Project: Doitall Dodge
- Thread starter Metcalf
- Start date
Metcalf
Expedition Leader
It was more of an excuse to play with some fiberglass. I haven't done that much at all.
I changed my mind, everyone can be quiet again:sombrero:
I guess 'dotiall' includes mall crawling....
I can only imagine what your going to say when I install a small 4 channel amp and sub!
With the new tires I can hear at least some music again!
I changed my mind, everyone can be quiet again:sombrero:
I guess 'dotiall' includes mall crawling....
I can only imagine what your going to say when I install a small 4 channel amp and sub!
With the new tires I can hear at least some music again!
gahi
Adventurer
hijack on... Was it a bench seat or bucket seat model? I have a bucket seat model, and pulled the center console to put a seat for my kid and his car seat all the way to the back wall in the middle. Its actually a pretty good seat for an adult too, lots of leg room. The jump seats are pretty worthless.
Metcalf, are you still happy with the cheap stereo? Planning on using it for your new speakers? I still have the factory one but is been bad for a long time. either super loud, or too quiet, all with one click of the volume knob.
Metcalf
Expedition Leader
I'd like to see pictures of that 3rd seat arrangement.
The cheap stereo is still working just fine. I did note a few little glitches. With the diesel wait to start function sometimes it basically resets the stereo. The deck will start playing the first song from the flash drive other than the song you where on. I could probably wire it different to make that go away.
I will probably try the new speakers off the cheap stereo, but will be adding a small 4-channel amp to run the separates and a sub on a bridged channel. I would also like to hide the sub box to free up a little more space behind the seat(s).
bftank
Explorer
never been much of a stereo guy myself but always admired the way those guys could work the glass.
and hey you have to be prepared for anything right? even if it is a trip to abercrombie. haha!
one of these days i will have to head south and check out your ride. looks like there is a lot of exploring to be done down there.
and hey you have to be prepared for anything right? even if it is a trip to abercrombie. haha!
one of these days i will have to head south and check out your ride. looks like there is a lot of exploring to be done down there.
gahi
Adventurer
I'll take some pics, My truck has a funky seat setup. I dont know if it came from the factory like this but it seems like the center console was made aftermarket. Its wood and fiberglass. It has a fixed back with storage in the back and a kind of cooler setup in the seatbase with a drain hole out the bottom. You lift either the base or seat back to get access to the storage. I dont have any pics of it before I took it out, but for some to actually sit there it was way too high. You would be looking straight at, or above the rear view mirror.
trailrunner
Observer
I think everyone is quiet because you usually do things right. They've got nothing to complain about!
lstzephyr
wanderer
I done seen it! Mall crawling at the "abortions" parking lot no less. :sombrero:
lstzephyr
wanderer
Ha! I was mall crawling along with you. I was actually googling abortion clinics in durango after your text, thinking "is this guy for real?" lol. I was relieved it was just auto-spell for Albertson's!:elkgrin:
Door panels look interesting. Why overlap the door? I'm interested to see how you setup the amp too.
Door panels look interesting. Why overlap the door? I'm interested to see how you setup the amp too.
I'm definitely interested in the sub-box location you figure out. I have one of those wedge boxes from a store with an 8" sub using a small (physically the smallest I could find) 4-channel amp in the same configuration you are talking about. On my ext. cab F250 I have the wedge-box right behind the drivers seat. It fits perfect with the seat all the way back which is how I always have it adjusted. The amp is mounted to a piece of wood and wedged vertically between the rear bench seat and the side of the cab. All the wire runs are short and it can all be pulled out in under a minute. I've pulled the sub a few times to make room for a 5th person but never have pulled the amp even though I could. I worried for awhile about heat buildup since the amp was just wedged in place w/ the rear seat but it has been fine.
This has been an acceptable solution but I have 2 places I'd ideally like to improve:
1) The sub takes up an entire space and somewhat intrudes on the middle occupant's foot-space. I'd love it if I could have the sub elsewhere, but the cab is so tight I don't know where it would be other than inside the center console.
2) Door speakers seem muffled. I think this is due to their location down so low that people's legs get in the way of the sound. Sometimes one side sounds louder than another but if move my head lower it changes. Your solution of custom component mounts sounds like it might solve this. It also could be partly due to reusing 20 year old wires in the doors...
This has been an acceptable solution but I have 2 places I'd ideally like to improve:
1) The sub takes up an entire space and somewhat intrudes on the middle occupant's foot-space. I'd love it if I could have the sub elsewhere, but the cab is so tight I don't know where it would be other than inside the center console.
2) Door speakers seem muffled. I think this is due to their location down so low that people's legs get in the way of the sound. Sometimes one side sounds louder than another but if move my head lower it changes. Your solution of custom component mounts sounds like it might solve this. It also could be partly due to reusing 20 year old wires in the doors...
Metcalf
Expedition Leader
Yeah, I will most likely never live that one down....that will be good for a laugh for a few years I a sure....
The speaker just won't fit up high without having to overlap the door a little bit. If I ran the speakers low I think they would get kicked a lot. They should also stay drier in the winter with snow and water. I hope that having them hang out about two inches won't be too much of a knee banger. So far it doesn't seem like it and I have the seat pretty far forward....
Metcalf
Expedition Leader
A small update from the center mounted winch thread.....
-I'm leaning heavily toward the Superwinch EP12.5. For the money, I think its about the best option. It has a brake that is external from the drum which is important I feel for the use of synthetic winch line. The winch also has a drum large enough to fit 125' of 3/8" steel cable! The winch also comes standard with a 15' long controller and an 'albright' solenoid which is value added to me.....
-The winch will be mounted in a sunken box in the bed. I will be using the 5th wheel trailer hitch mounting holes on the frame. The winch 'box' will be secured to the frame with eight 1/2" dia bolts. The load will also be spread out over a large flat plate in the bed to help with frame 'racking'. The winch will end up directly above the rear axle. The winch will be mounted 'feet forward' with the winch line to the rear of the truck in-between the stock 1st gen dodge shock mounts. The box will need to be built around the stock fuel tank on the drivers side of the frame.
-I am going to add a remote disconnect for the drum winch. It will probably be a variation of this.
http://www.dborc.co.uk/goodwinch/pdf/air_freespool.pdf
-I will have to remount the solenoid in the winch box to get the profile of the winch down.
-The winch line will go from the winch to the rear bumper. Mounted in the bumper will be a pulley to redirect the winch line to the front of the vehicle. There will also be a few provisions to allow the winch line to be pulled through a hawse mounted on the surface of the rear bumper.
-I have 90% decided to run the winch line along the passenger frame rail to the front of the vehicle. I have to add a new exhaust system for my turbocharger upgrade so I decided to try and build the exhaust outside the passenger side frame rail. This free's up the inside of the rail to route the winch line tube. By using the passenger rail I don't have to drop the fuel tank to construct the tube. My only reservation is the heat in the area around the passenger frame rail toward the front of the truck under the turbo charger. I am sure there are enough options for heat mitigation but I need to sort that problem out.....
-The winch line tube will be 1.5-1.75" DOM seamless tubing with v-band clamps to connect the different sections. By using the passenger rail I think there will only be 2 sections of tube with basically a joint at the transfer case cross member. I am going to try and minimize the bends as much as possible.
-I would like to tuck the winch line tube inside the c-channel of the frame. At some point in the future I would like to add a 2nd factory 30 gallon fuel tank on the other side of the driveshaft from the stock tank....
-The front end of the winch line tube will need a hawse. I will most likely be making a round aluminum winch line hawse that fits in the end of the tube, perhaps bolting to a flange on the backside of the hawse. The hawse will be built to a size that will allow me to terminate the end of the winch line with a 'safety thimble' to keep the line from pulling into the winch line tube or hawse WITHOUT having to hood the winch line to a recovery point on the front of the truck.
-I will be moving the plug in for the winch controller to the drivers side door inside rocker panel area. This should let the 15' remote reach the back or front of the truck as well as let me use the controller in the truck. I will also be mounting the switch for the freespool in the same location. The driver can then engage the winch from the cab during recovery operations.
-I'm leaning heavily toward the Superwinch EP12.5. For the money, I think its about the best option. It has a brake that is external from the drum which is important I feel for the use of synthetic winch line. The winch also has a drum large enough to fit 125' of 3/8" steel cable! The winch also comes standard with a 15' long controller and an 'albright' solenoid which is value added to me.....
-The winch will be mounted in a sunken box in the bed. I will be using the 5th wheel trailer hitch mounting holes on the frame. The winch 'box' will be secured to the frame with eight 1/2" dia bolts. The load will also be spread out over a large flat plate in the bed to help with frame 'racking'. The winch will end up directly above the rear axle. The winch will be mounted 'feet forward' with the winch line to the rear of the truck in-between the stock 1st gen dodge shock mounts. The box will need to be built around the stock fuel tank on the drivers side of the frame.
-I am going to add a remote disconnect for the drum winch. It will probably be a variation of this.
http://www.dborc.co.uk/goodwinch/pdf/air_freespool.pdf
-I will have to remount the solenoid in the winch box to get the profile of the winch down.
-The winch line will go from the winch to the rear bumper. Mounted in the bumper will be a pulley to redirect the winch line to the front of the vehicle. There will also be a few provisions to allow the winch line to be pulled through a hawse mounted on the surface of the rear bumper.
-I have 90% decided to run the winch line along the passenger frame rail to the front of the vehicle. I have to add a new exhaust system for my turbocharger upgrade so I decided to try and build the exhaust outside the passenger side frame rail. This free's up the inside of the rail to route the winch line tube. By using the passenger rail I don't have to drop the fuel tank to construct the tube. My only reservation is the heat in the area around the passenger frame rail toward the front of the truck under the turbo charger. I am sure there are enough options for heat mitigation but I need to sort that problem out.....
-The winch line tube will be 1.5-1.75" DOM seamless tubing with v-band clamps to connect the different sections. By using the passenger rail I think there will only be 2 sections of tube with basically a joint at the transfer case cross member. I am going to try and minimize the bends as much as possible.
-I would like to tuck the winch line tube inside the c-channel of the frame. At some point in the future I would like to add a 2nd factory 30 gallon fuel tank on the other side of the driveshaft from the stock tank....
-The front end of the winch line tube will need a hawse. I will most likely be making a round aluminum winch line hawse that fits in the end of the tube, perhaps bolting to a flange on the backside of the hawse. The hawse will be built to a size that will allow me to terminate the end of the winch line with a 'safety thimble' to keep the line from pulling into the winch line tube or hawse WITHOUT having to hood the winch line to a recovery point on the front of the truck.
-I will be moving the plug in for the winch controller to the drivers side door inside rocker panel area. This should let the 15' remote reach the back or front of the truck as well as let me use the controller in the truck. I will also be mounting the switch for the freespool in the same location. The driver can then engage the winch from the cab during recovery operations.
Steinbruchsoldat
Explorer
Sounds like a plan...
One thing: You don`t want to run the winch line tube as a one-piece tube. There should be some sections without tube where the winch line is "free". If you`re winching in a muddy environment the winch line will drag mud into the tube. Due the heat the mud will get hard and block the tube. Saw this a few time at the european rally`s. Everything is possible, from a snapped winch line, up to a "a bit too short" winch line tube...
One thing: You don`t want to run the winch line tube as a one-piece tube. There should be some sections without tube where the winch line is "free". If you`re winching in a muddy environment the winch line will drag mud into the tube. Due the heat the mud will get hard and block the tube. Saw this a few time at the european rally`s. Everything is possible, from a snapped winch line, up to a "a bit too short" winch line tube...
Metcalf
Expedition Leader
Great feedback! Thank you!
I think I can have a free line section in a few places. I think near the transfer case will be the lowest point in the system. That should let the mud come out the ends. I could even wash the mud out then also.
One other point brought up in the center winch thread was that the tube would be better if it was made out of aluminum or stainless. Its got me wondering if I should be thinking about corrosion inside the tube? I just don't know if I could stomach the cost of stainless seamless tubing.
I might be able to do SCH 10, 1 1/4" pipe ( .109 wall ) in stainless, but its still not cheap, and I would have to have a specialty die for the bender. I also don't know if pipe would be the best for this application.
I think I can have a free line section in a few places. I think near the transfer case will be the lowest point in the system. That should let the mud come out the ends. I could even wash the mud out then also.
One other point brought up in the center winch thread was that the tube would be better if it was made out of aluminum or stainless. Its got me wondering if I should be thinking about corrosion inside the tube? I just don't know if I could stomach the cost of stainless seamless tubing.
I might be able to do SCH 10, 1 1/4" pipe ( .109 wall ) in stainless, but its still not cheap, and I would have to have a specialty die for the bender. I also don't know if pipe would be the best for this application.