Upgrade your subwoofer! | Ford Bronco 

Hey there! Really like your video! You may be interested in sponsorship?

Someone should have created a 3D printed subwoofer adaptor ring for that enclosure.

Thank you for the advice! I just did what you said to do. The ring was a little tough to get off, used a thin flat head screwdriver to get in between the metal and plastic. I also had to saw off the tab at the bottom of the sun enclosure to allow the kicker sub to sit flush. Used T-tap connectors to add wires instead of cutting off the OEM connectors like the video above. Bass Sounds very clean now even with the B&O amp. No more rattles either! Thank you again, you saved me from sawing into the enclosure like the video above. So much easier taking off the ring!

@@MexicanSuperDude What ohm did you go with to keep using the B&O amp?

@@MexicanSuperDude did you seal up the original screw holes for the B&O when you mounted the kicker?

@bradalan81 did you seal up the original sub enclosure screw mounting holes?

@@steves7224no I just added foam double sided tape all along the rim of the speaker and it sealed any unused holes. From what I remember I used some of the factory holes. It was just a small tab I cut off to make it fit. That and the connections were the only mods I had to do to make it fit.

Yeah I talked about sealed vs ported in another video- ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-mdQeaN9CFPw.html I actually left mine ported after experimenting with it for a few weeks, as I thought it sounded better ported. But I'll admit that is definitely "wrong" based on Kicker's specification sheet.

Oooo... no rattling for me yet, but it's only been about a week. BUT, I think for those folks who _truly_ want amazing audio, the tailgate subwoofer setup is definitely the best option. I just have plans to mount other stuff on the tailgate, so it was a no-go for me. I'm not going for "amazing" audio. If I can get it on-par or slightly better than the B&O setup (for much cheaper than the Lux package), that'll be a big win for me.

@@RagnarKon Yep, totally agree with you on that one. I also wasnt going for a superior sound, just something enjoyable. I guess the hole I did was just to janky so had really bad air gaps causing the issue. After messing around for 2 weeks I gave in. I almost decided to go with the stealth box just released but cost didnt make sense. Well onto the next mod right? haha.

@@JP-vz2qn Once I saw the Stealthbox price... I'm glad I didn't wait for it. I was worried I would regret my choice by going with the B&O enclosure, but I could buy 3-4 B&O enclosures for the price of the Stealthbox. Right now my problem is the front dash speakers are overpowering everything else in the Bronco... so I need to get that taken care of (parts on the way). Once I do I should be able to dial in the subwoofer and decide if this idea was a good one or not.

​@@RagnarKon What setting did you do in Forscan? I followed your post about the settings on 6g, but ended up coding the first set of numbers to 3800 . I believe it gives me a more well rounded sound. I didn't add the key 500.4 like you though, so maybe wont help since I think you did the auto calibration. I also went with Alpines in the front dash and for balance in the console, I moved the focus area to about where the headrest are. not sure if that will help any but my sound for speakers is pretty even.

@@JP-vz2qn I simply disabled the EQ-no other changes. Again, not everything is dialed in yet... so I may make some further tweaks... but thus far all I've done is disable the EQ.

Polyfill generally speaking can smooth out the bass a bit and make the everything a little more efficient. But in a vehicle as loud as the Bronco you probably won’t notice a difference honestly. Polyfill is pretty cheap though, so no harm in buying some and experimenting with it. Dynamat, on the other hand, will help quite a bit by reducing vibrations caused by the subwoofer, and also toning down a lot of the road noise the Bronco has. So I would recommend Dynamat. That said… it all depends on what you’re going for, how much optimization you want to do, how much time/money you want to spend, etc. etc. For me, I was going for equal to or better than the Lux package while keeping it under $1000 total. So I’m not going for some super high-end setup that’s perfectly dialed in. If I was, I wouldn’t have used the B&O enclosure, as it is undersized for the 8” Kicker sub I selected. I just wanted something better than stock, and I wanted to be able to easily add additional mods to the cargo area in the future. Therefore I didn’t use any polyfill or Dynamat, even though I know they would help. I got another video where I start dialing everything in-may give you a better idea about what you want to do: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-mdQeaN9CFPw.html

Yup, you nailed it. The amplifier runs at 500 watts at 1Ω (hence the name “500.1”). 300 watts at 2Ω, or 150 watts at 4Ω.

@@RagnarKon Cool , just trying to nail down the correct components to order for my 2023 . Looks like I will go with the same sub and amp as mine has the box with fake sub and amp already. May run another speaker lead to a panel mount quick connect on the trim panel to throw another 8" sub in the back when I'm feeling a little more boomy :) See what it does with two subs at 1ohm . Thanks for the video content.

​@@rydfree Just a heads-up in case you were not already aware: If you got the 2023MY with the base audio system, the 8" sub doesn't fit. The enclosure I have is the B&O enclosure included with the Lux package, but the base audio enclosure is slightly different and only really fits a 6.75" subwoofer. Granted I'm sure you could modify it to fit the 8" sub, but not sure how difficult that would be. Would have to hit the forums to see what others have done on their 2023MY Broncos.

Very good question. I cut that part out of the final video because I explained it very poorly. Hard to explain it while in the middle of actually doing it. I probably should have just re-shot it or done voice-over or something so folks had that info. You can change the multimeter to test voltage and then lightly push on the speaker cone to see what kind of voltage is induced. Depending on if that voltage is positive or negative you can tell what your polarities are. THAT SAID, the easiest way is probably to get a AA battery. Lightly touch the speaker leads to the AA battery, and you can figure out what your positive and negative is depending on which direction the cone moves. It the speaker cone moves out, then your positive will be connected to the battery positive, and negative will be connect to the battery negative. If the cone sucks in, then it's opposite. For larger speakers (like subwoofers) you may have to use a 9V battery instead to actually see it move.

@@RagnarKon No, subwoofers are typically more sensitive than smaller speakers.

The front left and front right are 2-way coaxials. Ford's advertising wizards are labeling that as 2 speakers each, which brings the total up to 10. Personally... I disagree... but I guess if I'm being honest most people in the general public likely have no idea what 2-way coaxials are. So I guess it makes sense?

Yes, but you may have trouble finding a spot to mount the Kicker amplifier. The spot where I mounted by Kicker is the same spot where the factory B&O amp is mounted.

No issues so far.

I installed a whole new panel... which was pricey and I wouldn't necessarily recommend. If you check my previous video it goes into a little more info about the panel: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-nmFy1GgvJ1Q.html

2022 Badlands. 2023 will have a sale 6.75" enclosure from the factory, as well as some of the wiring, but otherwise it is very similar.

Yes I did. The thing I really wanted was the DSP/EQ functionality, and unfortunately Kicker didn't have any waterproof amplifiers that had DSP/EQ functionality built in that fit within the $1000 budget I gave myself for this upgrade.

8 inch. To help out with measurements: From the factory the the B&O system enclosure (which is what I bought) has a 200mm subwoofer, or 7.87 inches. The base audio system enclosure in 2023+ Broncos has a 170mm subwoofer, or 6.69 inches.

The trailer tow module is mounted on the other side, so if you have tow package that'll be in the way. The trim panel on that side also has a storage pocket that consumes much of the space. It's definitely possible to mount a sub on that side, but you won't have the same amount of space as you do on the passenger side.

No. If I was going for a high-end setup I would have (and also bought better amps). But I put myself on a budget, and one of the reasons why I bought the Kicker Key amps was to avoid having to buy a LOC.

Got it. I was hoping to keep on a budget but went to an audio house and ended up with a higher end recommendation. I'm really trying to get up to speed on install (since labor to install would be more than parts ($1500). The side panel part you are referencing was $650, so if I can cut out I definitely save cash. Looks like I'm headed down a blend of doing what I can figure out myself, and pro install assistance. APPRECIATE THE HELP.@@RagnarKon

It is not a true 8". I didn't know it at the time I made this video, but I found out after my most recent video that it is a considered to be a 200mm subwoofer-comes out to be 7.87 inches. There may be _some_ 8" aftermarket subwoofers that fit inside the enclosure, but I suspect for most of them you'll have to modify the enclosure like I did. There is a company called Gearshade that is making an aftermarket 8" box that is very promising, but they are having production issues currently. And JL Audio recently released their 10" enclosure called the "Stealthbox" that looks awesome, but is also extremely pricey (over double what I paid).

@@RagnarKon Very valuable information here Ragnar, I'm a bit of an audiophile and I know the B&O system wont cut it. My Bronco is being build on the 9th and I'm trying to get ahead of all the mods I want to implement. Please keep tinkering and making videos, you will grow this channel fast! Thank you for everything good sir.

It was around $200 when I bought it ~10 months ago, but prices vary all the time. When I bought it there was no aftermarket options, but now are a few available. JL Audio Stealthbox is probably the most popular option, and it comes with a subwoofer speaker already. You can also just modify the 2023MY factory housing that you have to fit an 8" subwoofer. From the factory it is a 170mm (6.75-in) housing, but nothing stopping you from making the hole larger.

That JL audio stealthbox is $1,000 dam !!!!

In my case, I do not need to. For 2023MY Bronco... yes, you will probably need to change some stuff.

Yes it does. The cargo side panel is obviously designed a little differently on 2-door model, so you might have to get a little creative with how you mount the Kicker Key 500.1 (assuming that's the amplifier you've selected), but the subwoofer enclosure itself is the same. I've also heard that MZDZ-18808-H was replaced by a new part number: M2DZ-18808-L. So if you're having trouble finding the "H" part, check for the "L" part. I do not know what is difference between the two is, but according to Ford's internal parts system the "L" part is a direct replacement for the "H" part.

Not sure yours had a different part number on the actual enclosure, but the box had your part number, and the part had M2DT-19A067-AA. Looks the same. Picked up today. @@RagnarKon

@@nmdelninno Yup, Ford parts have two different numbers: A Service Number and an Engineering Number. The Engineering Number is used internally inside of Ford's engineering departments, and is what is usually listed on the part itself. The Service Number is used by customers, dealers, mechanics, etc. to actually order the part. That's the part number on the box. Ford dealerships have the ability to cross-reference those parts numbers. So if you have a part with an engineering number on it, you can ask your dealership to look up the service number and get it ordered.

I was starting to dial in everything today, and... yeah... you may be right. I was thinking the same thing earlier. I did stuff a towel into the port quickly just to see what it sounded like, and it sounded like total garbage. But definitely need to play around with it more.

It's all in the description!

I just bought one from Ford dealership. The shipping box has the part number M2DZ-1808-H, or now L. The actual part enclosure has a part number M2DT-19A067-AA. The parts department says it's the same part and will fit Bronco. Haven't tried it yet, but looks the same.

That means you have the B&O sound system with the Lux package.

If you ignore the stupidly expensive gigantic plastic side panel that I shouldn't have bought... It was around $530 to do the subwoofer. The subwoofer, amplifier, enclosure, wiring, etc. The entire audio upgrade project was just shy of $1200.

I'm in Rhode Island

I do not, just not setup to do it properly. I don’t mind helping other people out or providing some guidance with their own upgrades (kind of the point of this YT channel). But I don’t have the free time or facilities to be able to work on other people’s vehicles.

Yes you can! The remote line is biased for 6 volts instead of 12 volts, so if your amplifier is expecting 12 volts for the remote turn-on line you'll need something like a PAC TR-4 to bring it up to 12 volts.

@@RagnarKon to wire up the tr4 does yellow go-to 12v power black to ground green to bronco remote I tapped into and then blue to amp remote?

@@Jaxon327 Black = Ground Yellow = Power. I recommend tapping into the factory amplifier power, which should be a slightly thicker Yellow/Red wire Green = From the factory enable. Yellow/Violet wire Blue = To the amp enable on you aftermarket amplifier

Nope, but I can link you to where I got it. He is local (for me), but ships all over the country: plugnplaykits.com

1. The HDPE sheet I had was 1/4-inch thick. 1/8-inch sheets would also work-you may actually be better off with that thickness to be honest, but my local hardware store didn't have sheets that thin. 2. Crutchfield is suggesting a 6-3/4 inch Kicker sub wired in series because they are assuming the standard 2023MY enclosure and the factory amplifier. The standard base audio enclosure is 170mm... or just shy of 6-3/4 inches. And the factory amplifier isn't all that powerful, which is why they are recommending series. I personally used the B&O subwoofer enclosure that's included in the Lux package, which is a 200mm enclosure (or just shy of 8-inches). It should also be noted that the B&O enclosure is the only enclosure that uses the WPT-1016, so if you are using the standard 2023 enclosure, you won't need that pigtail. 3. I just used 16-gauge stranded wire I had sitting around from a past project. Nothing special.

@RagnarKon thanks. I'm using the same B+O enclosure. Can I keep existing speaker, or should I switch to 4 ohms dual, 8" I'm thinking the 6 3/4 2 should work if wired correctly.

​@@nmdelninno If you bought the B&O enclosure (or bought the Lux package) it comes with a 200mm dual 4-ohm subwoofer already installed. I swapped mine out for a Kicker 8" dual 4-ohm subwoofer. You can use a 6-3/4 subwoofer if you want, but it won't mount inside of the B&O enclosure-6-3/4 is too small. So you'll need to build an adapter bracket out of the HDPE if you want to use the smaller subwoofer.

Any issues with 1/8" HDPE for sub adapter bracket, or would I need the 1/4"?@@RagnarKon

@@nmdelninno 1/8" should be fine.

Unfortunately... no where. They're having supply chain issues, and the Kicker Key isn't expected to be back in stock until late 2023 into 2024. There are a handful of alternatives available. The only one I've personally used and can vouch for is the AudioControl ACM-4.300.

@@RagnarKon dude! Thank you for such a quick reply! I have a couple more questions about helping the stock system in our 2023 outer banks. What's the best way to reach you?

@@GCharlesE Bronco6G.com or TheBroncoNation.com under the username "RagnarKon" is the easiest way to contact me. I'm also on the /r/FordBronco subreddit's Discord server.