AT Stage 1 and Combo Slide With In-Floor Subwoofer?

[Evergreen12]

Good morning all, we just picked up our AT Stage 1 Drawer and Combo Slide to install in our 2016 JKU. Our Jeep has the subwoofer in the floor and when I asked AT whether it would be an issue they told me they usually just install the drawer and slide right over the top of it. Sounded fine over the phone, but when I started to get the Jeep torn apart last night I'm not seeing how it's going to be possible to keep the sub. Perhaps if I remove the grill altogether it "may" fit, but I still doubt it. Anyone else out there have this system in a Jeep that came with the in-floor sub? Did you have to ditch the sub? I could have sworn I saw where someone used spacers to raise the drawer and slide up to clear, but it seems to me that the amount of weight we're talking about here would point load the mounting locations and dent them into the floor over time. I really don't want to remove the sub if I don't absolutely have to.

Thanks!
Dave

 

[Comanche Scott]

I don't have one, but could have sworn to the same thing. The picture I remember seeing had spacers to raise it about an inch.
I thought it came from Adventure Trailers that way, but obviously I thought wrong.

BTW: When you get it installed, pictures are mandatory...

 

[tarditi]

Terrible design by Jeep, BTW - I avoided the stereo upgrade for that reason specifically.

It may be able to sit on top, but the grille will likely take a lot of the weight directly.
You could build a spacer with relief cut out for the grille - basically a plate to distribute the weight and not have pressure points that simply compress the rear carpet. This could be a simple piece of plywood of the needed thickness to do the job and cut out a hole where the sub grille goes... paint it black = done.
You could remove the rear carpet entirely, but then would HAVE to deal with the grille sticking up past flush-to-the-floor.

The sub will still work, but you may turn the cabinet into a resonance chamber, potentially changing the audio characteristics.

You could get a different sub - maybe something that could fit under a seat...

Let us know what you decide.

 

[Evergreen12]

It looks like it may just be the grill over the sub that sticks up too high. I'll get a much better idea tonight when I start placing the slide and drawer in the Jeep. I'm really hoping I can just trim down the grill and leave the sub in place. I'll report back with what I come up with. There aren't any references to the sub or spacers in the instructions.

 

[Ten42adventures]

I have AT set up and subwoofer in mine, check out my build thread. The grill needs to be removed and the drawer has spacers under it.


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[Evergreen12]

Your build is looking great, I'll have to follow along as it looks like your goals and ours are very similar. Your pics definitely help, that's the first pic I've seen with the spacers installed under the back edge of the drawer. Hopefully the rest of the install will go smoothly this evening. It looks like you left the plastic interior panels out, do you see any reason why a very patient person couldn't take the time to measure, cut, and reinstall them? I'm a little anal retentive and hoping to keep as much of the factory panels in place as possible. It's ridiculous, but the removed rear panel is already going to mess with my OCD.

I have AT set up and subwoofer in mine, check out my build thread. The grill needs to be removed and the drawer has spacers under it.


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[Ten42adventures]

I too have OCD and tried cutting and retaining as much of the trim panels as I could. After a lot of cutting, fitting, recutting, etc...I couldn't figure out a way to keep them in there. The other option is to LineX the interior to keep it all uniform looking not to mention the added protection and sound deadening properties.


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[Evergreen12]

I got the slide and drawer installed last evening. I'm not jazzed about how the left side of the drawer is cantilevered out past the spacer. I thought it would all stiffen up more once I added the bolt between the slide and drawer and it did a bit but not good enough for me. I want it to be rock solid. I'm planning to make a support from a piece of angle that's the full width of the drawer and contoured to match the floor. This will offer a little more finished look by filling the gap under the drawer, but much more importantly it will support the entire width of the drawer and should make everything more solid, including the slide that's bolted to it. I'll get pics after it's done.
As for the interior panels, I'm going to give it a try after everything else is completed. I was thinking about the LineX option as well, hopefully it won't come to that. I found a few pics of people that were able to reinstall the panels somehow so there may still be hope.

 

[Martyn]

Evergreen, the grill has to be removed and the circular piece below it removed to get a good fit on the draw. I'm sorry I didn't specify this over the phone, I presumed you would remove the grill as it sits so high, and we just take them off as a matter of course.

You can attach the combo slide to the side of the Stage one to make it a solid fitting.

The back of the JK isn't level so spacers have to be used to get the units to sit flat and level. If you use the threaded inserts into the sheet metal the connection should be solid. If you have questions give us a call and I'll have you talk to one of the technicians who do these installs all the time, they will be able to help you out.

 

[Evergreen12]

No sweat. I got it sorted out and completed this evening. My OCD made me go a little overboard and fab up a full width support under the stage 1. Turned out great. Very solid product and my wife couldn't rave enough about your service and helpfulness when she picked up the parts.

 

[Martyn]

No sweat. I got it sorted out and completed this evening. My OCD made me go a little overboard and fab up a full width support under the stage 1. Turned out great. Very solid product and my wife couldn't rave enough about your service and helpfulness when she picked up the parts.

Glad it worked for you, just wanted to let you know we are here to help after you buy to make sure the product works the way it was intended. Glad the guys took care of your wife when she dropped by to pick up.

 

[KellyM]

Evergreen - would you mind posting pics of the slide? I am going to install an ARB slide in my daughter's 16 w/ the subwoofer in the floor and am not sure how to mount it, particularly on the tailgate side.

Thanks.

BTW, I have an AT Stage 1 and combo slide in my Jeep (w/o a subwoofer). It is a great setup and has worked flawlessly for several years.

 

[Evergreen12]

It was dark when I got done last night but I'll get some pics today when I get home. The drawer and slide mount right over the top of the sub just as Martyn said once you remove the grill from the sub. The wife said (it's her daily driver) that she could tell a slight difference in sound from the sub as it's now concealed but that was to be expected. I'm just glad we got to keep it in place. The sound system in this 2016 Hard Rock is leaps and bounds better sounding than the one that came in the Sahara we had before this!

Evergreen - would you mind posting pics of the slide? I am going to install an ARB slide in my daughter's 16 w/ the subwoofer in the floor and am not sure how to mount it, particularly on the tailgate side.

Thanks.

BTW, I have an AT Stage 1 and combo slide in my Jeep (w/o a subwoofer). It is a great setup and has worked flawlessly for several years.

 

[KellyM]

Thanks. Did you mount the front of the slide to the board that lifts up to get to the sub, or do the mounting locations on the slide allow you to mount to the tub? Sorry for all the questions, but I don't have my daughter's Jeep to look at.

 

[Evergreen12]

I removed the carpet and the cover over the sub. Then you must remove a couple of brackets to allow the drawer and slide to lay flat on the floor. You also need to remove the grill from the sub if you have the floor mounted sub. Here are a couple pics from today. I managed to get the fridge in but it was dark by the time I got done.