2016 Ram Tradesman/Express build log

[Hillbilly SQ]

Had a pretty productive install day today. I love how it warms back up into the 90's when I'm off and ready to do outside stuffI got the 4 dash speakers installed and the amp rack wired to the point the wires just need to be tidied up with split loom and cover made for it. Reused the rack from the Grand Cherokee. The pics will tell the story. Also use what's laying around to get the job done. For the record that Stihl weedeater line in one of the pics is incredibly tough when it comes to chainlink fences. The gb25 on that 1/8" adapter ring BARELY clears the grille but it clears enough so it won't buzz it. I attached the tweeters to the grille with a screw and ran the wire for them down through it. Borderline ghetto but it works. And I can swivel them too. I ran the wire for the tweeters down through one of the clip holes. Yeah the wire gets pinched but am confident the integrity of the wire isn't compromised.

[Hillbilly SQ]

The rack out of the Jeep seems to be a decent fit. Had to peel the carpet back and cut 2" off the side to make it fit the way I wanted it to. Should have cut a couple more inches off but what's done is done. Haven't decided if this rack will be the one I end up sticking with. I need to make a top for it to cover everything up. It's open on the sides so not worried about ventilation. I know some of you are cringing over the rca cables but I used what was laying around (couple half meter and a couple 1 meter cables are my shortest ones) and refuse to spend money I don't have to if what I have on hand will work. Also made a speaker wire harness with quick disconnects to keep from having to hook all that stuff up to the amp itself with it in the truck. Yes I trust my crimps and gave them the tug test with zero failures out of who knows how many throughout this install. I have some big split loom to wrap around the main power and ground wires and the big bundle that has the speaker wires and rca cables. That will happen once I decide if this setup will be staying put.


Also got the new reverse camera cable to replace the one I broke and USPS really messed up. I think the damaged end will work but if it doesn't I'll splice a new end on from an old rca cable. Not worth my time to deal with the post office over a cable that cost me $10 shipped to my door.

[chithead]

What the what - did the mail person do a wicked burnout on top of it or what?

[beak81champ]

What the what - did the mail person do a wicked burnout on top of it or what?

Looks like it got stuck in a high speed separator wheel. Saw millions of checks looking like this when I worked at a bank. Our machines sorted 26 checks per second, and when 1 jammed, you had 100 little accordions to hand sort...

[Hillbilly SQ]

Got the Discovery 7's installed in the doors today to round out the 3-way frontstage. I forgot to get a pic of a speaker installed but you all know what a speaker looks like installed in a door and a Discovery 7" is your standard solid black raw driver from the front. I made adapter rings out of cutting board and sprayed them with black laquer spray paint I've had in the shop for several years. Finish didn't have to be perfect so I used it. I used butyl rubber rope between the adapter and door and standard gasket tape between the adapter and speaker. Also put memory foam weather stripping on the panel around the speaker opening. And made some extensions for the stock wire so I'd have plenty to work with for now and in the future. Yes I trust my crimps and those connectors have heat shrink sealed to the wire. I had to tighten the bolts holding on the carrier plates on the doors. I have a feeling the passenger side carrier plate has been removed before. Doors are pretty dead with an 80hz 24db cross point. I think some buzzing I'm hearing at VERY loud volumes is from the panels around the rear speakers that aren't even hooked up but that will be a witch hunt for another day IF I try to remedy the issue. At reference levels everything is fine. So how does the 3-way front sound with no l/r eq and just levels and time alignment done with the headunit along with a couple small eq cuts? Sounds pretty good for being so raw! Midrange and tweets are smooth as butter and midbass is tight and accurate. I'll probably settle with the current 80, 800, and 4000hz crossover points with 24db slopes. The RD900/5 has undefeatable LR 12db slopes so I just stacked a 12db LR cross point on top of that with the processor for a 24db slope. I was concerned about stacking crossovers but I think it will be fine. We'll see what happens when I throw the subwoofer into the mix. Also wanted the Zapco ST-4X SQ on the midrange and tweets. I have the front headunit channels on midrange and tweets in dash and rear channels on midbass in doors so I can have control over time alignment and levels with the headunit after the real tune is done with the processor. As of now I'm not going to waste time with L/R eq work until the correct dash mat comes in. Also have a 10" sub on the way that will be revealed when it's getting dropped into the box it's going in. Hint: most of you would never guess what's on the way but decided to give this sub another try since my listening tastes have changed a lot over the years

[Hillbilly SQ]

OK, today was a rollercoaster of emotions. The reverse camera isn't working and the factory usb port isn't playing nice with the factory radio. Says "hub error". I found a permanent solution for the usb port issue and fabricated what I need to make me pretty much not need the reverse camera. I'll troubleshoot the camera if/when I get in the mood to this winter. I can get within a couple inches left or right of where I need to be by just eyeballing where the trolling motor is in relation to the top of the tailgate so just needed something to bump the trailer tongue when it gets where it needs to be to drop it down on the ball. This contraption will keep me from having to get out several times to see how much further I need to back up without putting a dent in the bumper. I'll put some neoprene where the mdf meets the bumper to cushion the blow. Also put my phone mic in a little storage hole that also holds my headunit remote. Hopefully the mic works there. I go weeks at a time without talking on the phone while driving so if it's not perfect for the person on the other end that's just tough. And built the sub box for the Dayton ho10d4. Next week I hope to finish the box, amp rack, and tie up most of the loose ends that I know will annoy me. Dash mat will be in by then too so the tuning can begin.

[beak81champ]

So the mystery sub is the Dayton HO. Why didn’t you like it when you had it before?

[Hillbilly SQ]

So the mystery sub is the Dayton HO. Why didn’t you like it when you had it before?

I was more of a ground pounder back then. These days as long as the sub fills in the bottom with a little left over without calling attention to itself that's all I care about.

[chithead]

Heh heh, you said fills in the bottom.

[Hillbilly SQ]

Here's what happened last week. A buddy of mine found a nearly brand new toolbox on offer-up for $150 that was semi-local. Manufacture date is June of 2017. The deal couldn't have gone any smoother. The guy didn't want to let it go with his truck when he sold it and decided to sell this one so he could get a black one next time. Also gave me both keys for it. I will be hauling my trout fishing stuff back there 8 months out of the year. And misc other stuff I hate cluttering up the cab with when it will do just fine in a locked box in the bed. I used 6 J-bolts to mount it. It ain't going anywhere.