Audio system build (and wiring) questions - pics

[revhardSHO]

I traded my electric guitar for the system out of my friends SHO, nothing top notch but it should crank pretty good if I can get it set up right. It will be going in my black 90, which has (soon to be gone) JBL from the factory. First here are the specs:

JVC KD-S670 HU
Pioneer GM-X862 760W Bridgeable 2 Channel Amp
Sony Xplod XM-504Z 500W 4/3 Channel Amp
Sony Xplod XS-L1237 12" 300W R.M.S. 1100W M.P. 4 ohm Subwoofer
Boss AVA-6955 6 x 9 500W 4 ohm speakers (2)
Pioneer Fronts ? I think 220W. 4 ohm
All the wiring I should need.
And I just rebuild the sub box, sealed and insulated.

I more or less know what I need to do in order to get the system operational, but I still have alot of questions:

First, I naturally want to run my all my speakers through the Sony 4 channel amp, thats how it was previously set up. I am just not sure of the wiring. I understand the rough idea that I need to route all the speakers from the head unit to the amp, and then back to the individual speakers. I need to know the best way to go about this. Can I retain the stock JBL wiring that runs back to the trunk, and use it with the bigger amp? Or should I run all new wiring? Does anyone have wiring diagrams of the JBL system? Any advice is appreciated, I want to do this right.

The 6 X 9's fit perfectly where the JBL subs were. But what about the JBL tweeters on top of the subs? Should I keep those and just wire them into my amp, or just get rid of them all together? How do the front JBL's do with a bigger amp? They seem like a quality speaker, though I dont know if they could handle that much more power. Should I use them?

The sub install seems pretty easy, I just run RCA from the head unit to the amp, and then to the sub. Okay, now what is the best direction to place the woofer? With the speaker towards the back seat or facing the rear of the car?

Where do people mount their amps? I was going to mount where the JBL's were but I know if I will get the best thump from my sub with those two big amps right in the way. I was thinking mounting them each on the side of the right and left wheel wells. Anyone done this?

Any other recommendations or tips for tuning / installing everything would be great. This is basically my first audio system, and I want to get a better understanding of how it all should be put together so I can get tune it perfectly and enjoy it. Thanks in advance. Here are some pics:

Everything:

Sony amp:

Pioneer amp:

thanks in advance for any help. I cant wait to get it all together!

Silas

 

[gtstang1967]

ok heres what i did in my car i took out the factory amp replaced it with a pioneer 200w amp. i swapper out the stock radio and speaker i went with bostons in the rear and alpines in the front. for the rear speakers my car had a wiring harness that bypassed the amp so the system could go louder. i left that intact. i ran a rca cable from the head unit to the amp. i ran mine under the door stills through the back seat. i mounted my amp where the stock one was.since you have two amps i dont klnow what to tell you some people mount them on the speaker tray. you can be creative when doing this. i hooked up my kicker facing the rear of the car. i dont know if its the best but it works ok.in the trunk mouted behind the amp. i used a wiring harness for the head unit so that i didnt hack up all the factory wiring. you will need to splice into the speaker wire and run wires to the amp and hook them up to the high input slot you should have a connector. thats what you will use to run all 4 speakers throught it. you will have to bridge the amps to use them both. i hope this helps. i wish you were closer i would help you install it

 

[revhardSHO]

thanks for the reply.

I got most of the heavy wiring from the head unit to the sony amp done today. The hardest part was pulling the JBL harness out. I had to keep it intact so I couldnt just cut and pull.

I mounted the 6 x 9's in the stock JBL woofer location, perfect fit. Question: I know I should run my front speakers off the high level input, but what about the 6 x 9s? They thump pretty good, even though it has a built in tweeter on the top of the woofer, wondering if they would sound better through the standard input (like run them as subwoofers). I want more thump then I do treble. They are 500 w. Guess I could play around and see what sounds best. Once again, should I leave in the JBL tweeters above them?

Are there any holes in the firewall I can route the power wires through for the amps? Or should I drill a new one somewhere down by the pass floor?

Im going to mount the amps on each wheel well. I think it will look pretty good, I just need to figure out how to mount them so they dont fly off when Im drivin'. I think Im going to mount them on plywood and then mount the plywood to the wheel well. We'll see, I have room to work with back there.

I have heard of bridging speakers, but can I bridge both amps together? What exactly does this mean? Will both amps combine so you have their total power?

The sub box is done. When I got it, every seem was cracked and air was leaking out everywhere. Its a cheap box but I did what I could, drilled and installed screws for re-enforcement and siliconed all the seems. And new insulation. yay!! fun project!

 

[gtstang1967]

yeah you slice a little hole un the firewall there is a large rubber grommet you can slice it a little its on the drivers side . you will notice it in the engine bay it has wires running out of it. and yeas you can brigde the amps they sell a adapter for the rca jack basically one end to the stereo the other end will be the adapter it splits off one end from the head unit to it. then one for each amp i believe wal mart sells theese or "i belive" you can wire the amp up in a series circuit like you would a couple of batteries. and give locations of things a shot see what works best. i tried to mount my amps out of the way so they were not noticeable. as for the speaker setup play with it it sounds like you have alot of power from the amps. good luck!!!

 

[revhardSHO]

Well, the system is just about 100 % installed. I will post pictures after I mount the amps in the trunk. Lots of work, but it should pay off. I wont be able to play around with it until I get my clutch back together (couple days). I cant wait!

 

[gtstang1967]

that sounds good i am waiting to see your install maybe itll give me some ideas.

 

[rpmshotimeeh]

where did every1 run the power wire off the battery into the car through? ive been searching and searching but no luck is there a hole in the firewall with a gromet that i could slip it through???

 

[30footSHO]

There is a grommet where your clutch pedal should be if you have an ATX, you can pop it out and run a wire through there. Otherwise, at the firewall behind the e-brake, there is another grommet you can pop out and run a wire through, though it helps to have a good light to see where it comes out. Be careful running wires and always use another grommet to keep the wire from being cut by the sheetmetal.

 

[dustin]

30footSHO and gtstang1967

thanks for the firewall routing info! question, how many feet of cable did you use on your installs for main amp power from the battery back to the amp? been hearing 17-20 feet, just wondering.

 

[30footSHO]

At least 17 feet. I would go with 20 feet just so you can be sure. On my old '91+ I used a Rockford Fosgate kit (not recommended) and there was plenty to run to the amp. I would go to Crutchfield or sonicelectronix and order a kit from them. They usually carry Scosche kits that come with everything you need, including RCA cables and fuses. Good luck!

 

[dustin]

terrific, thanks!

 

[Orkin]

I ran my power through the passenger side fender. You can squeeze the wire through where the wiper fluid resorvior goes, and then come back into the car through the same hole as the antenna wire. If you use this method, just make sure your fuse is between the fender and the battery (mine sits about 8" from the battery), just in case...

 

[K-Dawg]

I ran my wire into the passenger side wheel wel and then drilled a hole in the firewall to poke the wire through.

 

[Sho Nutz]

Dont half ass the power wire routing, if it is not done correctly, you will be sorry. Either blowing fuses all the time or engine noise thru the amps. Trust me, I have installed the same system in 1 taurus and 2 sho's.

Use the factory grommet hole on the drivers side of the bulkhead (firewall). It can be a mother to get to but it is the best route. There are already holes there ( no drilling ) and they are large enough to run 4 gauge wire thru. Then under the drivers side door sills tucked towards the middle under the carpet then under the rear seat/under the rear carpet into the trunk.

Oh, and from personal experience, do not run the rca cables with the power wire ( lots of noise, at least with 4 gauge power wire), I ran mine down the passenger side under the sills.

It will work....

 

[K-Dawg]

Mmmm... Art Series.

 

[Sho Nutz]

They were nice, I replaced them with an Orion HCCA 250 on subs
and an HCCA 425 on everything else.

I think the a4100 was way better on mids and highs, But the HCCA 250 ran the 15's way better than the a600.

 

[gtstang1967]

i routed my power wire through a wiring harness from and old car phone that use to be in my car it gets power with the key on so i just used that. if i go with a more powerful amp i will probally run it off the battery

 

[dustin]

Hi,

With all your help, I routed my 4gauge through the center of the grommet where the clutch would be, and all the way down the drivers side and into the trunk. i then ran the RCA and remote from the stereo, down the passenger side and into the trunk. I know how to wire it all in the trunk area pretty well, my question is this;

Since it's my first time wiring a amplifier in a SHO, i need a little help for the amp power connection to the battery. I believe I have read that some hookup to the battery itself(as I usually do in other cars) in the right, front side of the car. But I have also read that some hook up their power to the power distribution block on the firewall, left side of the car. I have never done it this way and i'm not sure if I located the correct spot. I attatched a photo of where I believe the correct connection spot is.

Please let me know if I have the correct spot to hook up the 4gauge, plus the pros and cons of this spot if any(if it is the correct spot of course).

Thanks for your help!

--Dustin

 

[K-Dawg]

Wiring directly to the battery would be a much better alternative. You'll probably find that upgrading some of the other main power wiring in the car (alternator, grounds, etc.) will make a big difference.

 

[30footSHO]

Wiring directly to the battery would be a much better alternative. You'll probably find that upgrading some of the other main power wiring in the car (alternator, grounds, etc.) will make a big difference.

Also known as "The Big Three."

A friendly reference: Caraudio.com Big Three