Author Topic: Help with Sub Installation  (Read 6179 times)

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Offline Tim-E

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Help with Sub Installation
« on: Oct 5, 2002, 10:54AM »
apologies in advance for my cluelessness..... ::)

I take possesion of a 12" sub, in box, with 4 channel amp, with NO wires, on Sunday.
As for the amp, i will be running 2 channels for the sub and 2 for my 6x9's in the rear most probably.
What wires will i need to install this into my GLi sedan??
I believe i need to add a fuse?

My brothers friend who is installing it just told me to go buy all the wires before sunday.
People who have done this installation, your help would be greatly appreciated   :D

« Last Edit: Jan 1, 1970, 10:00AM by 1043326800 »
2.0L 4 -------> 3.0L 6. Does this mean a 4.0L 8 next?? or back to a 2.0L......turbo!

Offline fmx_rider

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Re: Help with Sub Installation
« Reply #1 on: Oct 5, 2002, 12:12PM »
For amp, you will need about 5m of 4 or 8 gauge wire (depends on amp power-generally greater than 40amp draw use 4gauge) to run from battery to amp (with an inline fuse about 40cm from the battery) then about 1m from the amp to a negative ground as close to amp as possible...ie within 1m.

Then you need 5m of thin wire (16 gauge) to go from the car stereo to the amp so that the amp knows to turn on when you turn on the stereo.

Then you need some RCA's from the stereo to the amp for the music-If your deck has 2 sets of RCA outputs then run two RCA leads to your amp-one for sub L/R input and one for speakers L/R input. If your deck doesn't, you will need 2x Y RCA splitters to split 1 RCA into the 4 (2 L/R pair) inputs at your amp. Route these on the opposite side of the car to the power wires to limit interference.

Now the amp should work..

Next, for the amp, bridge 2 channels to the sub. So run wires from the amp to the sub...wire size really depends on power but generally is 12-8 gauge for subs.
Then wire the speakers with between 16-12 gauge wire.

You could wire your front left and rear left speakers together in parallel and the right front and right rear in parallel, if you want the amp to also power your front speakers....you would lose front/rear fade but is that really necessary?->Probably in your case since you have 6x9's in the rear...they are bound to overpower most things that are in the front except quality 6 1/2's or speakers with more powerful amp than the 6x9's.

I miss anything? Other ppl can clarrify exact gauge sizes...I forget..I did my stereo almost 2 years ago. Expect to spend somewhere near $100 for all that wire at JB...places like jaycar may be cheaper.
« Last Edit: Jan 1, 1970, 10:00AM by 1043326800 »
MY98 WRX...work in progress: 3 inch SS turbo back exhaust, high-flow cat, K&N air filter, SPS silicone Y pipe kit, TMIC tilt mod & waterspray @ 8psi, scoop splitter, meshed MY99/00 frontbar + full colorcoding, clear indicators front/side, blue badge; Formula Ferodo TS2000 brake pads, Whiteline 22mm adustable rear swaybar with HD gold links, front strut brace; stereo consisting of Alpine, MB Quart, Eclipse & Rockford Fosgate components + IPOD dock...Next month LINK ECU & more boost (previous ride modded 1989 Pintara T)

Offline SSS

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Re: Help with Sub Installation
« Reply #2 on: Oct 8, 2002, 12:29PM »
4 gauge is probably overkill for one 4 ch amp, 8 gauge should be plenty. I'm running a 4ch 4x50wrms and a 2ch 2x100wrms from 8 gauge and it's all good.
« Last Edit: Jan 1, 1970, 10:00AM by 1043326800 »

Offline noss

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Re: Help with Sub Installation
« Reply #3 on: Oct 10, 2002, 07:02AM »
i run 2 amps of 12 gauge... but i'm in the process of upgrading to 8 gauge. maybe individual 8 gauge per amp? havent decided yet.


you could always go to super cheap & get the aerpro amp wiring kit... includes all the gear you need & its only about $30
« Last Edit: Jan 1, 1970, 10:00AM by 1043326800 »

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Offline mitza

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Re: Help with Sub Installation
« Reply #4 on: Oct 10, 2002, 07:21AM »
Yeah, 4 guage is probably an over kill i think too.......
8 guage is hard enough to run through the car.....
FMX_rider explained everything pretty well.......
My adivce would be to go to a jar car...they are shit cheap with cables etc.
bout 5 metres of red cable.......a fuse....2 metres of black cable and a set of 5m of rca cables (some come already with the power wire for the amp on it).
Enjoy and good luck.
« Last Edit: Jan 1, 1970, 10:00AM by 1043326800 »

Offline fmx_rider

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Re: Help with Sub Installation
« Reply #5 on: Oct 10, 2002, 08:27AM »
For gliTimmy's install, 4 gauge would be a bit much but he may upgrade to a much bigger system in the futre so worth thinking bigger from the start sometimes.

Maybe Timmy will go out tomorrow and buy one of these (better have 4 gauge-no wait go 0 gauge!)


Soundstream Human Reign-4x200WRMS
or

JBL Crown-6000WRMS!

I run 8 on my 4x50RMS, but would go 4 or another 8 if I get a new amp and sub next year.

Use good quality (gold plated-car audio spec) RCA leads as this is where you can lose a bit of SQ. Don't use crappy house stereo RCA's.

« Last Edit: Jan 1, 1970, 10:00AM by 1043326800 »
MY98 WRX...work in progress: 3 inch SS turbo back exhaust, high-flow cat, K&N air filter, SPS silicone Y pipe kit, TMIC tilt mod & waterspray @ 8psi, scoop splitter, meshed MY99/00 frontbar + full colorcoding, clear indicators front/side, blue badge; Formula Ferodo TS2000 brake pads, Whiteline 22mm adustable rear swaybar with HD gold links, front strut brace; stereo consisting of Alpine, MB Quart, Eclipse & Rockford Fosgate components + IPOD dock...Next month LINK ECU & more boost (previous ride modded 1989 Pintara T)

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Re: Help with Sub Installation
« Reply #6 on: Oct 10, 2002, 10:59AM »
that human reign looks hell good 8)

the JBL rms is unbeleivable  :o are you sure its 6000RMS
« Last Edit: Jan 1, 1970, 10:00AM by 1043326800 »

Offline fmx_rider

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« Last Edit: Jan 1, 1970, 10:00AM by 1043326800 »
MY98 WRX...work in progress: 3 inch SS turbo back exhaust, high-flow cat, K&N air filter, SPS silicone Y pipe kit, TMIC tilt mod & waterspray @ 8psi, scoop splitter, meshed MY99/00 frontbar + full colorcoding, clear indicators front/side, blue badge; Formula Ferodo TS2000 brake pads, Whiteline 22mm adustable rear swaybar with HD gold links, front strut brace; stereo consisting of Alpine, MB Quart, Eclipse & Rockford Fosgate components + IPOD dock...Next month LINK ECU & more boost (previous ride modded 1989 Pintara T)

Offline Tim-E

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Re: Help with Sub Installation
« Reply #8 on: Oct 14, 2002, 10:30PM »
ok got the stuff, and realised the amp is only 2 channel. so it will just be running the sub.
i know pretty much everything to do now, but with the RCA outputs i bought some RCA cables and they are blue and have 2 males leads or something? it also has this little wire in between the other 2.

I think i only need one now as i only have 2-channel amp.
but where does it connect in the head unit? There is a wire coming out with a connector on the end (it says "front output" on it) , plus a couple of sockets on the back of the head unit. They both fit.

and does the other end of the RCA cables connect to the outputs sockets on the amp?
« Last Edit: Jan 1, 1970, 10:00AM by 1043326800 »
2.0L 4 -------> 3.0L 6. Does this mean a 4.0L 8 next?? or back to a 2.0L......turbo!

Offline weasel

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Re: Help with Sub Installation
« Reply #9 on: Oct 15, 2002, 05:42AM »
Those RCA leads sound like mine

with the two outputs on your headunit the ones on the wire hanging from it are as it says the front channel output the ones attached to the head unit itself will be the rear rear channel output (well it is on the clarion decks anyway)

you need to run the RCA's from either of these two outputs (which one you choose is up to you although some older headunits without a dedicated sub channel give slightly better voltage to the front output for the sub connection)

run it to the INPUT on your amp NOT the output and the rest is pretty simple + to +, - to -

oh and that wire in the middle of the rca's can be used as your remote wire if the headunit has a remote wire (most of them do) run it from that to the remote terminal on the amp (usually in between the + and - terminals)
« Last Edit: Jan 1, 1970, 10:00AM by 1043326800 »
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Offline Nizzan

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Re: Help with Sub Installation
« Reply #10 on: Oct 15, 2002, 03:26PM »
Holy crap!!! 6000WRMS!?  :o

I went to the site and that amp is massive! wat sort of alternator and battery could drive that thing? obviously not a stocko one... ?
« Last Edit: Jan 1, 1970, 10:00AM by 1043326800 »

Offline fmx_rider

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Re: Help with Sub Installation
« Reply #11 on: Oct 16, 2002, 01:23AM »
Obviously not the stocko one.

Its a SPL comp amp, so your looking at the typical dozen odd batteries (or more) and a number of caps to run it. More to the point...what kinda subs can take 6000WRMS? I believe they are now developing subs to work specifically with that amp but i haven't looked into it. Most of the high end subs are rated at about 1000WRMS.
« Last Edit: Jan 1, 1970, 10:00AM by 1043326800 »
MY98 WRX...work in progress: 3 inch SS turbo back exhaust, high-flow cat, K&N air filter, SPS silicone Y pipe kit, TMIC tilt mod & waterspray @ 8psi, scoop splitter, meshed MY99/00 frontbar + full colorcoding, clear indicators front/side, blue badge; Formula Ferodo TS2000 brake pads, Whiteline 22mm adustable rear swaybar with HD gold links, front strut brace; stereo consisting of Alpine, MB Quart, Eclipse & Rockford Fosgate components + IPOD dock...Next month LINK ECU & more boost (previous ride modded 1989 Pintara T)

Offline Tim-E

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Re: Help with Sub Installation
« Reply #12 on: Oct 17, 2002, 11:38PM »
hey, thanks everyone for your help with the install.
i did it all with a mate yesterday and amazingly, it all worked first time!

sounds SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!!!

so thanks again,
one god damn happy GLi owner
« Last Edit: Jan 1, 1970, 10:00AM by 1043326800 »
2.0L 4 -------> 3.0L 6. Does this mean a 4.0L 8 next?? or back to a 2.0L......turbo!

Offline fmx_rider

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Re: Help with Sub Installation
« Reply #13 on: Oct 18, 2002, 11:26AM »
Good to hear GliTimmy.

Just for interest (I might upgrade early next year), what size amp (power wise) and what sub are you running?
« Last Edit: Jan 1, 1970, 10:00AM by 1043326800 »
MY98 WRX...work in progress: 3 inch SS turbo back exhaust, high-flow cat, K&N air filter, SPS silicone Y pipe kit, TMIC tilt mod & waterspray @ 8psi, scoop splitter, meshed MY99/00 frontbar + full colorcoding, clear indicators front/side, blue badge; Formula Ferodo TS2000 brake pads, Whiteline 22mm adustable rear swaybar with HD gold links, front strut brace; stereo consisting of Alpine, MB Quart, Eclipse & Rockford Fosgate components + IPOD dock...Next month LINK ECU & more boost (previous ride modded 1989 Pintara T)

Offline Tim-E

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Re: Help with Sub Installation
« Reply #14 on: Oct 18, 2002, 11:53AM »
oh nothing special eh,

my excitement is over how much better it is than 6x9's.

its:
160W per channel 2-channel boss audio amp,
Soundstream 12" sub (rubicon series),
in carpeted custom box
« Last Edit: Jan 1, 1970, 10:00AM by 1043326800 »
2.0L 4 -------> 3.0L 6. Does this mean a 4.0L 8 next?? or back to a 2.0L......turbo!

Offline mitza

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Re: Help with Sub Installation
« Reply #15 on: Oct 20, 2002, 07:28AM »
Would sound heaps better if you had a better quality amp. Sub is good enough for much better sound and power handling. The boss amps, run on wank power I think? Strathfield Car Radio job?
Im sure its loud, dont get me wrong, but at the same time, I bet you could make that awesome sub sound so much better.
« Last Edit: Jan 1, 1970, 10:00AM by 1043326800 »

Offline Tim-E

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Re: Help with Sub Installation
« Reply #16 on: Oct 20, 2002, 09:21AM »
yeh, no doubt.

but i could also get a 15" sub, or 2 even, but i just dont have the money  :-/
Oh, i got all the sub and amp stuff for free cos my brother gave it to me cos it didnt fit in his ute he bought ;D ;D

so it wasn't like i "choose" the amp ;)
« Last Edit: Jan 1, 1970, 10:00AM by 1043326800 »
2.0L 4 -------> 3.0L 6. Does this mean a 4.0L 8 next?? or back to a 2.0L......turbo!