# How do you mount amps under the seats?



## ozone (Nov 27, 2011)

Greetings. I am mounting an amp under each of my front seats and I'm looking for details on how to do that. I believe you are not supposed to ground the body of the amp to the chassis. I think the mounting holes are in plastic. I'm not drilling holes in the bottom of the car. Do I just velcro it to the carpet under the seats? Do I bolt it to a piece of wood and mount that with bolts or velcro? I was thinking about welding up a little frame that uses the bolts for the seats. Is there a preferred method I haven't thought of?

Thanks.


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## ozone (Nov 27, 2011)

So the amp goes bad or you change your mind and buy a new amp. Then you drill four more holes in the floor? No thanks. Even if I made the decision to drill through the floor, I'd drill them wide, and mount some kind of adapter. That way I would only redrill the adapter each time I changed instead of the floor.


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## SaturnSL1 (Jun 27, 2011)

Well it seems like you answered your own question then, OP.


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## bobduch (Jul 22, 2005)

I mounted a thin board on top of the carepet to the floor with screws. Then mounted amp to board. Amp does not touch anything metal and by being on a board does not have carpet blocking any venting that could cause amp to run hot. On a related note, do not ground your amp to a seat bolt (I know, they are close and easy). They are zinc plated and that can cause grounding problems. For real.


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## qwertydude (Dec 22, 2008)

I've velcroed mine before when mounting under the seat no prob. As for zinc plated bolts for grounds. I've never had a problem as long as I scraped the paint away from the mounting area. It's not that the zinc plated bolt causes the problem it's that the hole where the bolt screws into generally is painted over including threads and the paint prevents a good connection. This can also be remedied by chasing the threads with a thread cutter and cleaning out all the paint with thinner. Then the bolt will conduct to chassis just fine.


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## ChrisB (Jul 3, 2008)

Cut a smaller board, say 1/2" thick, mount the amplifier to the board with short screws, then liquid nails, velcro, RTV, bolt, screw, or whatever you want to hold the board to the vehicle's sheet metal. While not as big of a problem with modern day amplifiers, I am still paranoid about either mounting the amplifier directly to the chassis or the possibility that the metal screws/bolts holding the amplifier in place will introduce a ground loop. I know, modern amplifiers have better isolation, but my luck, that would introduce another problem.

EDIT: I currently have velcro holding my amplifiers into place under the seat. They can't move forward as there is not enough room between the seat and the steel channel brace, but they could potentially fly backwards.


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## qwertydude (Dec 22, 2008)

Actually if I'm getting hard to trace noise in installations I find grounding all metal chassis to the car chassis does a pretty good job eliminating it. Along with using two conductor braided shielded wire to make RCA's and grounding the shields.


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## audiobaun (Jun 8, 2011)

You can use Extreme Velcro


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## pat_smith1969 (Feb 17, 2010)

What I have done before is slide a piece of wood under the carpet, then on top of the carpet put another piece of wood.. send some wood screws through both pieces to make a wood-carpet-wood sandwich. THen mount your amps to the exposed wood. THe carpet will keep the pieces of wood nice and secure and you never had to mess wiht the car's sheet metal.


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## mitchyz250f (May 14, 2005)

I drilled holes through my floor board and riveted threaded inserts to the floor boards. I have also used extreme velco and was happy with neither.

If I was going to do it again I would take a 3/8" plywood board and mount the amp to the board using T-nuts. Then I would place the board under ther carpet and burn 4 holes through the carpet for screws using a hot nail or soldering iron. You will be mounting the amp to the board and sandwiching the carpet in between the two. Mounted in this manner the amp will not move, you have made no holes in the frame and can quickly remove the amp leaving little evidence that it was ever there except for 4 small holes. 

Wish I could take credit for this but I can't, it belongs to Andy Wehmeyer.


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## ozone (Nov 27, 2011)

Thanks. Lots of good suggestions here.


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## memphiskane (Mar 9, 2011)

I did mine a bit different, I used glued a MDF board to the metal floor using Loctite PL375 construction adhesive then mounted the amp to that. Not sure if it was the best way to go about it but after almost 2 years in the Chicago area its still as solid as the day I put it down


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## theoldguy (Nov 17, 2009)

memphiskane said:


> I used glued a MDF board to the metal floor using construction adhesive then mounted the amp to that.


I have done the same and have had nothing but great results. With a bit of effort (ok a lot of effort), you can pop the MDF back off the metal and return it to stock. Keep in mind you dont have to use MDF. You can use whatever you have. Also, its a good idea to take heed at what bobduch said about airflow. If your amp has venting on the bottom that would be blocked by the carpet, you might want to mount the wood on top of the carpet. You could vinyl wrap it or paint it to match the carpet color.


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## JVD240 (Sep 7, 2009)

Industrial strength Velcro or put a board under the carpet and screw to that.


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## theoldguy (Nov 17, 2009)

memphiskane said:


> I used glued a MDF board to the metal floor using construction adhesive then mounted the amp to that.


I have done the same and have had nothing but great results. With a bit of effort (ok a lot of effort), you can pop the MDF back off the metal and return it to stock. Keep in mind you dont have to use MDF. You can use whatever you have. Also, its a good idea to take heed at what bobduch said about airflow. If your amp has venting on the bottom that would be blocked by the carpet, you might want to mount the wood on top of the carpet. You could vinyl wrap it or paint it to match the carpet color.


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## analogrocker (Aug 1, 2009)

If you really don't want to drill holes into the car's body, I would do something like this:

Cut a board of the material of your choice to a size that will fit under the carpet under your seat.

Mount that board to the metal floor using industrial strength Velcro.

Place the amp on the carpet and drill your pilot holes through the carpet and into the board. Then screw the amp to the board.

There is no way that amp is going to go anywhere with this method. You have the Velcro holding down the board _under_ the carpet, then you have the amp putting its weight down on the carpet _and_ the board.


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## subwoofery (Nov 9, 2008)

mitchyz250f said:


> I drilled holes through my floor board and riveted threaded inserts to the floor boards. I have also used extreme velco and was happy with neither.
> 
> If I was going to do it again I would take a 3/8" plywood board and mount the amp to the board using T-nuts. Then I would place the board under ther carpet and burn 4 holes through the carpet for screws using a hot nail or soldering iron. You will be mounting the amp to the board and sandwiching the carpet in between the two. Mounted in this manner the amp will not move, you have made no holes in the frame and can quickly remove the amp leaving little evidence that it was ever there except for 4 small holes.
> 
> Wish I could take credit for this but I can't, it belongs to Andy Wehmeyer.


That suggestion is awesome... Surely I'll keep that in mind 

Thanks Mitch 

Kelvin


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## RNBRAD (Oct 30, 2012)

Probably the simplest and most secure way to get the job done is with cotter keys. Find a size of cotter key that has an eyelet a tad bigger than the diameter of the mounting hole of the amp. Also use some washers to protect the amps finish (my peaves). Now set your amp where you want it, hold it steady and use a pick tool to poke guide holes through the carpet. It will help to mark where they are also. Once that is done now take your cotter keys and guide them through the amp holes, through the carpet holes. Once through the carpet, split the cotter keys open on the under side of the carpet. You will need access to the underside of the carpet, so remove a plastic jam seal or whatever. This is the simplest way to hold the amp and not drill holes into the chassy. Your amp is now secure. You can also do this with opposing corners instead of doing all 4.


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## bobduch (Jul 22, 2005)

qwertydude said:


> I've velcroed mine before when mounting under the seat no prob. As for zinc plated bolts for grounds. I've never had a problem as long as I scraped the paint away from the mounting area. It's not that the zinc plated bolt causes the problem it's that the hole where the bolt screws into generally is painted over including threads and the paint prevents a good connection. This can also be remedied by chasing the threads with a thread cutter and cleaning out all the paint with thinner. Then the bolt will conduct to chassis just fine.


Not true. The zinc plating itself can cause problems. Lycan gave an explanation several years ago. It was pretty technical (no surprise there). I wiah I had saved it.


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