[saltyone]

Time to start the new build thread. I’ve been looking forward to this upgrade, and equipment is starting to trickle in. I’m not an installer, far from it. I can certainly do basic things, but the knowledge needed to pull off a quality build surpasses my skill set. I’m not the least bit ashamed to admit this…this is why we have great professionals like the many that post here on DIY regularly. That being said, I’m taking vacation and will be at the shop from open to close throughout the build, and helping as much as possible. I’m most interested in learning more about quality electrical layout and tuning. My local shop is excellent (average tenure of installer is about 20 years). I’ve known the owner for about 25 years and he’s a close friend. This will be at least the 8th full build he’s done for me. This will be the best “vacation” of my life. 😊

Vehicle: 2016 Ram Crew Cab 1500 4x4 Big Horn. There’s nothing fancy about the truck, but I love her. Exterior is basically stock. I added a leveling kit and slightly taller tires. Interior is stock, except the stereo. Windows are tinted dark. Along with this upgrade, I’m having the windshield tinted with see through UV tint and ceramic coated. I’m also adding a nice dash pad (would like suggestions on brands if you’ve used these before). The UV tint is primarily to protect my midranges and the dash pad is for SQ enhancement. The truck has 77,000 miles on her and I’ll never part with her. She’s all mine and a part of the family at this point. She’s my daily driver but may one day be retired to just competition use. I’ll let her be a “trailer queen”. Seriously though, I love my truck. 😂 Here’s a pic:

Current Build: I currently have Hertz ML 165.3 components in the front (tweets in dash and mids in door), ran passively, Hertz MP 6.5 coaxials in the rear doors, an Alpine Series R 12 under the rear seat (passenger side) in a Fox Box (ported). I’m using a RF T400X4ad running front and rear speakers and a RF T750X1bd on the sub. I used a JL Audio Fix 82 to integrate with the factory non-alpine uConnect 8.4 HU. Signal is sent optically to a JL TWK D8 for processing. The truck is sound deadened nicely throughout.

This has been an enjoyable system and my tuner knocked the tune out of the park. He was able to work magic, even with the SQ limitations. I’ve really enjoyed the Hertz components and the sub has performed well, again, given the limitations. I could not be happier with these small RF amps…never an issue, clean sound quality, and very impressive power from such a small footprint.

All of this will be going in my sons truck now. I used this fact to help talk myself into the upgrade.

Here’s a few pics of the current build:

I won a few of these competing MECA SQL competitions in the Street class with this very simple system. The magic is in the tuning! I made some new friends and had fun dipping my toe into the “competition scene”.

 

[saltyone]

The Upgrade:

Signal Interface:
1. PAC AmpPRO AP4 CH- 41 - toslink to master amp (JL Audio VX600/6i)

Front Stage:
2. Focal Utopia TBM tweeters - Sail panels - Updated to A-pillars
3. Focal K2 Power M 3” midrange - Dash speaker location - Updated to Utopia 3.5WM midranges - A-pillars
4. Focal K2 Power M 6.5” mids - Front doors - Updated to Utopia 6WM woofers

Rear Speakers:
5. Focal EC 165 K2 6.5” Coaxial - Rear doors (disabled on SQ tune)

Subwoofer:
6. Focal E30 KX 12” D4 sub - custom sealed enclosure under rear seat, passenger side

Amps and Processing:
7. JL Audio VX600/6i - driving tweets, midranges, and rear speakers
8. JL Audio VX400/4i - bridged two channel driving mids (200 watts per channel at 4 ohms)
9. JL Audio VX1000/1i - 2 ohm load driving sub
10. JL Audio VXi-HUB - links the three amps for joint tuning

Just a peek:

 

[slowride]

Can’t wait to see what’s coming.

 

[saltyone]

This will be interesting. Looks like I’ll learn how to use fiberglass.

 

[UNBROKEN]

The Ram trucks respond so well to simple installs it’s almost cheating. My 2012 R/T killed it for a couple of years until I sold it and Theresa Bruno’s Ram just annihilates most things it competes against.
As for the dash cover I tried multiple brands and Dash Designs was by far the best for my current car. The Sedona Suede material looks pretty nice too.

 

[saltyone]

The Ram trucks respond so well to simple installs it’s almost cheating. My 2012 R/T killed it for a couple of years until I sold it and Theresa Bruno’s Ram just annihilates most things it competes against.
As for the dash cover I tried multiple brands and Dash Designs was by far the best for my current car. The Sedona Suede material looks pretty nice too.

Those look very nice! Just picked one out (went with the brushed suede in charcoal) and sent it to the wife for a Christmas gift idea. Thanks!!

 

[RickWilson]

Great kit of gear and explanations! Subbed for this one. Can’t wait to see those K2 Ms.

 

[winkychevelle]

Who you having do your tune? I saw you say your tuner preferred JLs software. Only guy I know of local is Drew Jones. One of the only active online guys from the br/denham area

 

[UNBROKEN]

Who you having do your tune? I saw you say your tuner preferred JLs software. Only guy I know of local is Drew Jones. One of the only active online guys from the br/denham area

Drew is getting pretty damn good with the Max.

 

[saltyone]

My tuner is in a different part of the state. Not Drew.

 

[winkychevelle]

Drew is getting pretty damn good with the Max.

Once I finish my install I may let him have a go at it.

Gotta start the install first though.

 

[MythosDreamLab]

Congrats! Can't wait to see this build unfold, few questions:

1) Are your K2 Coaxials on the way?
2) Any word on when the New Focal M's will arrive?
3) I see you are using three JL DSP Amps, is there a way to incorporate all of the software into one tune?

 

[Sam b]

Congrats! Can't wait to see this build unfold, few questions:

1) Are your K2 Coaxials on the way?
2) Any word on when the New Focal M's will arrive?
3) I see you are using three JL DSP Amps, is there a way to incorporate all of the software into one tune?

The VXI hub will do just that.

 

[saltyone]

I will never say the words “ I’m going to keep this truck forever” again. Lesson learned.

Change of plans. I updated the thread title. My beautiful 2016 Ram is no more. 😢 The check engine light came on Friday morning as I was driving to the office. At lunch, I went to AutoZone and checked the code. “Bank One Air/Fuel mixture issue”. Ok…no big deal, probably just an 02 sensor or something like that. NOPE! I took it to my mechanic on Monday morning. They told me cylinder number three was misfiring and it needed a new coil. No problem…I had them change all the spark plugs while they were in there. Once everything was buttoned up, the “tick of death” started. Cylinder 3 was dead. You could hear the lifter clanking on the cam from 50 feet away. Crap! My guy doesn’t do lifters, so I took the truck to three different shops to get a quote. They all agreed that the noise was caused by a bad lifter(s) and it would need to be fixed asap. They all also believed the cam would need to be replaced.

As I was leaving the second shop and heading to the third, something strange happened. The ticking all but went away. The third shop checked it out and agreed that I should have them tear it down and see what’s going on. All the shops quoted a cost of $5 to 6 thousand (assuming the cam needed to be replaced). Screw that! I could see where this was going. I’d be throwing money at this for the foreseeable future to keep this truck on the road. Nope. Since it basically sounded normal now (for some reason) I made an on-the-fly decision to upgrade.

So, now, this new system will be going in my “new to me” 2020 Ram Crew Cab 4x4. 😊 It’s blacked out and a little sexy looking (IMHO). I love the new interior and there is so much room under the back seat for the soon-to-be-added custom enclosure. There are no “bins” in this truck under the seat, just lots and lots of real estate for the sub and amps. It has the ridiculously huge HU and some switches that look cool. I really like the new center console too. It came with automated hideaway side step bars, a hideaway rear bumper step, and a folding bed cover. The paint, body, and interior are all but flawless. The previous owner appears to have taken good care of her. I’m having the dealership add a leveling kit and some new BFG AT K2 tires to finish her out.

I had no intention of upgrading the truck for a few years, but things fell in place nicely and now I’ll be taking a newer, current generation, Ram on the road in 2023 for competitions. 😁

So, the truck will be throughly sound deadened, and all of the equipment listed above will still be used. This truck has the damn “Alpine” stock system, so signal integration will be a little different, but no big deal. The sail panels will need to be fully custom and I should be able to display all three amps and Hub under the rear passenger seat (this one is a 60/40 also, but again, no stupid bins!).

So, that’s the story of why the 2016 Ram build is now a 2020 Ram build. I finished pulling all of my current equipment out of the old truck at 1:00AM. It’s been a long day. I’m still waiting on the 6.5” K2 Power M woofers and 3” midranges. Here’s a few pics of the new truck. I’ll post a couple more after the leveling kit and new tires are on her. Stay tuned. 😁

 

[saltyone]

She’s officially mine! I like this truck, a lot. The ride quality is amazing. They obviously changed something with the suspension in the new generation. She rides “like a Cadillac”. The new seat design is very comfortable, and all of the amenities are nice to have. It’ll take a few days to figure out all the bells and whistles.

I added a leveling kit and a new set of BFG AT K02s. I don’t really know of anything else I could do to dress her up. She’s already so pretty…😊 I have a nice dash cover ordered.

When the rain stops, I’ll get to work taking the interior out, down to bare metal throughout, and begin adding sound deadener. I figure it will take three or four days to complete this first task. System install will start right after Christmas. The nine speaker OEM Alpine system sounds okay, I guess, but I’m already having withdrawals for proper SQ. It’s light years away from sounding the way it should. I’m still waiting on the K2 Power M woofers and midranges. They should be in soon, according to Focal.

Without further ado, here’s my new baby girl with her nose leveled and wearing her new kicks! 😁

 

[Bushwacker]

It looks like its a big truck for a handicapped person. Dunno

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[saltyone]

Are you implying handicapped folks can’t drive big trucks? 😎

 

[Bushwacker]

Are you implying handicapped folks can’t drive big trucks?

I'm saying if It were me handicap having trouble walking or bad back, I would not want a jacked up truck to have to be climbing up in! Isn't that what the handicap parking is for , people that can't walk far ? Dunno if they give handicap tags for people who can't hear then I see no problem for a big jacked up truck!

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[saltyone]

Broke my back and neck when I fell out of a helicopter. The Marine Corps and VA have pieced me half way together. Appreciate the concern, but I’m able to get in and out, as long as I’m careful. The fold out step bar ends up only few inches from the ground. Once in, it’s like sitting in my recliner. I even found a way to have a productive career and be successful, after the Corps medically retired me, so I wouldn’t be reliant on the freaking government’s handout. My team is everyone on the second and sixth floors of that building. I draw the line at walking up and down stairs, thankfully the fancy building has elevators. Again, appreciate the concern, but I’ll be alright.

 

[saltyone]

After a weekend of driving the new truck…wow! I never knew a truck could have such an enjoyable ride quality. I logged about 150 miles in two days and am extremely impressed.

When I purchased it, I wasn’t afforded time to do my typical due diligence. It was the most impromptu major purchase of my life. My head’s still spinning a little..LOL. I discovered today that I have purchased a Ram with the 5.7 Hemi “eTorque” engine. It’s like a baby hybrid. I knew the alternator looked strange when I inspected it, but I did not know the little box next to it was a lithium battery pack. Apparently, I don’t really have an alternator. I have a “belt driven motor generator”. There’s also a much larger battery pack on the back wall of the truck. The electric motor ( the alternator/generator thing) augments up to130 HP at specific times, for different purposes. It’s all supposed to help with fuel economy without sacrificing any power. Breaking and deceleration apparently help charge the batteries. The engine is restarted after “auto-stop” using the electric motor. Cool…whatever, as long as it doesn’t break I’m fine. I disable the auto-stop as soon as I start the truck, so whatever benefit I would get with it I’ll just have to do without. When I purchased it, I switched the batteries and put my expensive AGM battery in the new truck (I just purchased the AGM a month ago). I assume it’s okay to use this type of battery with this eTorque set up. 🤷🏼‍♂️ Everything seems fine so far. I can’t get over the ride quality though…just wow. 😊

I’m glad we redesigned the system layout and will now have plenty of room under the driver’s side of the rear seat to mount/display the three amps and HUB. With that battery pack on the rear wall, there isn’t room for amps. My rear seats recline! How cool is that? Right now, I’m still planning to put the midranges in the factory dash locations and the tweeters on the sail panels. We’ll have to do some fabricating to the sail panels though. They’re tall and flat in this truck. Even the TBMs are too deep. It will take me another few days to figure out exactly what I’ve purchased. 😂