codylancaster
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Over the weekend I spent a lot more time installing a simple sound upgrade than I imagined, wasn't too simple. Original plan, just replace the front dash speakers. I got too invested and decided to add a 5 channel amp and a subwoofer. For about a hundred bucks the local radio shop would have installed the amplifier. Several days/hours and a missing dad later, I finally have the radio working and about 98% done. Here is my feedback on the equipment I installed, what I learned about the installation and tips for those looking to improve their audio in the Jeep Wrangler.
My Jeep: 2019 JLU, Sport S, Sting Gray
Equipment: Kicker KS 3.5" (Dash), JL LOC22, Pioneer GM-X975, JL 12-TW3 in JL Sealed box, Metra, 72-7902, JL-XD-ACS60 (60amp) wire kit, 1amp inline fuse (LOC), speaker wire (14-16ga), screws, cable ties and shields, short RCA cable.
Don't forget: heat shrink and wire connectors, solder, fuses, and the one thing that you will need to run back to get because we always forget something.
SPEAKERS:
I first did a simple speaker replacement with 3.5" kicker CS series speakers on the dash. Super easy to do, just pop the grills off and install the speaker. There were easy to get to and I recommend that you use the Metra 72-7902 for the front grill speakers. This makes the install simple and will not damage your wiring. If you choose to amplify these, you can cut the Metra adapter in half, one side will plug into the factory wire harness and you can solder the signal wire to it. The other half you can solder on the speaker wires to use for connecting to the speaker.
I first put in Kicker CSC35. They looked cool, but the highs were harsh and too high. The sound just wasn't there for me with this pair. Unfortunately, one had a rattle to it so I quickly had those RMA (Crutchfield handled this very quick and easy late at night). During the RMA process I decided to upgrade to the Kicker KS35 series since I was going to amplify the speakers in the future. These were much more capable and after listening to them. The 20 bucks more for them was well worth it. The highs were much cleaner and overall sound was where I wanted it to be. I do think the midrange is still lacking so I will go back and add some sound deadening, a foam cup that inserts inside of the opening etc.
The front factory speakers (the back are too I believe) are wired in parallel with each other. The left dash and kick panel are both connected. The factory speakers are rated at 8 ohm, in theory will put a 4ohm load on the factory head unit. When replacing them with aftermarket speakers which are typically 4 ohm, you will get a lot more sound (volume) out of these compared to the 8 ohm speaker. The load on the factory amp will be increased, not sure how well it will handled the 2.67 ohm load but have not seen anyone have issues.
After ordering the new speakers for the dash I got the bug to just get a new amp, sub, and a JL line out converter.
When you install these, you need to slightly bend the mounting tabs/ears of the speaker up 90 degrees. This made them simply drop in! Some websites will say these won't fit, but they do no problem. Both the KS and CS series are basically the same size (1 11/16" mounting depth). Its also a good time to get the trail dirt out of these hiding places!
For the subwoofer, I fitted a few different options. The 12 inch TW3 is what I opted for. I tried some different variations in the back to make sure I can lift the rear compartment. The wedge shaped boxes were too deep to allow it to sit flush. I could stand it up, but I prefer the long side down. The custom fitted, and expensive, stealth boxes are a nice touch. They have a 10TW1, I stepped up to the 12 and wanted the better TW3 speaker. The rectangular shaped sealed box will fit perfectly on the side and still allow the rear compartment. Since it wasn't in stock, they special ordered it and I used my old sub from the XJ in the meantime.
AMPLIFIER:
For the amplifier I went with the 5 channel Pioneer GM-9706 through amazon for $200, however, I received a comparable model, GM-x975 which is similar but with hi-res and gold plated RCA connections. This amplifier is not a bad amp with actual RMS around 75w rms x4 and 600w x1.
The downside to this amp vs the JL amp that I wanted to get is the wiring locations. The amp has connections on both ends (shorter sides) of the amp. When placing this under the seat it created difficulties fitting it in without putting a lot of compression and angle on the wires. The JL amplifiers have the wiring all on the long side where it can fit under a seat and have the wires easily go to them.
The placement of the amplifier created a lot of headache. The doors came off and the seat came out and made running the wires a lot less cumbersome. This was one of the big plusses of having a Wrangler!! However, the running of the power wire was the start of my frustration with this install. Two options I have found are running through the firewall at the clutch hole (driver side) and the wire harness boot behind the passenger front wheel. WARNING, there is a lot of wires in that rubber boot and it has TWO sides. LESSON I learned, do not push a wire fish tape in there with the hook open.
After realizing I had two layers of rubber to fish through I tried to pull it back, only to realize I was hung up on a few tiny wires. This created panic as I didn't want to damage the main Jeep wiring. I decided to just run the power wire across the top of the cab and into the clutch hole (NOTE: This rotates off, you don't have to pull it). After getting inside the Jeep, I ran the power wire across the underside of the driver's dash and into the middle console. I then pushed it across to the passenger side center console lower wire opening, under the carpet and under the floor vent as shown. I added a homemade bracket to the bolt/stud for the fuse to go on.
The ground points I sanded paint off the frame and tapped both the amplifier and the LOC ground next to each other.
The power wire and ground size have a lot of influence on the performance of the amplifier. Think, drinking a thick milkshake through a straw. After buying the kit I spent some time calculating the amp load, it was right at the 60amp range, the amplifier calls for 100amp which means I need to evaluate for safety if I have a capable wire for this connection. It's safer to go over (thicker) the recommended size then under, especially when going with longer runs. The kit comes with about a 4ga wire that should suffice most people's needs. Since I had to run to the power wire from the battery to driver's side and back to the passenger side, it turned into a long run.
You will appreciate a good wire, the cheaper stuff is usually more jacket and less copper, typically is not as flexible either. Since I am underrated at the main fuse with a 60amp instead of 100, I will need to do some research. 4ga wire can carry 100amp in most situations, but will need to replace the fuse. MAKE SURE TO KNOW BEFORE YOU INSTALL WHAT YOU NEED SIZE WIRE AND FUSE ARE REQUIRED!
Class D amplifier: total RMS Wattage divided by 0.75 Amp Efficiency divided by 13.8 Volts equals Current Draw in Amperes
Class AB amplifier: total RMS Wattage divided by 0.50 Amp Efficiency divided by 13.8 Volts equals Current Draw in Amperes
The Jeep's back seat floor mats created a problem for the amp to sit flat. So, I got resourceful and found an old Dell computer that had a steel removable panel to use as a mounting plate. I cut it down to about 11 inches, rounded the corners off and made the edge safe to prevent it cutting wires. I bent 1 inch of the end down about 15 degrees to contour the chassis of the jeep. I also mounted three metal legs that will support the amplifier. It is a lot easier to get a amplifier plate designed for this (JL Audio has one but it is expensive).
After a lot of time trying to find the almost perfect spot, I finally was able to screw the front side of the plate down. You have to pay attention to ensure that wires are not damaged from the screws or in the way of the seat. The mounting plate being raised at one end allowed the floor mats barely fit under the amp, this allows them to be removed if needed. Why I say almost perfect location, the amp adjustments for the A channel and sub are blocked by the seat frame. Major adjustments mean taking the seat bolts out and laying it back.
Speaker wires I ran two to each of the dash speakers, one for signal to the LOC and one to return from the amp to the speaker. These were easy to fish down the holes to get under the dash, just got to find that right path! Once under the dash I ran the passenger wire along the side channel inside the factory wire plastic, just had to remove a few 10mm bolts and pop the plastic up. The driver side went under the driver's dash and into the middle console where it was snaked to the middle of it do come down the side.
Finished install with the seat back to make sound adjustments.
LINE OUT CONVERTER:
To make the system work correctly with the factory setup, I went with the JL LOC22. This was well worth the buy, it makes the sound come out a lot cleaner than running hi level inputs into amplifier and allows for quick signal adjustment. It also creates a safe load on the head unit to "trick" it into thinking the speakers are there. I ran two wires to the dash speakers, one for the speaker to amp, and one for the signal. The LOC22 has one set of RCA out which is all I needed. The unit allows voltage adjustment to the amp on the RCAs. Most amplifiers have options to run one set of inputs to power all 5 channels, but you will lose fading to the rear if 4 speakers are used on the amp.
This device also has options for powering on when it senses a sound signal on the inputs and has a remote out wire that will turn your amplifier on. I haven't messed with the auto turn on too much as my aux 3 has this wired to it in the short term, I have a camera on the hot to battery and will need to add it to this power point instead of the aux switch.
Not sure who to give credit to, but this setup was the first one I have done that didn't have noise/feedback in the speakers. You know, that high pitched whine when you give it the skinny pedal! The marketing on the JL LOC22 mentions that it will help give better sound to how it grounds the unit vs the ground that a typical LOC or head unit will utilize on the RCA cables.
NOTE: I first ran the power wire from the amp to the LOC22. The instructions stated to wire with the same wiring to reduce noise, however, this didn't work well when turning up the volume. The amp would create a power draw and would cut the LOC22 off for a split second causing a sound delay. I wound up using the aux 3 wiring to run to the power temporarily. I ran a short ground wire to the frame next to where I grounded the amp. The best wire to use for power will be the hot to battery wire (in the aux switch wires) under the dash if you have them.
CONCLUSION:
This was a lot harder job then I planned. I thought it would go super fast! Instead I spent some quality time taking my Jeep apart. The bonus to this is that I was able to clean the insane amount of dirt out of the hidden places that I didn't expect to find anything. I wish Jeep made it easier to get wire inside the cabin knowing that a majority of us add electronics, and maybe add a hole to add things like amplifiers. The did make taking the doors/seat/carpet out super easy. The plastic panels were easy to pull and replace, the use of plastic clips vs metal make them a lot easier to reuse. I should have my sub in the next week to finalize the install. That will add more work since I am going to secure the box to the back of the Jeep.
I still plan to modify the rear speaker to improve the bass, or possibly the other front speakers too. Saving that for another day!
Hope this write is helpful. It is a lot to read through and maybe will help another DIY'ers out there tackle this project one weekend!
My Jeep: 2019 JLU, Sport S, Sting Gray
Equipment: Kicker KS 3.5" (Dash), JL LOC22, Pioneer GM-X975, JL 12-TW3 in JL Sealed box, Metra, 72-7902, JL-XD-ACS60 (60amp) wire kit, 1amp inline fuse (LOC), speaker wire (14-16ga), screws, cable ties and shields, short RCA cable.
Don't forget: heat shrink and wire connectors, solder, fuses, and the one thing that you will need to run back to get because we always forget something.
SPEAKERS:
I first did a simple speaker replacement with 3.5" kicker CS series speakers on the dash. Super easy to do, just pop the grills off and install the speaker. There were easy to get to and I recommend that you use the Metra 72-7902 for the front grill speakers. This makes the install simple and will not damage your wiring. If you choose to amplify these, you can cut the Metra adapter in half, one side will plug into the factory wire harness and you can solder the signal wire to it. The other half you can solder on the speaker wires to use for connecting to the speaker.
I first put in Kicker CSC35. They looked cool, but the highs were harsh and too high. The sound just wasn't there for me with this pair. Unfortunately, one had a rattle to it so I quickly had those RMA (Crutchfield handled this very quick and easy late at night). During the RMA process I decided to upgrade to the Kicker KS35 series since I was going to amplify the speakers in the future. These were much more capable and after listening to them. The 20 bucks more for them was well worth it. The highs were much cleaner and overall sound was where I wanted it to be. I do think the midrange is still lacking so I will go back and add some sound deadening, a foam cup that inserts inside of the opening etc.
The front factory speakers (the back are too I believe) are wired in parallel with each other. The left dash and kick panel are both connected. The factory speakers are rated at 8 ohm, in theory will put a 4ohm load on the factory head unit. When replacing them with aftermarket speakers which are typically 4 ohm, you will get a lot more sound (volume) out of these compared to the 8 ohm speaker. The load on the factory amp will be increased, not sure how well it will handled the 2.67 ohm load but have not seen anyone have issues.
After ordering the new speakers for the dash I got the bug to just get a new amp, sub, and a JL line out converter.
When you install these, you need to slightly bend the mounting tabs/ears of the speaker up 90 degrees. This made them simply drop in! Some websites will say these won't fit, but they do no problem. Both the KS and CS series are basically the same size (1 11/16" mounting depth). Its also a good time to get the trail dirt out of these hiding places!
For the subwoofer, I fitted a few different options. The 12 inch TW3 is what I opted for. I tried some different variations in the back to make sure I can lift the rear compartment. The wedge shaped boxes were too deep to allow it to sit flush. I could stand it up, but I prefer the long side down. The custom fitted, and expensive, stealth boxes are a nice touch. They have a 10TW1, I stepped up to the 12 and wanted the better TW3 speaker. The rectangular shaped sealed box will fit perfectly on the side and still allow the rear compartment. Since it wasn't in stock, they special ordered it and I used my old sub from the XJ in the meantime.
AMPLIFIER:
For the amplifier I went with the 5 channel Pioneer GM-9706 through amazon for $200, however, I received a comparable model, GM-x975 which is similar but with hi-res and gold plated RCA connections. This amplifier is not a bad amp with actual RMS around 75w rms x4 and 600w x1.
The downside to this amp vs the JL amp that I wanted to get is the wiring locations. The amp has connections on both ends (shorter sides) of the amp. When placing this under the seat it created difficulties fitting it in without putting a lot of compression and angle on the wires. The JL amplifiers have the wiring all on the long side where it can fit under a seat and have the wires easily go to them.
The placement of the amplifier created a lot of headache. The doors came off and the seat came out and made running the wires a lot less cumbersome. This was one of the big plusses of having a Wrangler!! However, the running of the power wire was the start of my frustration with this install. Two options I have found are running through the firewall at the clutch hole (driver side) and the wire harness boot behind the passenger front wheel. WARNING, there is a lot of wires in that rubber boot and it has TWO sides. LESSON I learned, do not push a wire fish tape in there with the hook open.
After realizing I had two layers of rubber to fish through I tried to pull it back, only to realize I was hung up on a few tiny wires. This created panic as I didn't want to damage the main Jeep wiring. I decided to just run the power wire across the top of the cab and into the clutch hole (NOTE: This rotates off, you don't have to pull it). After getting inside the Jeep, I ran the power wire across the underside of the driver's dash and into the middle console. I then pushed it across to the passenger side center console lower wire opening, under the carpet and under the floor vent as shown. I added a homemade bracket to the bolt/stud for the fuse to go on.
The ground points I sanded paint off the frame and tapped both the amplifier and the LOC ground next to each other.
The power wire and ground size have a lot of influence on the performance of the amplifier. Think, drinking a thick milkshake through a straw. After buying the kit I spent some time calculating the amp load, it was right at the 60amp range, the amplifier calls for 100amp which means I need to evaluate for safety if I have a capable wire for this connection. It's safer to go over (thicker) the recommended size then under, especially when going with longer runs. The kit comes with about a 4ga wire that should suffice most people's needs. Since I had to run to the power wire from the battery to driver's side and back to the passenger side, it turned into a long run.
You will appreciate a good wire, the cheaper stuff is usually more jacket and less copper, typically is not as flexible either. Since I am underrated at the main fuse with a 60amp instead of 100, I will need to do some research. 4ga wire can carry 100amp in most situations, but will need to replace the fuse. MAKE SURE TO KNOW BEFORE YOU INSTALL WHAT YOU NEED SIZE WIRE AND FUSE ARE REQUIRED!
Class D amplifier: total RMS Wattage divided by 0.75 Amp Efficiency divided by 13.8 Volts equals Current Draw in Amperes
Class AB amplifier: total RMS Wattage divided by 0.50 Amp Efficiency divided by 13.8 Volts equals Current Draw in Amperes
The Jeep's back seat floor mats created a problem for the amp to sit flat. So, I got resourceful and found an old Dell computer that had a steel removable panel to use as a mounting plate. I cut it down to about 11 inches, rounded the corners off and made the edge safe to prevent it cutting wires. I bent 1 inch of the end down about 15 degrees to contour the chassis of the jeep. I also mounted three metal legs that will support the amplifier. It is a lot easier to get a amplifier plate designed for this (JL Audio has one but it is expensive).
After a lot of time trying to find the almost perfect spot, I finally was able to screw the front side of the plate down. You have to pay attention to ensure that wires are not damaged from the screws or in the way of the seat. The mounting plate being raised at one end allowed the floor mats barely fit under the amp, this allows them to be removed if needed. Why I say almost perfect location, the amp adjustments for the A channel and sub are blocked by the seat frame. Major adjustments mean taking the seat bolts out and laying it back.
Speaker wires I ran two to each of the dash speakers, one for signal to the LOC and one to return from the amp to the speaker. These were easy to fish down the holes to get under the dash, just got to find that right path! Once under the dash I ran the passenger wire along the side channel inside the factory wire plastic, just had to remove a few 10mm bolts and pop the plastic up. The driver side went under the driver's dash and into the middle console where it was snaked to the middle of it do come down the side.
Finished install with the seat back to make sound adjustments.
LINE OUT CONVERTER:
To make the system work correctly with the factory setup, I went with the JL LOC22. This was well worth the buy, it makes the sound come out a lot cleaner than running hi level inputs into amplifier and allows for quick signal adjustment. It also creates a safe load on the head unit to "trick" it into thinking the speakers are there. I ran two wires to the dash speakers, one for the speaker to amp, and one for the signal. The LOC22 has one set of RCA out which is all I needed. The unit allows voltage adjustment to the amp on the RCAs. Most amplifiers have options to run one set of inputs to power all 5 channels, but you will lose fading to the rear if 4 speakers are used on the amp.
This device also has options for powering on when it senses a sound signal on the inputs and has a remote out wire that will turn your amplifier on. I haven't messed with the auto turn on too much as my aux 3 has this wired to it in the short term, I have a camera on the hot to battery and will need to add it to this power point instead of the aux switch.
Not sure who to give credit to, but this setup was the first one I have done that didn't have noise/feedback in the speakers. You know, that high pitched whine when you give it the skinny pedal! The marketing on the JL LOC22 mentions that it will help give better sound to how it grounds the unit vs the ground that a typical LOC or head unit will utilize on the RCA cables.
NOTE: I first ran the power wire from the amp to the LOC22. The instructions stated to wire with the same wiring to reduce noise, however, this didn't work well when turning up the volume. The amp would create a power draw and would cut the LOC22 off for a split second causing a sound delay. I wound up using the aux 3 wiring to run to the power temporarily. I ran a short ground wire to the frame next to where I grounded the amp. The best wire to use for power will be the hot to battery wire (in the aux switch wires) under the dash if you have them.
CONCLUSION:
This was a lot harder job then I planned. I thought it would go super fast! Instead I spent some quality time taking my Jeep apart. The bonus to this is that I was able to clean the insane amount of dirt out of the hidden places that I didn't expect to find anything. I wish Jeep made it easier to get wire inside the cabin knowing that a majority of us add electronics, and maybe add a hole to add things like amplifiers. The did make taking the doors/seat/carpet out super easy. The plastic panels were easy to pull and replace, the use of plastic clips vs metal make them a lot easier to reuse. I should have my sub in the next week to finalize the install. That will add more work since I am going to secure the box to the back of the Jeep.
I still plan to modify the rear speaker to improve the bass, or possibly the other front speakers too. Saving that for another day!
Hope this write is helpful. It is a lot to read through and maybe will help another DIY'ers out there tackle this project one weekend!
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