Is mounting amps on a subwoofer box safe?

[jamesbond007]

Hey guys! A Clarion 50Wx4 channel amp died on me last week (cheap quality, poor sound...will never buy Clarion again) and I have an Apline F540 80Wx4 on the way to replace it. Now, I currently have my Alpine M501 amp, dead Clarion amp, and my 2 farad cap mounted on my sub box. Is this safe? I've heard mixed feelings and opinions about doing this, but since I have to re-install my hardware, I want to make sure everything is done right. Last time was kind of a sloppy wiring job anyways.

Both Alpine amps together are a total of 27" long, side-by-side, and my box is 32" long, so they'll take up the entire back of the box, as far as space goes. This is assuming I mount them to the box, too.

Have any of you had bad experiences with such practice? Like rattling the amps apart or whatever?

Thanks in advance for any advice!
~jamesbond007

 

[JonnyBlaze]

no better place. well a custom amp rack would be better

you should mount the amp on another board then mount the board to the box. this way when youll have more wood for the screws to hold. depending on the setup, its not hard to knock the amp right off.

JBlaze

 

[Xionide]

Well you are exposing your amps to an excess amount of vibration. I would leave the cap on it but not the amp. The solder might come loose. I wouldn't take chances.

 

[JonnyBlaze]

Originally posted by: Xionide
Well you are exposing your amps to an excess amount of vibration. I would leave the cap on it but not the amp. The solder might come loose. I wouldn't take chances.

think about this. a properly built / braced box doesnt vibrate. everything around it does. so the amp will vibrate more anywhere else.

JB

 

[jamesbond007]

See, the both of you have conflicting views...grr...wish there was a straight answer to this.

I've been running my two amps and cap on the back since August without any issues. I don't have a HUGE setup, but I have a single 12" JL Audio W3v2 sub. I have my setup so the bass hits REALLY tight and is very punchy. Sealed box, btw.

I know A LOT of people who run their amps on the back of the sub box without issues for years, but Alpine has only a 1yr warranty and I don't feel like being out a couple hundred bucks because I was lazy to find another route to mount the amps.

I had thought about mounting a vertical board in my trunk to hold the amps for display, but my trunk space in the back there is about 34" tops...the box was custom and we didn't allow much space anyways for leeway...it looks VERY clean.

By mounting my amps on the back and putting the cap on the front, near the sub, it looks tacky to me. I just don't know where to throw the cap. It looks really nice as it's a Tsunami 2 farad with blue LEDs and a blue readout.

 

[jamesbond007]

Originally posted by: JonnyBlaze

Originally posted by: Xionide
Well you are exposing your amps to an excess amount of vibration. I would leave the cap on it but not the amp. The solder might come loose. I wouldn't take chances.

think about this. a properly built / braced box doesnt vibrate. everything around it does. so the amp will vibrate more anywhere else.

JB

VERY good point! Now where should I throw my cap, JB? If you want, I can take pics...

 

[JonnyBlaze]

got pics of your trunk? ill give you some ideas.

JB

edi:
take some pics and tell me a few measurments. its real easy to build a simple amp rack.

 

[b0mbrman]

Yes, a custom amp rack would be better but if you're short on time, skill, or space, there's nothing wrong with mounting it on the subwoofer box.

Think about those competition types who have thousands and thousands of watts pushing subs with the amp in their trunk. There is no chance your little amp a few inches away from your sub is gonna be under more stress than those amps in the same trunk.

 

[Xionide]

Originally posted by: JonnyBlaze

Originally posted by: Xionide
Well you are exposing your amps to an excess amount of vibration. I would leave the cap on it but not the amp. The solder might come loose. I wouldn't take chances.

think about this. a properly built / braced box doesnt vibrate. everything around it does. so the amp will vibrate more anywhere else.

JB

So thats why all the pro competition amps are mounted to the boxes. Makes perfect sense :roll:

 

[Xionide]

Originally posted by: b0mbrman
Yes, a custom amp rack would be better but if you're short on time, skill, or space, there's nothing wrong with mounting it on the subwoofer box.

Think about those competition types who have thousands and thousands of watts pushing subs with the amp in their trunk. There is no chance your little amp a few inches away from your sub is gonna be under more stress than those amps in the same trunk.

Other than the fact that they are mounted to a 1 ton hunk of metal to stableize it.

 

[KEV1N]

I mounted mine to the back of the backseat in my car. The seat folds down.

 

[crawford]

Mine is on the top of my box but id prefer it to be somewhere else, I just dont have the space.

 

[lastig21]

I used to have my sub amp mounted to the back of the sub enclosure. When I got a flat tire it was a pain in the neck to get the sub out of the trunk since the amp is connected to the power and ground wires. Mounting the amp to a rack makes it easier to get the sub out if needed.

 

[JonnyBlaze]

Originally posted by: Xionide

Originally posted by: JonnyBlaze

Originally posted by: Xionide
Well you are exposing your amps to an excess amount of vibration. I would leave the cap on it but not the amp. The solder might come loose. I wouldn't take chances.

think about this. a properly built / braced box doesnt vibrate. everything around it does. so the amp will vibrate more anywhere else.

JB

So thats why all the pro competition amps are mounted to the boxes. Makes perfect sense :roll:

yeah, lets mount 10 amps to a box.

regardless where its mounted, i doubt any solder's gonna come loose.

JB

 

[BigPoppa]

If vibration is gonna knock any solder in an amp loose, you're running one poor quality amp.

 

[jamesbond007]

I'll take some pics tomorrow...I just got home tonight and my camera is at my GF's house.

FYI, it's in a 2003 Dodge Neon SXT. Hey, it's no Ferrari, but it's a stylish, economic car that is stable and it's all I can afford as a college student. I see it as a car to get me through school. No flaming!

 

[Viperoni]

I dont see a big problem with mounting to the box.

 

[jamesbond007]

Sorry for the delay in the pics...

Back
Front

Not much I can really work with. I think I'll put both amps on the back and mount the cap on the front? IDK...I hate to do that because it'll look tacky. I like a clean-looking trunk.

BTW, the cables/mess in the back are not normally there...it's just temp until I get my amp installed tonight, which I just got today!

 

[Paulson]

I've got mine mounted to the box (just a kenwood 600 watt amp but it does the job)

It's been powering 2 12" Rockford Fosgate Punch subs for 3 years now...

 

[Papagayo]

Originally posted by: Paulson
I've got mine mounted to the box (just a kenwood 600 watt amp but it does the job)

It's been powering 2 12" Rockford Fosgate Punch subs for 3 years now...

ditto for me

 

[SithSolo1]

Won't the amp get hot resting up against the back seat?
(n00b when it comes to car audio, really doesn't know)

 

[jamesbond007]

Originally posted by: SithSolo1
Won't the amp get hot resting up against the back seat?
(n00b when it comes to car audio, really doesn't know)

Nah, that is one of the reasons they have such big heatsinks across the entire top of the amp.

 

[Heisenberg]

I've got my Rockford Fosgate amp mounted to my 12" sub box. No problems.

 

[Scarpozzi]

I mounted my Kenwood amp to the box that housed the subs. The only thing...make sure you allow plenty of clearance and make sure you're mounting it the right way. Mine, for instance, is made to be vertical or horizontal, but the case of the amp is essentially a heat-sink so it vents best if mounted vertically.

 

[jamesbond007]

Hm, well I think these Alpines will be ok mounted vertically...I hope. There's a temperature display on my M501 sub amp...I use that on the hot days to make sure I'm within spec. Trunk should be cooler than the outside temps anyways.

My new Alpine MRV-F540!

Yummy!