help with install

ilikesound

Alright, so my girlfriend's amp keeps becoming disconnected, and i am planning on mounting the amp to the seat to avoid any further complications. I've always done custom installs so i don't know what kind of screws to use for this.

she has a saturn ion 3 and there's thin sheet metal behind the fabric on the trunk side. routing wires won't be an issue, the only thing i forsee happening is the amp will fall off the seat when she goes to put it down to store crap. The amp in question is an Alpine MRP-M450. The screws are What's the best kind of screw to use for such an install?
(I'm trying to avoid making any kind of custom MDF panel to mount the amp to, i just want to screw it in and forget about it until it needs to come back out. She doesn't really care about that kind of aesthetic property like I do.)

thanks!

Noisy in NC

I use these things called nut rivets in thin sheet metal a lot. They install like a pop
rivet but have machine screw threads on the inside. Then you can use regular
screws instead of self tapping sheet metal screws. I got mine at harbor freight
tools on sale for like 10 bucks. Also loctite (the blue kind ) works wonders. Just
don't get carried away with it just a tiny drop will do.

only126db

You can just use 5/8" pan head screws similar to this.

http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/woeimages/Fasteners/CSS-11835.jpg

ilikesound

Thank you!:p

Those self-tapping screws can go right into the sheet metal and hold a small amp up? It couldn't be more than 10 lbs. I'm just concerned it'll fall off while she goes over speed bumps or potholes.

jiaan13

The self-tapping screws should work just fine.

tk421

self tapping screws do not work well. they always run loose. especially if metal is screwed on metal.

a quick fix if u cant get the rivets as stated above is to mount a piece of mdf first and then mount the amps onto that.

oh. one more thing.. long screws may poke a passenger when they sit. so watchout! :-)

only126db

The screws I linked to are not self tappers, I try not to use self tappers because the tip is too close to the size of the screw threads.

I would pre-drill and use the pan head screws, they work very well in metal even if you dont pre-drill but you will need a screw gun/drill to get them in.

exalted512

do NOT use self-tapping screws. Really, any other screw will do besides self-tapping screws.

Like someone said, I would use some loc-tite. **** stuff to thin metal has a tendency of backing itself out over time. Natural car vibrations and vibrations from subwoofers and/or 6x9s on the rear deck will speed up the process...self-tapping screws are even worse.

The best thing to do would be to glue some MDF (1/2" or so) to the back of the metal (under the carpet), then screw over the carpet into that.

Also, make sure to install the amp with the seat down...thats when you will need the most slack. Also, when finding a place to mount the amp, have the seat in the normal position and crawl in the trunk with the amp. You dont want to mount the thing and having it be too low, too high, or too much to the side and hit something when the seat goes up.
-Cody

ilikesound

great, thanks guys. I'll be doing it as soon as i get over my flu like symptoms and it gets just a hair warmer out.

mmadden28

Reported again ^^^^

ilikesound

what are you "reporting" me for?

mmadden28

I didn't.
I actually reported a SPAM post (on of several in the same short period of time), and the mods deleted it/them, but they left no placeholder so it now 'looks' decieving.
Next time perhaps I'll include more info and quote the original message.

-peace