Mounting amp under seat

[Heeltoeclutch 10+ year member]

Hi guys,

Forgive me I know this has been covered-ish before, but I had a few more questions and thought it better to not dig up the 3-year-old thread I found that had talked about this.

I will soon be mounting an amp for front components under my passenger seat and am looking for the best installation option. I have used Velcro before, but this is a sexy amp and I drive quite spiritedly- I like playing in the snow and dirt and pushing the car to its limits, therefore the Velcro to its limits. I do not want this amp to detach and start flying about under the seat. Also, I am in a high crime-rate area for the half the year each year and with the Velcro, it would be very easy to steal (although I'll conceal it the best I can). I read that one should never drill into the chassis of the car to mount amps, which I thought was the other main option but still unappealing... then the idea of straps, but I don't know much about that.

The amp is the Zed CR150 that Bob Saget had for sale (thanks Bob). What are your guys' experience with underseat mounting? Is the Velcro really secure enough to handle rally-ish driving? If not, what other options?

Thanks a lot. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

Click to read more...

 

[bubbagumper6 5,000+ posts]

I would (and have) drill into the chassis before I'd use velcro to mount an amp...

 

[audiolife 5,000+ posts]

You can adhere a plastic shelf under to carpet to the floor board put the carpet back over the top and mount the amp to the shelf. Some people use wood but if it ever gets wet it could get messy and smell funny unless you treated it with resin.

 

[Bob Saget]

Please don't put sticky glue residue from velcro on that amplifier. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crap.gif.7f4dd41e3e9b23fbd170a1ee6f65cecc.gif

Are you sure it's gonna fit under your seat? it wouldn't fit under any of the seats in my Grand Cherokee or my dad's Silverado.

 

[SicAudio 5,000+ posts]

make some mounting "feet"...

i use either small squares of 3/4" thick wood ( hardwood or MDF ) or 1" dowel ( walmart for about $1....) with a hole drilled in the center ( spray paint it black to protect the wood... $1 a can at walmart...)

it allows the amp to have air pass under as well as over the amplifier...much better for cooling when it is in a concealed and cramped mounting location.

 

[Heeltoeclutch 10+ year member]

Yes I would prefer not to do that //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

If the amp has the dimensions stated in the FS thread, then yes it will fit- I went out to my car and measured. Those are the correct dimensions?

sic- how do you go about mounting the feet to the car?

 

[Bob Saget]

Yes I would prefer not to do that //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif
If the amp has the dimensions stated in the FS thread, then yes it will fit- I went out to my car and measured. Those are the correct dimensions?

Yes.

But you have to remember, the spot you measured isn't gonna be consistent every spot under the seat. And there are all kind of mechanisms under there that will move & shift when you move the seat.

Anyway, use screws to mount it. Torx head screws add a little security if you're worried about theft.

 

[Heeltoeclutch 10+ year member]

Alrighty good- yes I will have an extra half inch of height and plenty of length; only close dimension is going to be width, because of the vent. It should indeed fit though. And I can blow cold air on it //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

Mount it with screws- through the car's sheet metal?

 

[SicAudio 5,000+ posts]

screws are fine just make sure you won't hit anything underneath. sometimes mounting to metal causes a ground loop so you may need to isolate the amp chassis with wood like I suggested //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

 

[Bob Saget]

Alrighty good- yes I will have an extra half inch of height and plenty of length; only close dimension is going to be width, because of the vent. It should indeed fit though. And I can blow cold air on it //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif
Mount it with screws- through the car's sheet metal?

Yes. I'll see if I can't find some self tapping screws that'll fit it laying around & throw in the box before I ship it out.

 

[Heeltoeclutch 10+ year member]

Thanks man that's nice of you. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

So after the screws are in, I would assume That I should apply touch up paint or rubberized undercoating at those locations under the car to prevent rust. The screws usually penetrate All the way to the outside?

 

[xoutofmyheadx 10+ year member]

what's wrong with useing velcro or double sided tape? i use em so i don't have to drill holes for somethings. i use the industrial stuff tho not the regular. in this case i'd use screws since you're worried about security.

 

[SicAudio 5,000+ posts]

Thanks man that's nice of you. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif
So after the screws are in, I would assume That I should apply touch up paint or rubberized undercoating at those locations under the car to prevent rust. The screws usually penetrate All the way to the outside?

not a bad idea at all even fingernail polish will work or a small dab of any type of silicone too //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

 

[Heeltoeclutch 10+ year member]

So I did some more research last night and on clubwrx.com I found a guy who has the same car as I and mounted an amp under each seat - the way he did it was to pull back carpet, industrial velcro a 3/4" MDF board to the metal floor of the car, and then screw the amp to that through the carpet. He's been running like this for awhile and drives pretty crazy, says they don't move. The advantage is not having any holes in the car... What do you guys think of this method as opposed to drilling through the metal?

 

[Bob Saget]

So I did some more research last night and on clubwrx.com I found a guy who has the same car as I and mounted an amp under each seat - the way he did it was to pull back carpet, industrial velcro a 3/4" MDF board to the metal floor of the car, and then screw the amp to that through the carpet. He's been running like this for awhile and drives pretty crazy, says they don't move. The advantage is not having any holes in the car... What do you guys think of this method as opposed to drilling through the metal?

that would work, if you have clearance for another 3/4''....

get some fiberglass resin & cover the mdf though.....keeps moisture out. & trust me, you don't want that stuff getting wet. I'd use epoxy glue to attach the mdf to the floor instead of velcro, but that's just me.