SLOW build on a 2001 GMC Jimmy

[mccleery3 166]

Nice batt rack build......clean!

[thegrad1112 1]

nice box design

[altoncustomtech 773]

nice box design

Thanx bro. It shouldn't turn out too bad, although I have to admit I'm having a couple of thoughts on some changes.

Nice batt rack build......clean!

Thank you man. In keeping with how I like to do things, everything, including the battery, will be hidden except where the wires poke through to the amps.

Looking good bro

Thanks brother. Missed you last weekend BTW.

Looks very good! I like that you are taking the time to fit it around the wheel wells.

Thank you. It only seems appropriate to make sure the fit and finish is about as good as the function. Besides, that's dead space there between the wheel well and tailgate that's perfect for the battery and things of that sort. Helps keep as much of the cargo area as possible open for hauling stuff.

[porkchop 304]

Sorry lil bro, I said yes, gas tank said no.

[altoncustomtech 773]

Believe me brother, I know how that goes for sure. I'll be up that way again before too long for more doctor related stuff for the wifey. If she's feeling up to it maybe we can arrange a little visit time then.

Also, amp rack is assembled. It's glued, clamped and awaiting the night to be ready for bedliner tomorrow. All I've got left to do with the truck is drill and bolt the grounds into place back there and when the bedliner is done curing Sunday It's INSTALL it time. I'll have power pumping them Bravox's then and it's on to the enclosure build. Which reminds me I still need to find out if it's okay to put the sub facing up and the PR's facing rear or not. I'm affraid of the affect of the weights on the PR's causing them to sag with all three facing up. Maybe someone can chime in on whether or not it's okay to arrange the dual PR's in that fashion or not. It's either that or face them all rear, which is doable, but no where near as neat to look at through the plexi. LOL

[mccleery3 166]

Not sure if you've been asked or answered already bro but are you going to be up for finals at all?

[edouble101 314]

PR can be in any position in relation to the driver. Although having a PR facing up or down is not recommended.

Here is a good faq for PR's http://www.aespeakers.com/PRFAQ.php

Edited September 8, 2012 by edouble101

[altoncustomtech 773]

Not sure if you've been asked or answered already bro but are you going to be up for finals at all?

At this point I just have no idea. So many things are up in the air around here that worrying about making it up there for the finals is pretty much at the bottom of the list, unfortunately. I'd love to go but with everything going on with no real point of settling down in sight, I just don't know how to manage making it.

PR can be in any position in relation to the driver. Although having a PR facing up or down is not recommended.

Here is a good faq for PR's http://www.aespeakers.com/PRFAQ.php

Thanks for the link, read, re-read and re-re-read it again. It seemed like that was the way I remembered it somewhere in a dark corner of my memory, but I wanted to be certain. I did know that up or down was definitely not recommended.

[porkchop 304]

Solid game plan for sure.

U do understand we will be awaiting the pics soon to follow, right!?!

[altoncustomtech 773]

Solid game plan for sure.

U do understand we will be awaiting the pics soon to follow, right!?!

LOL. Thanx for the vote of confidence. It seems like a solid plan anyway. We'll see how it works out. I've got pics of the continuing progress on the amp rack to post up but I think I'm gonna save that for after it's in tomorrow. Since the enclosure has now undergone a slight change I think I'm gonna forego the posting of a design and only upload a few teaser pics on it as well. For fun.

[porkchop 304]

^ note: this guy, he is a tease!

[altoncustomtech 773]

Okay, the amp rack is done, installed and the 125.2 is running the Bravox components like the clean powerhouse I expected it to be. Those components have been well worth the modest price I paid for them while using them on the HU and with the amp running them that is even more evident. I have A LOT of tuning to do yet with the new found power, but so far the difference is exactly what I expected. Although I do have to say that the internal amp on the HU is definitely a powerful little chip and ran the Bravox's quite well considering the low power. As for the amp rack, I'm quite pleased with how it turned out except for a few little things, nothing big enough to really bother me, I just know I could have done better with it. On to the pictures.

Here's the pics of the final assembly. Went together just like it was supposed to.

Here's a couple of pictures of the ground for the battery and 125.2. I bolted the grounds to the floor with a cable running to the frame. I also covered that bracket on the frame and where the cable bolts to the bottom of the floor with the bedliner I used on the amp rack to keep the connections clean and prevent rust but didn't figure it was picture worthy.

The pics jump right to the installation at this point. I just didn't see the need to include everything in between. Here you can see the amps mounted on the rack with the bedliner all done on it. This is one of my little fuck ups from getting in a hurry that I'm hating. I got my router with roundover bit laid out and ready to go before I applied the bedliner but got in such a hurry that I completely spaced picking it up and using it. So none of the edges or corners are rounded like they were supposed to be. I figure if something ever happens and I have to redo something I'll do it then and refinish the bedliner on it.

Got the cables all pulled out straight and ready for it to go in.

Here's the XP950 sitting ready to be connected and installed.

Got the battery connected and set in place in the rack. Everything was measured so closely that I won't have to worry about it going ANYWHERE in there.

Getting all the wires and cables pulled up through the board and laid in place.

Here's the rack set in place over the carriage bolts. As you can see with the bolts and wing nuts holding it I shouldn't have to worry about the rack going anywhere and it makes it quite easy to remove again if needed. The last one is a bit of a reach, but again, everything was measured so well that my arm still easily fits in there to get to it.

Got the wires pulled up and connected to the amps.

The power wires connected to the front battery.

And lastly the finished product. The things that annoy me with it finished is that the top board of the rack isn't as close to the side of the truck as I had planned, even though it was just right on the test fit it somehow came out with about a 3/8" gap. Not bad, but it shouldn't have been that far off. The other thing, if you notice the empty hole on the back of the rack there, is that the remote knob wire ended up being about 8" too short to reach the 1500. Easily remedied with a phone wire extension cable, but still annoying. So, besides the lack of rounded edges, the gap and the short wire it pretty well came out like I planned.

Onto the enclosure build!!!

[porkchop 304]

The detailed pics and descriptions are every bit as awesome as you are!

Looks great to me, I would be proud to own it for sure.

I can see this being one of my favorite builds when all done.

Keep up the good work and thanks for the great build log.

Your time on it is well appreciated.

Chop

[altoncustomtech 773]

The detailed pics and descriptions are every bit as awesome as you are!

Looks great to me, I would be proud to own it for sure.

I can see this being one of my favorite builds when all done.

Keep up the good work and thanks for the great build log.

Your time on it is well appreciated.

Chop

Thank you for the kind words brother. If all goes according to plan it will be one of my favorite personal builds as well. Robust fairly accurate output in a smallish size is the goal. Still a ways to go before we know if the goal is met.

[mccleery3 166]

Nice craftsmanship bro

It gives me a few ideas for my future build.

Best wishes to you & your family.

Wish you could make it up, you'll defintely be missed

[altoncustomtech 773]

Nice craftsmanship bro

It gives me a few ideas for my future build.

Best wishes to you & your family.

Wish you could make it up, you'll defintely be missed

Thanks man, if it works out it would be great, but at this point it's just too tough to make the plans to be there.

Thanks also on the comment on the craftsmanship. If I were really worried about it I would have gone through a bit more labor and got it really looking good. I didn't because of all the work I do with the truck. I didn't see the point in making the amp rack super pretty as it will get beat up pretty good with firewood, dogs, etc. Which is the biggest reason I'm making the enclosure removable, so I don't have to worry about damage to the sub or PR's. I'm also really glad it gives you some ideas for the future, I think it's one of the biggest reasons build logs should be done.

My family and I wish all the best for you and your family as well brother. Times are tough, we all need to hang in there.

[Sencheezy 689]

[dbsupra 69]

It came out really well!

You can definitely tell when someone plans something out vs slapping some stuff together.

[altoncustomtech 773]

Thanx dude.

It came out really well!

You can definitely tell when someone plans something out vs slapping some stuff together.

Thank you, I really appreciate that. When I get a plan or idea I try very hard to ensure it's going to work and stick to it. So far, so good.

Well, after a couple of weeks of listening to the Bravox's with the added power all I have to say is that I'm more than very happy. The components in the Van are very sterile and precise, I'd love to hear what Chop remembers of them too. They play very clean with no hint of distortion, however they also sound a bit dry or cold. They sound excellent but they lack some midbass (not their fault, its the install) and can make some music that gets real busy and excited sound a little less so almost as though they suppress the recorded distortion or it simply doesn't come across. Such as the song Land of Confusion by Disturbed which has some great guitars that are recorded with some distortion. You hear it, but sterile is the only word that comes to mind to describe how you hear it.

The Bravox's are just as precise in playback, albeit with a hint of beaming that I have mostly EQ'd out, but sound SO much warmer, fuller, and with a good deal more midbass. Their detail and warmth are what impresses me most, almost like listening to a really good set of house speakers on a big old school amp like a 1970's era Marantz receiver. I find myself looking for any excuse to take the Jimmy places and find myself sitting there and finishing the song I'm listening to every time I reach my destination. They sound full and alive and I sure as hell wish they still sold their product here in the US as I wouldn't hesitate to buy more. It also makes me antsy to play with the carbon fiber 3 ways I picked up awhile back.

Final design of the enclosure has been verified and the construction has begun, although to implement one aspect of the build on it I need a good table saw. Since I don't own one I'm going to go talk to an old family friend and neighbor and see if he still has his wood shop. If so I'll use his to make the cuts I need. Otherwise this thing should be coming together real soon.

[Aaron Clinton 2,372]

Looking very good.

[reelfish92 54]

Clean work, Amp rack/battery rack looks sweet.

[mccleery3 166]

Anything new bro?

[altoncustomtech 773]

Okay, a little update.  Things are moving along, albeit extremely slowly, but the enclosure is ready for assembly.  Plexi has been cut, all the panels are cut, it's ready to be glued and clamped, cutouts made and then finished.

 

I have one picture to upload thus far, where I'm working on getting the plexi cut.  You can see the enclosure panels standing on end in the upper right corner of the picture next to the oil drum.  Woohoo, I may actually get this done this year, LOL.

 

[porkchop 304]

This will be one I will want to hear!

[porkchop 304]

This will be one I will want to hear!