advice from audio installer needed

[Ramrod]

I have a extant 3300 amp, eclipse 55430. I also have a year old 3500 with 72,000 miles on her. I want to install my stereo equipment myself, with a little help from a professional here on our site. I am pretty handy with things but not an electrical wizard. I will use these 2 pieces of equipment and then purchase some new speakers. I have had JL, Canton,JBL and Boston Acoustics in past trucks. Any suggestions on what I should purchase for this 3500 quad cab. I had a local shop reccomend Menphis audio. ??? Please help me get hooked up again to some great tunes

 

[ToolManTimTaylor]

You had the best so far. Boston's for the front and rear fill (I use pro plate 6. 5's) and JL. As for amp hookup. Feed the amp well using a high quality cable in 0 guage or larger (Numericly lower). Also use a qualty fuse holder (I. E Monster cable) as close to the battery as possible. Also be sure to use grommets in any firewall pennetrations. Route your amp hook up rca cables away from any other power sources or motors (I. E blower or other power wires that may cause interference) as it will only provide cleaner sound for you in the end. Make your amplifier ground as large as possible (As close or equal to your source cable) and short as allowable. Take your time and sound dead matting (I. E FatMat , Dynamat extreeme etc) is your friend!! The less reverberation a speaker has to combat the more efficient it will be and less stressful on the amp itself.



Have fun and take your time.

 

[JDougherty]

i alway use crutchfield. they have always given me great customer service, great prices and there people seem to know what they are talking about. top all of that off, and they will give you easy step by step instructions. it is really not that hard to do!

 

[MJawsman]

I had what I considered to be a nice system in my 01. I used a Rockford 800A4 amp (917 total watts at 4 ohms) in three channel mode with Infinity 6x9 Kappa 3-ways up front and 5 1/4 coaxial in the rear doors and the MTX box under the rear seat. I ran 4 ga to a distribution block and then short 8 ga for the amp and ground. I also completely replaced all my battery cables, starter and ground cables with 0 ga OFC cable. In the 3 years I ran that system, I never had a lick of trouble. Taking your time to install everything right is the key. I think I drove that truck for two weeks without an interior as everything was being put into place.



As for what speakers to buy... spend some time with the two most important diagnostic tools you own... your ears! NEVER buy speakers mail order. Specs cannot tell you how spmething sounds.



Just my humble . 02!

 

[Ramrod]

well alot of what you guys said is like foriegn to me. This is why I need help in a laymans term. You know connect red wire to white w/blue tracer. I need installation for dumies. or panit by number. Kind of funny when I think about everything else I have tackled over the years, like taking my motor out of my Porsche 911, rebuilding the trans, and alot of other stuff. But here I just don't know really anything other than what sounds good.



If I contact crutchfeld will they give me advice on installing products, Like I already have, as well as products I might buy from them??? If they do that works for me. It would be great to find someone on our board that I could do some bartering with. Since I travel alot for work it would be great to findsome who could help me in person. wishfull thinking.



Anyway here is my plan so far, from the little I know. The Eclipse unit will be installed using that type of equipment that enables me to use the steering wheel buttons from the factorey for volume and such. The eclipse has a remote so I know its a option for me that I want to take advatage off. Do I know what its called, nope I have room unnder the drivers seat for the extant. It measures 21. 5 by 10. I had it in my 98 3500 under the drivers seat. It barely fits. This amp ram the JL center seat sub, and soundstreams in all the doors and pillars. It worked great. I think I need somewhat the same type set-up. I still have other amps like a 150 Rockford Fosgate Punch to use but I don't know how this stuff goes together. Anyway I will be replacing the stock speakers with something good. . I guess I should consider the JL sub for the back floor under seat section. I guess I have to remove the folding floor?? beyond that I need direction. I love all kinds of music. With over 400 cd's I miss litening to good music. The stock system just does not cut it. Especially when I have all this other equipment from past vehicles. I am seling my house and building a new one so I think this is only way I can afford to get back up and running. I wish I could get Cantons. I had them for years and loved them best. However they don't import to the US anymore. The cantons I have left are slightly damaged from the moves. I have some alpine 10inch subs, a alpine 5903 am/fm/cd shuttle, some soundstream crossovers and some old JBL coaxials. A few amps like soundstream, alpine, rockford, and with all the new stuff out there nobody wants to buy any of it for peanuts. So suggestions on sepreates would be aprreciated. I will listen to everything and can I buy Mailorder and save some good money??// That's eneough for now, thanks for your support



Griff

 

[MJawsman]

Griff,



Send me a PM with your phone number and a good time to call. I'd be happy to discuss things over the phone with you.



Mark

 

[JDougherty]

yeah crutchfield techs are usually pretty good about helping to get you what you need inclusive of hooking together what you have. as far as the install, they have harnesses for everything, works real nice, this is the only way i go.

 

[pwerwagn]

If you need some suggestions, PM me and I will send you my number.

I always reccomend FOCAL's for the seperates. the focal components always sound clean, clear and crisp, not to mention will handle lots of power. either the poly-kevlar or the utopia's are good. I ran a pair of the poly-kevlar's with a alpine T-757 amp, they sounded awesome.

--Jeff