DIY stereo upgrade for under $500.00

smurfslayer said:

alright, so Guy having sufficiently depleted my recreational funds for a while, I picked up some dynamat, and parts to accomplish this upgrade.

I actually kind of started it with Guy, I put the sub in, then Guy spent a few bills more for a full upgrade; His plan differed only by the Sub; he went with the Panasonic, I went with the Kicker. The former has more range, the latter more punch (300w @2 ohms). Since I already had the sub box modified, I opted to start here.

I pulled out the sub box.

First, I went back on my install of the sub, amp and wiring.
I have plastic sheathing unused, so I used that on the power run to the inverter power, then cleaned up the other wires to the amp. I also used a straight piece of aluminum to form a mount for the amp that is much more sturdy than previous.

Meanwhile, back at the sub box, I took my first stab at dynamat. Let me just say, it looked simple enough and it’s not rocket science but it does take some thinking and care in execution. I ended up at about 1.5 rolls to do the sub enclosure. Once I buttoned everything back up, I ran a few songs over the radio and the results were good. I can hear more bass, feel more punch from said bass, see more mirror vibrating and the quality of the bass is improved.

My plan going forward, depending on how much time I have available in the ensuing days/weeks is to tackle a set of speakers at a time, probably rear first, then front and I’ll dynamat the doors too at the same time.

Click to expand...

smurfslayer said:

I blame you Guy

You spent all my spare recreational money and now I’m so poor, I can’t pay attention! I went back and corrected my post. AGAIN!

If I’m lucky, I’ll have some time maybe Sunday to tackle the next part.

BTW - anyone looking for a center channel speaker? I have 2, only need 1

Click to expand...

crash457 said:

The best wire strippers, I've ever used are Klein. I don't like the self adjusting type since they tend to only cut part of the insulation and pull the rest apart. I prefer traditional style strippers, since the will cut through the insulation on all sides.

https://www.amazon.com/Klein-11055-Tools-Kurve-Stripper-Cutter/dp/B00080DPNQ?tag=hicons-20

For crimping, it doesn't get any better than this.
https://www.amazon.com/Klein-Tools-Ratcheting-Crimper-Dies/dp/B01CTHF2MC/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1493908463&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=klein+Ratcheting+Wire+Terminal+Crimper

Click to expand...

Spence said:

Do you still have that center channel speaker?

Click to expand...

WhatExit? said:

Following this thread - really good stuff - thanks Guy(s)!

Best stripper ever especially when working in tight spaces (like under the dash or underhood - Upfitter work):



https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BC39YFQ/?tag=fordraptorforum-20


EDIT: Well, best stripper tool that is. Not to be confused with the other kind of stripper...

Click to expand...