2 Dr factory Subwoofer upgrade

RagnarKon

Nice work!!!

Whats the future plan for the aux power port?? I know you said it was for trailer tow... but is it like an external module?

Nolequad

This is great, I’m about to do the same thing. Where did you opt to connect your remote wire to for the amp?

Rydfree

The Kicker Key amp turns on automatically when it detects the signal input. There is a remote wire in the factory harness but I think it is switched at 6V instead of 12v. I did not spend much time on it since the Key amp handles it. You could easily use a relay on the factory wire to convert it to 12v if your amp requires it that way.

Nolequad

Ah ok. I was thinking that only works with speaker level inputs and read that the MY23 wires in the back are line level. But if it works for you then I guess I won't have to worry about it!

Nolequad

Ah ok. I was thinking that only works with speaker level inputs and read that the MY23 wires in the back are line level. But if it works for you then I guess I won't have to worry about it!

RagnarKon

You are correct... it needs to see a 3 volt offset to turn on.

The voltage from the Bronco on the sub delete is referenced to a max of 4V. Usually that is enough for the amp to turn on, because as soon as the input signal from the Bronco is over 3 volts the amp will kick on. But I've had issues in the past on other Fords where I would be listening to the music at lower volumes and the subwoofer amp would just randomly turn off. Or I would be listening to a baseball game on the radio, and the subwoofer would turn off during the game without me noticing. Then during a commercial break a jingle would play and the subwoofer would just randomly kick back on and scare the crap outta me.

If you only listen to music at moderate/high volumes, you'll likely never have an issue. But if possible I would do a remote turn on and switch the input switch to low-level. It'll be a little more bullet-proof and you also won't have to push as much gain on the preamp. (Lower the gain on the preamp, the better quality you'll get overall.)

Nolequad

I ended up ordering that PAC TR-4 relay that was discussed on Bronco6G. Will connect it to the power wire designed for the factory amp and will report back on how it works. Conceptually I like the idea of having the remote-on attached to the factory amp power even if it ultimately operates identically to other places I could tap into.

Rydfree

This will not be a total how to but just a few pics to add to your research if you are thinking about upgrading. I meant to take more pics but due to time constraints I forgot a few. Supposedly the 2dr factory system sounds better than the 4dr already so that's a plus but it is a good point to start with. I've never listened to a 4dr system, but I can say that when I picked up my 2dr Badlands I was neither impressed nor disappointed in the way the (Non-Lux) factory system sounded. I have over 20 years in business installing sound systems that include building ,competing and winning in sanctioned competitions such as USAC,IASCA plus a ton of non-sanctioned local events, but with that being said I am 61 tears of age now and just want a decent sounding system that can also be enjoyed when the top is off. I opted for the Kicker Key 500.1 sub amp and the Kicker Comp RT 8" Dual 4ohm voice coil Subwoofer. This allowed me to fit the amp and sub inside the same space as factory and utilize the factory subwoofer enclosure as well. The factory design is a tunned transmission line ported enclosure which offers excellent bass reproduction even from a small form factor subwoofer . I did add about 1" thick layer of polyester fill inside the box to dampen standing waves, just be sure to stay clear of the ported tube so that none of the fill material gets blown into the tube . I have read where some have opted for the DVC 2ohm version of the sub but the DVC4ohm is much better suited for this application as the amp will be running at 300 watts with plenty of headroom left for the lower bass notes. Too many choose to max out an amp resulting in the music being clipped off due to no power left for the extended bass notes. Think of it as running your car wide open and there's nothing left if you need to pass someone but at 60mph you can press the pedal and you have more in reserve to pass that car ahead.

I used KillMat all around and behind the sub enclosure to eliminate any tinny metal sound and vibrations that would take away from the subs performance. I also placed the KillMat on the back side of the plastic trim panel for the same reasons. I did not get a pic but did photoshop a representation of the trim panel to give you an idea of the area covered so maybe that will help. I would not skip the KillMat step. Some people mistake the KillMat/DynaMat as a sound proofing layer but it is not. It is a sound deadener. It may reduce outside sound to some degree but its main function is to deaden the tinny metal sounds, vibrations and rattles that can take away from the music and the subwoofer will induce to a certain degree as well.

I placed a marine grade 70A circuit breaker at the battery and ran a pure copper 8ga cable to the rear corner of the fender into an auxillary fuse panel so that I could also power my trailer tow module and an Aux power port. The fuse panel is accessible from behind the power port if need be and the Aux power port is 10ga thru a 40 Amp fuse.

I used ForScan to change a "4" hex to a "6" so the factory wires to the amp would supply the correct low frequencies to the amp.

I may add a couple of flush mount swivel tweeters to the front window pillars later but for now I am very happy with the results.
With the fader faded to the rear slightly it produces a decent sound stage at the front dash and setting the amp gains correctly utilizing the built in features of the Key amp, this thing rocks. I listen to a wide variety of music and it is better than the B&O system that was in my 2020 Ranger in most every way.

On a side note , you could easily put a quick connect on the side panel to plug in a pre-wired sub box with amp if you wanted to knock the top off. Just run the main power cable sized accordingly as the first step.



Items used:

Kicker Key 500.1 Amp
Kicker Comp 4ohm DVC Subwoofer
KillMat sound deadening material
70 Amp water resistant main circuit breaker
4 way Aux fuse panel
Trim panel removal tools
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XKTLKL8?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

Pure Copper 8Ga oxygen free power cable
https://www.ebay.com/itm/122786817966


Some items that I had on hand such as split wire loom , the Aux power port and XT60 quick connects can also be found easily on Ebay or Amazon

raymondjm

Thank you for putting this together and sharing with everyone. I am considering going this same route to upgrade the subwoofer in my Raptor. This solution using the factory location that retains all of the cargo space is ideal, but I'm worried that I will regret not going with a larger sub. I was wondering if you are satisfied with the output from the 8" Kicker sub.

Bronco 202?

How much ( ballpark) would all of this cost if I had it done at a shop 🤷‍♂️. I can barely change my oil. 🤪

Rydfree

This will not be a total how to but just a few pics to add to your research if you are thinking about upgrading. I meant to take more pics but due to time constraints I forgot a few. Supposedly the 2dr factory system sounds better than the 4dr already so that's a plus but it is a good point to start with. I've never listened to a 4dr system, but I can say that when I picked up my 2dr Badlands I was neither impressed nor disappointed in the way the (Non-Lux) factory system sounded. I have over 20 years in business installing sound systems that include building ,competing and winning in sanctioned competitions such as USAC,IASCA plus a ton of non-sanctioned local events, but with that being said I am 61 tears of age now and just want a decent sounding system that can also be enjoyed when the top is off. I opted for the Kicker Key 500.1 sub amp and the Kicker Comp RT 8" Dual 4ohm voice coil Subwoofer. This allowed me to fit the amp and sub inside the same space as factory and utilize the factory subwoofer enclosure as well. The factory design is a tunned transmission line ported enclosure which offers excellent bass reproduction even from a small form factor subwoofer . I did add about 1" thick layer of polyester fill inside the box to dampen standing waves, just be sure to stay clear of the ported tube so that none of the fill material gets blown into the tube . I have read where some have opted for the DVC 2ohm version of the sub but the DVC4ohm is much better suited for this application as the amp will be running at 300 watts with plenty of headroom left for the lower bass notes. Too many choose to max out an amp resulting in the music being clipped off due to no power left for the extended bass notes. Think of it as running your car wide open and there's nothing left if you need to pass someone but at 60mph you can press the pedal and you have more in reserve to pass that car ahead.

I used KillMat all around and behind the sub enclosure to eliminate any tinny metal sound and vibrations that would take away from the subs performance. I also placed the KillMat on the back side of the plastic trim panel for the same reasons. I did not get a pic but did photoshop a representation of the trim panel to give you an idea of the area covered so maybe that will help. I would not skip the KillMat step. Some people mistake the KillMat/DynaMat as a sound proofing layer but it is not. It is a sound deadener. It may reduce outside sound to some degree but its main function is to deaden the tinny metal sounds, vibrations and rattles that can take away from the music and the subwoofer will induce to a certain degree as well.

I placed a marine grade 70A circuit breaker at the battery and ran a pure copper 8ga cable to the rear corner of the fender into an auxillary fuse panel so that I could also power my trailer tow module and an Aux power port. The fuse panel is accessible from behind the power port if need be and the Aux power port is 10ga thru a 40 Amp fuse.

I used ForScan to change a "4" hex to a "6" so the factory wires to the amp would supply the correct low frequencies to the amp.

I may add a couple of flush mount swivel tweeters to the front window pillars later but for now I am very happy with the results.
With the fader faded to the rear slightly it produces a decent sound stage at the front dash and setting the amp gains correctly utilizing the built in features of the Key amp, this thing rocks. I listen to a wide variety of music and it is better than the B&O system that was in my 2020 Ranger in most every way.

On a side note , you could easily put a quick connect on the side panel to plug in a pre-wired sub box with amp if you wanted to knock the top off. Just run the main power cable sized accordingly as the first step.



Items used:

Kicker Key 500.1 Amp
Kicker Comp 4ohm DVC Subwoofer
KillMat sound deadening material
70 Amp water resistant main circuit breaker
4 way Aux fuse panel
Trim panel removal tools
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XKTLKL8?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

Pure Copper 8Ga oxygen free power cable
https://www.ebay.com/itm/122786817966


Some items that I had on hand such as split wire loom , the Aux power port and XT60 quick connects can also be found easily on Ebay or Amazon