MGMDesertTaco's audio build

I went with the slim versions as they were included and just to be on the safe side, but I've heard the regulars will fit with metra brackets. I haven't measured to be honest though. Also, the slim versions cl-69s are advertised as 80w rms, so likely a better match for the 50w rms key amp than the other models. https://www.cdtaudio.com/sep_components/subwoofers/cl69s.php

Probably should have done that too. Oh well.

Funny enough I think the Focal RSB-250 sub will fit this box, but I'd have to pull the bin and place the amps under the seat if I go that route. Hmm...

 

Yeah I know where you’re coming from with this and deciding on the layout. It’s a few tough choices on placement and cable routing. If I had gone the two amp route, I would have been looking at the back of the cab behind the back seat and that’s a great setup too. Maybe an amp/sub box combo or yeah just mount the amps on the OEM plastic bin thing.

 

@j-utah where did you get you speaker adapters from, Taco_Tunes?

 

This thread is motivating.

I did the typical Kicker CS speakers, Kicker 200w amp, made the harness nice and pretty, and started......started to sound deaden. I have the back doors done. Need to do the fronts, and the rear wall. Looking at what everyone else has done, I went a little too light on my rear doors, so I'll make up for that everywhere else.

 

Yeah it was t-a-c-o tunes. I like their company and they have some good things going on. They have great you tube videos on sound matting. I have a few of their items but didn’t do a full kit. Some of their stuff is expensive and that was two years ago. I think it’s even more now. Their speaker adaptors are beefy, I think CNC from a solid piece of 3/4 high density plastic. I had to make sure the holes I predrilled for the speakers were big enough, otherwise really hard to get the screws in. Here is a rear. I like what the OP found for adapters. These were tricky to work with.

 

If you can swing it, do the whole door and it basically makes each door into a speaker box. Also helps with sound traveling back and forth from each speaker. It’s not an easy project. I have a thread with photos that shows the edge trimming if it helps. If doing the whole door you don’t reinstall the felt.

 

My rear doors are done with a couple sheets of Noico. Better than they were from the factory. I'm not ripping them apart again

But, I still need to do the fronts, so I'll spend some extra time making sure I have more/thicker coverage. And then the whole back wall I'll really do well. I have a rear seat delete for the dog, which when you take out those rear seats you induce a lot of extra road noise. I added a 4" memory foam pad which helped, but I think really doing the rear wall and the rear floor will get me back to better than factory noise levels.

 

My replacement Unity 8.0 is out for delivery today via UPS. Enjoying all the comments and feedback as it gives me some ideas too. It's supposed to be 106 or so starting the middle of next week. I really need to get this install wrapped up asap!

@japjoe7

Here's the mounts with the Focal's...(double check those measurements)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNfq_rkUUv4

 

I'm a bit hung up on my harness assembly as I'm using 9 wire (speedwire) to extend the harness and place the amp under the passenger front seat.

I have a few questions in step 6:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...ker-key-t-harness-16-19.642415/#post-22214527

Since I'm using an amp install kit from Crutchfield (separate power and ground), I assume we just connect the yellows together and the blacks together (far right corner of picture) as opposed to tapping those back into the separate power and ground wires of the amp install kit?



Also, I'm adding the RCA's back in for the key 500.1 (I haven't snipped any of the RCA's in the far left of the picture here yet), so the remote wire for the 500.1 will just tap into the other 3 blue remote wires in the harness leading back into the larger key plug connector (power and ground side of key amp)? (3 blue wires on far right side of picture; connect 4th blue wire here for 500.1 amp?)

 

Have you watched any of the Five Star Car Stereo videos? Dean has a boatload of videos wiring Kicker Keys.

 

I've actually watched quite a few of his videos. One recently where he's giving away a signed RSB-250.

The harness is done short of adding the extra remote wire for the 500.1. I went ahead and tied the blacks together and yellows together and ran separate power and ground. I think I'll go ahead and tap the remote wire to the others and call it good.

I'll have to pickup some shorter screws to mount both amps to the metra abs board and shorter screws for the unity 8.0 mounts. The metra speaker mounts are cheap crap anyway.

Also, I've been seriously thinking about swapping these CDT's and running the Auditor RSE-165's or Flax PS165FE's in the front doors instead, but I'll see how the CDT's sound first. It never ends.

 

@MGMDesertTaco from what I can see in the photo, everything looks good so far. Reds & blacks from the amp go to your amp install kit, and all the wires in the factory male/female harnesses attach color for color (save for the speaker lines). I don't know that I would deal with wiring up RCAs at the back of the radio... just cut off the rcas at the amp and wire up the speedwire directly, fewer connection points.

bonus points if you solder & heatshrink everything though. its not that hard, just get a good gun and keep the tip cleaned & tinned

 

Try all the speakers and let us know.

If i had your money i’d throw mine away!

 

I had the CS components and still have the coaxials in the rear. They sounded decent but Didnt like being driven too hard. Finally blew a 6x9 that’s how I ended up with CDTs

 

Update,

Grabbed some Hillman #4 x 3/8 screws for the unity 8.0 metra dash mounts and some shorter Hillman #8 x 3/8 screws for the key amps to mount on the metra abs board this morning. When I came back my extra box of SecondSkin Pro was on the front porch!

All doors are deadened, all speakers and tweeters are installed and harness is complete. (I used posi twist connectors on everything and didn't solder. )

I need to do a little more research on the CDT crossover and Kicker Key settings before running the auto setup, but I will snake power through the firewall tomorrow, connect the amp, and let er rip. The truck is still in pieces.


Next step will be to order the Focal RSB-250 sub and taco t****s box. The Focal RSE-165's are on closeout for $150, so I think I might just order them for sound quality comparison. I'd like to upgrade the speaker mounts to the taco t****s ones as well, but this is adding up rather quickly, so I'll probably wait on those for now.

I did have about 5-6 sheets of SecondSkin Pro left over, so that will be for the back cab wall. I really don't want to deaden the floor, but we'll see.

 

Benefit's of having no car payments. If I had a new truck none of this would be happening.

 

Here's what I've got for the initial key 200.4 settings. 80hz high pass filter sound about right?

 

looks good.

 

Deaden and foam insulate the floors before you finish and put everything back together. You wont regret it.