Vannin' Home Forums General Discussion Electronics Question About Routing Speaker & Low Level Cables In A 91 Chevy

Plan on installing a nice 5 speaker audio system in my 91 Chevy. Replacing the 4x6’s mounted in the dash and installing 6x9’s or 6x8’s in each front door. Not many locations to install the amplifier so probably going to mount it inside the stock passenger seat base along with a small powered bass unit (the receiver will be in the stock dash location) which means I will have to run three stereo RCA cables (left, right & sub) from the receiver to the amp along with four sets of speaker cables (I always use 12 ga. cables) along with the power cable from the battery. Seems like a lot to run along the floor from under the dash to the passenger seat base so the only other way I can think of is under the floor (wrapped in some sort of protective sheath). Any other suggestions?
Thanks

You could run it under the carpet (if your van has carpet), or build a center console between the seats that would also be a place to route wires through.
I ran into a similar problem to yours, but my van had holes in the floor behind the driver's seat from some shelving I removed, so I ran the power wire for the amp through that, then the speaker wires and RCA cables were going under the carpet.
(I never finished the install, because the van is down for a head gasket failure.)

Not that I am any expert, but my advice, as I have done this on my G20 1991 & 1992 vans.

#1 would suggest using / replacing the dash speakers! Why? because sound reflection is BIG, the speakers in the dash bounce the sound off of the windshield. That is a HUGE plus. Mounting speakers in the door is usually masked when you close the door or muffled by your feet. Very easy doable if you have the dash out to run a power wire from battery into firewall and then under passenger seat (yes, from the side of the doghouse I slit the carpet and ran under the carpet).

2. With the dash out, run the front speaker wires and 3 sets of RCA cables from the radio to under the passenger seat as well as power for an amp and a "trigger wire".

3. My van's are carpeted and finished, so I fished wires to the side of the van wall and tucked them under the side panel (both are conversion vans, and I didn't want to take out the side walls).


I can't tell you much of a difference it makes putting speakers in the dash. I put 6x9's in a box and was amazed when I had the dash out this summer and put in new dash speakers and was amazed on how much better the sound was being directed. Just my own $.02 worth. To each there own and one last note, just a quality speaker wire (over kill using the wire, as you may upgrade speakers at a later date and then you don't have to mess with pulling new wires again).

Bob

Plans are to replace the dash speakers and install a pair in the front doors. Amp will be installed on one side of the pass seat base and a powered sub inside the pass seat base. So looking at different ways to route the speaker cables to the amp, low level line cables from the receiver in the dash to the amp, power cable from the battery to the amp & sub. So far looking at running them from the passenger side of the dash down along the engine side of the foot well and over to the seat base. Decided not to run them under the floor.

Be aware an amp generates heat, be sure it can get air circulating around it or it will burn up, I have one under the seat in my 99 E350, on plywood to get it off the carpet, the base is pretty open, just make sure its up off the floor, I have my subwoofer amp under the rear seat, on plywood, next to a line driver, make up for signal loss due to using a 20 foot RCA cables.

Suggested that if you mount the amp onto a piece of wood that you install 1/4" spacers under the amp to allow air flow as the amp will generate heat and air flow would assist in keeping your amp cooler. Just a suggestion....

yep been thinking about that…mAybe a rubber spacer for each fastener for air space and maybe smooth out some of the “bumps”…..

I often space mine when mounting on the wall, I like it where I can get at it to tune it.