Work truck advice

[ummduh 10+ year member]

I have a 1995 F250 4x4.. So, old, loud, rough, minimal sound deadening.. anywhere.

I'm trying to make it sound decent on the cheap.

I have a crappy RE SRX12 I built a ported box for, (1.4ft3 net, aeroported @34Hz), and have a Precision Power PPI BA2600.1D amp on the way for it. Yes, I know it's seriously over powering the sub. I do plan on upgrading that aspect at some point in the future, but that will be after more alt/bat.. Big 3 is already done, and made a massive electrical improvement on this old truck.

Anyways, I need help making up my mind on what to do with the regular speakers. I can spend as much as I have to, but want to spend as little as possible, as usual. I just don't know where I am going to run into the point of just wasting money on this. The truck is loud, has loud tires, it's a big block, everything rattles/jiggles/shakes.

The deck is an OLD Pioneer Premier... something. psomething something. From like 2004. (edit, DEH-P580MP http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Car/CD-Receivers/DEH-P580MP )

I have another OLD piece, a RF Punch 400.4 (50Wx4 @ 4OHM, 100W4 @ 2OHM, 200Wx2 @ 4OHM) amp I can power the door speakers with.

Front speakers are 6.5's, rears are 6x8's. Truck is a supercab, but no back seat, the super cab area is only used for storing tools/supplies.

My plans do include sound deadening down the line, but honestly it's work truck first and foremost.

So, my question is.. Should I even bother with rear speakers? I've kinda been reading about active comps , (front only) and it seems like I could do that with the equipment I have, but again, would I even know the difference in this truck.

I've got basic coaxials in the truck now running off the deck and it's miserible. I lose ALL mids and lows once the truck is moving. Turn the bass up enough to hear it and it just clips.

I've been eyeballin SQ's stuff for a while and have been itching to go that route, either with their passive comp set, or maybe trying to run active with their pro 6.5 mids and tweets. I just don't know how that would turn out.

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[blazian87 10+ year member]

So it seems like you have most of the equipment already, just need good speakers. BTW having more power than what your sub can handle is a good thing. It's called headroom. Just set your gains to what your sub is rated for and you probably won't need to upgrade alt/batt. For a truck, I would just ditch the rear speakers and focus on fronts. Get a quality component set and use your RF amp 4 channel. Going active will be louder and clearer but takes more time to get right. Does your RF amp have adjustable crossovers? If it does not, you might have to end up just going passive. Everyone says the SQ pro 6.5's mids and tweets are pretty **** loud so it might work out in your noisy truck. You're gonna need to sound deaden the doors to produce good midbass and clean up the overall sound. Add sound deadener to anything that rattles. You will increase SPL and you can actually hear the music better. Don't turn up any bass boost or loudness features on, it will clip like crazy.

 

[ummduh 10+ year member]

The 400.4 just has a HP(120)/FULL/LP(80) switch, doesn't have anything to adjust beyond that.

My deck also does HP/LP built in, selectable at set points. I honestly don't know anything beyond that. I want to say its @80/100/120 settings.

 

[audiobaun 5,000+ posts]

If you dont do any kind of sound deadening, or floor pan deadening of some sort, do expect to reveal any kind of great results, maybe better than what you have for speakers now, but not a great outcome overall.deadened front doors and a good pair of 90+rms components and a pair of 2 ways on low power for the rearfill would do nicely for you.I like rearfill, as it gives that surround sound affect when used properly,just to fill in that gap.Doesnt take much,, like HU power with bass blockers be good enough,or even on low power off amp.Id deff go for a 3way, or at min a 2 way front stage to get some nice results with some door deadening done

 

[ummduh 10+ year member]

Specs on the h/u:

Crossover Network Two-Way Crossover

High-Pass Crossover (HPF) 50/80/125Hz, -12dB/Oct.

Subwoofer Crossover (LPF) 50/80/125Hz, -18dB/Oct., +/-12dB

So I'm thinking i'd need a different amp to do active?

I'll make sure to at least do the doors. Inside and out?

 

[audiobaun 5,000+ posts]

Specs on the h/u:
Crossover Network Two-Way Crossover

High-Pass Crossover (HPF) 50/80/125Hz, -12dB/Oct.

Subwoofer Crossover (LPF) 50/80/125Hz, -18dB/Oct., +/-12dB

I'll make sure to at least do the doors. Inside and out?

Just doing the inner doors face will do wonders for you.I went with 80 mil FatMat,and used a heat gun to make sure it sticks.Loud 40 series Flowmasters,and can barely hear them as Ive done the floors and back wall in another xcab chevy I have..97.Just try the doors first up front and go from there.You can always add later if you want.Does help alot with road noise also while just driving with hu on talking on phone through Btooth..At the least do the frnt doors face side first..Helps ALOT!

 

[audiobaun 5,000+ posts]

Brand New Infinity Kappa 6 5 inch 6 1 2" 2 Way Car Audio Component Speakers Pair | eBay

Bought these approx 3 weeks ago and sound loud and clean on my old JBL GTQ 400,and put some cheasy 2 way 6x8 in rears Infinity..Will be putting a single ten I have laying around in later

 

[audiobaun 5,000+ posts]

I did place some deadener in the cavity of the 6x8s in the rear.worked out well..Its just a drive around truck for hauling chits for the land.Low grade Kenwood Hu/300 series with 3 rcas front, rear, sub..2.5v..nothing special but cant hear the 40 series flow masters,and road noise with windows rolled up with deadner on front doors,left existing carpet in and placed 1/4" rubber matt all inside works great for a bit of sound proofing,and easy to install,rugged and not too expensive

 

[audiobaun 5,000+ posts]

I did place some deadener in the cavity of the 6x8s in the rear.worked out well..Its just a drive around truck for hauling chits for the land.Low grade Kenwood Hu/300 series with 3 rcas front, rear, sub..2.5v..nothing special but cant hear the 40 series flow masters,and road noise with windows rolled up with deadner on front doors,left existing carpet in and placed 1/4" rubber matt all inside works great for a bit of sound proofing,and easy to install,rugged and not too expensive

You can just do the rubber matting on top of the carpet if you dont want to do the deadner for the floor

 

[audiobaun 5,000+ posts]

Hell..you might just try to deaden the front doors and place some power on the speakers you have for now, and see how that works out for you?Better than hu power,and cleaner,until you decide what components you want to go with? 30 watts is better than hu power even..any amplified power is going to sound better than hu power on just about any speaker

 

[Boominburban 10+ year member]

Seal and deaden the doors. Tint your windows while you have them out too ....Put a decent set of comps in the doors on that 400.4 bridged to 2 channels. That is a good clean amp for comps ....And has the power to make any decent set of comps get loud. Use the x-over in the HU. While you have the carpet up running power/signal to the amps, throw some rubber matting down under it(if you don't want to/have the $$ for sound deadening. That truck should have a 130A alt factory. Just get a good AGM for under the hood.

Here is a REAL bad cell phone recording i made for someone ... 91 F150 .....you can make 'em loud ...

"https://www.youtube.com/embed/_YVfT28YY1M"

 

[ummduh 10+ year member]

Passive comps I'm assuming?

I'll definitely start acquiring deadener for the doors. I've been reading a bunch for the last couple weeks and there seems to be a lot of fine products out there.

I do want to do the floor at some point, along with heat protecting somehow, my feet roast in this thing. It'll just be down the road a little ways.

And now that I changed my mind, I need to re-run my amp wire.. A single 4GA probably isn't going to cut it for 2 amps now. ****, always something!

Thanks all for the advice.

 

[Boominburban 10+ year member]

yea, until you go all out and deaden the whole cab, going full active with high $$ comps is kinda a waste, IMO. On these old fords, as you stated already, they are just noisy .....

And yea, you prob need to step up to a 1/0 main power to a dist. blk. and then 4ga out to amps ....

And you really have to seal and deaden these doors, or your comps will just sound like poo-poo ....

 

[ummduh 10+ year member]

Awesome. I'm reading through the door deadening sticky right now, might take a couple days, and then I'll start gathering stuff. Normally I'd do the speakers and stuff first, but I think this time I'm going to start with deadening and proceed from there, sounds like I'll be happier and better off.

Thanks a ton guys.