This site is dedicated to the custom stereo install in my 2005 Colorado.
The truck is a Victory Red Z85 standard cab with the StreetPak appearance package.
Last update: 6/12/05
Overview Dash/Head Unit Tweeters Midranges Midbasses Sub box/Amp Rack Underhood Trim Panels
Overview
Here is a diagram of the system:
The head unit is an Alpine CDA-9833, which is feeding signal to a PXA-H701 processor controlled by the RUX-C701 controller. This unit will be set up to run each channel to it's own speaker, giving me full active control of the crossover points and equalization. This unit provides 31 bands of equalization on each channel, except the sub channels which get 10 bands. I can also vary the crossover points in 1/6th octave increments for the mids and highs.
From there signals go out to a trio of JL Audio amplifiers. The 300/4 will be providing 75 watts to each 5" Kicker Resolution midrange and Kicker ND25A tweeter. The 300/2 will send 150 watts a channel to the 8" Kicker RMB8 midbasses. Finally the 500/1 provides 500 watts to the 2 Kicker S10D4 Solobaric subwoofers.
The tweeters will be mounted on the A-pillars, while the midranges will be mounted in custom kick panels. The subs are in two seperate custom boxes behind the seat. The Midbasses will be mounted in the doors, in the factory location.
Dynamat Dynaxorb pads will be installed behind the midbasses to absorb standing waves behind the speakers.
The subwoofer boxes are constructed from 3/4" MDF and were designed to fire the subs toward the rear of the truck, toward the rear cab wall.
Dynamat Extreme sound deadening material will be applied to the outer and inner skins of the doors, the door panels, the rear cab wall and probably even the roof.
That's the overview...let's get on with it!
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Dash/Head Unit
I decided to do something a little different with the dash bezel. Instead of stacking both DIN units in a single hole, I decided to split the opening into two DIN holes...Here's how I did it:
First thing I did was remove the dash bezel and disassemble all the parts from it. Then I used brackets from a Metra dash kit (99-2003, I think, I actually found them on the floor at work. I attached the units to these brackets and then snapped the Alpine trim rings onto both units. I followed that up by bolting the units into the dash and then reattached the dash bezel. Then I used a Sharpie marker to mark where I needed to open up the hole. I then use an air-powered dremel tool to open up the hole until the units had clearance. After that I made some spacers to bring the units out flush with the dash bezel and reinstalled everything in the dash.
Next, I roughed up the trim rings with some 36 grit sandpaper on my air grinder. Then I used some gap-filling CA glue to temporarily attach the bezel and trim rings together. After that, I removed the bezel and trim rings from the truck. I took everything in the house and went to work making ABS plastic dust. (Sanding an old dash kit on a piece of sandpaper stuck to a flat surface works pretty well. I found 80 grit worked better than more aggressive sand paper.) I added masking tape to the back side if the gaps around the opening. Then I added ABS dust into the gap, packed it into the gap and added thin CA (2 second) to the dust. This makes a VERY strong bond when mating plastics and will keep the area from cracking when flexed.
Next, I finished filling the gap and then ground down the excess with a 36 grit disc on my air grinder, to prep for body filler. Then I smoothed the area with lightweight body filler.
Then I proceeded to sand it down with an 80 grit disc on my mini air DA. Then I coated the whole thing in SEM texture coat. Kind of acts like a high build primer in this case. Normal bodywork ensued...including wet sanding the texture coat, and primer coats.
Finally, after I was pretty happy with the body work, I decided to shoot it in Duplicolor black primer to bring out any imperfections. As it turned out it was an even closer match to the factory color than the paint I bought for it. I have since found the durability of primer isn't exactly great, so I am going to wet sand it down again, reshoot it in primer and then cover it with Testors Dull Coat Flat Clear paint. As for now, I'll leave it until I get everything else done and finish the respray later.
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Tweeters
Nothing to report, yet...
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Midranges
I decided to put the mids in custom kicks since they aren't going in the door anymore. I started by taping off the entire kick panel area on both sides with 2" masking tape and lining the area with tin foil. Then I used some poasterboard I had laying around to protect the rest of the floor. I layed down a layer of resin and applied strips of fiberglass mat. I added resin to the cloth to make a mold of the kick panel area.
And that's as far as I've gotten on these, for now...
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Midbasses/Doors
I removed my door panels per instructions found on ColoradoFans.com and figured out where the hole needed to be for the 8" and marked it. Then I used my airsaw to cut the hole out.
Then I test fitted the speaker and determined I needed a 1/8" spacer to clear the window. I used the Kicker grill and just cut the sides off and it worked perfectly. After that I applied Dynamat Extreme to the outer and inner skins of the door.
I found in pretty easy to run wires into the doors, since I don't have power windows/locks there was an open area in the factory plug and they just went through there with the JL Audio 12 Ga. speaker wire for the midbasses. Then I added my Dynaxorb pad behind the midbass and screwed the speaker into the door.
After that, I added some scraps of Dynamat to the back side of the door panels, mainly in large flat areas to avoid vibration.
