R1T (Gen 1) Subwoofer Install - Stealth Mode (Factory Location)

[kroe]

Factory "subwoofer" needed an upgrade. Wanted to keep all factory storage and keep things stealth. Installed a 10" subwoofer and amp to power it in the factory location, with 100% original finished look.

• 10" JL 10TW1-4 - requires very little front clearance and likes small boxes (.35cf sealed).
• Custom made sealed speaker box that fits within space occupied by original plastic subwoofer enclosure. 1/2" MDF cut to shape, glued, lined with epoxy and painted with spray bedliner. 3d printed a wedge to retain it on "back of car" side, and bolted through an existing hole from inside of the box on the "front of car" side. No holes put in car aside from to mount amp.
• Wavtech link mini 500.1 mono amp - 300w RMS @ 4 ohm. Drilled and screwed, it's safe the metal is wall to gear tunnel - see Munro video for assurance.
• 8ga power wire run up the side trim and through grommet, connected to empty post on battery as others have done. Ground wire to nearby bolt as pictured. Grabbed remote signal off pink wire in bundle that runs passenger side under carpet below the speaker grille near subwoofer. Audio input signal from original subwoofer inputs direct into amp line level input - no adapter.
• Chopped top off factory subwoofer box to preserve factory look, lined bottom of it with sound deadening material.
• Sound deadening in area beneath storage bin, bottom of storage bin.

Works great, much more bass than the original without being over the top - blends well with the factory audio system. No visible indication anywhere that subwoofer has been changed, it all fits where the plastic box from factory formerly was.

(trust me it's in there)

(what it looks like before covers go back on)

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[emlo]

When can I drop my truck off for the upgrade?

 

[kroe]

When can I drop my truck off for the upgrade?

There's an opportunity for someone to manufacture a "JL Stealth Box" style solution that bolts in place of the stock sub. Not enough of us to justify the effort relative to more common vehicles I guess, but I would have bought rather than built if an option existed.

A local audio shop should be able to do something similar to what I did, especially if you make their life easy and print out where to find remote wire, where to run power through firewall, and similar vehicle specific tidbits.

Worth it, super happy with this!

 

[tplociniak]

Nice clean looking install, a proper 8 or 10” woofer would help our sound systems out so much

 

[jeremykeen]

Any reason why you didn't use the battery under the passenger seat like other installs?

 

[godfodder0901]

Any reason why you didn't use the battery under the passenger seat like other installs?

Because Gen 1 doesn't have a battery under the seat. It's (or they're) in the frunk.

 

[jeremykeen]

Grabbed remote signal off pink wire in bundle that runs passenger side under carpet below the speaker grille near subwoofer

I thought the Wavetech could detect power from the speaker wires. Why was this pink wire signal necessary?

 

[kroe]

I thought the Wavetech could detect power from the speaker wires. Why was this pink wire signal necessary?

It does, but I didn't find it turned on/off reliably. If I remember right it was staying on after the audio shut down. I didn't spend much time trying to get it to work as I knew from others that the switched pink wire was inches away.

 

[ksumnole]

nice job! Got more photos of the box?

 

[Gurule92]

Could probably fit a few in the rest of the under seat

 

[kroe]

nice job! Got more photos of the box?

Here are a couple while building and test-fitting. The box is nothing fancy, just 1/2" MDF, a rectangle to fill the space with a couple notches for protruding bits.

A fiberglass box would have been nicer and could follow the nooks, but reality is I won't ever see the box again unless there is a problem, so it doesn't need to be that pretty.

 

[ksumnole]

Here are a couple while building and test-fitting. The box is nothing fancy, just 1/2" MDF, a rectangle to fill the space with a couple notches for protruding bits.

A fiberglass box would have been nicer and could follow the nooks, but reality is I won't ever see the box again unless there is a problem, so it doesn't need to be that pretty.

Thanks!

 

[ksumnole]

Here are a couple while building and test-fitting. The box is nothing fancy, just 1/2" MDF, a rectangle to fill the space with a couple notches for protruding bits.

A fiberglass box would have been nicer and could follow the nooks, but reality is I won't ever see the box again unless there is a problem, so it doesn't need to be that pretty.

Any issues with amp heat with the mounting under the seats?

 

[kroe]

Any issues with amp heat with the mounting under the seats?

Has not been an issue.

There is air space behind the cargo bin where the amp lives. Efficient amps like this that are designed for small spaces should be fine, it's probably more air space and flow than the factory amp has.

 

[ksumnole]

Has not been an issue.

There is air space behind the cargo bin where the amp lives. Efficient amps like this that are designed for small spaces should be fine, it's probably more air space and flow than the factory amp has.

Awesome, thanks! You don't happen to have photo of the remote off pink wire? When I did my Gen 2, I didn't come across one.

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