Has anyone got any thoughts on mounting amps in the bed of the truck? I have a hard tonneau cover, so the weather and visibility (theft) won't be a problem. Can they be grounded to the bed, or do the ground wires have to route back to the cab? Also, is 4 gauge wire sufficient to run all the way to the bed (reg cab), for 2 amplifiers rated at 800w RMS total?

LocoSVT

 

Hell the bed is a great place to run everything. I like to mount the amps in three locations. The first would be along the front of the bed closest to the cab. Take a piece of plywood and cut it exactly to the size of the bed. It needs to be alittle snug. Push the wood all the way to against the bed and mount your amps on the wood. Second is what I will be doing. I will be building up the floor with ply wood and then mount the amps doen the middle of the bed. They will be sunk down and covered with plexi glass. The last would be to mount them on the side of the bed. The four gage wile will be fine to power the two amps. You may want to look into getting a cap to keep those two amps happy.
Hope this helps.

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1997 4.6 xlt 5-speed.
System includes Clarion head unit, 2 12w6's, jl 6 1/2 components, Two alpines running the show.

 

Thanks for the tips popeye.

I've decided to build a 12"x 5" chest (or tube) across the front with the ends open, and a 103cfm fan pushing air out the top center. With the amps mounted in either end, I'll get good airflow across them (Texas gets HOT.) I'm setting up a relay so the fan will come on with the amps. I'm locating the box by removing the tiedown cleats and using those holes.
Do you think that I should route the signal interlink cables through the other side of the cab from the speaker and power wires, or is that overkill? Also, will I be able to ground the amps to the bed?
I'm holding out on the cap till I see how the system holds out. I've got a 120A alternator, so it might be ok. If I were to go with one, should I mount it just in front of the power distribution block?

LocoSVT

 

In car stereo, you can never overkill. Running the rca's on the other side of the cab is cheap insurance! As far as the ground is concerned I have mixed feelings. We both know that the bed is not resting on the frame. It has spacers that break the ground link. BUT! I have been eyeing the four large bolts that are located near the tailgate. I believe that this might be the only area in the bed that "might" work. In my last install I had to run the ground back into the cab. As far as the cap, I think you should be o.k. but yes run it in front of you block. Good Luck.

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1997 4.6 xlt 5-speed.
System includes Clarion head unit, 2 12w6's, jl 6 1/2 components, Two alpines running the show.

 

Aren't there factory drain holes in the front of the bed? Run your ground through there,crimp a good lug on it and bolt it to the frame. If it's too small, drill it larger, get a nice rubber grommet to fit in the hole and seal it up with silicone.

Heck, I would even bring the B+ wire up through there also, to keep all that interference out of the cab area. I use welding cable in split loom for my Power and ground wires that I clamp to the frame with stainless half round wire hangers from the marine store. It is extremely thin strand, very flexable, and has a very thick rubber jacket. It's rated up to 600 amps which is way more than you will ever need. Just bring that to a distribution block in the bed and go from there.

What are you guys using as a rubber boot to go between the bed and the cab?

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Boss™

Just Ordered 2001 F-150 Lariat, Oxford White/Silver 4x4, medium graphite leather, SC, SB, SS, 99L 5.4L, 44E tran, 7700# payload, Class III Tow, 3.73LS, Skids, Capts chairs, 4W disc ABS, shift-on-fly, keyless, HD everything
Planned Mods:
Westin Chromed Stainless Nerf Bars, ARE LS II bed cover, Bedrug™, Gibson Swept Side Cat Back, K&N filter w/airbox mods, headers, Superchip, 3" body lift with at least 33's, alarm/pager/auto start system, stereo system


[This message has been edited by Boss96Hog (edited 07-20-2000).]

[This message has been edited by Boss96Hog (edited 07-20-2000).]

 

Thanks for your input guys!

I'm gonna' spend some time under the truck looking for a good route for the power cable. I don't want to route it though the cab if I can find a place that's fairly protected from the elements and road debris. I think I'll also end up grounding to the frame as close as possible to the amps.
I don't know about the previous years, but the 00s have two ports on the back of the cab that directly line up with grommets in the front wall of the bed. I'll route my low level inputs through one, and my speaker wire and power-on signal cable through the other. I'm just planning on using 1" split conduit from Crutchfield to loom the wires. If that doesn't prove to be appropriate, I'm good at wrapping with electrical tape! There's only a few inches that the wires will be exposed, and that's in a protected area, so I'm not too worried about it.
I'm definitely not building this for show, so durability and functionality are my first concerns, and stealth is my next.

LocoSVT