Car audio theft prevention

[Johannes]

What methods have you guys used to secure your car audio equipment, mainly subwoofer enclosures and amplifiers. Do you screw it right into the floor of your car? Some people use Torx screws, L-brackets, etc. to make it harder for a thief... I'm basically looking for some ideas. Post pictures if you have any!

[Jet-Lee]

I dont bump my stereo where I intend to park my car. I don't have the subwoofers where they can be seen. My car looks stock, like a grandma's car. No one has reason to suspect I have a stereo.

[bumpinstang77]

Bolt the box down to the trunk in the inside of the box using different screws. Then use 4 different kind of screws on the sub. use four different kind of screws on the amplifier and make sure you have it screwed down in at least 4 places because its easy to rip out if you only screw two of the mounting feet. Always turn the system off long before you park and take off you faceplate and CARRY IT WITH YOU!!!!!! close the back seats or do w/e you have to do so nothing is visible.

[Johannes]

bumpinstang77, do you mean bolt the box down to the trunk using slot, star, hex, etc. bolts, through the inside of the box, and then mount the baffle to the box?

I have my amplifier mounted to the floor, into these plastic type things that are already there, kind of like little screw holders, I haven't drilled through the floorboards yet. When bolting through floorboards, do you use a nut on the underside of your car, on the other side of the bolt?

I've also heard about putting drops of solder on screw heads...

[bumpinstang77]

Do it throung the hole cutout before you put the subs in.

[Johannes]

The mounting holes on my amplifier are open ended on one side... and they only allow for a very small screw, so even if you bolt a piece of wood to the floor, you'll still be screwing the amplifier into the wood with very small screws.

What's the strongest type of wood to use... MDF? What about oak?

[CBFryman]

Reasons why i could leave my tuck unlocked (though i dont) and still wouldnt have to worry about theft.

1.) i turn it down to a low bump with in a mile or so of a place i may have to worry about theft.
2.) i park between 2 vehicles (i have a turck as you can see) so the enclosure cannot be slid out either side
3.) i have the enclosure bolted down
4.) there are tack welds on the bolts to the floor boards
5.) my speaker is flush mounted VERY precisely, to get it out you need a flathead screwdriver and a lot of work, its even harder if the sub isnt horizontal.
6.) i have Philips, Flat head, block, and allen key screws securing my driver
7.)my enclosure weighs 175lbs with the driver in it
8.) most people would think you would need to remove the seats to remove my enclosure
9.) its kinda hard to hide and 18... but you cannot see the amp from the ouside and you can only see the glow of the "hifonics" at night when it is on...
10.) im the onlyone with in a 50miles radius that has an Avalanche 18...anyone who knows me knows i know this and know i have connections who would beat the living shit out of anyone who had anny connection to an ava 18 being stolen if need be.

on top of this my truck is always locked when i leave it and i have a security system that alerts me if anything is going on if i am with in 1/2 a mile...

[Johannes]

CBFryman, do you have any pics of the enclosure in your truck? I've seen a few from a while ago, but I'm curious to see where the amp is mounted on the box. Is it on top or on the side?

[CBFryman]

side...

top is too obvious


incase you where wondering i was charting impeadance, i was gonna do a write up with pictures and all but got too lazy.

[ToyTundra]

Originally Posted by CBFryman

1.) i turn it down to a low bump with in a mile or so of a place i may have to worry about theft.
2.) i park between 2 vehicles (i have a turck as you can see) so the enclosure cannot be slid out either side
...
4.) there are tack welds on the bolts to the floor boards
...
6.) i have Philips, Flat head, block, and allen key screws securing my driver

I like it, especially the between two cars part

[Johannes]

Nice... I've seen a pic of yours like that but it wasn't as close, and the amp wasn't mounted yet. What are the 2 little pieces of wood behind the seat for, to stop the seat from leaning back against the box?

Does your amp get hot at all being mounted on it's side as opposed to mounted flat? The only thing I can think of anybody doing is breaking in and popping open your drivers side half door and prying the amp off of the box, which you probably mounted with different screws?

It's awesome to see a custom made box in a truck, usually all I see is pics of car installs. I have a 1991 Nissan which doesn't have the back doors... before I saw the pic of your door open I was wondering how the hell you got that thing in there, I had forgotten Mazdas have that door. If I was to get a better setup I'd do something like you have, except I wouldn't want the sub firing up, I'd probably have it going back towards the bed, a few inches from the back wall of the cab... do subwoofers need lots of air flow on the outside?

By the way, post more pics of your truck install, if you have them, and tell me more about how you welded and bolted the enclosure down. I have yet to drill through the floorboards of my vehicle, do you have to use any kind of sealant around the bolts?

Do any of you guys engrave your equipment? I might... in some places you can go the cop shop and use theirs.

[CBFryman]

Talk to ngsm13 (he never gets on here anymore so check SIN or Soundsolusionsaudio.com)
he has the most first hand experence with sub firing direction.
from my experence forward firing (like mine) and down firing yeild best results in trucks. Ports always work best when they are on the same blain as the driver (except in the case of a "crx" enclosure in hatches and SUV's) but there is almost no loss between up and on the same plain (ie i have the driver forward and the ports up)

for more pics look http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...&highlight=bow

there.

Photobucket is messed up right now but should be up and running by the time you read this.

i am pretty sure i posted all relevant pics in that thread.

[CBFryman]

maybe not...ill post up when photobucket comes back up.

[Johannes]

Really, I could have sworn that I saw your sub firing up and ports firing up... maybe I'm thinking of ngsm13's box.

[CBFryman]

nah, his where on the same side of the enclosure (forward) as he has a larger truck and more room.
i dont know if i ever posted completed pics or not on AF.