Just completed an entertainment system upgrade. Here is an illustrated breakdown of the installation...
Looked around for rear seat removal explainers, but couldn't find much, so ended up just figuring it out myself...wasn't too tough, but thought it might be helpful for others to post a step-by-step with an image...
How to remove the rear seat in a 2015 Ford F350 SuperCrew:
1) Remove the underseat storage bins with a 1/2-inch socket...there are 6 bolts in the bins themselves (2 are hidden under the loose separator). Be sure to unplug the 12v accessory harness.
2) Lift the seat cushions and remove the 3 forward bolts with a 3/4-inch socket.
3) With the seat cushions partially lifted, locate the rear mounting nuts...you can see these looking from the front. Use a 3/4-inch wrench to remove these...two on the passenger's side, one driver's side.
4) Fold the driver's side seat-back forward and remove the two seat belt Torx bolts with a T50 star to release the middle seat belt assembly.
5) The seat now comes apart in two pieces. Remove the single passenger side portion first by lifting slightly and pulling out towards the door, wiggling the seat off the joining bracket.
6) Lift the remaining double-seat driver's side out of the truck, preferably with the assistance of a second person to "walk it out."
Here's an image showing seat-mount bolts and seat belt Torx locations to be removed:
Removed rear seat, factory sub, mounted jack/tools, rear-wall padding and lifted carpet. Ready for Dynamat and install:
Dynamat installed. For those who aren't familiar...Dynamat is a sound deadening thermal barrier. This product is used extensively in the car audio industry to eliminate road/engine/exhaust noise, drone and rattling. It also acts as an engine/exhaust thermal barrier. Gives that "luxury car" quiet interior.
Plenty of room in the side-rail channels to run cables.
JL recommends 4-gauge wiring. Important to use quality connections with this type of equipment. Decided on Stinger Pro and took a set of well-insulated THX-rated RCA's from my home theater.
Ran power with a 50-amp mini-ANL fuse from the driver's side battery:
Remote/turn-on lead is made easy in the Super Duty...there is a large bunch of capped-off wiring on the driver's side just behind the emergency brake pedal. These are made to run accessories...found the WH/BU labeled RUN/ACC for the processor and amp lead...you see it here pulled out of the bunch:
No visual change to the factory mount separates speaker locations, except for swapping out of the Sony logo for JL Audio Replaced the OEM 6x8 Sony speakers and tweeters with a set of JL Audio C2-650, in both factory front and rear locations, connected with OEM compatible harnesses to the factory amp...which has plenty of power to run these. JL's are efficient and produce great sound quality without the need for another amp. Unless you are comfortable with custom work, I would recommend going with OEM-sized 5x7 or 6x8 though...the JL's are listed as 6.5" but are actually 6.75" and require some mods to install even with Scosche adapters.
Ran the JL Audio RBC-1 control knob for active sub-amp control from the driver's seat. Mounted in that little random open dash compartment to the right of the steering column...this allows adjustment on the fly based on music choice, or you can turn the sub off completely, leaving the rest of the entertainment system intact.
If you don't change out and/or bypass the factory navigation head unit, then you must keep the factory Sony amp. Everything seems to run through this unit for the OEM stereo system...there are literally ~40 wires running in/out of this unit...never seen anything like it on an amp. And none of the speakers work if you disconnect it. For signal to the new sub, used 2 of the 4 factory sub speaker wires (factory sub is a dual voice coil configuration) going into the Audio Control line-out converter. No factory wiring harnesses were modified or cut for any of this installation, except for these two wires which were simply redirected from their original clip into the LC2i.
As we all know, space it tight behind the rear seat. I built a custom amp rack to hold the stock Sony amp, Audio Control LC2i and JL mono-amp. Tolerances were literally millimeters. Had to shape the rack around the power rear-window motor and space everything out precisely, but it all fit perfectly. Used an over-sized L-bracket to mount the amp rack to the factory jack base, which I was able to keep in it's original location.
Here are a couple shots installed and ready to rock...The 2-ohm SVC JL sub runs the amp at it's intended rated 2-ohm 500-watt RMS load.
And here we are with the seats back in. Took the opportunity to brush a bit of anti-seize on the through-floor seat bolts (while I was at it, rolled under the truck and did the same on the 4 DPF-mounted EGT sensors!).
Used two small stainless steel L-brackets to secure the subwoofer box in place through existing holes, just to make sure nothing shifts around during offroad driving.
Quite happy with the final results. Didn't have to sacrifice any under rear seat or center console storage and didn't break the bank. Sound is tight and accurate. With equal factory power, the JL component separates are crisp, clear, dynamic and a significant improvement over the OEM Sony speakers. With all the panels and carpet back in and seats raised in place...the mono amp's power is properly absorbed and the right quantity of bass fill can be dialed in via the dash control knob. Plays well with all types and genres of music. Walked the entire truck and can't find any noticeable rattling from the low-end, save for the air-release flaps on the rear cab vent directly behind the subwoofer, which cannot be heard from inside.
Installed component list and cost recap:
JL Audio C2-650 6.5-Inch 2-Way Component Speaker System (2 sets)
Retail: $249 each set
Paid: $150 each set
JL Audio 13TW5v2-2 13.5" Thin-Line Series Subwoofer
Retail: $699
Paid:$445
JL Audio JX500/1D 500W Mono Class D Sub Amp
Retail: $299
Paid: $165
JL Audio RBC-1 Remote Bass Control
Retail: $40
Paid: $31
AudioControl LC2i 2-Channel Line Out Converter
Retail: $99
Paid $79
Stinger SK4641 4 Gauge 4000 Series Car Audio Amplifier Installation Kit
Retail: $125
Paid: $58
Dynamat Xtreme 12 sqft Thick Self-Adhesive Sound Deadener (4 packs)
Retail: $400
Paid: $236
SuperCrewSound Custom JL Audio 13" TW5 Subwoofer Box with black carpet, gold banana-plug speaker terminal upgrade and acoustic stuffing: $214
JL Audio SGR-13 speaker grille: $26
20 ft Stinger Pro 12-gauge speaker wire: $20
Amp rack and other misc materials (wood, carpet, brackets, stainless screws, etc): $50
Installation and custom work: $0
Custom Auto shop quote for similar install: $10,098
Retail component and materials cost: $2470
DIY budget $1500
Total final actual cost installed: $1624
Not too shabby...
Looked around for rear seat removal explainers, but couldn't find much, so ended up just figuring it out myself...wasn't too tough, but thought it might be helpful for others to post a step-by-step with an image...
How to remove the rear seat in a 2015 Ford F350 SuperCrew:
1) Remove the underseat storage bins with a 1/2-inch socket...there are 6 bolts in the bins themselves (2 are hidden under the loose separator). Be sure to unplug the 12v accessory harness.
2) Lift the seat cushions and remove the 3 forward bolts with a 3/4-inch socket.
3) With the seat cushions partially lifted, locate the rear mounting nuts...you can see these looking from the front. Use a 3/4-inch wrench to remove these...two on the passenger's side, one driver's side.
4) Fold the driver's side seat-back forward and remove the two seat belt Torx bolts with a T50 star to release the middle seat belt assembly.
5) The seat now comes apart in two pieces. Remove the single passenger side portion first by lifting slightly and pulling out towards the door, wiggling the seat off the joining bracket.
6) Lift the remaining double-seat driver's side out of the truck, preferably with the assistance of a second person to "walk it out."
Here's an image showing seat-mount bolts and seat belt Torx locations to be removed:
Removed rear seat, factory sub, mounted jack/tools, rear-wall padding and lifted carpet. Ready for Dynamat and install:
Dynamat installed. For those who aren't familiar...Dynamat is a sound deadening thermal barrier. This product is used extensively in the car audio industry to eliminate road/engine/exhaust noise, drone and rattling. It also acts as an engine/exhaust thermal barrier. Gives that "luxury car" quiet interior.
Plenty of room in the side-rail channels to run cables.
JL recommends 4-gauge wiring. Important to use quality connections with this type of equipment. Decided on Stinger Pro and took a set of well-insulated THX-rated RCA's from my home theater.
Ran power with a 50-amp mini-ANL fuse from the driver's side battery:
Remote/turn-on lead is made easy in the Super Duty...there is a large bunch of capped-off wiring on the driver's side just behind the emergency brake pedal. These are made to run accessories...found the WH/BU labeled RUN/ACC for the processor and amp lead...you see it here pulled out of the bunch:
No visual change to the factory mount separates speaker locations, except for swapping out of the Sony logo for JL Audio Replaced the OEM 6x8 Sony speakers and tweeters with a set of JL Audio C2-650, in both factory front and rear locations, connected with OEM compatible harnesses to the factory amp...which has plenty of power to run these. JL's are efficient and produce great sound quality without the need for another amp. Unless you are comfortable with custom work, I would recommend going with OEM-sized 5x7 or 6x8 though...the JL's are listed as 6.5" but are actually 6.75" and require some mods to install even with Scosche adapters.
Ran the JL Audio RBC-1 control knob for active sub-amp control from the driver's seat. Mounted in that little random open dash compartment to the right of the steering column...this allows adjustment on the fly based on music choice, or you can turn the sub off completely, leaving the rest of the entertainment system intact.
If you don't change out and/or bypass the factory navigation head unit, then you must keep the factory Sony amp. Everything seems to run through this unit for the OEM stereo system...there are literally ~40 wires running in/out of this unit...never seen anything like it on an amp. And none of the speakers work if you disconnect it. For signal to the new sub, used 2 of the 4 factory sub speaker wires (factory sub is a dual voice coil configuration) going into the Audio Control line-out converter. No factory wiring harnesses were modified or cut for any of this installation, except for these two wires which were simply redirected from their original clip into the LC2i.
As we all know, space it tight behind the rear seat. I built a custom amp rack to hold the stock Sony amp, Audio Control LC2i and JL mono-amp. Tolerances were literally millimeters. Had to shape the rack around the power rear-window motor and space everything out precisely, but it all fit perfectly. Used an over-sized L-bracket to mount the amp rack to the factory jack base, which I was able to keep in it's original location.
Here are a couple shots installed and ready to rock...The 2-ohm SVC JL sub runs the amp at it's intended rated 2-ohm 500-watt RMS load.
And here we are with the seats back in. Took the opportunity to brush a bit of anti-seize on the through-floor seat bolts (while I was at it, rolled under the truck and did the same on the 4 DPF-mounted EGT sensors!).
Used two small stainless steel L-brackets to secure the subwoofer box in place through existing holes, just to make sure nothing shifts around during offroad driving.
Quite happy with the final results. Didn't have to sacrifice any under rear seat or center console storage and didn't break the bank. Sound is tight and accurate. With equal factory power, the JL component separates are crisp, clear, dynamic and a significant improvement over the OEM Sony speakers. With all the panels and carpet back in and seats raised in place...the mono amp's power is properly absorbed and the right quantity of bass fill can be dialed in via the dash control knob. Plays well with all types and genres of music. Walked the entire truck and can't find any noticeable rattling from the low-end, save for the air-release flaps on the rear cab vent directly behind the subwoofer, which cannot be heard from inside.
Installed component list and cost recap:
JL Audio C2-650 6.5-Inch 2-Way Component Speaker System (2 sets)
Retail: $249 each set
Paid: $150 each set
JL Audio 13TW5v2-2 13.5" Thin-Line Series Subwoofer
Retail: $699
Paid:$445
JL Audio JX500/1D 500W Mono Class D Sub Amp
Retail: $299
Paid: $165
JL Audio RBC-1 Remote Bass Control
Retail: $40
Paid: $31
AudioControl LC2i 2-Channel Line Out Converter
Retail: $99
Paid $79
Stinger SK4641 4 Gauge 4000 Series Car Audio Amplifier Installation Kit
Retail: $125
Paid: $58
Dynamat Xtreme 12 sqft Thick Self-Adhesive Sound Deadener (4 packs)
Retail: $400
Paid: $236
SuperCrewSound Custom JL Audio 13" TW5 Subwoofer Box with black carpet, gold banana-plug speaker terminal upgrade and acoustic stuffing: $214
JL Audio SGR-13 speaker grille: $26
20 ft Stinger Pro 12-gauge speaker wire: $20
Amp rack and other misc materials (wood, carpet, brackets, stainless screws, etc): $50
Installation and custom work: $0
Custom Auto shop quote for similar install: $10,098
Retail component and materials cost: $2470
DIY budget $1500
Total final actual cost installed: $1624
Not too shabby...