Hello all,
I did a search for "amp install" and didn't find anything (probably cause the answers to the questions are all but obvious, but here they are anyway)......I have a 94 xtracab pickup. I will be getting a 4-channel amp in the near future. I know this is pretty basic stuff, thanks in advance for all the help!

1) Is the an existing hole in the firewall to run the power cable? If so, where? If not, where is a good place to put it?

2) Is there a better location to mount the amp than under the seat?

3) How do I secure it and with what should I secure it? You aren't supposed to attach it to a metal surface, right?

4) Where do I ground the amp and how do I attach the ground lead (I don't have a soldering iron, do I need one)?

Thanks again for all the help. It is greatly appreciated!

 

On my 3rd Gen there wasn't a firewall hole... basically if you want to run a power wire just find a spot where there is relatively nothing in the way and drill a hole. Make sure to use a grommet to keep the metal from cutting your wire. Under the seat will do the trick prettty well for you, simply because it's out of the way and there is usually enough air moving to not have to worry about overheating. As for securing it, simply screw it to the sheet metal of your truck, AFTER thoroughly making sure you won't hit anything, like a GAS TANK! If you were to indeed mount it under the seat, an excellent grounding point would be at one of your seat bolts, one that holds the seat to the frame. You technically shouldn't need a soldering iron, but it's always better to use it if possible... Depends on exactly what you're doing though. For most connections, I crimp the connector and then solder it, followed by taping it. That really covers your back for anything coming loose. Hopefully that is some help, let me know if you need more, I've got lots of experience with this stuff.

 

Thanks for the info, that really helps!

About mounting the amp, I read that you were supposed to be sure it isn't attached to a conducting surface. Is this true, or could I just bolt it to the floor of the body?

Oh, and I think I will run my sub off 2 channels bridged, then run my 6.5" and 4" of the other two channels (2 ohm load). Is this a good idea? Would I just wire the midranges in parallel (i.e. two leads from one amp channel, each lead going to one of the two speakers)? Sorry for the trouble, and thanks for the help!

 

mounting it to the metal of the car is fine.
hopefully you're going to cut a hole in the carpet and run all the wires under the carpet. if this is the case then i would put a ring terminal on the ground wire and ground it to the metal under the seat. just sand/scrap the paint off the metal, and screw the right terminal down. you can paint over the scraped parts if you're worried about rust.

for the wiring, the subs bridging is fine but if i were you, i would run the 4" speakers off the deck and the 6.5" off the amp. just my opinion though and either way would work.