of what it's going in..


----------



## run2jeepn (Mar 21, 2015)

Got a little work done today and a snap shot of the ToolMaker Metalworkz reducers...

Reducers for the AMP









The Start of the Amp mount

















And the Enclosure bolt down brackets started a well. These will be mounted on the back side of the box and bolt to th floor.


----------



## soccerguru607 (Nov 4, 2009)

That's a nice looking sub box!!! 
I also like how the air port goes through real deck, very nice!


----------



## run2jeepn (Mar 21, 2015)

soccerguru607 said:


> That's a nice looking sub box!!!
> I also like how the air port goes through real deck, very nice!


Thanks, I'm happy with the quality of the box.


----------



## run2jeepn (Mar 21, 2015)

Ok I had to build up the floor and level it to make a solid mount for the Amp..

I used one bolt through the floor and Bondo Fiberglass to hold it in place. I then made another layer that will be screwed into it. Sandwiching the factory carpet. I put Furniture nuts in it. So the Amp Mount will bolt to it. Two simple bolts can be removed to gain easy access to the backside.

Pulled the Factpry carpet out and sanded what I could down. The Bondo won't stick the rubber part of the Floor. So I ran one bolt through it.

























Here is with the floor built up and the carpet back down. Can't even tell.

















Here is what the Amp Mount will bolt too.









Kind of a mock up. This will be carpeted as well. With a Plexi glass window to show the Amp Guts. Then Have translucent Vinyl and will glow from a Blue LED Strip. Well that's the plan anyways.


----------



## run2jeepn (Mar 21, 2015)

Ok got a little work done today.. I'm not going to use plexiglass to show off the Amp Guts.. I'm going to mount the Amp like normal. Then make a Side Panel with a plexiglass window that will have Etched Glass Vinyl Saying MOPAR on it. Then have that backlit with Blue LED's. 

So I had to make a mount on the Side of the Trunk to make a solid mount. I will try and carpet this amp mount just to make it look a little better. It will be hidden behind a panel anyway unseen. 

The Base for the Amp Mount. It is Glued on with Bondo Glass and Bolted with nylon lock nuts from the back side. Everything is Glued and Screwed together.










This is just screwed through the carpet to the base.









Then the Amp mounts to this...










This is how to looks now. I will make an L-Bracket at the bottom that will screw into the Floor.


----------



## run2jeepn (Mar 21, 2015)

Got a lot done today.. 

-Silisoned the Trunk Vents around the edges.
-Smoothed up the Amp mount and Sprayed with Bed Liner
-Built and Carpeted Battery Mount
-Leveled the floor under the Battery mount
-Installed New Odyssey 1350 Battery
-Spray painted all wood under the Carpet

Just waiting on my Sound Deadener to place in a few spots.


















































new batter in.. Just need to up grade the wiring. 









Everything is pretty much done back here.. Just waiting on my Cables and Sound Deadener now.


----------



## run2jeepn (Mar 21, 2015)

Got more work done... Just waiting on the Sound Deadener now.. Then I can secure the Amp and battery in place.










Amp Mount sprayed with bed liner.. just to clean it up a bit. Will be behind a false wall..


















Start of the False Wall.. Will have a Plexi-glass Window when finished... Didn't have a large enough piece to so I had to add a little. Once covered with Carpet won't be able to tell any way..


----------



## run2jeepn (Mar 21, 2015)

Got some more in today...

Some Sound Deadening
Dash Speakers and Door/Rear Deck Speakers
1/0 OFC Amp Kit

NVX Sound Deadener...40sq Bulk Pack









NVX 1/0 OFC Amp Wire Kit









Front4" Dash Speakers... I'll be running these or a set of 3in Mids from Addictive Audio









6x9's Will either be ran in the front doors or Rear Deck. I might run a more powerful set off an Amp for the Doors.

















Here is Wire Comparison 
From left to right
Mechman 1/0 Power
Mechman 1/0 Ground
NVX 1/0 OFC Ground
NVX 1/0 OFC Power
TryStar 1/0 Welding Wire

All of it is nice wire. The Mechman is CCA. The rest is OFC. Mechman is the most flexible with TryStar the least, but still plenty flexible.


----------



## run2jeepn (Mar 21, 2015)

Got some more work done. I'm using NVX Sound Deadener
NVX Sound Damping

On the Trunk Side walls, Deck lid, Trunk lid and Doors.

I'll be using a Combination of Sound Deadener from Thermo-Tec on the Floors of the Trunk and under the Rear Seat. I should have some stuff left over to use on if rattles show up over time..

The stuff from Thermo-Tec I'm using is Thermo Guard FR, Suppressor Acoustical & Heat Control Mat and Seem Tape

Thermo-Tec : Products : Sound and Heat Barriers

I got the Sides of the Trunk done and part of the rear deck. I also used some silicone in the hard to reach cracks.










These also showed up today... Some sweet looking Badges from Nate at Rebadge Design and Graphics...

Rebadge :: Home










The Front Badge can be back lite with an LED.. Looks Blue with the Light off, but I can change the color to what ever I like with an LED..


----------



## Offroader5 (Apr 8, 2011)

Run2jeepn of JP on RCC? 

Welcome to another hobby that takes all your money.


----------



## run2jeepn (Mar 21, 2015)

Offroader5 said:


> Run2jeepn of JP on RCC?
> 
> Welcome to another hobby that takes all your money.


The one and only....All my hobbies take my money.


----------



## Offroader5 (Apr 8, 2011)

I haven't been on RCC in ages (other than just now to check if you were the same dude). Other hobbies took over and crawlers were not just put on the back burner, but taken off the stove all together. Still have everything taking up space though. Maybe just giving it time so everything becomes "old school" or "limited" enough to sell


----------



## run2jeepn (Mar 21, 2015)

Offroader5 said:


> I haven't been on RCC in ages (other than just now to check if you were the same dude). Other hobbies took over and crawlers were not just put on the back burner, but taken off the stove all together. Still have everything taking up space though. Maybe just giving it time so everything becomes "old school" or "limited" enough to sell


I got completely burnt out. After running JP for years. Once I sold JP I just couldn't get myself to keep forking out money for Crawlers anymore. When a 2.2 Comp rig cost $2k. It's not worth it. Before when I owned JP.. It was much much cheaper getting parts. JP paid for it all. I pretty much got rid of everything. I have some Memory foam strips for Super Tires, a 6ch Radio and some smaller stuff, but no crawlers...

Good seeing ya again.


----------



## run2jeepn (Mar 21, 2015)

Got a little more work done while I'm waiting on a few more parts to finish this build..

I installed the grounds from my Mechman Alternator BIG 3 Kit. I'll install the Power wire when I get a chance to install the Alternator.

Upgraded Battery Ground from a Stock 8g (?) to 1/0 

















Added a Ground for the alternator..

















Removed my Rear trunk Emblem...

















Test fitted my Front Emblem..(Rebadge :: Splash) Can't install it till I get my LEDs ordered for it. Fits pretty good. Will have to double up the Thickness of the Double sided tape to make it sit level.









Went ahead and installed the Steering Wheel Emblem too. Not to hard. Trickiest part is getting the cover to un-clip off the Air Bag Case.


----------



## run2jeepn (Mar 21, 2015)

All my Thermo-tec items came in today. This will allow me to finished deadening my trunk and top of my rear deck. I still need to run by Lowes and pick up some Butyl Rope for my Trunk Lid.


----------



## run2jeepn (Mar 21, 2015)

I added the Factory ground back.. No big deal. Got a lot done tonight. A lot of deadener and sound barrier laid. Got the Trunk and under the rear seat done. was really aiming to cut down on a little drone. It did, but not as much as I would have liked. Maybe I'll notice a bit more as I drive over the next few weeks.

I'm ready to mount the Amp and 2nd Battery Now. Just waiting on my reducers and Terminals from ToolMaker. Then I can run all my wire. Going to install my Alternator next Wednesday or Thursday.


































Laid a layer of Thermo-Tec Thermo Guard under the Back Seat and back into the Trunk Area.









Then laid the factory Insulation back down on top of that. 

















Everything is back in now..


----------



## run2jeepn (Mar 21, 2015)

Working on it tonight.

Deaden the Rear Deck

Before and After



















RTV Siliconed the Rear Trunk light.. Just by putting tiny dabs at the four corners.
RTV Siliconed The Wire Plugs that attach the wires to the rear deck.

Also put little Dabs on the Trunk deck Lid with RTV Silicone... I may add some Deadener later, but wanted to try this first..



















My Seem tape came in from Thermo-Tec.. Went back over some of my Seems with it. Will use some of it on my front Doors.










Going back out now to put my rear NVX 6x9's in and seal them up...


----------



## run2jeepn (Mar 21, 2015)

Ok some Pictures...Stayed up till 5am working on it.

VSP69 6" X 9" V-Series Coaxial Car Audio Speakers


























Fixed the Trunk light from every rattling..









The New Trunk Speaker wire running across the back instead of just hanging like Dodge had it.









Better Picture of the Odyssey PC1350 









I'm thinking of when I get my ToolMaker Terminals. I will cut and Frame a Window in the Floor to show off His work. A little LED back light would look slick.

All Finished and starting to clean up..


----------



## Offroader5 (Apr 8, 2011)

run2jeepn said:


> Also put little Dabs on the Trunk deck Lid with RTV Silicone... I may add some Deadener later, but wanted to try this first..


Did the same sort of thing when I had mine torn apart. Used clear silicone to fill gaps between the roof beams and outer skin along with the outer door skins to any internal braces etc... Took a while for the silicone smell to vacate


----------



## run2jeepn (Mar 21, 2015)

Look what I got a Picture of in an E-Mail from ToolMaker Metalwerks


----------



## run2jeepn (Mar 21, 2015)

Check out this little Bad Boy...

NVX 4ch Amp..
NVX MVPA4 Micro-V Series 400WRMS, Class D Compact 4-Channel Car Speaker Amplifier


----------



## run2jeepn (Mar 21, 2015)

Didn't get much done today.. My 8g Wire came in. So I wired up my American Bass XR12 Dual 2 ohm down to 1 ohm. 










Also mounted the LED Strip from Diode Dynamics..


----------



## run2jeepn (Mar 21, 2015)

My 2/0 Excelene Wire Came in today and I already crimped my ring terminal for the Alt. on it.

My 2/0 and 1/0 extra Ring Terminals will be here in the Morning

ToolMaker Metalwerks sent out part of order. Should be here any day. He notcied something wasn't right on a part and is redoing. Which was a great catch and cool he is taking care of it.

I've got an odd rattle on the rear deck that only certain tones are doing it. It's a very odd sounding. It's something small. This is just from my new 6x9's too. Got to find the right song track the rattle down.


Red - Excelene Welding 2/0 from E-Bay
Black/White - TriStar Welding 1/0
Blue - NVX 1/0
Black - Mechman 1/0
White - Connerwire Power Wire 2/0 (Freaking Nice, but way expensive @ $30 per ft)


----------



## run2jeepn (Mar 21, 2015)

OK had a little time today to redo my grounds. Got rid of the Screw Down terminals in favor for Clamped ones. Used a 16 ton Clamp that made short work of it.










Added a ground to the Drivers side of the engine block. You can see the tiny Factory one just below the new one.









Test fitted the new Toolmaker Terminals. Perfect fit.


----------



## capea4 (Sep 2, 2010)

Rtv black is the ****.love that stuff


----------



## run2jeepn (Mar 21, 2015)

My new Toolmaker reducers came in...


















And re-did my Sub wiring. Much better. No one is going to see it anyways, but this much better.


----------



## run2jeepn (Mar 21, 2015)

Ok.. One of my final parts came in and I can't be more happy with them. My Odyssey Battery Terminals from ToolMaker... They look sweet.. I was running into issues with space. Unless I rebuilt my battery box and laid my battery on it's side. But with these I shouldn't have any issues. They are compact and low profile.


----------



## run2jeepn (Mar 21, 2015)

Well I finally got a tiny bit of time to get these installed. Ran into some clearance issues. I had to trim my battery box down on one end to slide the + post farther away from the Trunks Lip. Also had to cut and install a new end on the factory power wire. About half way through got a call from work for OT.. Had to wrap it up. I'll install the 2nd Battery and Mount and Wire the Amp up either Thursday or Friday.

Huge Thanks goes out to Toolmaker for these Terminals. They look sweet and work great. I have room to add my power wire from my Alt. and add to if future upgrades every come up.


Mounted up..









Neg. Side was Super easy..









Removed the factory Terminal...No turning back now.

























New 2/0 Ring Terminal installed

















All Finished up...


----------



## run2jeepn (Mar 21, 2015)

OK Got the Alt. In and Power Wire ran to the back. Just need to install the new Belt and one more Fuse by the Alt.
Stock Alt...Gone










New stuff Going in..










Car jacked up and Ready to Tear down..










New Mechman making the Stock Alt. feel bad..










Front and back seat removed. Ran the 0/2 right beside the factory Power










Picture of the factory Power going through the firewall.. From the inside










From the Outside










This is what I bought to go through the fire wall. Drilled a 1in Hole and installed this


















New Alt. Installed










The 0/2 Is ran out by the Washer fluid Tank and behind the Inner Fender well. Once I get the fender well back in. You will only see whats right behind the strut. I'm going to go back to Lowes and look for some stronger Wire holders. The ones I bought are thin cheap plastic.


----------



## pocket5s (Jan 6, 2012)

*Re: Run2jeepn Bass Upgrade- American Bass,Mechman,Odyssey,XS Power,ToolMaker,CSCStang*

Thought your screen name looked familiar, from the Z forum 

For clamps, try Adele clamps. Perfect for that scenario.

I've priced the mechman alt, but never pulled the trigger on it. How was that install?


----------



## Bev-o (Jul 16, 2015)

Fantastic build and attention to detail!

The 1/4 inch plexi window feels a bit thin to me, the birch box dwarfs it.
You know your stuff so am sure you did your homework.


----------



## vwjmkv (Apr 23, 2011)

this build is making me jealous! looking forward to end product


----------



## run2jeepn (Mar 21, 2015)

pocket5s said:


> Thought your screen name looked familiar, from the Z forum
> 
> For clamps, try Adele clamps. Perfect for that scenario.
> 
> I've priced the mechman alt, but never pulled the trigger on it. How was that install?


lol, I'm all over the place.. Thanks I'll look into those clamps



Bev-o said:


> Fantastic build and attention to detail!
> 
> The 1/4 inch plexi window feels a bit thin to me, the birch box dwarfs it.
> You know your stuff so am sure you did your homework.


I've done a ton of homework and CSCStang built the box. That guy knows his stuff and is good. I trust him 110%.



vwjmkv said:


> this build is making me jealous! looking forward to end product


Thanks and so am I. It's crazy what all goes into one and the amount of time it takes to collect everything you need. Just to get started and find something else you need as well. lol

It's about to wrap up soon thou. I know a few guys who are ready to see it finished. I will have tons of Video and Pictures soon of everything. Plus my take and review of every single item I used for my set up. I searched and searched for the best Bang for the Buck without sacrificing quality to meet my needs. It was tough but I think I did a decent job. We will see soon. Can't wait.


----------



## run2jeepn (Mar 21, 2015)

My RCA's showed up today... They look pretty good and the price was right. Found them on Amazon cheap with crazy good reviews.
I bought a 25ft, 6ft and 1m/2F Y-Adapter.

Amazon.com: Mediabridge Stereo Cable with Left and Right Audio (6 Feet) - RCA to RCA Gold-Plated Connectors: Electronics


----------



## Bev-o (Jul 16, 2015)

Looking forward to the final product, great build!

The port into the cab is a great idea, one of the best cars I heard had a similar set up. It used two ports with a totally sealed box with an air tight trunk.


----------



## run2jeepn (Mar 21, 2015)

Redid the mounts for the power wire around the front fender. Found much better mounts. Also added a strip of black shrink wrap around it to hide it better.


















Here is where I came through up front. Right around the Washer Fluid Tank.


----------



## run2jeepn (Mar 21, 2015)

OK got a little more work done last night. I'm able to drive my car again. Which all I needed was to install the new belt. Picked one up from AutoZone for $19.99. Can't bet that.

I installed 2 Fuses inline from the Alt. to the Battery.. Is that ok? What Size Fuse should I use in them?

Here is the 2nd battery being installed.









Here is the Belt I used. Just posting this for who every does this Alt. upgrade on their 2.7 Charger.


----------



## run2jeepn (Mar 21, 2015)

New 2nd Battery mount I just made.. The first just felt and didn't look as good as I hoped..

Thoughts? I'm not to good with wood and never stained anything before, but I'm proud of myself.

















[/


----------



## run2jeepn (Mar 21, 2015)

Slowly getting work done, But it's getting there. Will be getting a lot of work done this week as I need to get my back seat back in...lol

Amp Mount is installed..









Now the Amp mounted up.. I will make a Wall with a Window to hide everything but the amp.









Wire ran for 2nd Battery and Amp









All the wire from the 2nd Battery to the Amp


----------



## run2jeepn (Mar 21, 2015)

Ok I got off my lazy ass today and mounted the 2nd battery.. Kind of a pain to route the wires. I can't get my hand behind the mount. So it was a bit tricky running it, but it's done and hooked up... All that is left is Pwr/Gnd the Amp and get the Sub mount in the trunk. That's it.


----------



## run2jeepn (Mar 21, 2015)

Getting there...


----------



## run2jeepn (Mar 21, 2015)

Got all the LED's ran and all that is left in the trunk to do is the false wall over the Amp. I still have access to my Spare tire too. 


















Had to make some O-Rings here to keep them apart. This is one thing American Bass needs to change. The POS/NEG are right by each other. Would be nice of the Remote was in the Middle.


















The Amp glows pretty good, can't wait to get it behind a window.










The company who made these LEDs told me they could be cut down but the left over would be wasted and not wired again...WRONG, Simple razor blade and solder worked perfect.


----------



## rob feature (Nov 15, 2015)

Nice work! Lovin' the show :snacks:


----------

