What is everything I need when it comes to buying subs/amp/decks.

I already have a deck in my 4runner, its a little old (2003 premier. But I was looking at a sub to buy and I found the Sundown SA 10 D2.

SA Series

I dont know alot about wattage and stuff like that. So I am asking you guys what amp I should mate it too. And as of right now I will be keeping my stock door speakers because they still sound prime. But in the future ill be upgrading those too.

What amp and kind of wires should I buy, also do they have like a button I can adjust to turn the bass down or up?

Thanks!

You'll need a wiring harness for the deck to connect with the OEM wires. Also depending on what deck you have, you'll need a dash kit which acts like a mounting device so the deck fits flush into your car. That are the basics to set up a deck in a car, not sure about the wiring you need for amp/subs as I've never done that before.

Try this site out, just put in your make, model, year, and it'll tell you exactly what you need to get setup.
Onlinecarstereo.com - Vehicle Fit Guide, What Fits My Car

SJC, I'm not familiar with the Sundown brand of subs, but hopefully it's pretty good. If you want musical bass that blends in, filling in the low freq's without calling attention to itself (in other words, sounds like the original music), you'll need a SEALED enclosure for your sub (no ports). They take more power, but the reward is tight, snappy bass, as opposed to useless boominess. Rockford Fosgate and others make nice wiring kits that include most of what you'll need--4-gauge main wire that branches into 8-gauge near the amps (using proper distribution blocks), and the same gauges for ground wires. For amp size, what's your Sundown rated (RMS, not peak)? Put that amount (or close) of power to it for sealed encl.. You didn't mention an amp for the main speakers--depending on the capabilities of your current speakers, I would recommend something like 50Wx4 RMS to get the most out of them (using the head's amp will only bring distortion when you crank it up). Stick with well-known name brands (and NEW, not used) when buying amps--I found Amazon to be a good place for new equipment at excellent prices, plus Crutchfield carries tons of great stuff (and tons of good advice, too). I would highly recommend getting some new door speakers soon--you WILL notice a difference, even from lower-end aftermarket stuff, and you'll want the extra power-handling for cleaner sound when you feel like jamming. Best of luck!

Sundown makes some great stuff way better than most of the "well known" brands

Bucknut that sounds like crazy talk! Haha but thanks!

I mostly listen to rap. I guess I should get a 12 inch if its going to be in the way back of my 4runner.

Is this a okay amp?

MB Quart ONX1.1500D - ONYX Class D Monoblock Car Amplifier/Amp

Is it better to buy a box or make one? I figure making a box would be pretty simple lol and were do you hide the amp and wires?

I'm not familiar with Quart's amps, but I know they make killer speakers. As for sub boxes, there's a lot more to it than simply making it fit the speaker and space available--it truly is a science, and best left to those with experience. For hiding the wires, you want to be sure to separate the signal cables (speakers and RCA's) from the power cables--I typically route the speaker wire in the door sills, the RCA's down one side of the trans tunnel, and the power wire on the other side. For the amp(s), you should have room back by the sub enclosure. Given your choice of music, you may want to go with a ported enclosure, for a bigger thump. Also, if your charging system is stock, you may need a stiffening capacitor--big bass hits take big power, and a cap helps take the strain off the battery by storing juice itself, then releasing it for those big hits (instead of taking it from the battery). For one sub, 1 farad will probably be plenty, although some recommend more capacity.

First off, caps are useless, do a big 3 upgrade and have a good agm battery, how old is the battery in the car now anyway? Stay away from mbquart, the new stuff is cheap, old stuff was good. A rockford fosgate power series amp, t500-1 is plenty for a single 12. Easy to hide under the front seat to make them hidden. U can route the power and signal wire together for the sub amp, i myself never had any noise issue, a quality amp kit will be needed. Knukonceptz makes some good amp kits cheap but quality. Since u already have a deck installed, find the rca for the sub output.

This is a copy of my post from another similar question.

You need an amp and a set of components. Forget about rear fill unless you care about your rear seat passengers. I would do a 4 channel amp, a decent set of component speakers, and a 10" sub.

Cheap.

Amp 149.99- Kenwood KAC-8405 720W Max, 4-Channel Performance Series Amplifier
Sub 99.99- Rockford Fosgate R1L-1X12 (R1L1X12) PRIME Loaded 12" Subwoofer Box
Front Component Speakers - 89.99 - Kicker DS6.2 (11DS6.2) 6-1/2" DS-Series 2-way Component Speakers
Install Kit - 26.99 - The InstallBay AK4 Complete 4 Gauge Amplifier Installation Kit
Extra RCA's - 7.99 Scosche A17C2 17 ft. (3.7 m) 2-Channel Platinum Series RCA Interconnect Cables

375 bucks with free shipping!

This will sound great and should have no problem being loud and clear on the highway. Just bolt the subwoofer and amp together then bolt them to the floor of your Runner and you shouldn't have to worry about them being stolen. I would definitely recommend replacing your front speakers with components, as they can play louder without distortion.

Add some sound deadening on the outer door skins and the rear floor area and you will notice a big improvement in sound.

Stinger RKX36B Roadkill Expert Series Sound Damping Material Bulk - 2 of these kits will do most of the interior, including the floorboards, and will really give you a nice quiet ride. All of this is under 600 bucks!

I shouldn't have even made this post! Now I am debating getting bigger tires or a stereo system! Decisions, decisions!

My buddy just bought this amp and loves it, he's powering a 12 inch with it as well. Also, sundown makes good stuff as well

I had some problems with my runner lately and completely forgot about this post I made. Thanks for all the good answers guys it really helps

Here's my advice from the research I've done (upgrading my sound system as well).

Amp:
Depending on where you live, you can find great deals on 4-channel amps on craigslist, which will cut down cost quite a bit. Otherwise I'd go with the alpine referenced in one of the above posts.

Speakers:
I bought the Infinity Reference 6030cs 6.5-Inch 270-Watt Two-Way Component System for $100 bucks off of Amazon, with free shipping. Great deal for a well rated speakers. You probably won't need to do this, but I am also replacing the rear speakers with two more Infinity reference speakers ($60).

Head Unit: This is where you'll have to make the decision, based on the features you will want out of it. I chose a single DIN, as they seemed to be cheaper. I looked at Alpine, Pioneer, and JVC and eventually settled on the JVC KD-R730BT on Amazon for $115. Important things you want to consider with the HU:

1. Preamp voltage - most standard HU's will have ~2v, but if you want the best in clarity then go for a higher voltage such as ~5v
2. Features - nearly all of the $100+ HU's have bluetooth streaming as well as hands free calling, at least one USB port, an AUX port, the ability to recognize certain apps from iphones and android devices.
3. Line outputs - you will want at least 2 line outputs, one pair to go to the amp for your front speakers and one pair for the subwoofer.

Cables and extras:

1. You'll need a dash kit to put in below the HU if you buy a single DIN, these can be found for ~$10-20 on Amazon. Look up your part on Scosche's website, then search for the part # on Amazon.
2. You'll need a 4 gauge power cable for the amp. If you search for this online, make sure it is listed as AWG, so it is a true 4 gauge.
3. For the door speakers and tweeters, I went with a 50' of 12 gauge AWG cable. I ordered both the 4 gauge and 12 gauge from ebay for MUCH cheaper than Amazon, and they are true to their size rating.
4. You'll need two sets of RCA cables to run from your HU to each of your amps (the one amp powering the front speakers, and the other amp powering your sub).
5. You'll need a radio wire harness you make your life much easier, I paid $3 on Amazon for the Metra 70-1761 Radio Wiring Harness For Toyota 87-Up Power 4 Speaker.
6. For your subwoofer's power cable, you will want to put a fuse in-line somewhere, my 4runner already had one installed but they are easy to find.
7. Lastly, tools such as wire strippers, electric tape, and end connectors for the cables make the job go a lot quicker.

Optional:

Sound deadening. I did an extensive amount of research on this...and here is what I've found. You really want at least two parts to effectively dampen sound.

1. First, you'll need a material like Dynomat. These are used to dampen vibrations produced by your tires and your engine. Now, if you're anything like me you won't want to spend $300 to "dynomat" the interior of your runner, and luckily there are some quality alternatives that people say work as well as if not better. First option is to buy some RAAMmat BXT II from RAAMaudio - Automotive sound deadening products. Second option is to get something like edead from elemental designs. Edead is cheaper, only $1 a square foot, but isn't as good as RAAMmat. Edead would be ranked good, RAAMmat would be ranked better.

2. Second, you want some kind of foam. Raammaudio sells their complementary ensolite, but again I looked for something cheaper and just as effective. I ordered some closed cell foam, made specifically for sound dampening, from the Foam Factory. It's designed for sound studios, but will work just as well in a car (you'll just need to use your own adhesive). For $50 including shipping I got enough to put in all my doors, some floor space, and some areas of the firewall. It's important that you looked for closed cell foam, as it dampens sound better, is more durable, and is resistant to moisture and mildew. The thicker the foam, the better the sound insulation. I have also read of some people ordering Roxul Safe'n'sound from Lowes (designed for homes, but should work equally as well in vehicles if properly applied).

You will want to apply the dynomat/edead/or BXT II first. Focus on flat metal panels, as those are more prone to vibrations (curved metal is structurally less prone to vibrations). You don't need full coverage, I plan on applying between %50-%75 coverage. Then you adhere the foam on top, with more coverage (including curved metal areas).

I'm installing all of these this week, so I'll create a writeup with my experiences with the process, and my final opinion on my "custom" sound deadening technique. If anyone has anything to add or correct, feel free as I don't have time to proofread this post

Wow man thank you so much for that. Feel free to post your write up on here I already know what HU ill be buying. Going to get the same one that i had in my old truck

HU: Amazon.com: Pioneer DEH-P5200HD CD Receiver with HD Radio and iPod Direct Control: Electronics

SUB 12": SA Series

AMP: MB Quart ONX1.1500D - ONYX Class D Monoblock Car Amplifier/Amp

Maybe^ Iv read nothing but great reviews on this amp and im golden to try something new so most likely will be getting this amp.

DOOR SPEAKERS: Should I get speakers like these so that the bass isnt drowning out the music? They seem worth the price. KS Series | KICKER

And then the wiring ill buy at car toys so the guys there can make sure I get the right stuff for what ill be buying. Maybe even have them install it all,, I hate messing up my interior.

The interior is the only part of my runner I keep clean and smelling good. The outside smells like swamp and looks like hell. Maybe while the door panels are off Ill pound out this dent

Attached Images

 

No problem. I'll try to remember to take pics along the way. Removing the interior trim and door panels was a breeze, I love that there are very few screws and most of the trim just pops off (my 03 Accord was terribly hard to do any work on). If you are planning on using stock wiring, I'd say do it yourself. Look up youtube videos on how to remove your trim, and you'll see that it's very straightforward. Main thing to remember is to just be patient haha, as I tend to get excited and in a hurry when doing upgrades and don't always pay attention to the guides. Really the "toughest" part was matching the cables from the back of your radio to the wiring harness, but even that was just look at illustrations and matching "front right +" with "front right +". I will say that re-running my lower gauge wiring will be a little tricky, but it will mainly just be time consuming.

I would stay away from MB.

Thanks KRM, and why should I stay away from MB?