2005 SE Audio system (re)build thread

[MTBx]

Decided that my system wasn't cutting it for me anymore, needed more flex and volume.

Started with the RF system.
Installed this http://www.clubxterra.org/forums/showthread.php?t=25150 about a year later.


Recently made some more upgrades...

First was electrical, replaced my crap interstate batt with a Kinetic HC1400.
Install is a little sketchy right now. Need to fab up a better holder, and put on more "weatherproof" wire terminals. Replaced engine ground with some Kicker 4awg OFC wire, much better than the oem crap wire.
I'll probably redo the terminals when i get around to my big 3 but the copper clamp ons from homedepot work perfectly for now.
Also ran a run of 1/0 memphis OFC through the firewall, and to the rear cargo area. This wire is really beefy, over 4700 strands of copper in it, not the most flexible, but it didnt really need to be. Had to drill through the firewall though. Ill probably seal the hole off with greatstuff at some point.






Bought a used 2005 RE audio XXX 15. This thing is a monster. Weighs around 65 lbs, and crushes the lows. Running knukoncepts 8awg wires, and wired down to 1ohm. Its eating up the 2200 watts I'm feeding it.





Built a box for the XXX, triple baffle 3/4in MDF and sealed with fiberglass resin. Box is about 5.6 cubes, port tuned to 30Hz, plexi window to see the huge mag. Bolt thru terminals. Painted inside of box red, and herculined the outside.
For reference, you should probably wear gloves even while thinking about herculiner. That stuff will not come off your hands... or hootus!







Built a rack for the Zx700.5, and new AQ2200d, as well as a platform for the box to sit on so that it'll clear the wheel wells. Was pretty happy with how this turned out. Got around to Herculining this too.






Wired up a voltage meter for the AQ2200d and put it in two of the blanks in the lower part of the center dash. Shows idle around 14.1 with music off, 13.7 with h/u at 20 and 13.2-12.8 with h/u at 30 depending on song.









Thats all for now. Future plans include:
-Big 3 w/ 1/0 grounds, 1/0 alt to battery and 2awg through variable voltage sensor
-2 kinetic HC1800s in cargo area
-2 Precision Power 900.4s
-Skar audio Pax 8's in front doors
-Skar audio Pax 6's in rear doors
-Skar audio tweeters in stock rear door location, A pillar and probably in stock dash location

[muddy]

Wow crazy... clean install! my ears are bleeding just looking at this.

[MTBx]

Thanks bro. It flexes a pretty good amount, excursion on the XXX is pretty ridiculous. I can't wait to find another XXX 15 to have a matched pair. But front stage is going to come first.

[MTBx]

Lots of updates to get to!

Pulled off the wheels and finally got to stealthing them. Went with duplicolor bedliner, diggin the flat black look with the midnight armor. Also went ahead and redid the grille and lower fascia. Also popped out most of the dent in the rear door that you can see in second pic. No clue what that was from...






Then got some 285/75/R17 Firestone Destination A/Ts mounted. Definitely like these stuffed in the wheel wells (& lady friend in the front seat was a fan too)

[MTBx]

Now on to Audio updates (this is long and pic heavy! sorry!)

Full tear out (all door speakers out as well)




Sold both amps (kicker zx700.5 and AQ2200d), sold the RE XXX and my Kinetik hc1400 took a crap

Scrapped the pro audio speaker plans.

Picked up some massive audio RK6 components. (next to my alpine type R 6.5s below, massives are on the right)




Had to make some big rings for the massives, stock plastic ones were not gonna cut it. I came up with this made from two pieces of 3/4" MDF...




Deadened front door outer skins with dynamat xtreme (way over priced)
Then bolted rings to the door and installed the mid woofers.




Also made some rings to mount the tweeters in the stock dash location. Getting those little bolts in and out is a PITA! They dont really fit under the stock grille though, ill have to figure something out...




Found out about a company called Murdermat, makes sound deadener, thicker and heavier than dynamat and less than half the price (12 sf of Dynamat was 90$ vs 40sf of Murdermat for 130$) Murdermat is also very high quality butyl backing and a super thick aluminum constraint layer. Heavy, but gets the job done and Im much happier with it than the dynacrap.
Anyways, used it to deaden/seal the inner doorskins and did the inner and outer skins of the hatch lid.





Went over to the SKAR audio warehouse and picked up their 85.4 amp for the mids and highs (really nice amp, never gets hot but will probably end up with something with more power). It can be run full active but for now Im using the passive xovers that came with the massives.




Went and picked up a pair of Crossfire XSV2 15s. Huge beastly subs, weigh about 75lbs each with a 4" voice coil. These things are gonna be power hungry.





Deadened the hideaway trunk spot with more murdermat, drilled 1 1/8" holes and put watertight 3/4" pvc conduit receivers (2 runs of 1/0 are run under the truck in conduit from front to back)



Picked up a bunch of ring terminals, fuse blocks and fuses (250 amps shown, wound up using 4 300amp fuses)





Built a rack for my rear batteries, it is bolted through the body.





Got batts (3 deka group 34 AGM) in and wired up.




Ordered some sexy toolmaker terminal blocks for my kinetik HC2400 thats up front.





And finally got around to some electrical upgrades in the engine bay.
Removed VVC (must be some kind of MPG joke, saw immediate increases in voltage). Made a 1/0 run from alternator in addition to stock wire, 1/0 run to stock fuse harness, 1/0 runs to fuse blocks (attaching front batt to rear batts)
Also upgraded chassis ground to 1/0 and engine block ground to 1/0. Still need to find a good spot on frame for a ground and do an alternator 1/0 ground to battery.






So thats how shes sits as of now.
In the next week I will be getting a Crescendo BC5500, and getting a box design for the crossfires.
Soon after will be a custom wound 300 amp alt (should do around 220a at idle)


If you made it here, thanks for reading!