amps + subs only

[bdjacks 10+ year member]

I’m taking a road trip in a few weeks (15 hours each way) and I wanted to slap my subs from my Camry into my (my wife’s) “04 Explorer for the trip.

I want to leave the stock HU and door speakers in it, first of all because it’s a 6 disc in dash changer and that is awesome for road tripping when alone. And I just don’t have the time to mess with it.

So I am planning to put my 2 tens with a txa500hc 600wrms, high current attached to the back of the box and a single twelve with a Pioneer GM-x962 380wrms. I already have the wire for the big three (it’s a V-8 so I blindly figured only 1000wrms, the bat and alt should be fine with just a little help) and a 2 farad cap that will be installed and the wiring kit is on the way. So, power… check

My questions are about the speaker wires, I have never “spliced” in to stereo level wires before (I have to imagine that the stock HU doesn’t have sub outs)

This is a short term setup. My goals are to remove as little of the interior as possible, be as quick and easy as possible without hurting the equipment

I have an MTX rtx01a crossover with 1 channel and high level inputs, so can I just…

1. Cut into the speaker wire

2. Wire in one of those “Y” joints from Wal-Mart or just Pigtail the wire?

3. Go to the crossover with speaker wire of what gauge

4. Set the low pass and the output at what? 5 volts on my DMM?

5. Then split the output rca channel with scoosche “Y” rca cables and run one channel to each amp

? I have 2 amps to feed wires to so do I have to splice in to the left and right side to get two channels?

? Does anyone know of a good place or two to cut into a speaker wire on a 04 explorer?

? In how many ways am I screwing stuff up here on my list up there?

? Does a stock hu put out enough of the right frequencies to run everything?

? Does a good quality, ten plus year old crossover with high level inputs substitute for a line out converter?

? Will all the pigtails and splits ruin any chance of some good sound? Could the sound be bad enough to damage any of my equipment?

What am I no thinking of?

Any other recommendations?

? Any good links to clear and to the point instructions on the process of throwing subs in a car??? I looked.

Thanks for taking the time to read, I appreciate any help you can offer.

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[Louisiana_CRX 5,000+ posts]

Ford Radios don't like aftermarket amps...you better be careful or you'll fry the output chip..usually one side....

 

[bdjacks 10+ year member]

So, what can I do to prohibit that? I don't even know what that is?

 

[18inchjeepin 10+ year member]

JL Audio clean sweep?

http://mobile.jlaudio.com/products_cleansweep_pages.php?page_id=94

 

[Twilight 10+ year member]

Why are you using 2 different subs? just curious.

 

[bdjacks 10+ year member]

Jeepin- that clean sweep sounds awesome, but not for 300bucks to use until I replace my HU in a few mos. thanks though.

Twilight- I built that box with the tens in the photos and I'm just not satisfied, so I found a single infinity ref svc 300 watt 12 in a cheap ported enclosure for $40, slapped it in hooked up to my pioneer amp and liked almost everything about more than the 10s for about three hours of beating before it blew.

So I just spent the $ on a 600/1200 watt Cadence Sub and a 600 watt Cadence 500hc high current amp and I figured that I would mix and match on the trip and see if I want to get rid of the 10s or maybe when I hook up the far superior and ample powered (vs the underpowering pioneer) to the tens, maybe I'll fall in love again and throw that setup back in the Camry and build a proper box and get another amp for the Cadence 12 and leave it in the Explorer and then over time I'll gradually do the whole stereo in the Explorer.

So that is why I am looking for the easiest, quickest, safest (for the equiptment) way to plug into the Explorer without spending any unnecesary money and to get good enough signal that wont damage anything.

Does anyone have exerience with installs in an 04 Explorer, specificaly, Eddie Bauer V-8 with the third seat option in the back and the premium sound package with the 6 disc in dash changer. Some wire routing and splicing recomendations would be great.

And what is an output chip LA?

What else do I need to know or consider to do this???

Thanks for any help!

 

[nbudros 10+ year member]

ps why bother

IMO