The 2016 Ford F-150 you see here belongs to Brandon, one of our installation technicians here at Adrenaline Autosound in Clayton. The goal in upgrading the audio system in this truck was to demonstrate our ability to improve the accuracy, detail and volume capability of a factory stereo while maintaining the original look of the vehicle.
Ford F-150 Front Speaker Upgrade
We started by creating acrylic and fiberglass pods in the corners of the dash to house a set of Audiofrog GB25 2.5-inch mids and a set of GB10 1-inch tweeters. The shape of the pods echoes other design features in the truck, and a pressed metal grille protects and conceals the new drivers.
Each of the front doors is now home to an Illusion Audio C8 8-inch woofer. We created HDPE plastic mounting plates for the woofers so that they would bolt into the factory 6×9 location without any modification to the door structure. We sealed the large opening in the door skin with a 0.5-inch thick acrylic plate and secured it in place with 10-24 nutserts and machine fasteners. The inner and outer door skins are treated with Stinger RoadKill Ultimate sound deadening and Black Hole Tiles.
Custom Pickup Truck Subwoofer System
We created a custom enclosure that fits under the rear seat for a pair of JL Audio 13TW5 subwoofers. The shape of the enclosure follows the curve of the seat for a factory-installed look. We used a combination of vinyl and acrylic inserts and 3M gloss-black wrapped inserts to give the enclosure a custom look that blends nicely with the interior of the vehicle. A pair of Molex quick-connects on the speaker wires make it easy to remove the enclosure if additional cargo space is needed.
JL Audio System Amplifiers and DSP
The system is powered by three JL Audio XD-Series amplifiers. A pair of XD800/8V2 drive the left and right speakers, and an XD1000/1v2 powers the subwoofers. The amplifiers, along with a JL Audio TwK-88 digital signal processor, are mounted on a panel that fits behind the back seat. The panel is held in place with steel brackets and nutserts, a design that still enables the driver to fold up the seats.
A JL Audio DRC-205 wired remote control for the TwK-88 processor is mounted conveniently in the center console between the front seats. All of the audio system wiring runs through the factory wire channels, and we bundled everything with automotive-grade cloth and fleece tape for an OEM look and to prevent buzzes and rattles. As always, we run new wiring to every speaker in the system, including the woofers in the doors. This prevents any issues that might be caused by factory wiring and helps to ensure that the system will function flawlessly for years.
Let Brandon’s F-150 Be Your Inspiration
If you’re interested in hearing the audio system in this 2016 Ford F-150, drop by Adrenaline Autosound near Raleigh and speak with a member of our team. We can design and install something similar in almost any vehicle, and we’d love the opportunity to work on your car, truck or SUV. If you’d like to schedule a consultation, give the store a call or send us an e-mail using our online contact page.