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2022 Upgrades - Armor, Suspension, Programming and more....(PICS!)

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SROC3

SROC3

Big Bend
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Here is my input on the rear pods......if you have the sub like I have, then the rear pods aren't necessary from a driver and passenger standpoint. You won't really hear them. However, if you have people in the backseat then they will sacrifice sound. Going with the 6.5" rear pods will add more lows and mids, but not deep bass. So you will get some more bass out of the rear 6.5" pods, but more midrange and definitely still not what a small sub can produce. I wanted some more sound back there for my backseat passengers.

As for how to mount the sub, I used heavy duty velcro strips from Home Depot (see link I sent in prevoius post for how I attached the velcro). It's very strong and if I ever want to remove it to fold the seats down, I just unplug it and unvelcro it (although the velcro is so strong my carpet will likely be pretty frayed, but not a concern).

Now for the wiring & panel removal.....the best bet is to get the PNP kit for the Kicker Key 200.4 that already comes with the powered sub wiring harness built in. But if you're like me and didn't think you were ever going to add a sub, then you likely didn't get the sub harness. However, you can request it from the PNP guy and buy it that way. It then just directly plugs into your original harness and he'll tell you exactly where. The caveat to that though is: 1.) you have to dismantle the dash again to get to the high level inputs, just like when you originally plugged in your PNP harness. 2.) PNP will send it to you with the molex pins already attached, and it's very fragile when you fish it through your dash again. So ultimately better to just buy it from the get-go and install it once, but that's not how life happened for me, lol.

Once you get the PNP harness for the powered sub installed, you now need to run power, ground, your PNP harness, and the sub remote control wire all the way to under the backset. Here's how you do that:

1.) Power - Buy a 10GA sub/amp kit that includes the power & ground wire. Here's the one I got: Crutchfield CK10 10-gauge amplifier power wiring kit — includes power wiring only at Crutchfield
You need to run power from the battery, through the firewall grommet, behind the left kick panel speaker panel, under/through the driver sill plate (it easily pops off), fish through/under the driver seatbelt panel (at the very bottom), then under/through the backseat passenger sill plate (it easily pops off too), then up under and back out the backseat passenger seatbelt panel and now you're under the backseat.
2.) Ground - This one is easy.....it's a much shorter run. Mount ground cable to the backseat bolt where the sub is going and it only runs a couple feet to the sub itself.
3.) PNP high level speaker inputs - I believe you have your Kicker Key mounted to the steering column, so follow that route for the PNP powered sub harness, get behind the driver side kick panel speaker (just like the power cable), and follow the same path as the power cable. It then terminates at the sub.
4.) Remote Control Wire - The sub will come with that nifty sub control dial. You don't have to use it at all, but it's a nice feature. Mount the dial where you want, but you'll have to run the remote control cable that comes with it from the dial to the sub. I mounted mine on the side of the driver's seat and had the remote control wire follow the same path as my power and PNP harness wires.

This is definitely an undertaking, and will take you probably 4-6 hours. I'd allow for a full day just in case since your Bronco will basically be torn apart in the process. The hardest parts are panel removal (not really hard, just time consuming since you're dealing with fragile plastic clips), and fishing wires through all the panels so everything is clean and tight (but not too tight to allow some slight slack).

This is a good starter post so you know what you're getting yourself into. There's probably some other misc. little details I left out.
Coll man thanks! :) If you also have "settings" for the sub that would be great.....gain, etc....(no idea what is on it). Velcro huh? Sounds easy enough and good so I can remove it easy if going on camping trip. I like that you pointed out that I DO NOT need the rear 6 inch pods......I never usually have passengers. Sub and DONE. Love it. also, that " firewall grommet, behind the left kick panel speaker panel," - where exactly is it? and I don't need to remove the 6 inch speaker again do I?

thanks for the guidance man!
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SROC3

SROC3

Big Bend
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Pat
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@SROC3 Love the build!
I'm looking to build out my suspension and am wondering why you chose the RockJock trailing arms and Icon track bar, vs all Icon (Icon trailing arms) or all RockJock.

I ask, because I would like to go with:
SDI EClick coil-overs (but they don't exist yet, not a priority, but on their radar)
Icon front upper
RockJock trailing and track bar

But will probably go with Icon CDEV IIC shocks. Since Icon mounts the rear shocks upside down, their billet lower arms have a secure way to route the remote reservoir extension line. They have clips for their steel option, so I'm pretty sure it would be secure enough on the RockJocks.

Do you think the RockJock Johnny Joint will give better articulation in the rear over the Icon? Would that come with more noise or vibration over the Icon?

Any thoughts on your rear setup are greatly appreciated.
If not budgetary, I would have gotten RockJock links AND track bar. BUT even if if I was going ICON shocks.....I would still use the Johnny Joints (Rock Jock) setup. The end joints are superior to ICONS. They do need more servicing....every 6 months or so (just grease them with a gun), but these are built with Commercial applications in mind. The commercial industry uses them and they are built to last and perform in all conditions. I've done some pretty gnarly trails here in NV and have had NO ISSUES with them at all. I'll hopefully be going FULL Coilover setup this year and will only upgrade my front control arms to Camburgs.
 

Merc4x4

Badlands
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If not budgetary, I would have gotten RockJock links AND track bar. BUT even if if I was going ICON shocks.....I would still use the Johnny Joints (Rock Jock) setup. The end joints are superior to ICONS. They do need more servicing....every 6 months or so (just grease them with a gun), but these are built with Commercial applications in mind. The commercial industry uses them and they are built to last and perform in all conditions. I've done some pretty gnarly trails here in NV and have had NO ISSUES with them at all. I'll hopefully be going FULL Coilover setup this year and will only upgrade my front control arms to Camburgs.
Thanks!
 

Dadsquatch

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Coll man thanks! :) If you also have "settings" for the sub that would be great.....gain, etc....(no idea what is on it). Velcro huh? Sounds easy enough and good so I can remove it easy if going on camping trip. I like that you pointed out that I DO NOT need the rear 6 inch pods......I never usually have passengers. Sub and DONE. Love it. also, that " firewall grommet, behind the left kick panel speaker panel," - where exactly is it? and I don't need to remove the 6 inch speaker again do I?

thanks for the guidance man!
Attached is a pic of my sub settings. The firewall grommet is right on the firewall up to the left behind the pedals (attaching a pic of this too….you can see my red power cable going through the grommet for the powered sub). You won’t need to remove the 6” kick panel speaker again, but you will need to remove the plastic trim again surrounding it so you can hide all your cabling behind that kick panel trim.

DFEB90BB-2723-4AD5-B057-1BA22B2A3336.jpeg


6BA26289-51BB-4AFF-A58F-B20A31BF9E9D.jpeg
 
 


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