Subwoofer under passenger seat?

[Green Monster]

I'm looking to keep my blazer looking unmolested inside. I currently have 6x9's outfitted in holes in the rear CST panels that were installed by the previous owner.

I am going to replace rear CST panels and carpet. The top is off and I want some tunes, but I don't want the components to be visible. So I'm thinking of putting 4" speakers under the rear seat firing to the front and covering them with some type of fabric that matches the interior. I would like to install and amp to drive a 10" subwoofer but the placement of the sub is a bit tricky. I want it hidden. Clearance under the rear seat is TIGHT, like 3-4 inches. So, I'm thinking about going with downward firing 10" sub for under the front passenger seat. No rails or tracks to worry about. Don't have to worry about the seat moving over it. I can wrap the box in carpet or vinyl to match the interior. Having the box under the seat may be a nuisance when getting in and out for people navigating to and from the back seat. I'm thinking if you can't get around the woofer box, then you probably should not be in the truck at all. Anyone put a nice looking box under the seat before? If not, where else can I put one, besides my arse, that it would be hidden?

[ClassicStyle]

i was thinkiing about doin two 8's under my rear seat.

[bouncytruck]

Did you see the Bronco Foose did on Overhaulin' last week. They put a sub in a faux gas can in the back of the rig. Of course, with the price of gas these days that might be a target for theft too. There was a board member who was building a caprice wagon. He was building his subs in "beach balls" in the back of the wagon. Looked pretty slick in the sketches.

[RunTMCfan]

I have numerous years of advanced car audio installs. I'll check out my blazer today. If you are crafty with fiberglass you can do just about anything. Don't worry about the subs fireing forward though. Generally in an SUV you get more output firing to the rear. It gives the long wavelength a chance to do it's thing. In my 2002 silverado I do have dual 8's firing forward due to design limitations. However if you want a more natural sound, my brain says to have them firing forward, assuming of course they fit.

My subs are goint into the bed panels.

If you sit in a car or truck that totally rocks you will notice their arrangment in the front is very beefy. Sometimes multiple 6.5" mids on each side. Since most Blazer guys don't want to cut their doors or kick panels you may resort to having your mids and highs in the side panels in front of the rear bench. To really keep up with my two 8's in my 2002 I need way more than my Infinity Perfect 6.5's.

Just make sure you have the mids and highs capable enough to keep up with a pair of 8's. It takes alot more than many think.

[72CSTC5]

How about building a sub enclosure inside one of the rear CST panels and then screwing the CST panel over it. Because it is bass it will still be heard and out of the way. Put your amp in there too. Same thing I did in a 96 Tahoe 4wd drive I had and people where like what the "f", where is that coming from.

[RunTMCfan]

Exactly!

[LUV2XCLR8]

Originally Posted by RunTMCfan

Exactly!

And any thing over a 10" is overkill, I ran 2 10's in my USAC / IASCA
firebird and it would do plenty, I was running 4 8's but got greeding
for the lo lo's, so I took out my 8's and put in the 10's ported

[RunTMCfan]

IASCA tourneys!!! You're not messing around.

Always wanted to do it but when I was 17 (now almost 30) I realized that car audio was a tough living. Lot's of fun just not a lot of cash. I have some decent photos of my 2002. Nothing fancy but it works.

(2) Kicker 8's, now sealed, they were ported and way to sloppy
Infinity Perfects front and rear (very bright tweeter, not too happy)
All Orion amps
Capacitor
1/0 to the distribution block and then 4gauge to the amps.
Some Dynamat here and there too

Average install with good gear.

When my friends complain about how their systems sound the first thing I ask them about is the quality of their RCA's and how they grounded the entire system. That is most of the problems I find with my buddies stereos.

[LUV2XCLR8]

1987 Firechick'n (See attached Photo)

*Keep in mind this was back in 1995

Sony Cd changer and 1/2 din controller
(Not the crappy ass rf modulater type)

5 Autotek 150 x 150 amps (450 Mono)

4 1" Sony Dome Tweeters
2 4" Rockford Audiophile Mids
2 8" Rockford Audiophile Rears
2 10" Rockford Punch Pro's

2 1 Million Microfared Caps
2 Diehard Gold 900 cca Battery's
1 Redline battery Isolater

0 Guage Phoenix Gold wire
0 Guage PG Gold connectors
* All other wiring was 8 guage

4 Turbine Fans for Amp rack cooling
8 Led fuse warning system in ashtray

*Everything designed and installed by yours truely

Missed best in Show twice (By less than 5 points)

Never placed lower than 3rd in any show entered

Best Spl was only 137.5 but hey that's not to bad

*Side note wife made it in 2 magazines, I never did
she screamed 142 db, and I have proof, it's no BS

[RunTMCfan]

137.5 is very loud in a car. Fosgate Punch's and Poenix Gold, yeah that's 1995! I purchased an Old School Orion 2100 HCCA amp off Ebay for $250. One of the best amps ever. Totally underrated in power, by about 1000 watts.

It's funny though. Brand Popularity varies from county to county and state to state.

In 1994 I was 17 years old (so was my frient Matt) and was one of the first couple hundred students and Installers Institute in Daytona Fl. A 17 year old with his closest friend at Daytona Beach during Spring Break. What were my parents thinking


Never entered a contest though. That must have been fun. I couldn't even imaging what competing would be like today. Way too much technology and geekazoids with tons of money.

My biggest enclosure ever was (4) Kicker 12's in a 1970? Cutlass Convertable with candy paint and Dayton Wire Wheels. Talk about Gangster. My neighbors staired at me for weeks.

Thanks for the memories. You and I were into it heavy at the same time. I hung up my nail gun until about 2 years ago.

[Medicanman71]

I see you only have 7 posts, have you posted your blazer in the 4x4 blazer sticky on top of this section?

[RunTMCfan]

Pioneer makes a shallow mount sub. But 3-4in is extremely tight. Most mids need 4 in or so. I would look in another direction. I could not do downfiring in my 2002 with 8's and I had about 9.5in or so. They have to breath.

[vtblazer]

Originally Posted by Medicanman71

I see you only have 7 posts, have you posted your blazer in the 4x4 blazer sticky on top of this section?

Yep, he's - been there/done that - already.

[pumpkin]

Heres a pic of my subs. Two 8"s in a console between the rear buckets, firing down. It sounds awsome.

[Green Monster]

So here is the set up I'm thinking:

Rear seat:
Clearance under the rear seat is TIGHT, like 3-4 inches.

JL Audio XR653-CS under the rear seat firing forward and covering it with moss green fabric to match the interior. 6.5", 4", and 1". The 6 5" speakers my pose a fitment problem. Perhaps I can angle them up to make them fit. And an amp for the sub up front.

http://mobile.jlaudio.com/products_c...hp?comp_id=121


Front seat:

10" Sub firing down in an enclosure. Carpeted with and extra new K/5 Blazer emblem I scored on ebay for $0.99 Fiberglass sounds nice...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I thought about the being hidden behind the side panels. Not sure if I have enough clearance. Don't subs need some open space for air movement. I'm think they won't work properly unless I create port in the panel. cutting the panels, please.

Check out this retro CD player/ head unit I put in. Kenwood EZ-500.


Great ideas guys... keep them coming.

[Green Monster]

Originally Posted by pumpkin

Heres a pic of my subs. Two 8"s in a console between the rear buckets, firing down.

Holy Crap. Nice! Are those cup holders or ports?

I'm looking for stealth and stock look on mine though.

[pumpkin]

Originally Posted by Green Monster

Holy Crap. Nice! Are those cup holders or ports?

I'm looking for stealth and stock look on mine though.

Cup holders.

[RunTMCfan]

I had a down firing sub in my 02' while experimenting. It really shook the sheat metal when I cranked it up. That's with modern day construction and tons of Dynamat.

Are you going to down fire strictly for stealth?

If you want stealth, for example: I would rear fire the 10" and make a grill cover similar to what you see on home speakers. You could even fashion the frame of the grill to have a mounting spot for your new emblem.

I was thinking about horn tweeters mounted under the dash in the front. They cover a lot of the mid range and can totally crank. It sounds as if you are going to have all your mids and highs coming from the rear. It can play loud but you will always wonder why it doesn't sound right. You have to have roughly 75% of your mids and highs coming from in front of you. I would fashion up a 5-1/4" kick panel set of separates.

[bmg9b]

You know, they make open-air subs... not sure if that helps at all.

[RunTMCfan]

Stealth is the key.

Here is just the power center of my 2002 Silverado. That plywood panel hinges for fuse replacement and the addition or subtraction of any new components. Could have had it totally wireless if I didn't run out of steam by the end of the day. I slacked off with the last few wires showing. That's ok though.

It's funny when you look at how nasty the first couple photos are. You would never think it could end being as clean as it is.

This entire set up fits behind the rear bench. My sub fits under the seat. The vehicle is still fully functional and you would never know I'm running about 1500watts.

Be the coolest dude with a K5 and put horn tweeters under the dash before I do this summer!

[RunTMCfan]

I think you're thinking of "Free Air" subs. They aren't actually open air. You still have to permanantly separate the front wave of the woofer from the rear wave.

[IGOR]

Okay - dumb question, but what is a "horn tweeter?"

[RunTMCfan]

Similar to what you see in Gyms and concerts. Wide dispersion and they come in sizes like 2x7. I've never put one in a car but it will work. The mounting is all you really have to work out. They need no enclosure. If your just trying to rock, and in a Blazer that's all you really can do, this would do.

[IGOR]

So ideally, you would have one on each side of the dash - hidden up under the dash? Pointed down or ?

[RunTMCfan]

Right at your crotch I'm guessing. I only looked under there for a second. I think two in the center would work if you also had some mids/highs in the doors or kick panels. I would look at each horn differently and then decide on its placement. You can actually buy the driver (what produces the sound) and then build your own horn (disbursment mechanism) out of ABS plastic. If your running 10's and you've done it right, you'll need a ton of front end (mids and highs) to keep up.