Factory sub replacement??

[Uncreative_Nickname]

I have an 05 LGT station wagon and am not really interested in subs stealthboxes or throwing amps/subs in the foam tray over the spare tire.

 

What I would like to do is replace the factory sub with a nice aftermarket sub and then stick my VGA 500.4 amp under the passenger seat.

 

I have done much searching and, for the life of me, cannot find the spatial dimensions for the area under the seat.

 

Does anyone have any suggestions on subs / enclosures that would fit under the driver's seat?

 

Anyone know if my amp would fit under the passenger seat? (2.6" x 15.8" x 11.2")

 

Any other suggestions?

 

I'm building a list, and the underseat sub and possible amp placement are the only things left I need to figure out, but I don't know what space I'm working with. What's the max depth I'd have to work with, what length and height would go with that?

 

Is it possible to raise the seat height to increase clearance? Is that begging for untimely death or mutilation in some way?

 

I definitely appreciate anything you all can provide!

 

Jon

[MiniStiGuy]

wanna sale me your stock sub?

[ItalynStylion]

How much power do you have to run an aftermarket sub?

[Uncreative_Nickname]

My amp is a soundstream VGA 500.4 (125 watts RMS per channel)

 

I figure I can drive my four speakers off two channels, and then bridge the other two to run a sub.

 

So, I think that would be 250 watts RMS

 

I want a sub to complement my audiophile tastes. I think I am going to get the Alpine Type R components all the way around (will have to do minor fab to put tweeters in the rear doors..., but smooth drilling is the limit of my fabrication skills. I can put holes in stuff..)

[ItalynStylion]

There are plenty of things I could suggest to you but I fear that mounting depth will be your main problem. If you could take out the trunk bars you would have 100 x more options. I'll see what IB 8" woofers I can find with a shallow mounting depth.

[kadesh]

Pioneer shallow series.

 

http://www.pioneerelectronics.ca/POCEN/Support/Car+Audio+Video/Subwoofers/Shallow+Series/ci.TS-SW841D.Support

[Uncreative_Nickname]

I saw the pioneer shallow mounts. Would the 8" shallow mount enclosure fit under the seat? I know the mounting depth on the 8" shallow mount is very small, but the box pioneer sells for it looked like it had 5.25" height.

 

As for messing with the trunk, I may have forgotten to add that I own the wagon. I have seen the options for putting little stealth boxes in the back of the wagon, but I just don't want to sacrifice any storage space.

 

So, I looking specifically for subs that would fit under the seat.

 

Also, with the given measurements, does anybody know if my amp would fit under the passenger seat?

 

 

 

Thanks again!

[cschnider]

I have no idea how much it costs but the new shallow mount option from resonant engineering looks very nice and has a 3" mounting depth.

 

http://www.reaudio.com/specs.html#sp_sl

 

I've heard the RE and SE series and both sounded very nice. I'd imagine this sounds excellent also.

 

 

JL also makes a thin sub.

Very expensive. $550 on crutchfield.com

http://mobile.jlaudio.com/products_subs.php?series_id=30

 

and Realm audio has one coming out for $300

http://www.realm-audio.com/news/382/

[alaskajoel]

Alright a couple of things -

 

First, i don't know if you have the manual or power seats in your LGT, but i've got power seats in mine and there's not a whole lot of room under the drivers seat at all. Passenger's seat is worse because there are two bars in the way (IDK why they're not under the driver's seat...perhaps because drivers has power up and down adjustments)

 

I'm running an MTC TC3001 amplifier under my driver's seat right now and it fits pretty good. The dimmensions of it are about 2.4" x 10" x 8" It's mounted length wise, and it's a really good fit, but i would say yours is a little long / deep. It might clear it height wise, but it would stick out the back IMO. Here are pics of my amp right now:

 

Taken out from underneath the seat to show dimension comparison -

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd71/alaskajoel/DSC07329.jpg

 

Under the seat - can't be seen in a regular driving position.

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd71/alaskajoel/DSC07330.jpg

 

Also about the amp - Because it's jammed underneath the seat, it gets squat for air flow. I've had mine go into heat protection mode twice after bumping it for an hour or two. If you do put an amp under the seat, i would recommend it have an active cooling system on the side, or make sure you don't play it super loud for more then 2 hours at a time. You also don't want it getting hot under there and ruining the leather or anything else.

As for subs, getting an amp and sub under the seat would be pushing it. IIRC the factory sub is only 6" and either 75 or 120 watt max. Using it's enclosure would be hopeless, but making your own to fit down there wouldn't be easy either. I would agree with ItalynStylion in that finding some IB (free air) subs would be a good idea, but since you don't have a trunk...eh.

 

If you're looking for some low profile 8" woofers that sound good and can be used Free air, i would recommend these: Kicker SSMB8

 

http://www.crutchfield.com/App/Product/Item/Main.aspx?g=520&i=2064SSMB8&tp=111

 

I've heard them before and they sound really good for how much space they take (2.5 in mounting depth)and their RMS wattage.

 

One more thing:

I replaced my rears and front speakers with alpine type S components and a 4x75 watt amp. I can honestly say that the new speakers / amp combination provided a LOT louder, and better quality bass then my factory sub did. In fact after installing them, i ripped the factory sub out and sold it because it made the rest of the system sound bad. (all the factory sub does is rattle your butt and make you THINK it's producing bass...) If you're just looking for a little more bass, get some high end components and run an amp to them and it'll sound great.

[alaskajoel]

BTW

My MTX amp is pusing a JL 10W3 in my trunk:

 

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd71/alaskajoel/DSC07318.jpg

[Uncreative_Nickname]

To specify:

 

I have manual seats. I want to put the amp under the passenger seat and the sub under the driver seat, if possible. If I have to do it the other way around, so be it.

 

I fully intend to put in one of these two possible configurations (Alpine Type R components all around; or Boston Acoustic pro60 up front and Alpine Type R components in back)

 

I have a 4 channel amp that puts 125 watts RMS into each channel. I want to run the door speakers and a sub all off some configuration of 4 channels.

 

If you think those free air kickers would go well with this set-up let me know.

 

I am looking for clarity first, then loudness. As far as waking the neighbors, I could really care less. I want a concert hall, not a ghetto blaster

 

How about my rear door speakers? Do you think the Type R's are a good idea in the rear doors, or should I put in a pair of Coax speakers?

 

 

Thanks for continuing to read and comment!!

 

Jon

[cschnider]

To specify:

 

I have manual seats. I want to put the amp under the passenger seat and the sub under the driver seat, if possible. If I have to do it the other way around, so be it.

 

I fully intend to put in one of these two possible configurations (Alpine Type R components all around; or Boston Acoustic pro60 up front and Alpine Type R components in back)

 

I have a 4 channel amp that puts 125 watts RMS into each channel. I want to run the door speakers and a sub all off some configuration of 4 channels.

 

If you think those free air kickers would go well with this set-up let me know.

 

I am looking for clarity first, then loudness. As far as waking the neighbors, I could really care less. I want a concert hall, not a ghetto blaster

 

How about my rear door speakers? Do you think the Type R's are a good idea in the rear doors, or should I put in a pair of Coax speakers?

 

 

Thanks for continuing to read and comment!!

 

Jon

 

I would just put coaxials in the rear.

 

I have used a similiar set up with success with a JBL px300.4 125x4 amp.

 

I put a set of components up front using the front 2 channels

I put a set of coaxials in the rear powered off of the deck

I then bridged the other 2 channels and powered a 12" Image Dynamics IDQ

 

That setup worked very well.

[Uncreative_Nickname]

I was hoping to run all speakers off the amplifier. I used this amp with four soundstream 5x7's and the clarity and strength was amazing. I don't know what an optimum setup would be for running 4 speakers and a sub off a 4 channel amp...

 

All the suggestions are still helping! Thanks!

 

What would be the maximum circular diameter x depth we'd be working with under the (manual) driver's seat? Anybody know off hand? Anybody have a shot in the dark estimate?

 

It would very much help!

 

Thanks!

 

Jon

[ItalynStylion]

All the subs suggested so far are all shallow subs but most wont work well Infinite Baffle. The last one posted (kicker 8") isn't even a sub; it's a midbass.

[Uncreative_Nickname]

Thanks for all the help!

 

I know a little local audio place in Hutchinson, KS that will build me a "stealthbox"

 

I've decided to sacrifice one little corner of the wagon in order to get decent bass. If I'm going to drop serious cash on components, then I might as well make sure that the bass sounds right.

 

Can anybody compare the shallow pioneer to the slim sony 12" or 10" subs?

 

I am wanting high quality sounds. I have an idiot friend with a ghettoblaster sub and when he puts on rock music, the bass guitars sound like crap.

[ItalynStylion]

I would expect Sony X-plod subs to do just that.....Explode

[Uncreative_Nickname]

So, you'd recommend the pioneer, then?

 

The 10" has accepts 250 watts RMS, and the little Sony slim mono amp I was looking at kicks out 290 RMS

 

Is that too little a difference to cause problems?