UPDATE on 8" Shallow Mount Subwoofer drivers to fit in 01-02 OEM box

[t76turbo]

Thank you for all the details. It looks like it is tailored to the XL and suburban. I just bought my son a 01 Tahoe standard length as a first car and have replaced the radio and the door speakers.

The sub is obviously having issues and I wanted to just put something in there to at least function. My son needs to focus on driving and not be worried about overwhelming bass.

You list a lot of good alternatives for the more shallow mounting requirements on the Suburban and XL boxes. Since your post says my normal Tahoe has more mounting depth, is there a sub that was on the edge of fitting on your box that should work better on mine?

I know it is the lazy route but I just want to get a part number that is proven to work so I can place and order.

 

[Sub]

Thank you for all the details. It looks like it is tailored to the XL and suburban. <snip> You list a lot of good alternatives for the more shallow mounting requirements on the Suburban and XL boxes

100% Correct. The subwoofer drivers listed and compared thus far in this thread are for fitting in the factory 8" rear mounted NON-Y91 subwoofer enclosure for the Suburban and Yukon XL only.

I just bought my son a 01 Tahoe. Since your post says my normal Tahoe has more mounting depth, is there a sub that was on the edge of fitting on your box that should work better on mine?

I have no idea. I don't have access to a Tahoe box. A member here offered me his friend's discarded take out box from a Tahoe, along with a broken driver from a Suburban/YXL, and I offered to pay any and all costs to receive these items for fitment testing and measurements, but I haven't heard back from them about it yet. I currently only have a Suburban box, so that is all I can measure. And, I can only compare my measurements with the specs as provided from the replacement subwoofer manufacturer, because I'm not a store, nor a business, nor an author. I can't afford to order all these different subs in just to see if they fit.

So I'm doing the research, and posting the details of available candidates as I find them online, hoping that people who do actually benefit from my preliminary research and buy the driver will report back here to confirm fitment. I'm paying it forward, and hopefully others who were helped by the information I've gathered will pay it back by posting which sub they bought, how it fit, and how it sounded.

I know it is the lazy route but I just want to get a part number that is proven to work so I can place and order.

Right. The "just get this" shortcut. I'd like that too. Who wouldn't? I looked for that quick answer and found that in every case, the driver mentioned in an archived post was either discontinued, or the original enclosure had to be cut open more or faceplated in some kind of way. Often both. I found that people have different standards when they say "it fit". What is good enough for some, may not be acceptable to others.

So, it looked like I needed to do my own research. But rather than keep it to myself, I'm sharing it openly, so others can benefit by having an accelerated head start on a shopping list narrowed down from hundreds of 8" subs on the market today, to only those candidates whose specs meet the criteria.

If I had a Tahoe, I'd be tempted to get the MTX "Thunderform", which is a new replacement enclosure pre-engineered and validated for the new 8" subwoofer that comes installed in it, and the package fits neatly behind the rear quarter panel just like the factory take out subwoofer enclosure did. The added advantage of the MTX Thunderform is that their enclosure takes advantage of more empty space behind the quarter panel that GM didn't utilitize, thereby increasing the internal volume of the MTX box compared to the factory.

MTX does not offer a Thunderform for the Suburban or Yukon XL.. only the Tahoe and Yukon. I imagine the Thunderform is expensive, maybe more than you want to spend, based on your post. However, it is the only solution that I am aware of that is validated and "proven to work", per your request. I'm sure there are many others with '00-'02 Tahoes who have replaced their subs with solutions that work to the standards they felt were acceptable, but you'll have to search them out.

If I had a Tahoe box to personally measure, then I'd go ahead and add Tahoe box qualified subs in my lists, as I would be knee deep in the mfr's spec sheets anyway, and this is, after all, a Tahoe Yukon forum.

 

[t76turbo]

Thank you and I completely understand.

The mix sounds promising. I will check that out. My main concern is I was hoping to do this with the factory amp so I didn't have to add more cost. But it isn't the end of the world.

It being hidden is also a huge plus. My son may or may not be 100% with locking the doors. So less stuff out in the open the better.

---------- Post added at 07:02 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:39 PM ----------

Thank you and I completely understand.

The mix sounds promising. I will check that out. My main concern is I was hoping to do this with the factory amp so I didn't have to add more cost. But it isn't the end of the world.

It being hidden is also a huge plus. My son may or may not be 100% with locking the doors. So less stuff out in the open the better.

Looks like it is around $550. Probably will look for a replacement woofer first.

 

[Rocket Man]

I don't understand why the MTX Thunderform enclosures won't fit the Denali models. Oh well, pretty damn expensive so I guess they just saved me some cash!

 

[Sub]

I don't understand why the MTX Thunderform enclosures won't fit the Denali models.

Do you mean the Denali XL?

Or do you mean the Denali short wheel base?

The MTX Thunderform doesen't fit the Denali XL because it is a long wheel base, and the factory space for the rear mounted hidden subwoofer is constrained by the cubby hole directly above the sub. Since this cubby hole is formed into the factory rear quarter panel plastic trim, it is impossible to look stealth, or look factory, but cutting the entire quarter panel out. MTX never offered a Thunderform for the Denali XL, Yukon XL, Suburban, nor the Cadillac ESV.

The MTX Thunderform DOES fit the short wheelbase Denali, even though you may have read that it doesn't. The unit actually does, but to install it requires moving the Denali amp that is in the way.

The factory BOSE amplifier is the key difference between the Tahoe / Yukon short wheel base, versus the Denali / Escalade short wheel base. In the Tahoe and Yukon, the amplifier is located up front behind the glove box in the 2000-2002 models. However, in the Denali / Escalade of the same '00-'02 years of the GMT800 body style, the luxury amplifier is larger, and is located in the rear of the vehicle, on top of the factory Bose sub..

The fact that this Denali amp needs to be relocated to fit the MTX Thunderform is most likely the reason why you may have read that it doesn't work in the Denali.

However, remember that cubby hole I mentioned earlier? The cubby in the Suburban and Denali XL that is directly on top of the factory sub in the long wheel base vehicles? The cubby hole that gets in the way of installing an enclosure with enough internal volume to support a 10" driver?

Well, in the short wheel base Denali, as well as the Tahoe and Yukon, the factory cubby hole is more forward over the rear wheel well, instead of on top of the factory subwoofer, where the amp in the Denali is. Therfore, if you take the rear factory amp in the Denali that is on top of the sub, and move it INSIDE the cubby hole that is on top of the wheel well, then the MTX Thunderform will fit perfectly in the Denali.

When you move the amp forward, just swivel it around 180 degrees, so that the plugs into the amp essentially stay in the same general location. Fortunately, the Bose amp electrical connectors are all on only one side of the amp, not two. So by pivoting the amp around 180 degrees, no extensions of any wire harness is needed.

A TYF member named Jeff did exactly this. His user name is JustPlayInn. Here are some photos he took of his installion of an MTX Thunderform into his short wheel base Denali:

BEFORE, with Factory Bose Sub, and Factory Bose Y91 LUXURY Amp on top:



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BARE, after factory sub and amp and bracket all removed. NOTICE the GM OEM "Dynamat Extreme" installed at the factory directly behind where the subwoofer mounts (on the gas filling port bump in of the sheet metal):



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BOOM, with the MTX Thunderform 10" hidden blast box in place, fitting perfectly in the Denali short wheel base (Jeff installed a Polk Audio driver instead of going with the MTX driver)... only the factory amp is MIA:





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BAM, with the Bose factory amplifier cleverly swung around 180 degrees so as to maintain the factory wiring harness lengths, with a connector port hole drilled in the aft end of the cubby hole, and the stock amp fitted perfectly in place:





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BONE stock look after the job is complete:





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Photo credit: All photos from "JustPlayInn" (Jeff), and this was his installation as well.



Like I said in a previous post, if I had a short wheel base, Denali or otherwise, I'd be inclined to go with the MTX Thunderform. You can get it as a bare box and put in your own driver, or as a loaded box, with the MTX driver, or as a full package deal with the box, the driver, and the amp for the sub built in. This latter fully packaged version is what I would do personally, because there is a lot of value in a pre engineered solution. Having to find a place to hide yet another amplifier is something I'd rather avoid, so why not get one built into the box itself?

 

[Rocket Man]

I was talking about the short wheelbase Denali. That's a great writeup, I hope it doesn't end up costing me a bunch of money. That Thunderform sh*t isn't cheap. The one thing besides the cost that would keep me from doing this is the jack would have to be relocated- do you know if Jeff found a place for his? I'm looking at the Kicker Hideaway- do you have any experience with it?
http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=33022&thumb=1&d=1430964989

 

[treehan77]

I've seen people relocate the jack under the hood or in the cubby that's like a shallow shoebox size. But I think the tools went under the seat. The thunder form manual contains a solution in the directions

Here's one solution with pics
http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20475

 

[Rocket Man]

Sub, have you ever heard the Kicker Hideaway 8" sub? I have reservations since it's basically without an enclosure, at around 3" deep. But it fits under the 2nd row bench seats. 150 watts RMS with built-in amp.

 

[YukonXL04]

Sub, have you ever heard the Kicker Hideaway 8" sub? I have reservations since it's basically without an enclosure, at around 3" deep. But it fits under the 2nd row bench seats. 150 watts RMS with built-in amp.

Never seen or heard it, but I'm betting I get more bass from my front midbass woofers in the doors... I would put a aftermarket sub in the stock box before I bought that kicker thing.

 

[Rocket Man]

I just need to find out what fits since mine isn't the XL.