Power run for power amp

7963 Views 9 Replies 5 Participants Last post by Anchorless, Jun 8, 2017

swellguy

Discussion Starter · Sep 13, 2016

Hey, if there's enough room, thinking about putting a big multi-channel power amp in the dash someplace when I do my stereo so I can simply hook into the factory speaker wiring. Aside from the driver's seat pedestal, is there anywhere you can hook up a high amperage circuit which connects to the van battery? If not and I need to go to the pedestal, where do you hide the wire to go from the seat pedestal to under the dash?

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swellguy

Discussion Starter · #2 · Oct 3, 2016

BUMP on this one. I can't believe no one has run from the CCPs to under the dash. Any ideas?

I'm thinking about taking the step out and running them under there, but if you get the up fitter option, it looks like they run along the middle of the floor somehow? Do I have to remove the floor?

Anyone done this?

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Andre Jones

· #3 · Oct 3, 2016 (Edited)

I think the easiest way to run an amp is to use one of the speaker level inputs from the door or panel speakers avoiding the dash altogether (from all the pics I've seen there doesn't appear to be much room at all under there). Then mounting the amp under this panel or on the driver pedestal. If you don't have rear heat/ac then you could also use the passenger pedestal area and re-locate the jack.

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coke

· #4 · Oct 3, 2016 (Edited)

I'm currently in the planning phases of an install. There's nothing under my passenger seat except for the jack. My plan is to move the jack somewhere else, and mount my amp and crossovers under the seat. My van has rubber floors and I'll run all the cables under them in places where they will be least likely to get damaged. I haven't pulled up any of the panels on the floor near the doors yet, but in most cars there's room there to run cables under the hard plastic where they are protected from passengers.. Typically you'll run your RCA/Signal cables on one side of the vehicle, and power on the other. I'll run all new speaker wire from the amp to the woofers in the doors and tweeters in the pillars.

If I decide to add subs, I'll probably use an amp I already have. It's roughly 24" long, so it will either be mounted on the partition, or I'll move it to the rear of the van and make a plate to allow it to be mounted on the wall.

Found this example online: This is how I'll run the speaker and signal cables. In my case, the power cable will just be ran between seats.

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justcallben

· #5 · Oct 4, 2016

When I can find a few moments, I'll take pictures of my install. I have a 10" bass reflex sub in a custom box I made under the passenger seat (Jack? I don't need no friggin' jack!), a JL Audio 1200W competition amp powering that mounted on my bulkhead and a Polk 330 running the Polk front speakers mounted in the lower tray under the cupholder area. No exposed wires, everything neat and tidy. I ran the power wires through the firewall. There are a few rubber plugs in factory holes and you just need to make a small X cut in one a push your cable through. The rubber is expandable enough o seal around the cable. I routed the cables to separate fuse holders and then to the + power points on the underhood fuse box.

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swellguy

Discussion Starter · #6 · Oct 10, 2016

coke said:
I'm currently in the planning phases of an install. There's nothing under my passenger seat except for the jack. My plan is to move the jack somewhere else, and mount my amp and crossovers under the seat. My van has rubber floors and I'll run all the cables under them in places where they will be least likely to get damaged. I haven't pulled up any of the panels on the floor near the doors yet, but in most cars there's room there to run cables under the hard plastic where they are protected from passengers.. Typically you'll run your RCA/Signal cables on one side of the vehicle, and power on the other. I'll run all new speaker wire from the amp to the woofers in the doors and tweeters in the pillars.

If I decide to add subs, I'll probably use an amp I already have. It's roughly 24" long, so it will either be mounted on the partition, or I'll move it to the rear of the van and make a plate to allow it to be mounted on the wall.

Found this example online: This is how I'll run the speaker and signal cables. In my case, the power cable will just be ran between seats.

That doesn't look like the Transit to me. If it is, it's on the wrong side of the vehicle to access the CCP's.

I think I'll take the driver's step off the next few days to see if there's any room in there to run some wiring. That'll provide good access to the CCP assuming there isn't any power already behind the dash for a power amp.

I'm also thinking about mounting a power amp, most likely for the sub only but maybe for rear speakers as well in the second void in the driver's side wall behind my panelling. I'd do it right behind the driver, but I've already got my house fuse box there.

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swellguy

Discussion Starter · #7 · Oct 10, 2016

justcallben said:
When I can find a few moments, I'll take pictures of my install. I have a 10" bass reflex sub in a custom box I made under the passenger seat (Jack? I don't need no friggin' jack!), a JL Audio 1200W competition amp powering that mounted on my bulkhead and a Polk 330 running the Polk front speakers mounted in the lower tray under the cupholder area. No exposed wires, everything neat and tidy. I ran the power wires through the firewall. There are a few rubber plugs in factory holes and you just need to make a small X cut in one a push your cable through. The rubber is expandable enough o seal around the cable. I routed the cables to separate fuse holders and then to the + power points on the underhood fuse box.

You're using the passenger seat for a sub install? That's pretty cool, I like that it's out of the way, and I like how you got power under the hood. You sure there's no high-current connection points already under the dash? Did you build your box to manufacturer's specs on volume? That space looks pretty small to me, so I think spec'd volume might be challenging. Did you go ported or unported? Where did you run the speaker wire?

I'm using the passenger seat for general storage, but your solution sounds slick. Does the seat vibrate with that sub under there? Do you need access to it? I'm probably going to be a rotating pedestal on it.

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coke

· #8 · Oct 12, 2016

swellguy said:
That doesn't look like the Transit to me. If it is, it's on the wrong side of the vehicle to access the CCP's.

I think I'll take the driver's step off the next few days to see if there's any room in there to run some wiring. That'll provide good access to the CCP assuming there isn't any power already behind the dash for a power amp.

I'm also thinking about mounting a power amp, most likely for the sub only but maybe for rear speakers as well in the second void in the driver's side wall behind my panelling. I'd do it right behind the driver, but I've already got my house fuse box there.

It's not a transit. Just an example of where cables are normally ran in vehicles.

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swellguy

Discussion Starter · #9 · Oct 13, 2016

coke said:
It's not a transit. Just an example of where cables are normally ran in vehicles.

Yeah, I noticed that. Thanks.

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Anchorless

· #10 · Jun 8, 2017

justcallben said:
When I can find a few moments, I'll take pictures of my install. I have a 10" bass reflex sub in a custom box I made under the passenger seat (Jack? I don't need no friggin' jack!), a JL Audio 1200W competition amp powering that mounted on my bulkhead and a Polk 330 running the Polk front speakers mounted in the lower tray under the cupholder area. No exposed wires, everything neat and tidy. I ran the power wires through the firewall. There are a few rubber plugs in factory holes and you just need to make a small X cut in one a push your cable through. The rubber is expandable enough o seal around the cable. I routed the cables to separate fuse holders and then to the + power points on the underhood fuse box.

Would love to see pics of this!

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