Any way to upgrade just the JBL subs?

What made you decide on this particular sub? Also, is this an 8” or 10”.

 

Thank you for taking the time to write this up. Very helpful.

 

any of you try this setup yet? sounds shit simple just like the kicker setup above...

https://www.shop.tech12volts.com/product.sc?productId=540

 

I hear nothing but good things about James and tech12volts so I'm sure that is a good set up.

 

carman - I just got my kicker in the mail.Do I jump the positive to the neg on the same side? Or do I jump the positive on the left side to the negative on the right side (about 7" apart)? Also, what gauge wire did you use to jump?

 

I just ordered this. Looking forward to seeing the improvement. Any tips or other install considerations?

 

I installed this setup a few weeks ago and it sounds absolutely amazing!! For $50 more than an 8” sub swap out I’d say it’s a no brainer. Factory is a wimpy 8” and that plastic box is shit. I was shocked at the quality and weight of the custom box built to handle a quality 10” sub. The sub included is $110 on its own. Add the cost of a custom box, free shipping, and tax free and $199 is a deal. 90 percent of the time my bass is tuned to the lowest level; this sub is that good. Install took me about an hour.

 

- New 10” sub
- Old setup
- New sub installed in custom box.

So good I don’t plan on any additional upgrades. Volume at 40 and this fucking kicks!

 

Thanks for posting this, may have to go this route... Any issues putting the seat back in? The pictures make it look like the top of the new box will prevent the seat back from sitting all the way back? Also does it use the existing wires from the truck/amp?

 

Super easy install. Snug fit behind the seat so it doesn’t move, but not so tight as to cause problems. And yes, plug existing wires into new box and you’re done.

I had a few questions during install so I messaged tech12volts on messenger. Got a response in 2 minutes. Great customer service.

 

My 2018 Sport has the Premium audio with integrated navigation (9 speaker system no OE sub). I didn't need my stereo to be the loudest badass on the street (I lived those days in high school). I just wanted a little more thump and sound from the current stereo.



My dealer had a special on a pair of 10" subs, a custom carpeted box, a 2000w amp, a LC2i and a UR1 controller. I had it installed the other day and man, what a difference. I'm posting this info to help others make a decision on what to do. Hope this helps.



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That looks like another great alternative! What does a system like that cost?

 

I got a discount. I believe it's $889 plus tax installed normally.

 

I just got finished putting this in. At the time I ordered, the cost was $199. This includes the subwoofer and enclosure. The difference is very noticeable. I can hear and feel bass where there was none with the "Premium" subwoofer. I'd bet this is about as far as you can push a JBL Premium System, using the stock amp. The factory wires going to the factory sub are tiny, like 14 or 18 gauge. They aren't going to carry much current.

Grab a 10mm and a 17mm socket. You'll need wire crimpers, wire cutters, a cordless drill and some electrical connectors listed below.

Put the front seat as forward as possible. It's easier to lean the rear seat forward, than it is to take it completely out.

Use the 17mm to loosen the 4 large bolts holding the seat frame to the truck. Lean the seat frame forward and enough out of the way that you can get to the far side subwoofer bracket. Now remove all bolts attached to the subwoofer.

There was some assembly required. Here are some tips.

Firstly, be careful disconnecting the wire harness connector from the stock subwoofer. You'll need to lift up gently on a plastic piece. Mine was oriented down, so it took me a few minutes to figure out what it was. You'll want this piece intact to use later.

If you are committed, you can clip these wires as close to the factory subwoofer enclosure as possible. I wasn't so confident so I worked out how to unclip it. Maybe I have commitment issues...

Electric Connectors
The speaker wire inside the new subwoofer enclosure was bare. I crimped on 2 FS connectors as shown in the attachment. These slid over the metal blades on the speaker. I crimped the negative side of the FS connector a bit so it would grip the blade better. Pay attention to which wire is black and make sure that goes to the negative side of the speaker. It's the smaller one.

Then, I used an MB connector on the harness end that I unclipped from the factory subwoofer enclosure side of the electrical harness connector. This is optional, but I prefer that to sticking bare wires in the new subwoofer speaker inputs.

Once you connect the ends to the speaker and have your harness end rigged, screw down the speaker.


Screws
I needed screws. I used 1.25 inch fine threaded drywall screws. It's what was close at hand. I drilled the holes first. Also, I screwed the screws in a star pattern so it compressed the carpet evenly. Not sure how much it matters, but it made me happy.

Now, place the new subwoofer speaker forward. Slide it towards the door until the harness reaches. Connect that. Now test the system and make sure the subwoofer works.

Once it does, it's time to slide the seat into place. The seat has some pokey things that help to hold the seat. Be careful how you do this. They will stab your floor mats and carpet. (See attached picture)

I did this by myself. It was a PITA. Maybe some help would make that part easier.

Now, in my case, once the seat was properly oriented, the back of the seat bracket wasn't touching the floor. I was a bit concerned at this point, but I was able to snug this down with a ratchet.

Once all was as tight as I could get it, I sat inside the truck enjoying the improved sound.

Was it worth it?
Hell yes!

It took me about an hour to do all of this. If you use these tips, it might take less.

Is it possible to get more bass in a Tundra? Yup. But once again, you'd need to replace the stock amp, which involves a lot more than I wanted to do right now. The stock speaker wires for the subwoofer are tiny, so there isn't a whole lot that can be done with the factory amp in place.

This is a great upgrade for $200 plus a couple of bucks in electrical connectors and an hour of install.

Thanks James!

 

200$ and im happy now

 

So the tech12volts sub doesn't have a grill either?

 

No and I'm not sure it would fit. It might, or it might interfere with the seat too much.

 

Thinking about ordering this up.... can you elaborate on the electrical connections a bit? So you connect the spades to the sub, and then the MB connectors on the other end of those lines to connect to the factory harness? it would be great to keep it "plug and play" just in case I ever need to go back to stock....

Thanks!

 

Wow I did not know we had this as an option for jbl owners. Sounds very tempting. Will be on my soon to get wish list. I can’t tell I even have a sub right now. Is it pretty apparent that you can hear/feels it now?

 

Also, to those that have installed the tech12volt system- does it bolt on in anyway? Doesn’t seem like it does, and I’m wondering about rattling and such?

 

You could cut the sub end of the harness so you could go back stock. I didn't do that for 2 reasons.

#1 there was no way I was going back to stock. If this update wasn't enough to make me happy, I was ordering an amp, sub, enclosure package.

#2 I wanted to make sure the wires reached.

If you want to go back to stock, just buy a harness and use the end of it, rather than cut the wires.

 

Definitely. It is definitely different. Remember, the amp is the same and it's not an amazing amp, so you won't be shaking the neighborhood. However, the bass response is way better than stock and it actually shows up now. Definitely worth $200.

 

The new enclosure does not bolt. Rather it is held in by the pressure from the seat. It isn't going to move even a quarter millimeter. My seat bracket was a fraction of an inch above the floor before I tightened it down. It is incapable of moving.

 

The kicker sub upgrade for stock box is around $112 on ebay, makes it a bit tougher to decide!

 

My stock box is in the garbage right now, and im not going to take it back

 

Thanks.

I’ve been looking online for the connector type tidy Toyota uses, do you have any idea what it is? I feel like to get the right plug I just need an old stocker or a simple housing and crimps, vs the entire audio harness?

 

No, sorry. I'm not sure what harness it is. Try your local Toyota parts department.

 

Will do. Otherwise I'll just cut the stocker, I just try and avoid if possible.

I've been thinking since day 1 that this JBL system sounded like it had no depth, and as this is my daily driver, I'm hoping this will fix that. (or help).

 

I just noticed we have the exact same truck. Year, Make, Model, and Color. Barcelona red metallic is rare over here. There are lots of white, grey, and black ones.

Rock on!

 

Hell yea man! Shameless plug https://www.tundras.com/threads/exit-plan-2018-barcelona-red-platinum.36579/#post-925044