JBL subwoofer replacement

J

JRinTX83

Active Member
So I saw on another thread somebody replaced the stock JBL sub with a Kicker CompRT 43CWRT81 and had “mirror vibrating bass” they were impressed by. They used the stock amp and wires.

Well, I installed it hoping for the best and it’s exactly the same or maybe worse than it was. Just a warning to anybody wanting to do that....don’t. Waste of time and money.
 
I also have the JBL and am not impressed with the bass. I had an Infinity Basslink under the seat of my old B4000 and loved it. It also had a volume control under the dash.
Anyone be able to help me out with what wire/ where to tap in?
 
JRinTX83 said:
So I saw on another thread somebody replaced the stock JBL sub with a Kicker CompRT 43CWRT81 and had “mirror vibrating bass” they were impressed by. They used the stock amp and wires.

Well, I installed it hoping for the best and it’s exactly the same or maybe worse than it was. Just a warning to anybody wanting to do that....don’t. Waste of time and money.
Click to expand...

I installed 2 comp rt8’s in a box I built, separate amp, and it shakes the mirrors. Also, since they are 8’s, the bass is very tight. I am very happy withe the Kickers, and very impressed with the sound. I would imagine simply replacing the factory jbl sub with the kicker, using the same enclosure, and factory amp results are not stellar. Bottom line, build a custom box, add another 8, and run a separate amp. I believe the jbl head unit has pre outs, which should mean no line out converter, BONUS! So while time consuming it is worth it. If you have questions about this let me know. I am happy to share any info.
 
My bad. I do not have the jbl unit but I searched one on eBay a long time ago and whatever I saw had rca preouts on it. I just looked up specific to 16-20 Tacoma and no rca preouts. No big deal, you can add a sub amp by getting an add a sub harness which interrupts the factory harness. Here is what I bought for my taco;

Add An Amp Amplifier Adapter... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CQUL240?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Also check out tacotunes.com, they sell harnesses that are very specific, I can not confirm that the one I have will work with the jbl headunit.
 
Ok, so I have done some research on this jbl thing, and I will admit that I had no idea the major differences between the regular Entune system and the jbl system.
The way I see it you have a few options;
1. Leave everything alone.
2. Replace the entire system
3. Check the resistance of the jbl sub. If by some chance it is 2 ohms, buy a dual voice coil 8 to direct swap. If the jbl sub is 4 ohms, verify that the jbl amp is stable to 2 ohms and you can still direct replace.
4. I am not sure if the jbl amp runs the entire system or if the doors are powered from the headunit. If the amp only powers the sub, you can replace the amp, if not you will either need to replace it with a 5 channel amp to run the whole system, or keep it and get a 2 channel amp to drive just the sub. A new amp should have a new power wire run from the battery, and a good ground as close to the amp as possible. You could then pull out the rear plastics behind the rear seat, one side can hold the amps, and the other build a box for a dual voice coil 10 provided you have enough airspace to deal with. The Kicker comp c line is pretty forgiving on airspace.
If you run a separate amp for sub, you will either need to get an amp that accepts high level inputs, or do an inline low level converter. This should use the existing leads going to the jbl subwoofer.

A lot to digest, does this make sense?

One thing to keep in mind is on the airspace. The rear of the cab is designed in such a way that it limits you on the size of your box because of the pressure equalization flaps midway up the back cab wall, and the power rear window motor, so you are limited to a box built to fit from the floor to the midpoint of the rear cab wall.
 
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