2 amps - Best way to install?

tracyrick
10+ year member

Limited035
I need some amp 101 training please. I've read the owner's manuals on JL's web site, but I want to know how you guys are doing it. Here's my plan so far for my Impreza:

JL 500/1 - Trunk, for JL 12w6v2 sub only

JL 300/4 - Under Passenger seat, bridging for MB Quart 150RMS front component only, no rears

Questions:

1. Mount the amps to the carpet with velcro, or screw them down into sheet metal?

2. Should I run a separate power cord from each amp to the battery? Or do I merge the power cords from each amp into one power cord to the battery?

3. Do I have to use a "distribution block?"

4. Any tips on fuses?

5. For this total of 800 watts, is 4 guage power good enough?

Thanks for any feedback.

 
1.) Not sure I'd use velcro unless super strong, but on the other hand, I think you have to be careful of mounting the amps to the chassis of the car because that can cause grounding problems.

2.) No, don't run separate power wire from each amp to the battery. Run 1 wire, then connect that wire to a distribution block mounted somewhere near your amps, and run two wires from the Distribution block to your amps. As for the ground wires, I also run one ground wire from the chassis to a distribution block and 2 wires to my amps, but I might be changing that to runnning two separate ground wires to the chassis, I'm honestly not sure if it matters.

3.) Already answered above.

4.) Well, I have never made a big deal about this in my car, but I believe the proper way to determine the size fuse you should use is the total sum of the amps of the fuses in your amplifiers. That is the size fuse you should use inline in your power wire. In other words, put that size fuse in an inline fuse holder in your power wire no more than 18 inches from your battery.

5.) Ok, people on this board may say to use 1/0 guage wire, because it seems like that is the size wire of choice. Honestly, I am running 4 guage power wire to my d-block and 4 guage to my sub amp which is twice as powerful as yours (Crossfire vr1000D (1000w x 1 at 1ohm) and I am running 8 guage to my crossfire 2 channel amp putting out 150 x 2 and I have never had any problems in four years and my subs are loud and sound great. So, this was a long-winded way of saying that regardless of what some people might say, 4 guage wire is perfectly fine for your setup.

Oh, and finally, sounds like a nice setup. good luck

 
1. Oops, I didn't say that right. I should have said: Velcro to carpet, or screw down amp to carpet (screws going through the carpet and into the sheet metal). So there will be a layer of carpet between the amp and sheet metal. Is that correct?

Thanks for the tips.

 
If you don't want to run screws through the floor pan you can run shorter screws into the carpet without going through the floor. There will be enough fibers from the carpet and pad wrapped around the screws to hold the amp in place.

 
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tracyrick

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