Suggestions for some bottom end in my truck please.

[Grant Bunter]

Since there are so many knowledgeable auto sound guys here, present and past, I'm asking for some off reservation advice...

My truck is a Mitsubishi Canter with Pantech. The pantech is seperate from the cabin.
Despite being comfortable driving wise, the cabin is small, in that there is basically no room behind the seats (there might just be room to put an amp in there though). The jack and wheel nut gear is stored behind the seat(s) on an elevated ledge (and unless I add an extra toolbox on the chassis, that's where it has to stay).
It's a 3 seater, the only seat with adjustable back position is the drivers seat. The passenger/jockey seat has the back rest fixed to the rear cabin wall. There's say 2 1/2" gap (at the widest point) between the back of the seat and the cabin wall, and maybe 10" in height.

I installed a head unit (Clarion) CD/Radio with USB and a pair of 6"/splits. There's some facility in the HU for altering sub frequency etc
6" is as much room as there is for drivers in the doors.
Specs on the drivers/splits suggest coverage to 70Hz, a realistic call.
It takes less than half volume on the HU to seem to drive the drivers to hard though.

I do have a bit over 3" in height, and just under 13" in depth, and around 11" in width, under the drivers seat, and I was thinking a little active low profile sub might be my only option.
My problem there is I've seen plenty of people say that many of the companies that produce these types of subs don't usually put out realistic specs in terms of power output.

Obviously, a AT, TAT, BAT, or Truck Tuba, simply won't fit.

What would you do?????

Would you get a little active sub?
Or buy an amp and occupy less space of a custom built box with a low profile 8" sub.

Or do something else entirely???

Cheers...

[Tom Smit]

Ugh, awful situation! Especially.... for one who knows what real bass is!
How about a bass shaker?

Another thought: a cab that has one fold, utilizes an 8" driver in a box somewhat styled after the TruckTuba.

[Grant Bunter]

Ugh, awful situation! Especially.... for one who knows what real bass is!
How about a bass shaker?

Another thought: a cab that has one fold, utilizes an 8" driver in a box somewhat styled after the TruckTuba.

Thanks Tom,
You drive trucks too right?
I'm sure you understand.

I hadn't considered a shaker. I really have had no experience with them and, most importantly, what they do in the kick drum frequencies. But it's worth a look.
And I was thinking something like a mini tapped horn in my "custom built box" idea.

I've been totally spoilt with my PA. I'm no longer happy with distorted anything.
I'd prefer to leave the HU off than come to a song I like, go to crank it up, and end up with a distorted mess lol...

[escapemcp]

Are you carrying the PA in the back? Why not just wire that up and turn it up until you can hear it?
Or a flat TT attached to the cab roof (outside) and firing down at your head somehow (you would have to cut into the roof and fabricate a 90° attachment for the end of the horn)
Or make it a 2 seat and get yourself a TAT.
My best idea was to put it behind the seats outside of the cab and then fire it into the cab, but looking at the pics, there is just no room there.

Probably all dumb ideas, but at least they'll make everyone else's look better.

[CoronaOperator]

By splits I assume you mean separate tweets/midbasses with passive x-over network? First thing I'd do is get a real amplifier for those, something around 75wrms/channel (real rms, not peak). It would be a real improvement over the 12-14wrms/channel that head unit puts out.

After that, there isn't much room is there? I'd consider one of the under seat powered boxes by a decent name. It may not go loud, but those under seat boxes can really thump your ass being so close to it, more of a feel than heard. If I didn't need the leg room in the middle jump seat, I'd consider making a MDF/fiberglass center console with an 8" or 10" shallow mount woofer, or even multiple 6.5's with low fs. Maybe peel back the door skins and take a look. They're might be enough room for another 8"er or high x-max 6.5 if you cut the hole, although the bass won't be all that tight rattling the doors like crazy.

If I was younger I'd probably cut out a big 1' x 2' or 3' rectangular hole in the back of the cab and the cargo box then mount the subs in the cargo box and port the bass into the cab. Seal the holes I made between the two cabs with that corrugated flexible rubber they use to add a sleeper to a truck. However, I think that would kill the resale value of the truck, only do that if you are crazy about bass.

[J_Dunavin]

Is there a center console on that? Could it be taken out to build a box there?

[Tom Smit]

Sub freqs. are omni, right? So, hook up a T39 that is placed in the front of the box and bang away.

[Grant Bunter]

By splits I assume you mean separate tweets/midbasses with passive x-over network? First thing I'd do is get a real amplifier for those, something around 75wrms/channel (real rms, not peak). It would be a real improvement over the 12-14wrms/channel that head unit puts out.

Yes, midbasses and seperate tweets (mounted low down on the pillars and cross fired).
Recommendation to get an amp, I'll look in to that
Realisitically, there's no more room in the doors (I had the skins off putting in the midbasses).

Is there a center console on that? Could it be taken out to build a box there?

Unfortunately no. Simply seats and leg room.

I'm enjoying the enthusiasm with the idea of firing up the PA in the pantech. I won't be chopping holes in the pantech or the cab though.

If I didn't need the leg room in the middle jump seat, I'd consider..

Or make it a 2 seat and get yourself a TAT.

There is in cab access to the engine bay (to check water and oil the relatively easy way, the other way being to drop the bullbar and tilt the cab). Access via that route needs to remain.

Thanks all for your thoughts...

[DJPhatman]

Your interior looks similar to this:

[Grant Bunter]

Your interior looks similar to this:

Pretty much DJP!
Mine is an FE 659 series, late 2004.
The only significant differences are:
Handbrake handle is under the dash.
Gear shift location is at the front edge of the seats, roughly forward of the handbrake handle in the pic you posted.

[David Raehn]

What about a Truck Tuba flat against the ceiling on the passenger side?

[NukePooch]

Do you have the rear window like in the pic? Pop the window out and build a box to fit the hole, or a small wedge box in front of the window between the headrests?

[AcousticScience]

This is predominantly a horn site. Horns are good at extracting performance out of a driver, but will generally use more space compared to other designs.
In that truck, an MCM 8 (the recommended driver in some of the horn sub designs) will play well to 40Hz in just over 1/2 a cubic foot. You could make a slim subwoofer enclosure attached to the ceiling, probably using some thoroughly internally braced 1/4 inch ply, and have plenty of length to install ports. I know it's a bit of a boring solution but it should still play quite loud.
On the plus side, you'll have plenty of cabin gain

[James Champer]

I don't know how Amazon works on the other side of the planet Grant, but there are tons of choices for under-the-seat sub/amps that would work.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_ ... Caps%2C252

My son, some years ago, used one of the relatively cheap "Boss" brand models and loved it.

Whatever you choose, because of the proximity to ones arse, you shouldn't have to run it into distortion levels. And you won't lose any real cabin space.