Feathermerchant

Update - I added a JL sub and NVX MVPA1 for it. Sounds great and the sub amp fits into the same space below the center IP mentioned above. In a trip last weekend, it died when I restarted the truck. Just quit making music. I returned it and will get a new one. I called NVX and they had me check the speaker resistance (2ohm is OK) and for speaker circuit ground faults. Otherwise they said there have been few failures. I may separate the sub amp from the 4ch as they are stacked on each other. NVX said they had thermal protection which should save the amp if it gets too hot. With the sub amp, I crossover at 80Hz so the 4ch amp should not need to make as much power. Still I'm concerned about heat. Maybe I'll leave the cover off that area so I can check temps.

PNWdevil

Good info. Thanks OP! Subscribed.

Wyo11Scab

iTrader: (1)

Ya. Don't stack the amps.

Feathermerchant

Yup I think that's a mistake. Still you would think the thermal would save them. Maybe it's just not that good.

Schambo

Update to mine. I decided not to switch to the LOC route and live with the high level setup. Now that everything is broken in, I really don't notice the small hiss it puts out. Now with the windows all the way down, I can here it clearly. It really cranks and sounds punchy. Very happy with the KTP amp. Now maybe I can get to the LED bed lights soon.

Feathermerchant

Update - Got the amp and installed it. Reoriented the amps so they should not get so hot. Also ran the volume really far up for quite some time and they never got really hot. I could comfortably hold my fingers on them. When I was poking around the settings the other day, I found that the settings on the 4ch amp had been changed in the head unit. It was set back to full range instead of set as a high pass filter at 80Hz. So the amp should have been running hotter because it was driving bass.
Anyway we'll see...

PNWdevil

Thanks to all that contributed to this thread, and to propellerhead for the idea.



Here's what I put in this weekend:

Alpine KTP-445A Power Pack
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_500KTP4...ower-Pack.html

Front doors and A-pillar tweeter: Kicker 40CSS684, 6"x8" component speaker system
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_2064CSS...84.html?tp=106

Rear doors Polk Audio db571 2-way 5"x7"/6"x8" speakers
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_107DB57...571.html?tp=93

Ford Bluetooth® Wiring Harness (Metra)
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_120BT55...ml#details-tab

2 x Speaker Wiring Harnesses, provided by Crutchfield free of charge
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_120BT55...ml#details-tab

Everything was delivered to the house last week for just under $400. I didn't have a set of trim tools, or a solder iron/kit, so I spent an additional $25-$30 to get all that stuff. So, all-in-all, I'm pleased with the upgrade and think it's worth the cost. If you're a serious audiophile, this mod isn't for you. On the other hand, if you want a decent upgrade to your factory unit that doesn't break the bank, then this is your mod.

- Most difficult part: Reading this thread and figuring out exactly how to wire the KTP-445A Power Pack, which wasn't that difficult. The amp is a little different now than the one shown in the original post; most notably, the in-line fuse is now integrated into one side of the amp. Other than that, it was pretty much as described in the first 8-10 pages of the thread.

- Kicker components: For the crossover input, I used the line for the woofers in the front door. I cut the two female quick-slide connectors on the speaker wiring harness provided by Crutchfield and hardwired them to the input lines on the crossover (the Molex connector connects to the factory plug). I then used some heavy-duty indoor/outdoor velcro strips to mount the crossover to the inside of the door, directly behind the speaker (plenty of room). Then I ran the wires for the tweeters back through the rubber boot pass-throughs in the door and cab to the bass of the A-pillar. The tweeters in the A-pillars are connected to Molex plugs at the bass of the pillars inside the dash (easy to get to). I pulled out the factory wires for the tweeters (green, green/red if I remember correctly) at the adapter/harness for the A-piller tweeters, and tossed them out. I used some super glue, and a little epoxy to attach the tweeters to the pillars, and then hard wired them to the line from the crossover. The driver side was a little more difficult to do, because of the lack of space, but I used a cable-tie attached to the speaker wire and was able to fish it through eventually.

All in all, it sounds pretty good. It's not the Harmon-Kardon system that's in my wife's BMW, but it'll do. I'll definitely be adding an amp and sub at some point, but at least the sound is now tolerable at higher volume levels.

Schambo

You have to add the powered sub to take advantage of this setup. Without it there is a serious lack of bass. Trust me, when you add it the Harmon Kardon will be the inferior system.

Koolponycar

I know this thread is older, but i had the clarion amp installed with the pacfrd24. My speakers are the infinity kappas 682.9 in a lll 4 doors. I used the rcas to connect the amp. I ordered some 1.5 footers from best buy. This amp sounds amazing and will run you out of the truck with the stock HU. The only problem I have is when I shut the truck off and get out while leaving the keys in the ignition and come back to restart the HU comes back on but no sound. I have to turn the HU off and back on and then i have sound. If I take the keys out and come back and put them in it works fine as far as sound coming on when powered back up. Don't know why, maybe the installers wired something wrong on their end.

Wyo11Scab

iTrader: (1)

You can't really wire up the PAC wrong. Only 4 RCA's and a turn on wire for the amp. You do have the basic radio in that FX2? Correct? I would think you do other wise the PAC would not have fit. Maybe the PAC is bad. Wouldn't be the first time.