# Xlynoz FJ Cruiser Install - Revised



## xlynoz (Jun 16, 2008)

Reposting this thread since the pictures on the old thread are broken.

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07/28/08 Update 1
Originally I was going to use all the equipment out of my previous car. I was going to use an ADS PQ20 and RF Punch 100. I only had two options for mounting locations that would not require a large amount of time while staying stealthy, under the seats or a false floor in the back. I first looked at the false floor option. I used some lumber laying around to give me an idea of dimensions and what things I would need to take into consideration (AC plug, accessing the storage compartment and tie-downs, etc).



































As much as I would have liked to have the false floor I didn't want to lose that much space. I test fit the amps under the seats. I could get them to work but the PQ20 would have been coming out of the rear of the seat and the Punch 100 just barely rubbed the cross bar of the passenger seat. I could have lived with this but I started thinking about the sub enclosure and whether I would stay with one sub or go with two. Since I would rather build in headroom on the system I decided to replace the Punch 100 with a PDX 1.600. Then that got me thinking about the high end so I got a PDX 4.100 as well. Now mounting them under the seat would be a snap.

Here are the ladies in waiting.


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## xlynoz (Jun 16, 2008)

07/28/08 Update 2
I had ordered some of the needed hardware while I was making my final decisions on equipment. I started off doing a 4GA wire from the circuit breaker to the distribution block under the center console but since the run from the battery wasn't that long and they were pretty easy I just ran a 4GA wire to each amp. I made a mount plate for the circuit breaker and used some stock accessory holes to mount the plate. Note the extra 10GA wire ran for an accessory fuse block I added for future goodies.












































































I ordered some TechFlex from Furry Letters and really like the stuff. This is the first time using it and I'm sold. I have used it on the power cables, interconnects and speaker wire.


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## xlynoz (Jun 16, 2008)

07/28/08 Update 3
Here’s the PDX 1.600 installed under the passenger seat. 
























































I used HDP to create a mount for the amps. I didn't want to drill though the floor so I came up with this.


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## xlynoz (Jun 16, 2008)

07/28/08 Update 4
I also have started on the sound deadening. I did the cargo area with RAAMmat and Ensolite. I will be doing the doors next when I install the speakers. 











Since these pictures I have also added some RAAMmat, Volara and Ensolite under the rear body panels.

I decided to go with a JL10w3v3 in a custom enclosure in the stock sub location. I was going to build the FG enclosure myself but once I priced out what I would need to build it correctly it was $200. For what my time is worth, the extra $199 to buy custom enclosure from FJCruiserAudio.com (Ed and Al’s) was worth it. I also found good reviews on the net about that enclosure. 




















For the high-end I am using the Alpine PDX 4.100. I got spoiled doing the 1.600 first, one set of interconnects and one speaker wire. Now with two and four respectively things got a little tighter.















































Several people have told me to either pull or plug the air vents under the seats but I was able to still make use of them. The mount plate I used for the amps gave me enough spacing to keep the same airflow as before I installed the amps. In the summer if the amps get hot I can always turn on the floor ducts and circulate some cool air. For winter I fab’d a piece of ABS to mount underneath the amp to act as a shield for hot air. It's not often I use the floor ducts so either way I'm not too concerned.











Having a raised double-floor is nice for tapping in your ground and not having to worry about putting a hole to the outside.


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## xlynoz (Jun 16, 2008)

07/28/08 Update 5
I'm running all the interconnects and the high-end speaker wires under the center console I'm trying to stay away from the electronics mounted underneath there. I've seen others do the same thing and not have an issue so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I don't have any long parallel runs with power wires and most of them are on a 90 degree angle where they meet. Not sure if that's just old skool hype but that's what we did back in the day.


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## xlynoz (Jun 16, 2008)

08/03/08 Update 1
I have spent a lot of time deadening the doors. I don't like to just blanketly cover everything. I like to keep access to bolts, wires, covers, etc. It's not pretty when you have to pull that stuff off to get to something (been there done that in another vehicle). I have two layers of RAAMmat on the outer door wall and one layer on the inner door wall. I also have one layer of Ensolite and some patches of RAAMmat on the door panel. 















































I did the rear door with one layer of RAAMmat on the inner door wall and patches on the door panel. I also put two layers of Ensolite on the panel as well. It helped reduce the exhaust noise some but it’s still noticeable when you get on it. Unfortunately I forgot to snap some pics but you've seen one door deadened you've seen enough.


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## xlynoz (Jun 16, 2008)

08/03/08 Update 2
I got the tweeter mounts mocked up. I used some 1/8" ABS plastic and cut a mount plate the same shape as the stock tweeter. I then mounted that to the stock speaker bracket. My plan was to use this for the Focal TN-47 tweets from my 165K2P set. However I found a thread on here about some silk soft dome tweets that were supposedly Rainbows that Midwest was selling. For $30 bucks I picked them up and will try doing some A/B comparison between them and the Focals. If they don't work out I’ll have an extra set in a pinch. Hey I could always go old skool and put them in the center vents for center stage :rocker:. I will be using the Alpine 9887's 3-way crossover so the mids and tweets will have 100 watts to each one. The mids will go into the stock location.


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## xlynoz (Jun 16, 2008)

08/03/08 Update 3
I have one of the Focal mids installed (ran out of time). I was trying to decide on what to use for a mount plate. I didn't want to use MDF if I didn't have to and I was thinking about ordering some HDP (high density plastic) but as I was walking through Target one day it hit me because it was right in front of me, chopping blocks. They are HDP, cheap and right here.




















I needed longer mounting bolts for the mid mounting plates and I ran out. You'll notice one missing in the picture. 




















Since the wiring does not lead into the door I needed to figure out how to route it to the speaker terminals. I've seen people cut the one of the rubber plugs and run it through there but I took a different approach. I drilled a hole on a 45 degree angle through the mount plate. I then ran the wire through and sealed it with the backing from the RAAMmat. It's kind of hard to see but it worked out nicely. 











So far my worries of ignition noise have been subsided. Even though the interconnects pass over some electronics (knock on wood) I have zero ignition noise. I guess those Knukonceptz interconnects are shielded nicely. I got the Metra dash kit 99-8219 and the Metra wire harness 70-1761 from Beach Audio. I like the way this kit looks so far. I mocked it up in the dash fascia while it was off and it fit really well. I haven't put the fascia on the dash to get the final fit but I'll know for sure tomorrow when I finish it. The radio might seem like its sticking out in the pic and that's because it is. I haven't permanently mounted it yet and it's really just half way inserted right now.


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## xlynoz (Jun 16, 2008)

10/10/08 Update
Originally I swapped out the Focal tweeters for the Blau VC100s to see the difference in sound. Those Focal TN-47s are just harsh. After listening to the VC100s for a while I decided I didn't have enough detail in the high end so I put a set of SEAS Prestige 27TFFNC/G 1" Textile Dome Tweeters (SEAS Neos as some call them) . These were just what I was looking for, great sound and at a great price, $30 each. There's something to be said about using DIY drivers especially if you are using an active crossover. I used the same mount I fabricated for the other tweeters but just mounted to the bottom of the stock speaker brace for additional clearance since these were a little taller.




















After getting rid of the Focal tweeter harshness I was able to notice that the Focal mid had a nasty spike in the upper mid-range, approximately around 2kHz. With this in mind and the fact I wanted to get more midbass up front I decided to swap the Focal mids for the SEAS Prestige CA18RNX 7" mid.


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## xlynoz (Jun 16, 2008)

10/24/08 Update
I decided that I wanted more flexibility in the EQ adjustment so I purchased an AudioControl DQS. Please note this is a temporary install. Once I get everything like I want, it will be mounted under the body panel where it's out of site and then I can just use the DDC to remotely adjust the EQ.


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## xlynoz (Jun 16, 2008)

01/10/09 Update
I ran this setup for the last couple of months and it has been pretty good. However there as been something that I could not put my finger on with the way the mids sounded. The Focals had the same issue so I knew it was an environmental issue and not the speaker itself. So I decided to do some more door treatments. 

The first thing I did was to drill out the speaker grill all the way and use acoustic speaker cloth on the rear.






































Since there is such a big cavity between the speaker and the grill on the door panel I decided to put foam around the speaker to stop any deflections that might have been going on. I also added a 1/4 inch of Ensolite foam on top of the RAAMmat.





















Something else I did but forgot to snap a picture of was that I made my own deflex pads for behind the speakers. To make this I used Volara foam. It's closed cell and won't hold moisture. A good thing since its in the door. I cut some small square pieces (between 3/4 and 1 inch in size) and glued them in a random pattern to a sheet of Volara that was cut to fit the inside the door behind the speaker. I used V&S 1081 Spray Trim Adhesive to glue it to the door. I also used the same thing to glue the Ensolite to the door.

I'm not sure if it is one particular thing or a combination of all of them but now the mids sound awesome. That thing I was saying I could not put my figure on is now gone. The mids are extremely smooth. Before when I applied no EQ to the midrange the vocals sounded bloated and the mid bass was extremely heavy. Now without using the EQ things just sound great. Almost wish I did this before buying the DQS. However there are still way too many benefits the DQS provides to get rid of it. It's just good to know that the install is making the sound that much better. The less processing you have to apply the better.

In the next week or so I will put the RTA back in the car and compare the new unEQ'd curve to the one I have from before I did the door treatments. I'm sure I will also have to adjust the DQS settings as the sound is much different now on the mids. The less processing you have to apply the better.


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## xlynoz (Jun 16, 2008)

06/06/09 Update
After listening to the changes for 4 months and pretty much running with a flat EQ, I decided to pull out the DQS and just use the EQ in the 9887 for any tweaks. I will run like this probably for the next 4 months. I think then I will look into getting a Bit One.1 if I decide I need to put an EQ back in. 

After taking out the DQS I also started working on tweaking the low end. I have never been 100% satisfied with it and I figured now is a good time to get it right. One issue I had with the enclosure that was built for me was that it did not have internal bracing. I took care of this by fiberglassing in a couple of braces. I also focused on the crossover settings, signal gains and TA and I am much closer now to where I want it to be.

In the next week or so I will put the RTA in there and re-tune the system.


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## AudioBob (May 21, 2007)

Nice work!!! I had the same issue with my SUV that you do because the mids are so low on the door and sit back behind the door panel a good bit. I also had to use a needle pick to make the holes in the speaker grill cleaner because of excess plastic from the molding process.


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## Bobby32 (Jun 7, 2009)

Looks clean. How much those alpine amps cost a peice?


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## ctrhenry (Jul 16, 2006)

how much for the dqs?


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## Dodge4L1fe (Jun 5, 2009)

Very nice install! The techflex sure keeps everything clean and professional.


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## phantomtides (Nov 11, 2008)

Whoa. I can't believe you did all that since you posted 22 hours ago! (LOL -- looks great!)


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## TREETOP (Feb 11, 2009)

Looks good!

Any chance you still have that PQ20? I'm looking for another one, or a PH15, maybe both.


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## xlynoz (Jun 16, 2008)

Bobby32 said:


> Looks clean. How much those alpine amps cost a peice?


$276 each


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## xlynoz (Jun 16, 2008)

ctrhenry said:


> how much for the dqs?


That was sold a while ago, sorry.


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## xlynoz (Jun 16, 2008)

TREETOP said:


> Looks good!
> 
> Any chance you still have that PQ20? I'm looking for another one, or a PH15, maybe both.


I have a (1) PQ20, (1) PH15 and (2) PQ10s. At this point the only thing I would be willing to part with would be the PQ10s. The PQ20 and PH15 will be with me until the end, unless you want to offer me some crazy amount of money and I do mean crazy .


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## TREETOP (Feb 11, 2009)

xlynoz said:


> I have a (1) PQ20, (1) PH15 and (2) PQ10s. At this point the only thing I would be willing to part with would be the PQ10s. The PQ20 and PH15 will be with me until the end, unless you want to offer me some crazy amount of money and I do mean crazy .


Understandable. 
Keep me in mind if that ever changes.


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## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

Cool stuff. Nice work thus far. I was thinking about picking up an FJ trail teams for my next ride actually so I'm finding this very helpful. Looks like they have good space in the doors.


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## Ziggy (Nov 29, 2007)

I like the tweet mounts... Do you think you have enough articulation? 
I guess if you wanted them more forward, you could make another backplate with some angle to it... Now that I look at it again -those appear to be pretty forward already!


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## xlynoz (Jun 16, 2008)

captainobvious said:


> Cool stuff. Nice work thus far. I was thinking about picking up an FJ trail teams for my next ride actually so I'm finding this very helpful. Looks like they have good space in the doors.


Crazy space in the doors. If I had a 3-way set up I would have done 8's in the doors.


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## xlynoz (Jun 16, 2008)

Ziggy said:


> I like the tweet mounts... Do you think you have enough articulation?
> I guess if you wanted them more forward, you could make another backplate with some angle to it... Now that I look at it again -those appear to be pretty forward already!


Yeah I have no problems there. I can rotate them 360 degrees and can change the angle. This design has worked pretty well for me so far.


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## xlynoz (Jun 16, 2008)

Latest system diagram. Intending to install a BitOne.1 at the end of the year.


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## Mless5 (Aug 21, 2006)

So how do you feel about Focal vs Seas?


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## xlynoz (Jun 16, 2008)

Mless5 said:


> So how do you feel about Focal vs Seas?


Well on both the mids and tweets I prefer the SEAS. The Focal tweets, what can I say either you like them or you don't. I could "live" with them but I really prefer a smooth accurate tweeter with some top-end sparkle. I listen to a very wide variety of music and the Focal tweeters just sucked at things like rock, metal, speed metal, etc. I found the 3 - 6kHz range to be gritty and harsh for those types of music. The SEAS tweeter is smooth but yet very detailed, way more than the Focal.

The Focal mids were fine and actually produced a good amount of midbass in system. When I play things like jazz, big band, female vocals, I prefer the midrange to be a little heavy in the 300 - 600Hz range. Bumping that up on the Focals pushed them a little to close to a muddy sound. On the SEAS mids, I can push that range without issue. Now on the midbass like I said the Focals were fine but the SEAS are just crazy. Up until recently I was crossing them over at 100Hz and my sub at 63Hz just to get rid of some of the midbass. I've recently knocked them down to 80Hz with the sub staying at 63Hz but I have the sub out of phase. Under a "SQ" sub level this really makes the mids and the sub blend and keeps the bass all up front.

So I can say that I'm definitely happy with the SEAS over the Focals. The one thing I do wish is that the SEAS mid was 4 ohm instead of 8. I think it would sound even better with more power but don't get me wrong they sound good now, however more power is always better right :laugh:


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## xlynoz (Jun 16, 2008)

10/31/09 Update:

Well the "change your system" itch got the best of me and I changed out the PDX amps with the JL HDs.


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## sydmonster (Oct 5, 2009)

PDX Vs JL HD, your personal opinion?


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## trojan fan (Nov 4, 2007)

Was the switch worth it ?


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## xlynoz (Jun 16, 2008)

sydmonster said:


> PDX Vs JL HD, your personal opinion?





trojan fan said:


> Was the switch worth it ?



I've only put the 750/1 in so far and it's definitely got more balls than the 1.600 and it should as it has more power. The sound is a little different, not much. Could be due to the extra power. If you did an A/B comparison at the same output, it might show a bigger difference (or not). 

I didn't really have an issue with the PDX amps. Several people have mentioned the noise floor on the PDX amp as being bad. I didn't have the problem with mine. The main reason I changed was that I wanted more power for the front speakers and of course just to do it. I've been very happy with my system up until this point.

The big test will be when I get the 600/4 hooked up. I'll keep you posted.


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## trojan fan (Nov 4, 2007)

Thanks for the reply.. Let us know how the 600/4 works out for you...Looking into some HD amps myself


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## Megalomaniac (Feb 12, 2007)

Are you going to put the stock radio back when you get the bit1?

Im guessing not, you are in love with your iPod


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## Ziggy (Nov 29, 2007)

Cool, I actually thought of this thread regarding the JL's when I was riding in someones FJ last week...
The FJ is a pretty badass 4x4... I was pretty jealous -but I have to stick with American


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## xlynoz (Jun 16, 2008)

Megalomaniac said:


> Are you going to put the stock radio back when you get the bit1?
> 
> Im guessing not, you are in love with your iPod



That's a big fat NOT! The only time a stock radio is in my car is at time of purchase and trade-in. However with a BitOne if my next car has a decent H/U I might just have to break that cycle.


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## xlynoz (Jun 16, 2008)

Ziggy said:


> Cool, I actually thought of this thread regarding the JL's when I was riding in someones FJ last week...
> The FJ is a pretty badass 4x4... I was pretty jealous -but I have to stick with American


Well nothing is really all American any longer. In all honesty of the 5 cars I have had 3 of them were American; two of which needed signigicant repairs and the third more than I would hope for. The other two were rice burners and never had an issue (knock on wood). I'll keep buying Jap until my luck runs out.


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## xlynoz (Jun 16, 2008)

11/23/09 Update 1:

Well I have once again changed my system (not because I wanted to). The day my HD600/4 arrived, my PDX-4.100 went out and took my SEAS Neos with it :mean:. Then when I got home, to make things worse I opened the HD600/4 that had just arrived and discovered the serial numbers were taken off. They also cracked the amp open to take the ones off on the inside. The 750/1 came intact and I didn't have an issue with it. I had even asked if the 600/4 had serial numbers and I was told it did. Any way they agreed to take the 600/4 back at no charge but they did not know when they were getting a new shipment in. So here I am with a dead PDX4.100 and nothing coming in that I could replace it with. So I did the next best thing. I returned the HD750/1 (which was really overkill for a single SQ 10 set up, but more power is always good ) and got a HD900/5. I also did this because I was pissed about the amp and the tweeters and I wanted something simple. Also, trouble shooting the amp issue was a PITA because of the stealth install of the amps under the seats. Well I decided I wasn't doing that again so I decided to move the amp to the rear.

So here is where I'm at.

New system layout (amp should be here Monday)









I started making the amp rack to get ideas of how I wanted to layout to be.





































Yes I know the boards aren't even but that's ok because I still need to trim them.


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## xlynoz (Jun 16, 2008)

11/23/09 Update 2:

I ran all the cables to the back this weekend. Since I wanted to make sure I had enough power for future upgrades, I ran 1 gauge to the rear and routed it under the car. I used that flexible home conduit. That stuff is pretty durable and it's sealed unlike split loom. Here's a picture of the stuff I used.



















Since these only come in 10FT lengths, I used the joints to connect two pieces together. Where they came together, I used rubber tubing over the joint and then taped it all up so that it would be water tight.

Here is the NorthCreek D25 tweeter I will be using. I took the mounting plate off to see what I had to work with for mounting it.



















I've listened to them for about 30 minutes and they sound pretty damn good. For $36 a pair, you can't beat these.

So for right now here is my system










Hopefully after tomorrow It will be a 900/5 sitting in that picture.


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## xlynoz (Jun 16, 2008)

12/25/09 Update

Well I've had the North Creek tweeters in for about 3 weeks now and so far I like them. I've been giving them time to break in before I put the RTA in the car, plus I just haven't had time to tune.

Here are the install pics. I pulled off the face plate and trimmed them down so they would fit in the stock location. I really got lucky because they fit perfectly. Got the angle and positioning just like I wanted.


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## bboyvek (Dec 16, 2008)

props on your install, looking pretty good


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## roxj01 (Nov 22, 2009)

nice thread. ive actualy been thinking about getting an fj for a second vehicle and this will give me some good ideas if i do get one.


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## xlynoz (Jun 16, 2008)

01/17/10 Update

I've been a little slow posting my latest changes but I have the new amp rack installed. I need to get under the car and snap some pictures for the power cable routing but that will be later.

Now that I consolidated down to one amp, I decided to put it in the rear instead of under the seat where the PDXs were. I previously showed the base of the amp rack but I'll show it again.









































































I'm still need to space out the amp to get it to be almost flush with the face of the amp rack. I'm waiting for that MDF board to take it's final shape since it bends to follow the contour of the rear panel once it's tightened down. I also need to cut a hole in the rear light access panel and put it back in place so that it fills the gap between the wall and the amp rack. Once that is done you will no longer see the wires through that small gap. I also need to color match the paint to the interior's color. 

Not sure if anyone is interested but I used these finishing nuts I found at Lowes. They are in the specialty bins and they are used on furniture.


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## xlynoz (Jun 16, 2008)

LOL, was looking for information on a new build and I came across my old thread in the search. I figured I would close this chapter in my audio life to start a new one. I've handed the FJ over to my son and I'm torn on what I want to do for my new vehicle (2018 Silverado LTZ Z71 Crew Cab). I've picked up the Nav-TV GM650 so I can keep the stock head unit. Looking at doing one Sundown SD3 10" under the rear seat. I think I'm going to pull the JL 900/5 from the FJ and put in my ADS PH15 and run everything from that. The NorthCreek tweeters are no longer available so I'm bummed about that. I almost ordered a second pair to have since they were so cheap. Now I wish I would have. So for now I'm trying to figure out do I go back with the Seas CA18 which I love and find a tweeter that will work nicely with it or start from scratch for the tweets and mids. Still trying to figure out what to do for a DSP. Helix looks nice but there are no local dealers and I really don't want to buy off of eBay. I might go with the JL TwK D8 because it's half the price. Decisions, decisions. It will be fun to do another build after 8 years of just listening to the fruits of my labor. Time to start a new build post.


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## xlynoz (Jun 16, 2008)

Decided to pull the JL HD 900/5 for a build in my new Silverado. The FJ is my son's car now and I didn't want to leave him high and dry on the audio, so I dusted off my 30 year old ADS PH15 and put it in. It's been in my attic for the last 15 years so I wasn't 100% sure if it would play. Well hooked it up and behold, music. Had to cut out the opening in the cover and repaint it. Paint was still tacky so I haven't been able to get a picture of the latest install. I tried explaining to my son what this amp was and how it was the shnizzle back in the day. He looked at me like I was crazy. He did ask why it looked new. I told him that's how you treat your stuff and it lasts for 30 years. That amp has been in 4 of my cars and now it's in my son's, on it's fifth tour. Got to love quality equipment.


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