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Ghostwolf
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- Thread starter
- #47
Bless your heart . . . What patience and brass balls to take this on . . . Maybe if was in the safety of a driveway but still - keep on keeping on! Best of luck and you get the sound you're hoping for . . . I'll be here working the corner!So I ran into a few hiccups with the install: 1. My new hydraulic crimper wouldn’t let go of my lug, so I spent awhile trying to figure that out.
2. I was getting no audio when I tried it out. After rechecking things multiple times and 15 minutes later I realized I put the RCA’s into the amp preout. ??
With that said, I just finished and didn’t have time to test both locations. I can say, however, that even at very low volume that the JL Audio Stealthbox was bumpin’ tapped into the Alpine sub wires (I am still going to test at the rear speaker wires to see if that will work, but probably not until after I get the sub and amp tuned, so that may take awhile, but will report back here).
The sub wires are in a plethora of wires located in a harness by the passenger door sill (I have a four door, so the rear passenger for me). Shoot, what a mess, but here’s where I tapped in (you can see the black harness that I cut open and temporarily attached posi-taps)….
I tapped into sub 1 (+ and -) and sub 2 (+ and -). Just look for the twisted wires as they are the ones you want. Then it’s easy to color match…
And yes…I have a lot of power wire. I’ll be cutting that off and using it to attach to one of these for a future amp/sub ?…
https://www.sonicelectronix.com/item-40526-NVX-XCAP10H-TRUE-10-FARAD-CAPACITANCE.html
JasonInDLH
Well-Known Member
It’ll all be tidy and safely hidden when done. And now that I think of it…someone would probably only need to connect to one coil on the factory sub, so I could eliminate one pair of wires.
JasonInDLH
Well-Known Member
This is the first time connecting to a factory head unit to add a sub, so there is definitely a learning curve here. ?
But if I can do it…anybody can! Believe me! ?
I really think you should try. The satisfaction that you’ll get once it all turns on is worth all the labor! I should ask…have you done any audio work previously?
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Ghostwolf
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- Thread starter
- #50
None! I did major hot glue gun tho, give 20 bucks, a cardboard box and an endless supply of hot glue gun sticks and I'll give you anything you want!! And again, if I had a shop or driveway to work out of, different story, ya know? The disassembly and organizing would be fun, if I had the time and space but the learning curve is scary - especially when you're broke!!!
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JasonInDLH
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NYC seems to suck people dry of cash (at least it would to me ?). Just for fun I was looking at what apartments cost and it’s insane! I’m sure you all make more money, but still. I’m pretty certain I saw a $1 M home to buy in NYC that would only be about $150K here in the small city here in MN. ?
JasonInDLH
Well-Known Member
@Ghostwolf …. You have the Premium Alpine sub, right?
I was thinking about a friends car I sat in in the early 00’s and they had “bass shaker’s” which vibrated the seat with the music. His sub sounded like the OEM 10” Alpine sub, but the experience of the shaking seats was a game changer. I believe this is something you could add to increase the enjoyment of your stock system. This is something I’m currently looking into myself.
I was thinking about a friends car I sat in in the early 00’s and they had “bass shaker’s” which vibrated the seat with the music. His sub sounded like the OEM 10” Alpine sub, but the experience of the shaking seats was a game changer. I believe this is something you could add to increase the enjoyment of your stock system. This is something I’m currently looking into myself.
JasonInDLH
Well-Known Member
So I’m getting the same good bass from both the sound bar full range speakers (not the tweeters) and the sub wire. Here’s the wires you want to tap for the …
I think I’m sticking with the sub wires only because it’s easier to work on as they are directly in front of me…
@lashlee …. You mentioned you used butt connectors to tap into the wires. So you cut the factory wires, stripped them, and then crimped the butt connector back onto the factory wires with the new wire in one side, then used adhesive heat shrink to protect it, and finally zip tied the new wire 1” from the connection as stress relief?
JasonInDLH
Well-Known Member
I know exactly how that goes! ?
For your information: From electrical books that I’ve read they state that those cheap plastic connectors such as posi taps, t taps, scotchloks, etc should only be used for temporary connections (much like how I used them to test for the correct signal) and I would have to agree.
I also don’t like to use solder for something like this as the connection becomes brittle and can break if moved too much (if you need to get in there and do more work and move the wires around in the future).
It is always a pain to carefully use a razor to shave/pull the wire insulation back to connect wire to wire (in an operation called a “Westinghouse Split”), so I went ahead and did it how @lashlee did it(with butt connectors).
I used heat shrink connectors large enough to have two wires inside. One side has the factory wire and new wire going to the amp or LOC. the other side I cut off a piece of new wire and stripped part of it as a place holder so that both sides has the same diameter of wire going into the butt connector for a solid connection.
In the picture below you will notice I used additional heat shrink on both ends. A couple reasons: 1. To hold the small new wire I cut as a place holder on the one side, and 2. to cover up those little holes I made with the Posi Taps, and for slight stress relief. Tonight I will tightly zip tie 1” from the connector holding the wire running towards my Amp/Loc as stress relief and zip tie the other wire I used as a place holder.
Then I’ll use cloth tape for added protection and to make it look like the factory harness (as seen in my repair on the b-pillar harness in the second photo).
Oh, and it was much easier to do this work on the sub wire which is directly in front of you under the door sill as opposed off to the side on the b-pillar
The part I fixed and cloth taped is the part to the right that has been zip tied to the body…
I hope you’re toddler lets you get out there tonight!
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lashlee
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- First Name
- Mike
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- Sep 23, 2021
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- Knoxville, TN
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- '18 JLUR 2.0 Turbo 4 (Sold), Tesla M3P
The install I did was a very different animal. Pac AmpPro to two amps, with all new speakers. When I tapped onto the wiring in the pillar was to feed the new rear speakers in the soundbar. I used a butt connector to use the OEM wiring so I could disconnect the soundbar using the OEM connector. Yes they were zip tied up once I was done making the connections.So I’m getting the same good bass from both the sound bar full range speakers (not the tweeters) and the sub wire. Here’s the wires you want to tap for the …
I think I’m sticking with the sub wires only because it’s easier to work on as they are directly in front of me…
@lashlee …. You mentioned you used butt connectors to tap into the wires. So you cut the factory wires, stripped them, and then crimped the butt connector back onto the factory wires with the new wire in one side, then used adhesive heat shrink to protect it, and finally zip tied the new wire 1” from the connection as stress relief?
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Ghostwolf
Well-Known Member
- Thread starter
- #58
Okay . . . So . . . I spent all day . . . Twisting and turning myself into a knot and a ballpark pretzel upgrading the knee speakers - never again - purchased 6.5 woofers and the Jeep JL aftermarket speaker pods . . . Sound deadened them and took apart the entire effing dashboard of the Jeep - finally got them installed (8 hours later . . . Again, in the streets of Brooklyn) and I am 75% pleased . . . There's definitely some low end and a slight punch and at 200 bucks (450 total with the other 6 speakers included) I'm pleased but . . . Ugh . . . Can't believe I'm about to say this . . . But, if I were to add a LOC or PAC to an amp / powered sub - I can "tap" into the B pillar speaker wires and get low end / bass (or more bass I should say) and is that what you've done above? You've only tapped into the speaker wires running up the B pillar to the roll bar speakers and getting punchy and good bass? No additional wiring harnesses to the rear of the head unit? . . . Just power to the battery, ground wire somewhere, power to the amp / LOC / PAC / powered sub and then tapping into the B pillar and running into LOC / amp to the woofer . . . If I have to take apart that dash board again, I rather have a root canal!!!!!! P.S. make sure to watch me in LA Cabeza de Joaquin Murrieta on Prime Video - I'm one of the leads . . . Shameless self promotion . . . Why not . . . I play Kelly!! I think I could handle tapping into the B pillar and willing to purchase a 10 inch underseat powered sub but still confused on getting "correct" signal to the sub?I know exactly how that goes! ?
For your information: From electrical books that I’ve read they state that those cheap plastic connectors such as posi taps, t taps, scotchloks, etc should only be used for temporary connections (much like how I used them to test for the correct signal) and I would have to agree.
I also don’t like to use solder for something like this as the connection becomes brittle and can break if moved too much (if you need to get in there and do more work and move the wires around in the future).
It is always a pain to carefully use a razor to shave/pull the wire insulation back to connect wire to wire (in an operation called a “Westinghouse Split”), so I went ahead and did it how @lashlee did it(with butt connectors).
I used heat shrink connectors large enough to have two wires inside. One side has the factory wire and new wire going to the amp or LOC. the other side I cut off a piece of new wire and stripped part of it as a place holder so that both sides has the same diameter of wire going into the butt connector for a solid connection.
In the picture below you will notice I used additional heat shrink on both ends. A couple reasons: 1. To hold the small new wire I cut as a place holder on the one side, and 2. to cover up those little holes I made with the Posi Taps, and for slight stress relief. Tonight I will tightly zip tie 1” from the connector holding the wire running towards my Amp/Loc as stress relief and zip tie the other wire I used as a place holder.
Then I’ll use cloth tape for added protection and to make it look like the factory harness (as seen in my repair on the b-pillar harness in the second photo).
Oh, and it was much easier to do this work on the sub wire which is directly in front of you under the door sill as opposed off to the side on the b-pillar
The part I fixed and cloth taped is the part to the right that has been zip tied to the body…
I hope you’re toddler lets you get out there tonight!
JasonInDLH
Well-Known Member
I know how you feel regarding the dash. ? I just took the steering column opening cover off to install my bass control knob and zip tied the wire up in the dash. Definitely used muscles I hadn’t used for awhile. Good job getting all your work done (especially in Brooklyn!).
So yes, I received good bass from the b-pillar. You wouldn’t need a line out converter if you got that powered Kicker that was mentioned previously (https://www.kicker.com/hideaway-hs10) as it accepts up to 40v whereas the amp I installed only accepts up to 8v (I needed an additional LOC that accepts the 40v or my amp would be toast).
That install would be slightly easier:
-Power wire from battery to Kicker (don’t forget to fuse this with recommended fuse rating from amp…15 amps in this case)
-Ground from Kicker to ground location (lots on the Jeep it seems!). Want this to be as short as possible.
-Remote bass knob (if you want that) run to and installed somewhere on the dash (again, I only removed the steering column opening trim to install mine).
-Tap into full range speaker wire found on passenger side b-pillar and connect to speaker level inputs on amp.
Here’s where I installed my bass knob (right in front of your right knee below the steering column). I figured where I wanted it, removed the trim (super easy to pull off), made sure nothing was behind, drilled pilot holes for the screws, drilled large hole and added grommet for wire, etc…
If you use this location, be careful to align with the stuff happening behind. I had to drill that large hole to get my wire in the correct opening…
You got this!
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Ghostwolf
Well-Known Member
- Thread starter
- #60
"connect to speaker level inputs on amp" - lost me there . . . But the amp is built into a powered sub?I know how you feel regarding the dash. ? I just took the steering column opening cover off to install my bass control knob and zip tied the wire up in the dash. Definitely used muscles I hadn’t used for awhile. Good job getting all your work done (especially in Brooklyn!).
So yes, I received good bass from the b-pillar. You wouldn’t need a line out converter if you got that powered Kicker that was mentioned previously (https://www.kicker.com/hideaway-hs10) as it accepts up to 40v whereas the amp I installed only accepts up to 8v (I needed an additional LOC that accepts the 40v or my amp would be toast).
That install would be slightly easier:
-Power wire from battery to Kicker (don’t forget to fuse this with recommended fuse rating from amp…15 amps in this case)
-Ground from Kicker to ground location (lots on the Jeep it seems!). Want this to be as short as possible.
-Remote bass knob (if you want that) run to and installed somewhere on the dash (again, I only removed the steering column opening trim to install mine).
-Tap into full range speaker wire found on passenger side b-pillar and connect to speaker level inputs on amp.
Here’s where I installed my bass knob (right in front of your right knee below the steering column). I figured where I wanted it, removed the trim (super easy to pull off), made sure nothing was behind, drilled pilot holes for the screws, drilled large hole and added grommet for wire, etc…
If you use this location, be careful to align with the stuff happening behind. I had to drill that large hole to get my wire in the correct opening…
You got this!
Let me see . . .
Power from PSub to battery with fuse (if needed), ground from PSub to ground location (short as possible), control nob (plugged into PSub, hopefully in an obvious port on the PSub) and running wire plus knob to location, and then lost . . . Every PSub ports are different but I'm guessing it's a pos/neg for left channel to one set of twisted wires in the B pillar and a 2nd pos/neg set running to the other set of twisted wires in the B pillar for right channel . . . So 4 wires total, connect, crimped, heat shrink tubed, rewrapped and hidden? 4 wires coming out of the PSub (pending PSub of course) tapped into B pillar?
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