04 WJ Grand Cherokee

[Achaleon]

This is going to be a slow build because im one of those ppl that spend more time planning and researching than actually building. And with all the info here... im overwhelmed lol.

My first build ever was back in 2005, 2 RF punch hx2 10 inch subs in a sub zero box with a 800watt RF amp. I loved that system. A few months ago the RF amp finally died so I needed a new one and I decided on a Crescendo bc2200, And in order to run that amp I needed to uninstall the 4 gauge RF wire and get my big 3 done in 1/0.

Did my big 3 with this wire and ran it to the rear of the vehicle:

And used the below wire inside the vehicle for the amp:

Finally here is the amp:

I have to say that I am extremely impressed with the build quality of this amp.

I also bought a new box for the HX2's and went with what RF recommends, Sealed .75 Cubic feet per sub.

Never again will I get a sealed box lol.. It was tight and fast bass I give it that but it was so quiet.. and really I didnt notice much a difference other than volume. Heres some pics of the box and subs:

The sun was hitting the logo just right to make it look orange.

The next upgrade was a radio since I still had the factory radio installed. (My local electronics guy modified my stock radio to have RCA's)

Chrysler for whatever reason decides to tease 1998-2004 jeep owners by putting in a din and a half radio.. Just small enough to not be able to install DD without modification and just big enough to make a standard size aftermarket radio look dumb as hell.

Decided to go with a DD anyway because I fell in love with a Pioneer p4400BH

Here it is after I wired it in

There is a guy I found that makes custom bezels that allows you to keep the vents below the radio and looks factory but you have to cut your dash up and it takes 8 weeks for him to make. I was going to try and fab up something of my own but for $150 I think im going to order the premade part.

The radio by the way is amazing. If you're looking for something entry to mid level thats loaded with options and a decent price tag.. This radio does not disappoint.

After a few weeks of reading about builds and watching videos from the members here I decided the 10's arent enough and started looking into Subs. Originally I wanted to keep the nendo amp and upgrade to a 12 inch sub like a JL w7. Then I decided I wanted to take a legit shot at 150DB Which made me briefly change my mind to a 15 HCCA, which then turned into a 18 Zcon in a 4th order.. After many weeks I finally decided that for my first major build and shot at 150db AQ had what I needed. So I got:

2 HDC318's Dual 1 ohm.

And to power them 2 AQ2200's:

And thats where I am at. I have to upgrade my Alternator and add a few batteries. Which I am still trying to make up my mind on what to do and will hopefully have what I want ordered up this week. I am also trying to learn how to design and make my own enclosure which is proving to be no easy task.. There is so much conflicing info out there its hard to sift through it all and identify the good from the bad. Anyway thats enough for now,

[ch0sen]

looking pretty good man, you'll love those subs and amps

[Achaleon]

Sorry its been so long, ive been extremely busy with work and fixing shit. Just when I was starting to make real progress on the plan for this build the Jeep decided to rain on my parade. First I had to replace the brakes and rotors, which is normally an easy 2 hour fix if you take your time, WJ Jeeps have 2 piston calipers from the factory, Which is awesome however the pistons in the calipers are ceramic. So they break... Easy... real easy.. In my case they broke under normal operating use. All 4 of my calipers ended up needing to be replaced. Since I was doing that I decided to completely redo the brake system with new lines and hardware, Even replaced the master cylinder. All of that wasnt needed but the jeep is almost 10 years old and turned over 150k recently so I figured I may as well since i had it torn apart. So a 2 hour and 6 pack of beer job turned into an entire weekend and case of beer.

While I was running brake lines underneath the Jeep I noticed my water pump and radiator hoses had a slight leak and the front and main seals have also started to leak oil. This caused me to really inspect matters and I found a ton of other issues that needed attention, From my intake gasket leaking to a severe 20psi drop in compression in 3 of the 8 cylinders. Needless to say i'll be working more on mechanical crap in the next few weeks than car audio I'll make sure to take a ton of pictures though lol

This weekend the weather was finally decent enough to get some work done on the enclosure! And not a moment to soon. Sitting on this stuff for months not being able to listen to it and having the discipline to not rush everything as a result has been tough, Its a big investment to have sitting around unused.

Drove 3 hours away to jhmeg2's house and the first thing I noticed out in the shop where he spends alot of time alone was this:

lol I didnt pick on him to bad though.

After measuring and deciding on a final plan It was off to Home Depot.

After lunch we got back to jhmeg2's shop and realized we were missing the bag holding all of the supplies we needed for bracing. So after unloading the plywood i had to turn around and drive the 45 minutes back to Home Depot. This is solely jhmeg2's fault

Walls up and working on the port:

Normally jhmeg2 has Home Depot cut the sheets 1/2" bigger and makes the final cut down to size himself to ensure accuracy. But Al at the home depot assured us he was "Born with a saw in one hand and a 4-speed shifter in the other" This was the result:

in Al's defense it could have been my fault also as I was the one who marked the 4X8 sheets to be cut. oh well nothing a little silicone cant fix

Crisis solved. Port is in and all corners are siliconed in and added a baffle in the corner on the bottom of the box to direct air into the port.

Now it was time to start marking the top to cut openings for the subs:

In half

Find center:

Diameter of Sub:

Make your own compass if you dont have one big enough:

Ready for cutting:

Lining up the router:

And finally cutting the hole:

Each hole he took 3 passes to go all the way through resulting in a perfect cutout:

3 more to go and the final result:

Next up: The bracing..

[Achaleon]

Before securing the lid its time to work on the bracing but first a little note. With the limited space I have behind the c-pillar it was decided to go with 3/4" material and brace the shit out of it instead of going with 1.5" of material with minimal bracing. I admit this was a pretty big gamble and it wasnt an easy decision however, its my first box and if it does or doesnt work out I learned a great lesson either way. I did go 1.5" on the top where the subs are mounted. On to the pics

Took a 1" steel bar cut it down to the right length and welded 3x3 plates to each end:

Excellent welds:

Didnt burn all the way through the thin steel plate: ( I was impressed considering the thickness of the stock)

In place:

The plates off set one another to allow the subs to be screwed in without having to go through steel. The steel stock at an angle like that to allow air to flow around it easier and be less restrictive of the port all. Its the little things...

On to the other braces

3/8" threaded rod:

Measuring for a proper fit:

Notched where the rods will weld to the stock:

And more welding:

While jhmeg2 was welding away I took a moment and took pictures of some of his accomplishments:

Back to work. Sides in:

And all 4 in (you can also see the top of the port bracing):

Braces in the port:

Ready for the top

[Achaleon]

With that finished its time to put the top on.

Silicone:

I dont have a picture but the first layer was screwed on then glue was spread over it.

Second layer on and drilling the holes for the brace:

Grinding away the extra threaded rod:

Vanity shots:

[Achaleon]

Extending wires:

Originally was just going to run the wires through a hole and silicone it shut. Decided bolts would look better and be easier to make changes to if needed:

First sub in:

Second:

Done!

I dont have pictures of it in the jeep yet but I will get them up this week. Was a little tough getting it in but it fit perfectly.

At this point I could have hooked an amp up and listened to it on the 3 hour trip home but reluctantly decided against it. I wanted to give everything atleast 12 hours to dry and settle in.

Sometime this week ill get 1 of the amps installed so I can start breaking things in. I still have to decide on batteries and an alternator before I add the second amp. Im hoping to have the batteries and second amp in by next weekend. When I get the first amp in ill post up more pictures and outline the tuning process.

Still so far to go. Still need to make all of this look good too.

Huge thanks to the guy in all the pictures (jhmeg2) for everything. Would never have gotten this far without you bro!

[MatthewSladeBrake]

Impressive work! Can't wait to see it in the Jeep, hopefully some videos too!

[hapitec]

Great looking box! About to put those same amps on my xfl's. Need some vids when done.

[jhmeg2]

HEY!!! Why is it my fault you left the bag at Home Depot? LOL sorry you had to drive back there, while I put the box together... Hope your happy with the box. If it aint loud enough, we can rebuild it. I have a pic of it in..... Tight fit thats for sure.

[jhmeg2]

Last night lying in bed, I realized, that its wired wrong, I sent him a text and a pic how to wire it to 1 ohm, sieries paralell.