# 2016 Silverado quick build



## TrashPanda (May 21, 2021)

Been 15 years since I did any of this, and I was a noob back then too.
But got the green light from the wife to get a system in the Silverado.
I knew I wanted Memphis as I have always liked that brand. 
I started with some Infinity mids and using the stock system running them along with one 6.5 Mojo just to get “something”. Terrible hack job here just to get it goin










So then I did the mids without any mat or anything and just the stock power










so this was not going to do. I kept adjusting all tone controls trying to get more output.
So (as I always have done) I wasted money on getting “something”

I was going all in on a decent system.









Even the 1100 has now been swapped for a 1500. But this was the beginning.

build pics next post.


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## TrashPanda (May 21, 2021)

So the system consists of:

Memphis:
4 x Mojo mini. 6.5 subs in a custom ported box (made by Traffic Jams in Buford GA)
VIV1500.1V2 
VIV400.4V2 
PRX609C
PRX602
TSPEC V8-3DDC
JL Audio Fix82
1/0 power with distribution blocks 
Optima Yellow top battery
14ga wiring run to all speaker locations 
Sound deadening 

started with the back cab











didn’t see the need to spend the extra $$ on Dynamat as this was not a super high end system.









then it was time for the amp board



















now mounting the parts (the 1100 was swapped with a 1500 later)



















great fit!!










next it was time for mod the seats for easy access down the road. The stock Rear seats in the crew cab do not fold normally, so you trim 2 1/4” off the tabs and then you can fold them down once the lower seat is folded up










next post: mids and doors


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## TrashPanda (May 21, 2021)

The doors were already familiar to me with the install of the Infinitymids I no longer wanted.
Started with rear doors and got SOOO lucky with the molex plugs!










there was enough gap (at the top of both the front and the rear door boot) to fit the 14ga wire through the run without having to drill out the Molex plugs. Whew! 
fished some trimmer String through and then taped the wire to it and pulled through.

then onto matting the doors and installing the new mids. I soldered all wire to each speaker.
























cut the hole onto the 3 1/2 mounting plate for the dash location For the tweeters.









So I had a cheapie harness that tapped into the radio wires behind the OEM unit. This was awful for many reasons and became obvious it needed replacing ASAP.
Went with the JL Audio Fix82 and the DRC-100 for this











final amp rack shot with the 1500 on there too










lastly the subs. These things are amazing.
Here is a pic without the grills


















Installing the grills and then final box shot.











System is all done now. I have both the Memphis wireless knob for the mono amp and also the DRC-100 knob for the Fix82. Gives me great control for low level listening or playing at loud volumes- preferably in a residential area.

Thanks for looking!!


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## SNCTMPL (Nov 23, 2014)

Nice work, looks great.


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## TrashPanda (May 21, 2021)

SNCTMPL said:


> Nice work, looks great.


Thank You man


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## TrashPanda (May 21, 2021)

Pic of the truck. Which has quite a few mods too


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## slowride (Jan 26, 2009)

Looking real good. These K2 truck threads motivate me to finish my build. Now I’m holding out to see how the dealer handles my trans repair


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## clange2485 (Dec 10, 2020)

Great job, super clean install.


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## Scooterh928 (May 24, 2021)

What’s the dimensions on your amp rack. I have a 14 double cab and I’m too lazy to measure


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## TrashPanda (May 21, 2021)

Scooterh928 said:


> What’s the dimensions on your amp rack. I have a 14 double cab and I’m too lazy to measure


46x13 IIRC
Plus some cutouts for the seat brackets and the seat belt.


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## TrashPanda (May 21, 2021)

Going with the green led for today. I have 7 to choose from lol


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## TrashPanda (May 21, 2021)

Update:

have new fabric Memphis tweeters coming to swap out for these Reference ones - a little too bright for my tastes.
Also, eliminated the passive crossovers and ran the mid:tweets like this:

6x9 & 6.5 together (seeing 2 ohms at amp) in bandpass config (90-2500hz)
Tweeters only on HP 2500+ on front two channels of amp at 4 ohms. 
sounds much better. Especially at higher SPL levels - I don’t think those crossovers were doing me any favors.
Lastly, 320A alternator comes Monday. Based on my calculations, I need 200A+ and the stock one is 150A. I know that normally I would never draw that much current under normal listing, but I would like to have the extra amperage for idle and I do get some dimming at extreme levels. This should eliminate that. Already have 0 ga from distribution to battery. Just need other two swapped.


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## TrashPanda (May 21, 2021)

So glad I was able to locate some M series Memphis tweeters, they are light years ahead of the reference ones. The magnet weighs about four times as much and it’s about 50% bigger, and they reach down to 2000hz versus the 3200hz for the old ones. Fabric dome.

Slowly but surely dialing this thing in

Here’s a shot of the old and new tweeter next to each other










alternator up next.


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## TrashPanda (May 21, 2021)

Nearing the end of this build. A good fella on here ( @clange2485 ) told me about fast rings, so that will be the last, but I got the Alternator (Power Bastards 320 amp) put in today:


















I also put a new serp. belt on since I am at 80k miles.
I drove around first to let all settle in, then I turned up all my mains/knobs. It’s like I got an extra 25-30% more wattage. 
The obvious is true, the bass hits much harder and is infinitely cleaner. But the biggest gain for me is the mids and highs. When the system is being pushed hard, they are staying much stronger and cleaner in the foreground and not getting washed out by the relentless bass. 
Don’t get me wrong, it didn’t sound terrible before. But wow I was not expecting such a dramatic change in all aspects of the system with this upgrade. Shout out to Power Bastards as this thing is a beauty.


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## SNCTMPL (Nov 23, 2014)

Nice, I have a Mechman 250 that I will be installing soon along with the main power wire and the big 3.


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## TrashPanda (May 21, 2021)

Nice. I need to make sure I’m following your build


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## TrashPanda (May 21, 2021)

I know I have a problem, but I think some of you might be understanding.
I am changing gears dramatically Here. 
just cannot get back to a familiar sound I used to love in my last system (albeit 15 years ago)

I have the power and it doesn’t sound bad, but the SQ is just not whew it needs to be for my ears.
At the help of @jtrosky and @clange2485 on here (thanks fellas) I am swapping all mids and highs out with CDT. I wanted an all emephis system, but I’m just not getting what I need from their speakers. Love the Subs and the amps are stunning. But need a little more air and warmth.
I will update with pics as I progress with the change.


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## BP1Fanatic (Jan 10, 2010)

NICE truck!


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## AudioBob (May 21, 2007)

I really like the Mojo Minis, they play much louder and lower than their size. One 6.5 leaves me wanting more for sure, but I have heard them in multiples both sealed and ported and they do not disappoint for the size and money. Very nice build and thanks for sharing.


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## TrashPanda (May 21, 2021)

Thank You both

About to change out all mids/highs this week.


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## court (Feb 7, 2017)

Very nice set up!!


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## TrashPanda (May 21, 2021)

Ok. So HUGE shout out to @jtrosky for pointing me in the absolute perfect direction.
CDT FTW
I will take some time tonight to post my initial thoughts. But just wanted to say that these are night and day better than the Memphis comps. And it’s not even tuned yet!!

Maldonado Thank You to @clange2485 for getting me hooked with Jtrosky for some guidance.
Really appreciate it fellas. Super happy here.


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## TrashPanda (May 21, 2021)




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## jtrosky (Jul 19, 2019)

TrashPanda said:


> Ok. So HUGE shout out to @jtrosky for pointing me in the absolute perfect direction.
> CDT FTW
> I will take some time tonight to post my initial thoughts. But just wanted to say that these are night and day better than the Memphis comps. And it’s not even tuned yet!!
> 
> ...


So glad to hear that you are getting positive results from the CDT's already. Sometimes, I sound like a broken record with my "praise" for CDT speakers, but I truly don't think that you do can better at twice the price (if not more). They are obviously not the best speakers in the world. They are not "fancy" speakers (a lot of models just use stamped-steel baskets, very basic speaker wire terminals, etc). But - they perform very well - at a very low price point (and price is _always_ a factor!). I've found that the company is also great to deal with. To me, the true measure of a company how they handle things when something goes wrong - and in my experience, CDT comes up in spades in this respect. I am aware of a few issues with speakers arriving damaged (dust cap adhesive failed, etc) - and CDT goes out of their way to more than make up for it when something like that happens.

The good news is that, in my experience, the midbass speakers will get even better as they loosen up a bit. 

The even better news is that once fully tuned, you will be that much happier! 

To me, the midbass/wideband setup is just _so_ much better than a midbass/tweeter setup. You can keep so much more of the sound up high and in front of you. Obviously, in this, it ended up even being better than the 3-way setup that it replaced - and you are not the first person I know that has been very happy with the results after replacing a 3-way setup with the CDT midbass/wideband 2-way setup.

I know that you are not full tuned yet - but even at this point - do you feel that the highs are "lacking" in any way without the dedicated tweeter? For me, that was one of the amazing things about these Unity speakers - that such a small 2" speaker can handle such a wide frequency range - and handle it so well.


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## TrashPanda (May 21, 2021)

I don’t feel like I am missing any detail. I think most folks go from a metal dome to something like this and “think” it might be lacking upper end highs, but soon realize that it’s natural sounding. But more importantly, like you said, the midrange have been brought up higher and sounds fantastic.


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## Old Skewl (May 30, 2011)

So what CDT drivers did you go with?


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## TrashPanda (May 21, 2021)

They are listed over in my initial review.
6x9 - cl69 sub cf
6.5 - cl6ebe
Tweet/mid - unity 8.0 2”


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## Davidian (Sep 30, 2020)

I can only tell in pictures it does not look like you fused your amps.. Is there any fusing other than the amp itself. Thanks


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## TrashPanda (May 21, 2021)

Davidian said:


> I can only tell in pictures it does not look like you fused your amps.. Is there any fusing other than the amp itself. Thanks


In line fuse on the 1/0 main line.


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## DaveG (Jul 24, 2019)

@Davidian brings up a great question. How are your amps fused individually? I don't see internal fuses on the Memphis amps. You may want to think about adding a fused distribution block and fusing the amps there. Without amp fusing it is possible to burn them up or even worse... fire! Not trying to alarm you but it's certainly worth considering.


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## TrashPanda (May 21, 2021)

I suppose I could add one to the mid amp, might not need to on the bass amp since it’s the same 1/0 which is already fused. Am I missing something there?


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## DaveG (Jul 24, 2019)

TrashPanda said:


> I suppose I could add one to the mid amp, might not need to on the bass amp since it’s the same 1/0 which is already fused. Am I missing something there?


Without knowing your specifics let's just use an example... 1-1000 watt amp drawing 100 amps & 1-400 watt amp drawing 40 amps so 140 total. Let's say you have fused the 1/0 at the battery with a 200 amp fuse. Your 1/0 is now safely fused or even under fused but safe nevertheless. What's protecting each amp though from drawing more than 100/40 (respectively) amps? Nothing! A fused distro block is what's needed so you can break that down to protect each amp. It doesn't appear that memphis has fuses in them. Make sense?


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## TrashPanda (May 21, 2021)

Yeah. That does. 
On it.


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## TrashPanda (May 21, 2021)

Nearing completion 

big 3/4 completed. 1/0ga ofc with braided heat resistant cover on:
+Batt-amp
+Batt-alt
-batt-block
-batt-frame


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## cjbrownco (Apr 30, 2014)

Awesome build, really like your sub set up. What frequency is your box tuned to and are you still pleased with the output? Also, is your truck a double cab or the crew cab? Mine is 17 double cab and I have a buddy with a crew cab and his under the rear seat space is a lot flatter except for the middle hump of course. Mine has the hump in the middle and less space under passenger side than driver side. I just have a temporary box in for now till I figure something else out.


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## TrashPanda (May 21, 2021)

cjbrownco said:


> Awesome build, really like your sub set up. What frequency is your box tuned to and are you still pleased with the output? Also, is your truck a double cab or the crew cab? Mine is 17 double cab and I have a buddy with a crew cab and his under the rear seat space is a lot flatter except for the middle hump of course. Mine has the hump in the middle and less space under passenger side than driver side. I just have a temporary box in for now till I figure something else out.


Thanks man. Enjoying the crap out of this now. Finding reasons to go for drives like I’m 16 again!

The truck is a crew cab. And the hump in the middle is a pain. It would be further back if it wasn’t for that. Although I just added 3/4” bushings on the same bolts to raise the seat slightly. Got the box pushed back another 2”. So it’s not perfect, but looks pretty good and has enough leg room. 

I was told the box is tuned to 35 (I was wrong and thought it was lower because of output) but this thing in my truck with my tune on the Fix it absolutely hurts at 40. It still goes all the way down to 30 and a touch lower, but for kick drums, just dayum!!


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## TrashPanda (May 21, 2021)

Hoping some on here dig non stereo related mods also: getting stage 2Cam kit with all the top end trimmings and long tube headers, limiter & CAT delete, new lifters/valve seals-springs / port polish/ tuned here in a couple months. 
Should be quite fun!


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## cjbrownco (Apr 30, 2014)

That’s gonna be one sweet ride , I have tossed around the idea of getting the 3.5” lmi seat lift and put 4 of the Dayton audio HO 10” subs (that do good in .5 cu ft ported ) firing front like yours are.


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## TrashPanda (May 21, 2021)

Thank You bro


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## TrashPanda (May 21, 2021)

cjbrownco said:


> That’s gonna be one sweet ride , I have tossed around the idea of getting the 3.5” lmi seat lift and put 4 of the Dayton audio HO 10” subs (that do good in .5 cu ft ported ) firing front like yours are.


That would be pretty epic IMO.


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## BP1Fanatic (Jan 10, 2010)

Yeah it w00d!


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## BP1Fanatic (Jan 10, 2010)

You could always make your own seat lift like I did for my 2001 F150 SuperCrew with 1x1" square tubing from Home Depot. The kit lifted the seats up 1" and forward 3" for two 15's behind the seats.


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## Synergy324 (Nov 22, 2007)

I need to check out the CDTs for my 2012 Silverado build. Thanks for the details.


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## TrashPanda (May 21, 2021)

MSD coil packs and wires installed in prep for the top end/Cam/headers that’s coming.


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## BP1Fanatic (Jan 10, 2010)

Nice!


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## Mtx215s (6 mo ago)

TrashPanda said:


> The doors were already familiar to me with the install of the Infinitymids I no longer wanted.
> Started with rear doors and got SOOO lucky with the molex plugs!
> 
> View attachment 301449
> ...


How did you mount your board for your amp rack?


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## Mtx215s (6 mo ago)

TrashPanda said:


> 46x13 IIRC
> Plus some cutouts for the seat brackets and the seat belt.





TrashPanda said:


> 46x13 IIRC
> Plus some cutouts for the seat brackets and the seat belt.


How did u mount the amp rack and secure it?


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## clange2485 (Dec 10, 2020)

Mtx215s said:


> How did u mount the amp rack and secure it?


He hasn’t been active since last December.


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## clange2485 (Dec 10, 2020)

Mtx215s said:


> How did u mount the amp rack and secure it?


Mine isn’t as clean as panda’s but i was able
To secure it with the factory seat & seat belt bolts, plus the hook and loop locations towards the top.


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## TrashPanda (May 21, 2021)

My bad. Life got BUSY!

I used “L” brackets, bent them so they were at the same angle as the sheet metal in the back of the cab (where the bump in the middle is angled at the top and bottom). The ampboard was cut very similar to the size of that bump out so it would sort of “float”in that space. 
drill and used self tapping screws to secure. Used silicone in the holes just in caseeven though that was a double wall. 
Let me know if you need more pics.


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## TrashPanda (May 21, 2021)




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## 7Senna8 (4 mo ago)

This is an awesome build! This was a template for my recent build.


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## TrashPanda (May 21, 2021)

Ultimate Compliment bro. Thank You!


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## 7Senna8 (4 mo ago)

TrashPanda said:


> Ultimate Compliment bro. Thank You!


One quick question; how long did the build take you from start to initial finish? I say initial because I know you made some other speaker and wiring changes later. I'm at 6 days by myself and 95% complete, but I feel I'm taking too long, lol. I did amp rack, 5ch amp, LC7i, 2x 10" subs, front components (6.5") and rear coax (6.5"), 14ga speaker re-wire. Mind you, this is my first undertaking of this size though I'm not new to car audio in general.

Thanks again, man!


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## TrashPanda (May 21, 2021)

All in if I remove the changes of stuff I already did (meaning swapping mids and tweets out) I was about a week in. But the mat install and running new mid wires was the longest. That was a whole weekend.


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