When you make an amp rack that goes behind the seats, where and how do you run the wiring? do you make the whole amp rack out of 3/4" MDF, or could you please tell me what you use to make the top. Do you use carpet, or the Ozite stuff to cover it? Do I have to put fans in it. I'm running a PPI 4125 amp and it's pretty big, and I'd like to also put my Viper cross-overs in it too, just so that they're easy to get to. I've seen some really nice ones here, but am a little nervous to try. I'm a pretty good wood worker, but a sorry electrician..............Oh well, how's a guy to learn. Thanks a lot!
amp racks have components on them, not in them... sounds like you want to store everything inside a box? is that what you want? or do you want an amp rack?
Wulf...what do you call an enclosure that is holding the amps and has 6 sides on it? I have always called that an amp rack. Anyways you can build it out of whatever you would like really. I personally try to stick with 5/8" or 1/2" when I can on amp racks to save some weight and maximize my useable space. I am guess you are putting this in a vette.......you might want to consider another material besides MDF. MDF is an excellent product but it is heavy, you could use birch plywood. A 7 or higher layer plywood works very well. Home Depot sells a product called sandply that is very nice. It has a significant weight difference between the two but it costs a little more. As far as covering the project....that is entirely up to you. If you are interested in something that looks fairly stock try to find an automotive upholstery shop or supplier in your area. They will have or can order durable carpet for you. Ofcourse you can wrap it in vinyl or MDF will take paint very nicely and look like fiberglass if you wished. As far as the wires...that is again up to you. The real trick to it all is your imagination. The best advice I can give you is think the entire project through before you cut any wood. Try to picture it in your head and start building. Good luck.....post up some pics when you are done.
Thanks for the help, I really appreciate it. I'd like it to look like this:
except in black. On this type of rack, how did he run the wires for amp power?
Does the rack base go over or under the carpet? I have a PPI 4125 amp that is pretty good size, and I want to put the cross overs in the rack too, does that sound like it's possible? Should I router grooves in the base,to run the cables through, or just clip them to the board? Do I have to run 12v fans in the rack to cool the amp or will it be alright by itself? There's so many questions that I'd like to ask, but don't want to take up all of your time.
I would guess that the wires run in from the sides. I say this because it is a very thin amp rack and it does not look like the wires come in from the bottom. It is hard to tell if the carpet was cut for the rack or not. I would not cut the carpet myself due to the cost of the carpet and there is no real reason too. That rack is clean and out of the way and he can still put the top in the car. If yours is black you will barely notice it at all. As for the wires.....the only real advantage to routering grooves is that the wires will be more out of the way. It would be alot easier to run the wires from side to side and under equipment. I would do that if the area I was working with did not allow for much flexibility.
I had to think about that myself..............and I'd like to know how to go about building an amp rack like the one in Rolio's car in the picture above. How do I run the wiring, and does the amp rack go on the carpet, or under the carpet? EatRice answered a lot of the questions that I had about it in the above replies. Thanks
How do I run the wiring, and does the amp rack go on the carpet, or under the carpet?
The wiring won't be as bad as you think. I can't really comment or give you pointers cause I still haven't gotten to this part of my install yet. I've been sick all christmas break. :rant: Anyhow, I'd probably run the power wire through the passenger side. I would consider looking at running the wire behind the removable piece of wood and follow along side the passenger door. That plastic piece that covers the carpet (where you always hit your foot) will most likely pop right up. I dunno for sure but probably. I would continue running the wire up the "waterfall" and over the little hump there.
That amp rack *looks* like it has been placed ontop of the factory carpet. If you use MDF board it will be heavy enough that the sucker won't slide around on you. It also appears that the edge of thebox fits up against the rubber pieces that hold the Targa Top. This would be a good idea because it would give some support and prevent sliding. Another trick I have used is to buy some velcro (sp?) and place it on the bottom of the amp rack and let it stick to the carpet. Just an idea.
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EatRice answered a lot of the questions that I had about it in the above replies. Thanks
EatRice gives sound advice, pun intended. He's given me quite a bit of help. You can usually take what he says to the bank.
One thing I'm considering with my install, is either using a piece of plexiglass on the top to see my amps or making the amp rack completely enclosed in wood and carpeted. I'm leaning towards this second idea because I want it to appear to be "stock" but also to hide my mismatching amps :) I also plan on running some big arse wires and dont want the thing to tilt back and forth because of the wire. I also don't know how to use my router to save my life.
I would highly recomend getting some small fans. We're talking just like 2inch computer fans. Don't let the computer people screw you. They shouldn't run more than a couple bucks. They are also pretty quiet. I'm considering having one face in and the other face out. In other words, one blowing air in and one sucking it out. I'd also consider a switch to turn them on and off in case you aren't running the amps and don't want the sound of hoover coming from your "silent" fans that really aren't silent :)
I would also highly considering placing your crossovers on the amp rack. They don't need to be jumpin' round causing more trouble.
Let us know what you decide. I'll post some pics of my progress if I ever get better.
Thank You very much for the hintsan pointers. They are VERY helpful to me. This is my first attempt at car audio, and I'm a little nervous. I've got everything planned out, and even made templates out of card board (it's MUCH easier to cut and shape than the wood is). My amp is heavy, so I'm not worried about it sliding around, but the velcro idea is a good one, that I'll probably do. Fortunately for me, I'm pretty good with a router and I'm going to round all of the edges so the carpet wrapps easier, and possibly groove the top cover so that I can drop a piece of lightly tinted plexiglass or lexan in there. Making the rack doesn't scare me, it's wiring everything up that I'm nervous about. I'm sure that after the first one, I'll be changing things like you guys do all of the time then. I've made my mounting boards for the components already, and the speakers fit well, now it's time to wire them up. :eek: I'd like to say thanks to you guys for the help and advice, I really appreciate it. :cheers:
I'm very open to constructive criticism and advice if you've got any. I rounded the edges of the board today with a router, and was almost going to do grooves for the wires, but thought that I'd wait because I'm not sure how to run them so that they look nice. Then I've got to make the cover.
Luvmyc5,
Because alot of my customers (and myself) run their cars at the road race course, I have a real concern with heavy items (ie. amps, racks, speaker boxes...) becoming projectiles in the event of an off road excursion or the sudden deceleration of the car hitting a stationary object :crazy:
So when we build and install "Amp Racks" we have several goals; make them look as clean as possible, don't drill into gas tanks, and make them securely attached to the car.
How I would mount your rack is to build your base with 1/2" MDF. Rout out wiring grooves and do any fabrication to the base. Then "Liquid Nails" glue it to the fiberglass under the carpet. Then cut away the Jute sound deadening where your base is mounted. Run your wires and cut slots in carpet where needed for the wires to pass through. Then lay the carpet back over the base. Now you can use 1/2" screws to mount your amp and x-overs to the base, do all of your wiring, and then secure the top of your amp rack (Cover) to the base. Now everything is secured and should you ever decide to remove this setup, you can break and pry the MDF off of the fiberglass and just replace the padding under the carpet.
Thanks Mark for the help. :cheers: I already have the 3/4" though. Would that be to thick to put under the carpet? What I mean is would the carpet fit poorly if it had 3/4" under it?
You can use 3/4" MDF, no problem. Actually the Jute Sound deadening is about 3/4" so it should look fine. We just like to use 1/2" on amp racks, because it reduces the weight and it helps give you more internal room for the same sized box. I don't think that for your application that 3/4 vs. 1/2 will make any difference.
PS. When you go to ground your amp. Do not drill into the "Squarish" horizontal tube that goes accross the front of the cargo area, unless you go under the car and determine where the fuel tanks and fuel hoses and vent lines run. If you drill without looking you can hit gas. :cry
I like to ground the Amps to a factory bolt that is on the side rear door jamb area under the plastic trim that covers the upper seat belt retractor. A few C5 installs that had a ground loop noise problem, we ended up grounding the HU and amps to one of the studs that sticks out to the top of the transmission tunnel, under the console (this was the case when we used older or less expensive amps). This totally eliminated the Ground loop noise.
I made mine based on the one you were looking at. It is a top piece and a front piece covered in carpet with a cutout for the amp on the top piece. It shaped like an "L" flipped on its side. The amp is not mounted to the car, nor is the rack. It's a snug fit and has never moved in the last 6 months. The wires are bundled together underneath along with the crossovers and run down the passenger side trim. I used a piece of 3/4" pine b/c its lighter then MDF. Shoot me an email or IM if you have questions.
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Amp rack questions................
