PASMAG - Tuning Essentials Special Edition Trucks 3 by PASMAG - Performance Auto & Sound

YOUR SOURCE FOR MODIFIED TRUCK LIFESTYLE

TRUCKS SKYSCRAPER T U N I N G ESSENTIALS

NEW MEXICO’S MONSTER DENALI

OVER

NEW TRUCK PREVIEWS

HOT NEW PRODUCTS FOR YOUR TRUCK!

PASMAG.COM

PM40069655

R10760

Display Until 01/31/16

$6.99

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TRUCKIN’ INTO BATTLE

AN AWARD-WINNING SILVERADO

BUILT TO WRANGLE

PIAA’S JAMBOREE-ABLE JEEP

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TOYO0569 Open Country LT Tundra

PASMAG

ID: November 2015 T: 15.75" x 10.75", L: 14.75" x 9.75", B: 16 x 11" Gutter: 0.25 each side, Bind: pb, 30

file name: TOYO0569_Open_Country_LT_Tundra_FPS_PASMAG_Nov_v3_PP_300md_sw3, pg: 1 output on: 7/9/15 11:08AM

TOYOTIRES.COM/OPENCOUNTRY

We ARe MADE TO CA R

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side, Bind: pb, 300%md md

WE ARE TOYO. ALL OR NOTHING.

A RVE OUR OWN PATH.

Durability in the Shape of a Tire.

rp.

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POWER. PRECISION. 360° PROTECTION. NEW Unmatched Precision with Directional Arrows FRONT

SIDE

REAR

360° Directional Alert Arrows Dual-antenna detection rapidly scans surrounding threats. Experience ultimate intelligence by instantly knowing the direction of the source. (ESCORT MAX 360 shown with ESCORT LIVE)

AutoLearn Technology

Extreme Range

Defender™ Database

ESCORT Live

GPS location-based technology

Extreme range and all out

Real-time resource to alert drivers to

ESCORT Live App leverages

identifies and locks out false

performance for the ultimate

speed cameras, red-light cameras,

crowd-sourced alerts and

alerts as you drive

driving experience

speed traps and other risks

ticket protection

Receive 360° Coverage and our Speeding Ticket Limited Guarantee* when purchased factory direct. Call 866.910.3295 or visit EscortRadar.com for details! *Certain limitations and conditions may apply; see EscortRadar.com for details.

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5440 West Chester Road

West Chester OH 45069

Department: PAS

2015-10-05 3:02 PM

ORION ® XTR™ IS BACK ON THE STREETS Designed for car audio enthusiasts demanding maximum performance at a midrange price, XTR embodies the true meaning of POWER and performance

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Light is colorful Transform your headlight reflector with LED color Customize your vehicle’s look with the ZEVO® PULSE, a universal LED product designed to add colors to your headlight reflectors. ZEVO® PULSE allows you to match a color theme or pulse to the beat of your music. Using Bluetooth® technology, once paired the free SYLVANIA ZEVO® app allows you to control color, mode and multiple compatible products with one device.

/sylvaniaautomotive

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/sylvania

/sylvanialight

© 2015 OSRAM SYLVANIA. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, and iPod touch are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Projector lens look acheived by using 2 PULSE systems per assembly.

www.sylvania.com/zevopulse

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T U N I N G

E S S E N T I A L S

2 0 1 5

T R U C K S

3 R D

E D I T I O N

CONTENTS 54

TRUCKIN’ INTO BATTLE

Pascal McMurray’s award-winning Silverado

46 000

PASMAG

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BUILT TO WRANGLE

PIAA’s jamboree-able Jeep

DIAMOND FOR THE ROUGH

ATI’s take on the G Wagon

SKYSCRAPER Iram Ochoa’s Sierra Denali monster

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T U N I N G

E S S E N T I A L S

2 0 1 5

T R U C K S

3 R D

E D I T I O N

CONTENTS tr. TRENDING

tRUCKs

HOT TOPICS & PREVIEWS

HOT NEW PRODUCTS

TEST REPORTS:

27 SEMA BUILD PREVIEWS

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Cerwin-Vega Mobile Stroker ST122D subwoofer

76 KICKER CompQ CWQ12 subwoofer

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WITH ITS 9-INCH TOUCH SCREEN AND COUNTLESS FEATURES, THE X009-WRA IS READY FOR YOUR NEXT BIG ADVENTURE

The 9-inch screen is 89% larger than the factory radio and 55% larger than a standard aftermarket screen.

View alerts like tire pressure and door status, plus keep your favorite factory features like steering wheel controls and factory amplifier controls.

Your Jeep Wrangler deserves the ultimate dash upgrade. The X009-WRA Restyle Dash System has a large 9-inch screen that is the hub for your entertainment and information needs. Use it with separate front and rear view cameras to reduce blind spots and maneuver around off-road obstacles. Let your adventures start with Alpine.

The X009-WRA is compatible with front and rear view cameras (sold separately), to help eliminate blind spots around your Wrangler.

Shown here, X009-WRA for: 2011-UP Jeep Wrangler*

The X009 and custom dash kits are also available for:

Select Ford F-150* trucks, Select GM* trucks and SUVs, Ram* trucks and Toyota Tundra*

www.alpine-usa.com/pas

* Jeep and Wrangler are registered trademarks of FCA US LLC. The BluetoothÂŽ word mark is a registered trademark owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such mark by Alpine Electronics, Inc. is under license. Other vehicle makes and models are those of their respective owners. ÂŠ 2015 Alpine Electronics, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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ISSUE PREVIEW

PASMAG (ISSN # 1710-1573) is published 6 times a year by Performance Auto & Sound Inc. 100A-219 Dufferin Street, Toronto, ON, M6K 3J1, Canada SUBSCRIPTION RATES: (10 issues) Canada and USA: $24.99 (20 issues) Canada and USA: $34.99 (30 issues) Canada and USA: $42.99 Toll Free: 1 (888) 564-SUBS [7827] Email: subs@pasmag.com www.pasmag.com/subscribe GROUP PUBLISHER & CEO Tim Rutledge PUBLISHERS Blake Breslin & Perry Breslin FOUNDER & SR. VP BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Frank Spezzano

EDITORIAL EDITOR Micky Slinger GROUP MANAGING EDITOR Shaun Keenan DIGITAL/EXECUTIVE EDITOR Michael Bettencourt TECHNICAL EDITOR Garry Springgay DIGITAL COORDINATORS Nick Jambrosic, Adam Steinberg

CONTRIBUTORS

Chris Koski Carlos Molina Justin Pritchard Roman Salinas Neil Tjin

ART & PRODUCTION CREATIVE DIRECTOR Queue Gonzalez PRODUCTION & SENIOR ART DIRECTOR Patrick Dinglasan SENIOR ART DIRECTOR Edward Shintani SENIOR ART DIRECTOR Patrick Beltijar GRAPHIC DESIGNER Mike Chan

S A L E S & A D M I N I ST R AT I O N DIRECTOR, AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT Randi Bentia DIRECTOR, CLIENT SERVICES Richard Robles SENIOR DIRECTOR, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Matthew Adolfo DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS Craig Sweetman SENIOR SALES ASSOCIATE Ken Rule CLIENT SERVICES Nicole Winters Performance Auto & Sound Magazine welcomes unsolicited contributions including stories (typewritten), photos, club news, events, etc. (Forward to PAS, 100A-219 Dufferin Street, Toronto, ON, M6K 3J1, Canada) Canadian Publications Mail Products Sales Agreement #40069655 PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT NIAGARA FALLS, NY AND AT ADDITIONAL MAILING OFFICES. U.S.P.S. # 022-608 U.S. OFFICE OF PUBLICATION: 1855 Maryland Ave., Niagara Falls, NY, 14305 U.S. POSTMASTER SEND ADDRESS CORRECTIONS TO: Performance Auto & Sound, Box 1082, Niagara Falls, NY, 14304 Occasionally, we make our subscriber list available to carefully screened companies whose products and services might be of interest to our readers. If you prefer to have your name removed from this list, please write to us at the address below and include your mailing label. For any subscription inquiries, including change of address, call 1 (888) 564-SUBS.

PERFORMANCE AUTO & SOUND Phone: (416) 922-7526 Fax: (416) 964-1836 Toll Free: (866) 737-8805 www.pasmag.com pas@pasmag.com

YOU ASKED FOR IT H

ere at PASMAG, we pride ourselves on listening to what you, our readers, want. So far we’ve put out two stellar truck issues and you guys are still screaming for more! Well fine, here’s another one, just for you. We love these things, so keep yelling. If you’re new to PASMAG TRUCKS, don’t worry; it still carries the same concept of housing the latest trends, products and feature-worthy vehicles out there – except everything is focused on rugged, kickass trucks. For example, take a look at our Trending section. A bunch of new truck (and Jeep) previews, SEMA build previews, industry news, mini features, and even a piece on the hot topic of Chicken Tax and how that’s getting in the way of sweet foreign trucks coming over into North America. It’s all here, take it in. Our feature line-up is no different than usual – it’s the best. Our cover truck is Iram Ochoa’s lifted Sierra Denali. We’ve deemed it the “Skyscraper,” which we feel is appropriate because of how damn high it is. You’ll also notice

the Silverado and Wrangler teased on the cover as well, one of which is a #TBGLIVE winner. Read on to see what’s up with both of these awesome off-roaders. On the other end of the spectrum is a Mercedes-Benz G Wagon. Don’t start groaning; did you forget that before they were Insta-famous, they were off-road machines? Check out the that feature for the story behind the G. Somehow, with everything else in here, we were able to pack over 50 new truck products in. With everything from side steps, to wheels, to tonneau covers and all the audio you’ll need to get your bench seats banging, we’ve got you covered. We have a blast making these and we’re looking forward to making more. Got an idea on how we can make them even better? Shoot us an email at letters@pasmag.com. In the meantime, keep on truckin’!

MICKY SLINGER

EDITOR

SEMA Member

TUNING ESSENTIALS // 2015 TRUCKS // 3RD EDITION

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H OT TO P I C S

SEMA BUILD

H OT N E W

& P R E V I E WS ---------------------

P R E V I E WS ---------------------

PRODUCTS ---------------------

HOT TOPICS & PREVIEWS

FORD SUPER DUTY TO BE TOUGHEST, SMARTEST, MOST CAPABLE SUPER DUTY EVER USING ADVANCED MATERIALS to reduce weight, the 2017 F-Series

Super Duty pickup truck and chassis cab features all-new, segment-exclusive smart technologies to help increase customer productivity, comfort and convenience. The backbone is an all-new, fully boxed frame comprised of more than 95 percent high-strength steel that makes it up to 24 times stiffer than the previous frame for improved towing and hauling. The new truck line features heavier-duty four-wheel-drive components, driveline, axles and towing hardware. And for the first time, the Super Duty body uses high-strength, military-grade, aluminum alloy, which is more dent- and ding-resistant than the outgoing steel body and not subject to red rust corrosion. Add in 16 class-exclusive new features like adaptive steering technology and up to seven cameras to make Super Duty the ultimate tow vehicle. Ford-engineered, Ford-built gasoline and diesel engines and transmissions will power the five all-new Super Duty models – XL, XLT, Lariat, King Ranch and Platinum – when it goes on sale next year.

NEW

tRUCKS 2018 JEEP WRANGLER JUDGING FROM THE SPY SHOTS just starting to emerge, the next generation (2018) Jeep Wrangler won’t stray much from its current squared off look. This unique convertible truck already broke new ground when Jeep began offering it in fourdoor (Unlimited) form a few years back, keeping the foldable roof and removable doors to become a major sales hit. Jeep is now reportedly looking to expand the line again with a new pickup body style, and perhaps a diesel engine, which would take on mid-size rivals like the Canyon/Colorado and Toyota Tacoma. The revised Wrangler is set to go on sale next fall.

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2017 FORD F-150 RAPTOR LAUNCHING IN LATE 2016 AS A ’17 MODEL,

there’s huge anticipation over how a much lighter, aluminum-bodied F-150 Raptor could hike performance, on-road and off. Ford promises a more powerful yet efficient engine, shorter SuperCab or more practical SuperCrew versions, to go along with roughly 500 fewer pounds to haul around. Given prior published weights, that’ll still leave it at roughly 5,650 pounds, its weight also reduced by dropping the iron-block V8 for a lighter 3.5-litre EcoBoost V6. This will be the first application of the second generation of this twin turbo EcoBoost V6, a detuned version of the same engine that will appear in Ford’s flagship GT supercar at about the same time. Both of these Ford Special Vehicle Team-designed vehicles star in the latest Forza Motorsport 6 sim game, the Raptor the first pickup truck to be featured on some game covers. Specific power levels haven’t been officially confirmed as of this writing, but in the game it’s listed at 450 hp and 440 lb-ft of torque, which should be close to what lands in showrooms.

TUNING ESSENTIALS // 2015 TRUCKS // 3RD EDITION

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The people who know Oz Audio know the sound quality of our speakers are beyond expectation. The same playback response that enabled Oz Audio to produce the first “Perfect Score” in an IASCA Competition: Tight accurate bass, incredibly uniform dispersion, ultra-smooth frequency response and remarkable clarity, make the Oz Audio Vector Series Speakers the benchmark that all others in their class should be measured by. So we say to you, “What Competition?”

Subwoofers Componenets Coaxials Amplifiers Don’t Hesistate to HEAR ANOTHER WORLD

OzAudioUSA.com

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C U tR

TRUCKS, TRUCKS AND MORE TRUCKS FROM THE GENERAL GENERAL MOTORS IS IN THE MIDST OF REVAMPING its entire truck lineup. New for the

2016 model year is the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra. The new Silverado 1500 brings muscular designs and new customer-focused technologies to the most dependable, longest-lasting family of full-size pickups on the road. New muscular front end designs, sculpted hoods and signature LED lighting accents reflect Silverado’s strength and dependability. Other changes for 2016 will include expanded use

2016 GMC

SIERRA

of eight-speed automatic transmissions, updated available Chevy MyLink with support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and additional safety technologies. The Sierra is GMC’s best-selling truck, and is coming off its best June since 2006 and 12 consecutive months of year-over-year sales gains. With exterior styling as its top reason for purchase, the new Sierra adds key design elements such as LED “C-shaped” signature daytime running lights and LED headlights, a new front fascia and grilles for each trim level, new LED fog lamps, new bumpers and new “C-shaped” LED taillights. The new Sierra will be available in the fourth quarter of this year.

BOOSTED AND BLOWN UPDATES

TWITTER.COM/PASMAG

2016 CHEVROLET

SILVERADO

COLORADO SPECIAL EDITIONS COMING SOON CHEVROLET IS SET TO PUSH TWO SPECIAL EDITIONS of its hot-selling Colorado pickup into North American dealerships this fall for customers looking to make a visual statement with their trucks. Evoking the aesthetic of an urban tuner vehicle, the 2016 Chevrolet Colorado Midnight Edition plays up the imposing stance and design theme introduced on the popular Silverado Midnight Edition (left) with blacked-out bowtie emblems, grille and 18-inch aluminum wheels. Other exclusive feature include a spray-on bedliner and soft, folding tonneau cover. The 2016 Colorado Z71 Trail Boss (right and bottom) edition builds on the capability of Chevrolet’s Z71 off-road truck suspension package with more aggressive tires and off-road-inspired appearance enhancements. An all-new sport bar with LED trail lighting, black-finished 17-inch aluminum wheels matched with aggressive Goodyear Wrangler DuraTec 265/65R17 all-terrain tires, bold fender flares and tubular assist steps are also key identifiers. “These are aggressive editions of one of the country’s hottest-selling truck, demonstrating the personalization that’s possible with Chevrolet accessories, whether it’s for the street, trail or both,” said Tony Johnson, Colorado marketing manager. Both the Midnight Edition and Z71 Trail Boss packages are available with extended and crew cab bodies, in two-wheel- or four-wheeldrive, with a choice of either the 2.5L or 3.6L gas engine, or the all-new 2.8L Duramax turbo-diesel. Pricing to come.

NEW TACOMA HUNGRY FOR ADVENTURE

All-new for 2016, the Toyota Tacoma boasts an upgraded suspension and frame, numerous handling technologies including Crawl Control, and a choice of two engines, over eight different models. Pictured is the Tacoma 4x4 Double Cab V6 TRD Sport, which features the segment’s first Atkinson cycle 3.5L V6, a six-speed manual transmission, electronic throttle control system with intelligence, a five-foot cargo bed, Bilstein shock absorbers and all-terrain tires. This model adds 60/40 split folding rear seats with fold-out seat cushion, 17-inch alloy wheels, color-keyed rear bumper ends and fender flares, front air dam and hood scoop, in addition to seating for five.

TUNING ESSENTIALS // 2015 TRUCKS // 3RD EDITION

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A MILLION AND ONE WAYS INSTALLED OUTCOME...

MORE WORLDWIDE SOUND QUALITY CHAMPIONSHIPS THAN ANY OTHER CAR AUDIO MANUFACTURER

W W W . A R C A U D I O . C O M AM PLI F I E RS

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SP EA K ERS

SUBWOOFERS

PROCESSORS

MOTORCYCLE AUD IO

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HOT TOPICS & PREVIEWS

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tRUCKs THE LATEST TRENDS, FULL THROTTLE

FACEBOOK.COM/PASMAG

CHICKEN

TAX

PLAYING CHICKEN

DID YOU KNOW VOLKSWAGEN MAKES A PICKUP TRUCK? IT’S CALLED THE AMAROK. DO YOU REMEMBER THE MAZDA B3000? YES, IT WAS PRETTY MUCH A FORD RANGER, BUT IT HAS A SPIRITUAL SUCCESSOR IN THE FORM OF THE BT-50. SPEAKING OF THE RANGER, WHERE DID THAT GO? IT’S STILL AVAILABLE, BUT ONLY OVERSEAS AND NOT IN THE U.S., AS IS THE CASE WITH THE OTHER TRUCKS MENTIONED HERE. ISN’T AMERICA THE LAND OF THE TRUCK THOUGH? HOW CAN THERE BE TRUCKS OUT THERE THE STATES DOESN’T GET?

HICKEN TAX. Yes, a tax on chickens has something to do with trucks. See, in the ’60s, France and Germany started putting a tariff on American chickens headed into the European countries. This didn’t sit well with then U.S. President, Lyndon B. Johnson, so good old LBJ imposed a 25-percent tax on many imported goods coming into the States. Among the goods that were taxed were light trucks and commercial

vans. Twenty five percent tax on a vehicle is pretty huge, so foreign automakers backed right off there. To get around the Chicken Tax, automakers would have to build production lines or whole new facilities to produce their trucks on U.S. soil. As you can imagine, this costs a couple dollars, so when an automaker gets brave enough to do this, they deal primarily in full-size trucks, as they have the largest return to recoup costs. Now, the reason that truck enthusiasts are now excited and

talking about a tax from the ’60s named after a flightless bird is because of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement, which was recently signed by the Obama administration. Among the breaks on taxes and tariffs, it was mentioned the Chicken Tax would fall by the wayside, which, in the best scenario, would see floods of awesome light trucks coming stateside. Sadly, so far the tax has been planned to be rolled back slowly, over the course of 25 years. That could change with time however.

TO GET AROUND THE CHICKEN TAX, AUTOMAKERS WOULD HAVE TO BUILD PRODUCTION LINES OR WHOLE NEW FACILITIES TO PRODUCE THEIR TRUCKS ON U.S. SOIL

HERE ARE A COUPLE WRENCHES IN THE WAY OF SWEET, SWEET TRUCKDOM: > Thailand is the manufacturing motherbase for light trucks from Toyota, Mazda, Mitsubishi and Ford. Thailand isn’t part of TPP talks at the moment, but officials have expressed interest in joining after the deal is completed. Come on, Thailand! > Foreign trucks are super different from North American trucks. In the U.S. especially, trucks are mostly leatherlined inside with premium audio and high-tech accessories. Overseas, trucks are a little more bare necessities, with manual transmissions and four-cylinder turbo-diesel engines instead of the V8s more common over here. Not to mention the strict safety standards that foreign trucks would have to meet to come over here. That’s a lot of money to consider. For automakers though, there’s a lot of money in bringing over some killer trucks. We’re choosing to look at this positively. Ideally, it’s only a matter of time (hopefully shorter than 25 years) before we get our own Rangers, Hiluxes, BT-50s and Amaroks.

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HOT TOPICS & PREVIEWS

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K C U R t

f F U T s

JEEP RENEGADE

MOPAR

JEEP WRANGLER

SUNRISER

FILL 'ER UP

PASMAG.COM

MOPAR STORMS IAA WITH JEEP MOPAR SHOWED OFF A

trio of modified Jeep show vehicles at the 2015 Frankfurt International Motor Show to demonstrate how Mopar can help personalize the customer journey for Jeep owners around the globe. Based on the Trailhawk model and sporting a special, military-inspired matte-green body color, the Jeep Cherokee KrawLer can tackle the most extreme off-road conditions thanks to a special Mopar suspension, BFGoodrich KM2 255/80/17 tires, wide fenders, skid plates and rock rails. The

KrawLer is powered by a 3.2L V6 Pentastar 272-horsepower engine, automatic nine-speed transmission and “Jeep Active Drive Lock” four-wheel-drive with low range and rear differential lock. The Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Sunriser features exclusive matte orange paintwork and a host of Mopar accessories such as bumpers with a double tow hook on the front, a four-inch suspension lift kit and half doors. Along with LED DRLs and rear light clusters, there are LED lights fitted between

the A-pillar and windscreen to complete the look. The Sunriser is powered by a 2.8L CRD engine combined with a five-speed automatic transmission, engine skid plate and beadlock wheels to tackle tricky obstacles such as rocks, sand or mud. A “Moparized” version of the Jeep Renegade Trailhawk rounds out the Mopar customized line-up with 17-inch aluminum alloy rims, underbody skid plates, rear tow hooks and black mirror caps that contrast with the Anvil-coloured livery.

JEEP CHEROKEE

KRAWLER

GOODYEAR LAUNCHES KELLY EDGE POWER LINE

Akron, Ohio-based Goodyear Rubber & Tire Co., makers of Goodyear, Fulda, Dunlop, Kelly and other specialty tires, has answered the call to simplify and expand its line of value tires. Introducing the Kelly Edge AT, a hard-working quality tire with highway and off-road traction for everyday driving. It has flared tread block edges that help shovel mud, dirt and gravel away from the tread for off-road traction. It includes a 50,000-mile/80,000-kilometer tread life limited warranty. Available for pickups and SUVs used both on- and off-road, the Kelly Edge AT will be offered in 36 sizes, ranging from 15- to 20-inch rim diameters. The Kelly Edge line will grow with the addition of other products. Kelly’s Safari TSR is still available for enhanced all-terrain traction.

CALLING ALL “FUN-HAVERS” OUR GOOD FRIEND and Hoonigan extraordinaire Vaughn Gittin Jr. has been

at it again, this time in Hoontown in sleepy Hidden Valley, Calif. We caught up with the man himself in Las Vegas at SEMA last fall and got the full scoop on his then-latest creation – the RTR Mustang Spec 5 Concept. Boasting 12 inches of King shock-controlled travel via a Kibbetech custom suspension, this purpose-built 2015 F-150 takes full advantage of the weight savings and serious torque offered by the new aluminum F-150 and EcoBoost engine. With its unique, aggressive looks and Air Lift Performance air ride, this street truck aims to turn heads and elicit huge smiles, while providing massive amounts of fun and adrenaline for up to five passengers who strap into its Recaro seats. And thanks to a set of Nitto Terra Grappler G2 tires, it goes pretty well off-road too, as you can see in the video posted on YouTube by Driving Line. You can check it out here at https://youtu.be/bJ424-lPwV4

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matte Graphite or matte BLACK w/ machine bead lip & bolts gloss black w/ machined accents & drill holes MATTE black w/ bolts

17x9 | 18x9 | 20x9

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15x8 | 17x9 | 18x9 | 20x9

16x8 | 17x9 | 18x9 | 20x9

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HOT TOPICS & PREVIEWS

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MiTNURiE

fEA

A.R.E. GOES FISHING

PEOPLE BUY TRUCKS FOR ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT REASONS, AND THE TRUCK AFTERMARKET IS THERE TO MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER YOUR REASON, YOU WILL HAVE PLENTY OF THINGS TO DO IT AFTER THE FACT. HENCE, THE A.R.E. FISHING TEAM TOYOTA TUNDRA PROJECT TRUCK, WHICH HAS BEEN DESIGNED WITH EVERYTHING ANGLERS NEED TO STOW AND ORGANIZE THE TACKLE, TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT, YOU SEE HERE.

PORTING BOLD A.R.E.

The Tundra’s long list of enhancements

FISHING Team Elite

also includes a Skyjacker Suspension system

Series custom graphics,

paired with Hellwig sway bars, an Air Lift air

this ultimate fishing truck

spring kit with wireless control, TIS Monster

highlights the company’s

Energy Edition wheels with Bushwacker fend-

partnership with the premier bass sport fish-

ers and Monster Hooks recovery hooks to give

ing organization in the world, Bassmaster.

it exceptional off-road capabilities. A K&N

“The truck features a top of the line Z-

intake, Magnaflow exhaust system and Bully

Series truck cap, along with our Pickup Vault

Dog Gauge Tuner provide some extra oomph,

lockable bed storage system and CargoGlide

while N-Fab steps and bumpers, BedRug

roll-out cargo tray,” said Bryan Baker, director

polypropylene carpeted bedliner, Surco roof

of marketing, A.R.E. “These three products

basket, Yakima Tower Series roof rack and

together, along with other great accesso-

BOLT receiver lock and padlocks help keep

ries such as Rigid Industries light bars, CS

everything neat and secure.

Motorsports fishing rod tubes and Dick Cepek tires, all helped to build a truck that any avid

“THE TRUCK A TOP OF THFEATURES Z-SERIES TR E LINE ALONG WITH UCK CAP, VAULT LOCKOUR PICKUP STORAGE SY ABLE BED CARGOGLID STEM AND E CARGO TRRAOLL-OUT Y,”

fisherman would love to have.”

ATE FISHINGE THIS ULTIMH IGHTS TH TRUCK HIG PLARTNERSHIP COMPANY’SHE PREMIER WITH T ISHING BASS SPORTIOFN IN THE ORGANIZATSSMASTER. WORLD, BA

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TUNING ESSENTIALS // 2015 TRUCKS // 3RD EDITION

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PASMAG

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ROUND G Y A L P A SEMA IS OTIVE BUILDERS FOR AUTOTMOMIZERS TO SHOW AND CUSE LATEST MODELS. OFF TH K OUT SOME OF CHEC NDOUTS TO THE STAOR HERE: LOOK F

SEMA BUiLD

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PREViEWS

CARS BY KRIS WANDERLUST AS YOU CAN TELL FROM THE PICTURE HERE, this Explorer is ready

to, well, explore. Aptly named “Wanderlust,” the Explorer backs up the moniker with Rideskinz carbon fiber fender flares, DinMann carbon fiber body cladding and 56° NORD roof box in – you guessed it – carbon fiber. Custom lowering springs bring those widened fenders over the massive 24x11 Triumph Forged wheels. With a CGS exhaust system, worked over audio system by CT Sound or the Axalta Burnt Orange Metallic paint job, whether you see or hear it, you’ll find this Explorer.

PROJEKT CARS PROJEKT FULL METAL JACKET

FILL 'ER UP

PASMAG.COM

PROJEKT CARS IS THROWING IT BACK to the first off-road vehicles they built for SEMA in 2010 with their new Toyota Tundra. It will be enhanced with interior and exterior upgrades by Air Design USA and bolstered by a Bulletproof lift kit, which lifts the vehicle eight inches from OEM height. Centerline Alloys LT-1x wheels are wrapped in massive 37-inch Drakars from Tri-Ace, while the performance is improved via a Bully Dog GT Platinum Custom Tuner. Full Metal Jacket will be debuting the wireless Warn #10F Platinum winch and Magnum bumpers. You couldn’t miss this thing even if you tried!

GALPIN AUTO SPORTS 2016 FORD F150 GALPIN AUTO SPORTS IS RETURNING TO SEMA with another standout build for Ford, this time being a 2016 F150 in the nostalgic Gulf Racing livery. While it reps a racing livery, this truck looks to be a jack of all trades. Some wider fenders accommodate for the 20-inch ADV.1 wheels wrapped in meaty 37-inch Cooper STT PRO tires, while supporting performance parts from Full Race Motorsports make the most of the EcoBoost system. A Stage 3 suspension kit and XTR off-road body kit from Addictive Desert Designs, as well as LED lights all over the place hints that the upgraded power and rollers could definitely be used off the beaten path.

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PREViEWS PROJEKT CARS PROJEKT NURSE THIS PROJEKT CARS TRUCK BUILD for

SEMA mixes aggressive baja-inspired exterior enhancements and equipment to aid stranded off-road vehicles - hence the name “Nurse.” The livery colors reflect the traditional nurse uniform with white and hints of red, with more hints of red also seen in the powder-coated BDS suspension and Katzkin interior. This vehicle screams off-road to highlight the new Mamba Wheel line. It is also one of three vehicles to be used to acquire funding for the Fallen Soldier Memorial, which represents Fort Bliss soldiers who have given the final sacrifice for their country.

UTI X TJIN EDITION 2015 FORD F-150

BOOSTED AND BLOWN UPDATES

TWITTER.COM/PASMAG

UTI IS, ONCE AGAIN, teaming up with Tjin edition and some of the most well respected names in the industry. The truck will be a performance monster on and off the pavement. UTI’s F-150 will also feature contributions from Unique Fabrications, Wheel Warehouse, L&R Autobody, MagnaFlow Exhaust, Baer Brakes, Axalta Paints and Katzkin Interiors, as well as bringing on some new companies with terrific Ford aftermarket parts, such as FOX suspension, ADV.1 wheels, Toyo tires and Bushwacker fender flares. This F150 will be the 2016 sweepstakes vehicle, open to be won by the public! Entries begin November 2nd at WinThatFORD.com

ALL STAR X TJIN EDITION 2016 FORD EXPLORER SPORT THE 2016 ALL STAR / TJIN EDITION FORD EXPLORER SPORT is built with one purpose in mind - being

the ultimate road trip vehicle. Whether you’re hitting the highway for the next big city or taking it out into the wilderness, this Explorer will get you there in style and comfort. While the exterior is sprayed in a custom Axalta finish and outfitted with a set of 20-inch ADV.1 wheels and meaty Toyo A/T II rubber, the interior is refined with one-off leather and electronics to keep all of the passengers entertained.

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T C U D O R P

PKG-RSE3HDMI REAR SEAT ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM $900.00 (US) / $1,299 (CDN) | Alpine-USA.com / Alpine-Canada.com The PKG-RSE3HDMI rear seat entertainment system has a 10.1-inch flip-down WSVGA monitor and built-in DVD player. It has two HDMI inputs for video playback from an HDMI-enabled device. Two USB inputs are available for media playback and device charging. It comes with three shroud covers (black, gray, gold) to match the vehicle’s interior and two pairs of 1-channel wireless headphones.

American Force

Construction: 2-piece Forged Size (in.): 22, 24 Width (in.): 12, 14, 16 Bolt Pattern: 5x120.7, 5x127, 5x139.7, 5x114.3, 5x150, 6x127, 6x139.7, 6x114.3, 6x135, 8x180, 8x6.5, 8x170, 8x180 Finish: Polished aluminum, Custom

Auto-Tech Interiors

AMP Research

Auto-Tech Interiors’ vPod series is going off-road with new products for the iconic Jeep Wrangler and insanely popular Ford F-150. Customize the interior of your truck with our direct fit, model-specific, vent pods that blend in seamlessly, while still allowing airflow and vent functionality.

The rugged PowerStep XL offers a 3-inch lower stepping surface than the original and makes accessing your lifted vehicle easy. These new automatic, powerdeploying running boards feature low-profile LED lighting, 3-mm thick mild steel rails, military-spec finished die-cast aluminum components and fully-welded/ integrated bracket systems that support 600 lbs. This is all topped off with a durable black wrinkle finish and a five-year/60,000-mile warranty.

BRAWLER MP8 $2,500 | AmericanForceWheels.com

VPOD OFF-ROAD SERIES GotPods.com

Alpine

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HONOR MP8 $2,500 | AmericanForceWheels.com

POWERSTEP XL AMP-Research.com

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A.R.E.

A.R.E. now offers CargoGlide bed units with extensions that range from 70 percent to 100 percent, placing cargo in the truck bed at your fingertips. Built with a strong steel frame and sturdy side-thrust roller bearings, CargoGlide units deliver a smooth slide. They are constructed to last, especially in commercial applications, and can help prevent driver injury.

A.R.E.’s LSII Series is designed to be a lightweight and durable worktop complement to the new F-150’s fuel-efficient aluminum body. With a sleek, clean appearance, an OEM-quality lock and latch system and an exclusive lift assist system for easy opening and closing, the LSII adds functional style to the F-150. The LSII fiberglass tonneau and its painted finish are backed by a limited lifetime warranty.

Audiomobile

BOLT Lock

Designed for small sealed enclosures, the EVO ‘24’ series subwoofers build upon the reliability and sound-quality performance of the GTS series. Rated at 500 watts RMS, the Evo 2410 delivers 16.1 mm of one-way linear Xmax, making it the longest excursion shallow subwoofer available. The EVO 24 woofers deliver high power and long excursion, while being optimized for enclosures as small as 0.40-cubic-feet.

Conveniently secure your hi-lift jack with your Jeep key thanks to the new BOLT J-Mount! Securely attach your hi-lift jack to the window bracket on either the driver or passenger side of your Jeep for quick easy access. No drilling required! J-Mount is available for 1997 to 2016 Jeep TJ and JK models.

Boom Mat

Compustar

Boom Mat’s Sound Deadening Headliner for 2- and 4-door Jeep Wranglers quiets a noisy Jeep 3 to 4 decibels while insulating from heat and cold for improved comfort. Made of 1-inch thick marine-grade acoustic foam in a peel and stick application. Available in white, gray or black colors for 1997 to 2015 TJ and JK models.

The Compustar PRO is the most powerful, toughest remote starter in the industry. This remote transmitter has up to 3 miles of range, is waterproof at a depth of 1 meter, and is extremely durable! Contact a Compustar PRO dealer near you today for more information and pricing.

CARGOGLIDE 4ARE.com

2015 FORD F-150 LSII SERIES TONNEAU COVER 4ARE.com

EVO 24 SERIES SUBWOOFERS $250 to $350 | Audiomobile.net

JEEP WRANGLER SOUND DEADENING HEADLINER $281.81| BoomMat.com

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J-MOUNT JACK LOCK P R I C E : $ 1 3 9 . 2 5 | B O LT L o c k . c o m

PRO T11 Compustar.com

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Dominion Sure Seal

Fuel Offroad

Sure Seal E-Coat is designed to be a direct to metal coating, providing a fast and easy way to restore your vehicles OEM E-Coat colors and protection on engine compartments, support rails, inner body panels, trunk areas, core supports and more. E-Coats match six popular colors and can be blended into the existing e-coat finish.

CONSTRUCTION: One-piece cast SIZE (in.): 18, 20 WIDTH (in.): 9 BOLT PATTERN(S): 5x4.5, 5x5, 5x5.5, 5x150, 6x5.5, 6x135, 8x6.5, 8x170, 8x180 FINISH(ES): Black & milled, Chrome, Custom painted

Fuel Offroad

Rydeen

CONSTRUCTION: One-piece forged SIZE (in.): 20, 22, 24, 26 WIDTH (in.): 10 to16 BOLT PATTERN(S): Custom FINISH(ES): Black & milled, Polished, Custom

The Rydeen WG-2400P employs a combination of its 2.4 GHZ digital operating frequency and its compact weatherproof design (IP69 compliant) to allow for installation outside of the vehicle trailer, cab or cabin for maximum effective range. The WG-2400P gives installers complete flexibility with no installation opportunities lost. The effective operating range is 100 feet.

Kelly Tires

JBL

Category: All-Terrain Wheel Diameter (in.): 15 to 20 Width (mm): 225 to 275 Tread Depth (in.): 12/32, 14/32 UTQG Rating: 560-A-B

Designed to reinforce the low-end bass performance in vehicles with its compact, long excursion, this 8-inch subwoofer fits directly underneath or behind a car’s seat making it the perfect solution for pickups and SUV’s. The Class D 125-watt amplification included in the JBL BassPro SL system allows more power to be extracted from the car’s charging system and converted into output for the speaker, limiting the amount that is wasted as heat.

SURE SEAL E-COAT DominionSureSeal.com

FUEL FORGED FF19 FuelOffroad.com

EDGE AT From $111 | KellyTires.com

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CLEAVER - D574 FuelOffroad.com

WG-2400P WIRELESS CAMERA $450 | RydeenMobile.com

JBL BASSPRO SL $ 24 9 . 9 5 | J B L . c o m

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JBL

KICKER

JBL Trip is an in-vehicle portable communication and entertainment system that offers superior sound and functionality while on-the-go. Trip allows drivers to make handsfree phone calls, listen to their favorite music and hear navigation voice prompts with exceptional clarity due to its proprietary active noise canceling technology.

KICKER L7 Loaded Enclosures deliver ready-to-install, satisfyingly deep bass, resulting from a combination of industry-honored L7 subwoofers and stoutly constructed enclosures. With all models vented for supreme output, L7 Loaded Enclosures represent the ultimate level in ready-made bass. Available at KICKER Q-Class Dealers only.

Heise

The HE-WL1 is a compact LED light that uses (33) 0.2-watt Cree LEDs to give a 120-degree flood beam pattern. The small housing makes it perfect to be used as a supplemental light for work vehicles, especially when backing up. Don’t let the little size fool you, it will provide more than enough light for your applications.

The new Three Row led light bars from Heise are going to light up the night. From the small 10-inch, all the way up to the monster 50-inch, three rows of 3-watt Osram LEDs packed into a housing that is only 17-percent larger than the original Heise led light bars, will get you increased light output without a huge increase in size.

Oracle Lighting

This kit allows you to utilize the existing DRL feature on the new Ford F150 and convert it to a color-changing DRL. This ColorSHIFT light is controlled by Oracle’s remote system to produce any color! Depending on the controller option selected, the lights can make dozens of patterns and control the brightness and even the speed of the functions as well.

Oracle’s ColorSHIFT LED Halo Kits have a unique parentheses-like design that will surely grab attention. These kits can display an array of colors and are available in two different ColorSHIFT controlling options. LED Halos deliver the brightest light output in the market, plus they have a life expectancy of over 50,000 hours. ORACLE Lighting also offers non-projector headlight LED Halo Kits.

TRIP $99.95 | JBL.com

HE-WL1 LED WORK LIGHT $49.99 | HeiseLED.com

COLORSHIFT LED DRL HEADLIGHTS FOR 2015 FORD F150 From $169.95 | OracleLights.com

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L7 SUBWOOFER-LOADED ENCLOSURE $ 74 9 . 9 5 t o $ 1 , 6 9 9 . 9 5 | K I C K E R . c o m

TE-TR30 THREE-ROW LED LIGHT BAR $399.99 | HeiseLED.com

COLORSHIFT LED HALO KITS FOR 2014+ CHEVROLET SILVERADO $219.95 | OracleLights.com

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tech·nol·o·gy: noun

1: higher performance in a smaller package. 2: the practical application of knowledge especially in a particular area: engineering

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Sony

With a body-shaking 4x100-watt power output—that’s the same as an external amp—driving your music, you’ll feel every beat and bass line as you cruise along. Vibrant beat-synchronized colors add a splash of color to every track, while new voice control functions let you stay safe and focused behind the wheel.

Take your in-car audio to new heights with the RSX-GS9 media receiver. By uniting premium components with Sony’s greatest audio technologies—including DSD native playback and DSEE HX upscaling—you can be sure you’ll always enjoy highquality audio when you’re on the road.

Wilwood

Winjet Automotive

Wilwood’s TX6R calipers are the basis for these extreme-duty brake systems for Ford F-Series trucks. Kits utilize matched piston-capacity calipers and high-mass, large 15.5- to 16-inch Spec37 alloy rotors to provide peak braking capability. Supplied with BP series composite-metallic SmartPads, these kits provide improved braking capabilities, and are fully compatible with the OE master cylinder and ABS controls.

Give your Tundra a facelift. Winjet Tundra headlights feature black or chrome housing that makes every intricate detail stand out. These features include a bright white light bar, giving the headlights an edgy look. Along with the modern projector feature, there is a bolder turn signal that accommodates the rest of the light housing.

ARC Audio

Black Rhino

When it comes to dynamics and overall sound quality, nothing beats raw power except clean power. With the XDi600.4 amplifier, that is exactly what you get. Delivering 150 watts into 4 channels at 2 or 4 ohms, giving your mids and highs more than enough dynamic power to satisfy even the most demanding or critical of listeners.

Construction: One-piece cast Size (in.): 20, 22, 24 Width (in.): 9, 9.5, 10 Bolt Pattern: 5x140, 5x150, 6x135, 6x140 Finish: Silver w/ mirror cut face, Matte black

MEX-XB100BT HEAD UNIT $ 2 2 9 . 9 9 | S o n y. c o m

TX6R FRONT BIG BRAKE KIT FOR FORD F-SERIES PICKUPS F r o m $ 2 , 1 2 7. 9 4 | W i l w o o d . c o m

XDI600.4 AMPLIFIER $529 | ARCAudio.com

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RSX-GS9 MEDIA RECEIVER $ 1 ,4 9 9 . 9 9 | S o n y. c o m

PROJECTOR HEADLIGHTS W/ LED DRL LIGHT BAR FOR 2014+ TOYOTA TUNDRA $459 | WinjetInc.com

EVEREST BlackRhinoWheels.com

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/kickeraudio

KICKER has a Vehicle-Specific Solution for anywhere your ride takes you.

CMY

Keep your dash head unit, keep the cargo space, keep your warranty, and don’t modify the interior. Ask for a demo at your nearest Authorized KICKER Dealer. Visit us at the SEMA Show at booth #11861 North.

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Black Rhino

Lucas Oil

Construction: One-piece cast Size (in.): 17, 18, 20, 22 Width (in.): 9, 12, 14 Bolt Pattern: 5x127, 5x140, 5x150, 6x135, 6x140, 8x165, 8x170, 8x180 Finish: Matte black

Lucas Diesel Deep Clean is a new Lucas technology developed to reduce the cost and hassle of particulate filter maintenance. It causes the fuel to burn much cleaner, thus eliminating a lot of particulate matter that would otherwise go into the exhaust system causing “regens.” This eliminates exhaust backpressure, allowing the engine to run easier and cooler..

Lumens

Mamba Wheels

Lumens’ high-power, satellite-style, replacement fog / driving light bulbs emit substantially more light than conventional LED bulbs. These bulbs are surrounded by next generation LEDs, known for their extreme brightness and wide light distribution. These direct replacement bulbs provide a cleaner and crisper white color than conventional filament bulbs. Simply remove your existing halogen bulb and replace.

Construction: One-piece cast Size (in.): 15 to 18, 20 Width (in.): 8, 9 Bolt Pattern: 5x114.3, 5x127, 5x139.7, 5x150, 6x114.3, 6x139.7, 6x125, 8x165.1, 8x170, 8x180 Finish: Matte black w/ drill holes

Mamba Wheels

McGard

Construction: One-piece cast Size (in.): 17, 18, 20 Width (in.): 9 Bolt Pattern: 5x127, 5x139.7, 6x135, 6x139.7 Finish: Matte black w/ matte machined lip, Polished face w/ drill holes

McGard’s Jeep Wrangler 5-Lock sets provide theft protection for your on-road wheels and spare tire. The set includes five wheel locks, four for the road wheels and one for the spare, with one matching key tool for all five locks. The key hex is 0.75-inch to match the OEM lug wrench. Available in Bright Chrome or Black. For more info, visit McGard.com.

GLAMIS BlackRhinoWheels.com

DIRECT REPLACEMENT LED FOG LIGHT / DRIVING LIGHT BULBS LumensHID.com

TYPE M20 MambaWheels.com

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DIESEL DEEP CLEAN LucasOil.com

TYPE M19 MambaWheels.com

5-LOCK SETS FOR JEEP WRANGLER From $32.43 | McGard.com

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McGard

MTX

In the time it takes you to read this sentence, your tailgate could be stolen! The McGard Tailgate Lock offers easy installation for around the clock tailgate theft protection requiring no modifications. No keys or handle covers are required to lock and unlock; once installed onto the hinge, it never needs to be removed to open or close the tailgate.

ThunderForm vehicle specific custom subwoofer enclosures ensure an easy install with perfect factory fit to utilize unused space in the vehicle. It’s even molded the same color throughout so scratches won’t show. All ThunderForm models are manufactured using either HDPE resin rotational molding or hand laid fiberglass process to create lightweight, durable enclosures in three formats: amplified, loaded, and unloaded.

Reikken

Rust Check

The newest cell in the Reikken lineup sports pure lead plates, copper terminals and a fire-retardant case for the highest output and durability of any design to date. Earning rave reviews, this powerhouse provides high output and long service life for the most demanding systems.

Rust Check is a multi-purpose rust inhibitor and residual lubricant that penetrates the tightest seams, bonding to metal and dispelling moisture - the number one cause of corrosion. Ideal for use anywhere rust is a problem. Great for automobile touch-ups, bicycles, garden and power tools, fishing rods, guns, hinges, electrical connections, motors - you name it!

TAILGATE LOCK $ 24 . 9 5 | M c G a rd . c o m

THUNDERFORM VEHICLE SPECIFIC SUBWOOFER ENCLOSURES MTX.com

HO3209 PURE LEAD POWER CELL Reikken.com

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RUST INHIBITOR RustCheck.com

10/15/2015 2:17:15 PM

ZEVO HYBRID $125 | Sylvania.com The ZEVO HYBRID fills your headlight reflectors with color from within. The system comes with whiter high performance halogen bulbs that are enhanced with RGB color changing LEDS. Using Bluetooth technology, one mobile device can control color, mode, music and multiple systems on the free ZEVO app. Can also connect with the ZEVO PULSE.

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Sylvania

ZEVO PULSE $54.99 | Sylvania.com Enhance your vehicle’s style with ZEVO Pulse, a universal LED product that adds colors to your headlights. Simple to install, ZEVO Pulse attaches to the outside of the headlight lens and connects directly to any 12-volt source. Using Bluetooth technology, one mobile device can control color and mode of one or multiple systems using the free SYLVANIA ZEVO app.

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©2015 Mitek Corporation. All rights reserved. MTX, ThunderForm, and Feel the Thunder are trademarks of Mitek Corporation. All other trademarks are the properties of their respective owners and no endorsement is implied.

THE ORIGINAL VEHICLE SPECIFIC SUBWOOFER ENCLOSURE

Add Bass In Wasted Space Bring Big Concert Sound to Your Truck... MTX ThunderForms are manufactured using either a highly technical rotational molding or hand laid fiberglass process to create lightweight, durable enclosures. Upgrade your ThunderForm with FPR Series Shallow Mount Subwoofers for a serious bass experience. • Available for over 225 vehicles including models from Dodge, Chevrolet, Ford, Toyota, and Jeep • Includes installation hardware for an easy, flawless install with perfect factory fit • Easily integrates with factory audio system • Utilize unused space in vehicles

MTX005325 RevA 10/15

FPR Series Shallow Mount Subwoofers offer true bass performance. Available in: • 10" 300W RMS or 12" 400W RMS • Single 4Ω or 2Ω Configuration • 3.325" Mounting Depth

Booth n i s U t i s i V A 2015 M E S @ 7 7 118

Get them from an authorized MTX dealer or at mtx.com Ke e p Up d a t e d

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Sylvania

Thinkware

Put more colors and more light where you want it and add endless design options to enhance the interior look of your vehicle. True RGB mixing technology gives you 16 colors and 5 modes. A 20-button remote and 12-volt car adaptor makes for an easy plug and play installation. Easily expandable with extension kits.

Everyday driving should not be stressful. Knowing that, Thinkware F750 is the ultimate package â&#x20AC;&#x201C; providing the driver with an advanced dash cam that not only helps prevent accidents, but also includes an intuitive interface for drivers to instantly review recordings using the Thinkware mobile app via the built-in Wi-Fi. Drivers will finally get the peace of mind that they deserve.

ZEVO LED STRIP KIT $39.99 | Sylvania.com

F750 DASH CAM Thinkware.com

Illusion Audio

C3CX POINT SOURCE SPEAKER $699 | IllusionAudio-America.com The compact, 3-inch, coincident C3Cx point source car speaker is comprised of a carbon fiber woofer and an aluminum-magnesium dome tweeter. Three Faraday Rings were used for lowest distortion, while the speaker achieves optimum tweeter time alignment, constant directivity off-axis frequency response and a +/-4-mm Xmax. Being a true component kit, it includes a bi-ampable crossover.

000

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Memphis Car Audio

Yokohama

The SA112SP powered loaded enclosure packs a 12-inch subwoofer and 500 watts of peak power into an ultra-slim self-powered enclosure, providing the perfect limited space bass solution. Perfect for under truck bench seats or inside small trunks. Wherever you need solid bass, SA112SP is the perfect fit.

Category: All-Season Wheel Diameter (in.): 16 to 20 Width (mm): 215 to 265 Tread Depth (in.): 11/32, 12/32 UTQG Rating: 740-A-A

SA112SP POWERED LOADED ENCLOSURE MemphisCarAudio.com

GEOLANDAR G055 YokohamaTire.com

Toyo

OPEN COUNTRY C/T Toyo T i re s . c o m Category: All-Terrain Wheel Diameter (in.): 16 to 18, 20 Width (mm): 235 to 285 Tread Depth (in.): 18/32, 19/32 UTQG Rating: 10-E

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CRAPER NEW MEXICO’S MOBILE LUXURY TOWER BY MICKY SLINGER PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROMAN SALINAS (SALINAS PHOTOGRAPHY)

A skyline is sometimes all you need to identify a city. For example, New York’s Empire State Building or Toronto’s CN Tower are famous and timeless identifiers of their respective locations.

eirdly, there’s a strange happening in New Mexico these days, as there’s a new addition to the skyline, but it keeps moving around the Hobbs area. After some investigating, we managed to track down its owner and brought him in for questioning. It turns out the traveling tower is, in fact, Iram Ochoa’s lifted GMC Sierra Denali HD. To be fair, anyone could have made the mistake. If you’re into lifted trucks repping some serious wheel hardware, you’ll know of this Sierra. You’ve probably seen it plastered all over the various truck pages you follow on Instagram. Ochoa’s online alter ego on Instagram, ill_teach_you_how_to_skate, has amassed over 65,000 followers. Come for the awesome truck, stay for the hilarious commentary and pictures. “It’s a clean build,” explains Ochoa. “For this reason, it attracts people that own lifted trucks, and also those that don’t. When that’s the case, you end up with many admirers because it can fit into any demographic.”

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As most of you know, when a GMC gets a “Denali” badge, that truck essentially becomes a Cadillac – leather-trimmed everything, the latest tech and multimedia and some power to back it all up. The 1500 model is nicely equipped and very popular (over a million sold since 2000), but Ochoa, a seasoned builder of F250s, had to go for the 2500 model with the 6.6L Duramax V8 turbo-diesel under the hood. Paired with a fully locking rear diff for on-the-go offroading if needed, and an exhaust brake system that uses the engine compression to create negative torque in order to slow the Sierra, it’s the complete package of luxury and performance. If you had a truck like this, would you change up anything right away? For most, it would be hard to justify laying a hand on a truck of this caliber, but it wasn’t even

a question for Ochoa. He took this house-onwheels and put it on 15-inch stilts, effectively turning the Sierra into something to the tune of a Trump Tower. The Full Throttle suspension kit covers all bases – lift shocks in the front, coilovers in the rear, and sway bars, strut bars and control arms all around.

SKYSCRAPER

COME FOR THE AWESOME TRUCK, STAY FOR THE HILARIOUS COMMENTARY AND PICTURES.”

PASMAG

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SKYSCRAPER When you’re running a luxury tower, you need an impressive ground floor. To attract attention, sometimes good and sometimes bad, Ochoa is running some killer American Force wheels with some mind-blowing specs. His Honor MP8 multi-piece forged wheels measure 24 inches up and down, and dish out 16-inches wide! Their high-polish finish strikes a stark contrast between the mostly dark truck, and we wouldn’t be surprised if these mirror-like dishes have been used for more than a couple selfies. As you can see from the pictures, Ochoa isn’t afraid to let the Toyo Open Country tires smoke like they’ve got a bad habit. “The truck is a fun truck to drive and it turns heads everywhere I go,” he laughs. “It also gets pulled over a lot – a bunch of unneeded atten-

...OCHOA ISN’T AFRAID TO LET THE TOYO OPEN COUNTRY TIRES SMOKE LIKE THEY’VE GOT A BAD HABIT.”

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tion at times, which is never fun – but I use these experiences with my audience. It only increases the truck’s popularity!” Now, you can’t have a truck like this and be all show and no go. The Duramax turbo-diesel puts out a respectable 397 horses and an astounding 765 lb-ft of torque out of the box, but in the world of trucks, there’s always a plug-in tuner to help make things go a little harder, faster, stronger. In this case, the gift of extra power comes from PPEI Tuning’s ECU

tune, which cranks the almost 400 horsepower to 550! To let his fans (and the authorities) know he’s coming, Ochoa enlisted the help of Altered Attitude to build him a custom exhaust. The bellowing five-inch stainless pipe hanging off the rear is the awesome result. Altered Attitude also helped out Ochoa in the looks department by custom building him his headlights and taillights. The headlights are definitely a highlighting feature on the build. With black housings and dark tints,

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ESSENTIALS

2015 GMC Sierra 2500 Denali HD OWNER: Iram Ochoa LOCATION: Hobbs, NM BUILT BY: Altered Attitude Inc. ENGINE: GMC 6.6L Duramax V8 Turbo-diesel HORSEPOWER: 550 hp

ENGINE ∂ FASS Fuel Systems fuel pump ∂ PPEI Tuning ECU tune EXHAUST ∂ Altered Attitude custom 5-in. stainless steel exhaust WHEELS / TIRES / BRAKES ∂ American Force Honor MP8 wheels – 24x16-in. (f/r) ∂ Toyo Open Country tires – 15.50x40 R24 (f/r) ∂ Steel braided brake lines

SKYSCRAPER they look almost painted when not in use, but when the switch is flicked, you can see the purple LEDs that line the top and bottom (also matching the purple suspension work) and green LED halos that stare out of the middle of the lamps. “Altered Attitude builds very impressionable trucks,” endorses Ochoa. “The Sierra Denali build is by far the most attractive build that I have owned.” Bolstering the custom headlights with some more attitude up front is the T-REX

grille, which hides an LED light bar behind its riveted and meshed gape. To really finish the truck off, Ochoa went for an Undercover Lids tonneau cover out back. It cleans things up on an already pristine truck. “I’m proud to be its owner,” Ochoa says. After wrapping up our investigation, we feel that Ochoa’s truck should have a spot on the Hobbs, New Mexico skyline – it definitely makes an impression. You’d buy a “Wish you were here” postcard with a picture of this truck smoking tires on it, right? Thought so.

CHASSIS / SUSPENSION ∂ Full Throttle (lift 2.5 shocks (f), coilovers (r), sway bars (f/r), strut bars (f/r), control arms (f/r) EXTERIOR ∂ T-REX grille ∂ Undercover Lids tonneau cover ∂ Custom (headlights, taillights) SPONSORS ∂ Full Throttle Suspension, Altered Attitude Inc., American Force Wheels, Undercover Lids

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TRUCKINâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; BATTLE INTO

N O R T H E R N O N TA R I O R E S I D E N T TA K E S H O M E THE GOLD WITH A ONE-OF-A-KIND PICKUP BY JUSTIN PRITCHARD (WITH NOTES FROM SHAUN KEENAN) PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRIS KOSKI

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erner, Ontario is about an hour’s drive due east from the “Nickel City” of Sudbury, and many miles from a major hub of tuner activity in Toronto, where lustrous, slammed, fitted and customized coupes, hatches and sedans comprise much of the custom car scenery. Up here in the North, surrounded by lakes, wilderness, rough roads and trails, custom pickup trucks have become a major part of the game. Trucks have always been a mainstay of the North, but in recent years these too have become big players in the aftermarket tuning scene. Lifted trucks in particular, are popping up all over the place. Pascal McMurray’s 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD you see here, is a prime example. This monstrous and highly-customized Chevy recently won McMurray the top prize in a PASMAG Tuner Battlegrounds #TBGLIVE event (this very feature you’re reading) during the eighth annual PartSource Charity Car & Bike Show in North Bay. He is no stranger to smaller custom rides, however, looking for a change from his previous builds, the 26-year-old industrial and construction millwright decided to make the switch to a truck. I spoke with Pascal McMurray, a fellow Northerner, about his latest award-winning build in a recent interview.

PAS: What other builds have you done? Pascal McMurray: There have been a few, but the most extensive build I’ve done so far was my girlfriend Sam’s Evo IX, which took roughly eight months to complete. She actually won the #TBGLIVE event last year at the same show with that car. PAS: What are some similarities to former builds we can see in the new truck? Are these part of your tastes? Did previous builds inspire you in any way for this one? PM: In some ways, the truck reminds me of one of my first builds, a 2000 Volkswagen Golf TDI. Mainly with the unique “chameleon” color, big wheels and custom lighting, which are part of my tastes. Ultimately, I’m always after a clean look. PAS: What are some differences? What opportunities does tuning a truck offer that tuning a car doesn’t? PM: The concept is pretty much the same, though the truck opens doors to meeting new people, and exposes you to different trends and tastes that can’t be applied to cars, like wheels that stick out seven inches past the fender, for instance. PAS: So, will you off-road it, or get it dirty in the mud? PM: No, no. I don’t plan on getting it dirty or taking it off-road. TUNING ESSENTIALS // 2015 TRUCKS // 3RD EDITION

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PAS: Any future plans for this build? PM: One of my future plans is the installation of a 12-inch wide body, and this is currently being realized. I also plan on upgrading the audio/video set-up. PAS: Tell us about your favorite upgrades on this build. PM: I love the wheels, which are 22- by 14-inch American Force Rebel SS8s with a huge -73 offset and wrapped with custom graphics. The 12-inch Cognito IFS Lift with Dual Fox 2.0 reservoir shocks also give the truck a massive look, which I love, and the Arlon Matte Blue Aluminum Wrap and custom graphics, created by Eric at ECD Customs, add even more uniqueness.

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I LOVE THE WHEELS, WHICH ARE 22- BY 14INCH AMERICAN FORCE REBEL SS8S WITH A HUGE -73 OFFSET AND WRAPPED WITH CUSTOM GRAPHICS. ”

PAS: Why the Silverado 2500HD, anyways? How did you wind up with this particular truck? PM: My initial plan was to buy a truck that could haul my cars to shows, and to the track. I had seen this truck before at SEMA and fell in love with it – so when I saw it up for sale, I didn’t hesitate to buy it. I got a pretty good deal too. Who wouldn’t want the chance to own a SEMA truck? PAS: Does a tuner truck fit your lifestyle as a Northerner better than a tuner car? How so? PM: I guess you can say that one benefit with this truck is you do not have to worry much about potholes! I do like the tuner truck and tuner car lifestyles equally, so

I can’t say that one fits my lifestyle more than the other. Mind you, with the “sled deck” on the back, I can pack one or two snowmobiles or ATVs, which is useful when my girlfriend and I go riding. PAS: What’s the story behind the wrap/sticker that covers the insides of your wheels and other parts of your truck? PM: Eric Gosslin at ECD Customs (a custom graphics shop) designed the graphics to accentuate the truck. He designs them on computer, and prints them out on vinyl. This design is called named “Cashout,” which is also the name of the truck project. It was originally designed for this truck for the 2013 SEMA show in Las Vegas.

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PAS: When and where did you buy the truck? PM: I purchased the truck from Eric Gosslin (owner of ECD Customs) in August of 2014 in Haileybury, Ontario.

PAS: Did you build the headlights yourself? PM: No, the previous owner had them sent out to a company called Plain N Simple that specializes in headlight retrofitting. PAS: What drew you to a more lifted, pre-runner style truck? PM: Ever since I laid eyes on the truck in person for the first time, and saw how well and tastefully it was built, I knew I wanted a truck just like it. I was lucky enough that it came up for sale. It’s rare to be able to buy something that is built the way you would have done it yourself.

PAS: What power level is your Edge Evolution programmer? PM: The programmer is on level 7, although I do change the level accordingly to the truck’s use, like when I’m towing. PAS: How much have you spent on this truck already? PM: The truck was heavily modified when I purchased it, but I’ve continued the build, so I’m up to approximately $10,000 on mods including the sled deck, lighting, wrap, graphics, wide body, side steps and new suspension components.

PAS: Any interesting stories about the truck or the build? PM: Bringing this SEMA build to Importfest in Toronto was by far the most interesting story I can tell you. It was different for everyone to see a lifted truck in the venue. I was the only one there with a lifted truck! Many showgoers hadn’t ever seen a truck this big, and the sled deck puzzled lots of people. It got a lot of attention there, and I was proud to win the first place trophy for “Baddest Truck/SUV.”

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PAS: So, is it road legal? PM: The truck will be fully road legal once the new six-inch fenders and bedsides are installed. I can hardly wait as I’ve been given a few warning by the local constabulatory, and that’s always a buzzkill.

So, there you have it... The full lowdown on this lifted Silverado from the Nickel Capital of Canada in the words of its proud owner. Thanks Pascal, and keep on truckin’.

ESSENTIALS

2009 Chevrolet Silverado LTZ 2500HD OWNER: Pascal McMurray LOCATION: Verner, Ontario, Canada ENGINE: Chevrolet 6.6L Duramax V8 (LMM) HORSEPOWER: 495 hp est. (365 hp stock)

TORQUE: 880 lb-ft est. (660 lb-ft stock) BUILT BY: ECD Customs, Restyle It, The Garage, Pascal McMurray CLUB: Petrol Descendants

ENGINE ∂ S&B air intake

CHASSIS / SUSPENSION ∂ Cognito Motorsports (12-in. IFS lift kit, alloy series tie rods, pitman and idler support, 1.5-in. front sway bar, tubular upper control arms, dual shock hoops) ∂ Dual Fox 2.0 reservoir shock set up on the front ∂ Full deafer leaf with Fox 2.0 reservoir shocks

EXHAUST ∂ MBRP (turbo down-pipe, 5-in. turbo-back exhaust) PERFORMANCE ELECTRONICS ∂ Edge Evolution 25003 Race Programmer at Level 7 (+130 hp/ +250 lb-ft torque) WHEELS / TIRES / BRAKES ∂ American Force Rebel SS8 wheels – 22x14 -73 (f/r) w/ 2-in. rear wheel spacers ∂ Toyo Open Country Tires – 40x15.50R22LT (f/r) ∂ EBC brakes (f/r)

EXTERIOR ∂ Full Arlon Matte blue aluminum wrap ∂ Front N-fab pre runner style bumper ∂ RBP black RX mesh grille ∂ Plain&Simple custom headlights ∂ HID 6000K headlights ∂ Oracle headlight lighting ∂ Recon (taillights, third brake light, 60-in. tailgate bar) ∂ Rigid Industries (38-in. light bars (2), Dually (spot) light (2), Dually (flood) light (2), D2 (spot) (2)) ∂ PML (transmission and diff covers) ∂ AMP Research side steps ∂ Superdeck sled deck with custom graphics INTERIOR ∂ Custom trim wrap ∂ USspeedo aqua edition stainless steel gauge face and needles ∂ LED interior lighting MOBILE ELECTRONICS ∂ Pioneer 3200BT head unit w/ rear camera, CD/DVD, console hook-up ready, hands-free phone ∂ MTX (12-in. shallow subwoofer, amplifiers (2), 6.5-in. 2-way component speakers (f/r) ∂ Stinger wiring and interconnects

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Watch how it works!

Conveniently secure all of your locks with just one key, your ignition key!

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BUILT TO

WRANG P I A A â&#x20AC;&#x2122; S E X T R E M E LY JAMBOREE-ABLE JEEP BY ADAM STEINBERG PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF PIAA

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hen an enthusiast decides to invest in a build, many find themselves working towards a similar goal. “I wanted to have the most unique show car on the lot,” or “I only used custom parts for my build” are quotes often seen in this line of work. Chris Olander, on the other hand, had a different goal in mind when building his 2015 Jeep JK Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited. “Overall I wanted to build a vehicle that anyone else could build,” says Olander. “Being in the accessory business, I often see really fantastic show vehicles, but they are built with one-off or fully custom parts. While that makes a great

show car, it sometimes doesn’t translate well into what most people can build.” To push his ideal, Olander couldn’t have picked a better platform to build upon. The current generation of Jeep Wrangler boasts the reliability of being a great all around vehicle, as well as one of the largest aftermarket catalogs around. With seemingly endless choices, it’s easy to build something crazy, or something clean and simple. Keeping his build simple doesn’t mean it’s not without superior equipment, far from it. His front axles are paired up with a Dynatrac ProRock 44 diff and some heavy duty ball joints, complemented by G2 4.88 gears on the front and rear. Metal Cloak took care of his entire suspension, which includes a 3.5-inch lift kit and ARB long travel shocks. The Wrangler itself is rolling on Method 105 beadlock wheels and capable Falken Wild Peak tires. “I have been very happy with the Metal Cloak Game Changer suspension system and Overline fenders,” says Olander. “These two items give the Jeep the great ride necessary for long distance driving and the suspension travel needed for technical off-roading.”

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“The Falken Wild Peak tires combined with the Method beadlock wheels also contribute to great on-road manners and off-road capability with a quiet ride and the ability to run very low air pressure when on the trail,” he continues. As you may, or may not know, Olander works for PIAA – a manufacturer of driving lights and accessories. So, of course, there’s no shortage in that department. PIAA is responsible for the LP530 fog lights, LP570 driving lights and hybrid light bar on the front 62

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bumper, LP550 driving lamps on windshield mounts, RF18/RF10 bars on the forward roof rack, as well as RF3 flood lights on the rear and RF6 hybrids in the rear bumper as reverse lamps. “With the modifications I have done to this JK, I have put together a vehicle that I can use as a daily driver, use for sales calls, drive 400-plus miles in a day, tow a trailer and take on tough offroad trails, such as the Rubicon here in Northern California,” Olander explains.

With outstanding light output, performancedriven suspension and all the right off-road accessories, Olander and his team at PIAA put the Rubicon to the test at the Jeepers and Jeep Jamboree in Northern California and Oregon. While it’s yet to come home with any awards, the team says the vehicle has performed “with outstanding results thus far” and plan to make appearances at upcoming events in the near future. Be on the lookout at your next jamboree! All totalled, the build took three months to complete, which Olander says was the most difficult part of bringing his Wrangler to life. “There were no real challenges to the build besides the timeframe I had to keep,” he explains. “It was a challenge to get the vehicle done in time for my first shows and events. I did a six-month build in about three months.” Completing the entire build in his garage from start to finish could have very well amplified the three-month challenge, but in the spirit of a true enthusiast, Olander says he just can’t get enough of the hands-on experience of building his own vehicle.

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HCCA makes an update to this already excellent subwoofer by adding a new voice coil of better quality and HIGHER POWER

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HCCA 152SPL 5000 10000 20000 2+2 DVC BLACK COIL

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HCCA 154 2500 5000 10000 4+4 DVC BLACK COIL

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This isn’t Olander’s first rodeo either, having already accomplished custom builds with a 1979 VW Rabbit, 1962 Jeep CJ-6, 2002 Subaru WRX, 2012 Birkin (Lotus Super 7). “Back in 2002 I built an ’02 Subaru WRX for show and work use,” Olander says. “This car was used in our SEMA booth that year and served as my daily driver and show vehicle for over 100,000 miles. It ended up being a great car to drive; close to 300 horsepower, handled great and was very reliable.” There seems to be an obvious theme when it comes to Olander’s builds: practicality and reliability. “As many people involved in the automotive aftermarket, cars are my hobby as well as my job; I just can’t leave one alone,” says Olander. “I really like the idea of personalizing a vehicle, but at the same

I WANTED TO BUILD A VEHICLE THAT ANYONE ELSE COULD BUILD.”

time keeping the upgrades functional and the finished product reliable and drivable.” Being the third generation of the Wrangler family, Olander’s Rubicon has managed to keep to its off-road roots while still turning heads on the streets. As for his initial goal, the balance between a daily driver and weekend toy has been undeniably accomplished.

BUILT TO

WRANGLE

ESSENTIALS 2015 Jeep JK Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited

OWNER: Chris Olander LOCATION: Cameron Park, CA ENGINE: FCA 3.6L Pentastar V6

ENGIN MODIFICATIONS ∂ aFe Power (air filter, throttle body spacer, GT air intake) ∂ Superchips Flashcal ECU EXHAUST ∂ aFe Power (Hi-Tuck exhaust, Y-pipe) DRIVETRAIN ∂ Dynatrac (ProRock 44 axle housing (f), heavy duty ball joints, G2 4.88 gears (f/r)) WHEELS / TIRES / BRAKES ∂ Method 105 Beadlock wheels - 17x9 (f/r) ∂ Falken Wild Peak A/T tires 37x12.50 (f/r) CHASSIS / SUSPENSION ∂ ARB Old Man Emu Long Travel suspension ∂ Metal Cloak (Game Changer 3.5-inch lift kit, Duraflex control arms) EXTERIOR ∂ Expedition One JK Core Series bumpers (f/r) ∂ Metal Cloak (Overline fenders, LED taillights) ∂ Rock-Slide Engineering step sliders ∂ PIAA LED Lighting (LP530 bumper fog lights (f), LP570 bumper driving lights (f), H13 Extreme white plus bulbs, RF18 hybrid bumper light bar (f), LP550 driving lamps, windshield mounts, RF18/RF10 bars on roof rack (f/r) RF3 roof rack flood lights (r), RF6 hybrid in bumper as reverse lamps (r)) ∂ Graphics by Liquid Refreshments ∂ Gobi Stealth roof rack ∂ Warn Zeon 10-S winch INTERIOR ∂ Design Engineering Inc. Boom Mat hard top insulation ∂ Rock Hard 4x4 Ultimate sport cage AUDIO / MOBILE ELECTRONICS ∂ Kenwood (KAC-M1804 4-channel amplifier, KEN-KSC-SW11-1 subwoofer) ∂ sPOD 8-Switch Special Edition distribution blocks ∂ ARB TwinAir air compressor SPONSORS ∂ aFe Power, Superchips, ARB, Dynatrac, Method, Falken, Metal Cloak, Expedition One, Rock-Slide Engineering, PIAA USA, Liquid Refreshments, Gobi Stealth, Warn Zeon, Design Engineering, Rock Hard

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DIAMOND FOR THE ROUGH A G WAGON THAT ISN’T INSTAGRAM FAMOUS STORY BY NICK JAMBROSIC | PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF ATI

Over the years, you could say the Mercedes G Wagon has lost its reputation as the bad boy in town. Back in the day, this vehicle was originally designed for military use and meant to be driven anywhere and everywhere, on or off the road.

ow it’s seen more on Rodeo Drive carrying fancy handbags and red-bottomed high heels. The G wasn’t built for Hollywood, and it surely wasn’t meant for Kylie Jenner’s Instagram, so why is it that it’s the only place we really see them? It turns out that Auto-Tech Interior’s (ATI) owner, Calvin Eng, is pretty passionate on the subject. “I felt the true nature of the G Wagon had become tarnished and I wanted to remind everyone what a badass truck this actually is,” he says. Although you may have already seen this car at SEMA 2014, Auto-Tech Interiors is bringing new life to the big box AMG to help launch its new audio pod lineup transforming this vehicle not only on the outside, but inside as well. They learned pretty quickly that a big vehicle also creates a pretty big challenge, having their work cut out for them right from the beginning.

“I would have had a lot more regulars involved in this build, but because of the weight of the car and because there just isn’t a huge aftermarket for it, I had to do a little work in finding some new partners outside of our circle,” Eng explains. It didn’t take long though before they had secured products from both Brembo and Pirelli. After gathering so much attention in the past with previous projects, both companies were on the same page when it came to improving the performance and handling of such a heavy truck. “We went bigger and wider with the tires and went with Brembo’s GT brake kit,” Eng lists. “At first the brakes felt a little softer than we wanted, so with their recommendation, we changed to a more track-oriented fluid and pad setup and it was perfect.” Performance-wise, ATI has teamed up with Weistec, bumping up the mere 500 horsepower to

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WE DIDN’T WANT THE G WAGON TO LOSE ANY OF ITS LINES OR CHARACTER, SO CHOOSING THE RIGHT PARTNERS WAS IMPORTANT”

DIAMOND FOR THE ROUGH something a little more manageable at over 700. Childs play, right? But you can’t let all that newfound power go unnoticed - or should we say unheard. The G is also fitted with a Meistershaft/ GT Haus Hexa Tip exhaust. Yes, I did say hexa tip (that’s six!). This insane exhaust is definitely as loud as she looks. What about the rest of the vehicle? We know it’s going to be fast and stop on a dime with ease, but will it look the part? “We didn’t want the G Wagon to lose any of its lines or character, so choosing the right partners was important,” says Eng. “The body kit was critical because we didn’t want the look of the G to get overwhelmed.” A few years ago, when building its 2008 BMW M3 for SEMA, Eng

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was fortunate enough to meet Vorsteiner. Due to prior commitments, they couldn’t work together at the time, but a strong connection was made. So, with his new project, he made sure to go to them for a little bit of help this time around. “The timing was perfect because Vorsteiner was set to release a new G 63 kit to accent the car,” Eng recalls. “That’s actually why we ended up converting the G 55 to a G 63… so we could show off the Vorsteiner kit!” You might be thinking to yourself,

“If you were just going to turn it into a G 63, why didn’t you just buy a G 63?” Well, it really wasn’t that easy. Although choosing the G-Class was, there were other aspects of the car he had to take in. “It’s rigid; it’s square; it’s open; but then after looking at the G 63, I thought otherwise,” Eng explains. “The center dash had a large navigation unit that just looked out of place, and it would have created all sorts of sonic challenges for a well-placed center channel. That’s when I started looking into previous year models.”

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ESSENTIALS Mercedes G Wagon

OWNER: Calvin Eng BUILT BY: Auto-Tech Interiors LOCATION: Parsippany, NJ ENGINE: Mercedes AMG 5.4L V8 (W463) HORSEPOWER: 700+ hp (est.) TORQUE: 700+ lb-ft (est.)

ENGINE ∂ Weistec supercharger ∂ K&N air filter EXHAUST ∂ Meistershaft/GT Haus GTC (EVC), chrome hexatips

DIAMOND FOR THE ROUGH

Buying a 2011 G 55 AMG was a great start. Orca Design, a partner of ATI’s for many years, have built some great audio systems in conjunction with ATI in the past, including one for the M3. They both agreed the G Wagon was a perfect vehicle to demonstrate the new Illusion Audio Carbon Series speakers. Even though ATI planned out this project with a fine-tooth comb, trying to compensate for any problems they

THE NEXT SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS REARED THEIR HEADS AT SEMA...”

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may face down the road, there was, as with any build, a share of issues. All the way back to 2014, when they originally purchased the vehicle, was when they had their first run-in with trouble. “After almost three weeks at the body shop, I picked up the car and started heading down to Auto Fashion USA so we could get the audio build going,” Eng starts. “When I was about 30 miles away from the shop, the car popped twice and then a warning signal came up,” says Eng. “I hit the gas harder and the entire G Wagon started shaking violently, as if I was on a plane going through turbulence. I was literally only three miles from Auto Fashion!” After finding out that his Mercedes’ claimed “indestructible” transmission was “shredded,” Eng ran into a stroke of luck, as the body shop took full responsibility and covered all of the costs. The next series of unfortunate events reared their heads when first arriving at SEMA, after having arranged the G Wagon to be detailed. While driving in, Eng heard a ticking, which turned out to be a huge nail in the tire, but there wasn’t much else he could do except bring the car into the show at that point. Safely parked at his booth, Eng then tried opening the rear door and realized it wasn’t budging. The door was jammed. Eng left it alone thinking everything would be fine, but when it came time to demo the speakers, since the door wouldn’t close properly, the batteries had drained. Left with a powerless car and a flat tire, at least they were parked and in the show, right? Wrong.

WHEELS / TIRES / BRAKES ∂ Vorsteiner wheels – 22x11 +33 (f/r) Pirelli Scorpion Zero Asimmetrico tires – 305/35 R22 (f/r) ∂ Brembo Gran Turismo (custom Verde Ithica pearl metallic 8-piston slotted 2-pc. rotors (f), 4-piston slotted 2-pc. rotors (r), custom braided lines, TS20 pads, LCF600 racing brake fluid) EXTERIOR ∂ G 63 conversion kit (front bumper, fenders, LED headlights) ∂ Auto Fashion USA graphics INTERIOR ∂ Auto Fashion USA black leather & suede upholstery AUDIO / MOBILE ELECTRONICS ∂ Mosconi (6to8 V8 DSP w/ AMAS, AS300.2 subwoofer amplifier (2), AS200.4 amplifier (1)) ∂ Illusion Audio (12XL subwoofers (2), sealed 1-cubicfoot enclosure, C3 midrange (center), C6 components (front/rear fill)) SPONSORS ∂ Vorsteiner, Auto Fashion USA, Pirelli, Brembo, GT Haus, Meistershaft, Illusion Audio, Masconi, Avery, ATI Pods

The Director at SEMA came the next day to inform them they were in the wrong spot, insisting they move the car. That was a challenge within itself, since with no battery power, Mercedes vehicles lock the steering. “But then I saw Pirelli’s outside booth and being a long time sponsor of ours, I had no hesitation to run over and ask for assistance,” recalls Eng. “Problem solved! Their staff were more than happy to help and within minutes the G Wagon was relocated. All was finally good.” For such a simple event, that Eng and his ATI crew had done multiple times, this was the most difficult SEMA they had ever experienced. In the end though, the G Wagon came out looking like a star. It will continue to evolve, so look for it at SEMA 2015! Until then, you’ll hear it coming from a mile away.

TUNING ESSENTIALS // 2015 TRUCKS // 3RD EDITION

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2015-10-15 10:16 AM

TEST REPORT

Cerwin-Vega Stroker ST122D Subwoofer Review With the legacy of the venerable brand rooted firmly in the past, but their focus clearly on the future, there are few car audio companies with the history and diverse experience of Cerwin-Vega. Originally founded in 1954 by Gene Czerwinski, a brilliant aerospace engineer, the brand has built a legacy of high performance breakthroughs spanning more than half a century. Czerwinski is no longer with us, but around 2007 the car audio division of the company became Cerwin-Vega Mobile. The same motto “Disturbing the Peace for over 50 Years” still applies, and the brand’s legacy for high performance lives on with the new Stroker series of woofers, which is what we are going to take a closer look at here.

FEATURES The Stroker series of woofers are available in 10- to 15-inch diameters, and in your choice of two- or four-ohm dual voice coils. For this review, they were kind enough to supply me with a Stroker ST122D, which is a

Power Handling

1,000 Watts RMS

QUICK

Frequency Range

20 Hz – 200 Hz

SPECS

Sensitivity

84 dB/SPL @ 1.0 W (1.0 V @ 1 ohm)

Nominal Impedance

(2) 2 ohm coils

TECH

12-inch dual two-ohm voice coil unit with a suggested retail price of $779.99. The Stroker woofers are built with an all-new die-cast aluminum basket that incorporates an elevated motor design to optimize excursion and cooling of the voice coil. To ensure adequate linear suspension travel and mechanical reliability, the Stroker woofer has an oversized foam rubber surround and dual, mirror image Nomex spiders. Also, in the interest of reliability, the tinsel leads from the speaker’s terminals to the dual coils are woven into the spider to eliminate the chance of lead slap or damage from over excursion. Electrical connections are made with spring-loaded chrome terminals that are clearly marked for polarity, and will accept up to eight-gauge wire. Magnetic energy comes from an oversized double-stacked set of high-gauss ferrite magnets. The magnetic energy gets focused by a one-piece cold forged alloy yoke that drives a hand-wound, three-inch, four-layer copper voice coil that is treated with a special high-temperature coat-

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BY GARRY SPRINGGAY

ing. Drawing from the wealth of experience the company has in building high power handling woofers, the Stroker also uses an aluminum former for maximum heat dissipation. Speaking of getting rid of heat, the design of the basket provides a great deal of ventilation via large windows in the basket, as well as a fully vented pole piece. The cone of the Stroker woofer is formed from a semi-pressed pulp paper material, selected for is light weight, good rigidity and sound quality. The cone is capped off with a flat aluminum dustcap. All of this is assembled, measured and optimized using the industry’s highest standards with a Klippel DA measurement system. The result is a woofer that provides exemplary performance in a vented application.

normalize overnight. Normally you don’t need to do this when buying a new woofer, because it will break in as you listen to it for the first couple of weeks, but because I don’t have the luxury of taking several weeks to review a product, I have to accelerate the process as described above. Now it’s time to select an enclosure. The manual specifies a 1.5-cubic-foot vented enclosure, so that’s what I use. For this session, I drive the woofer with an amplifier rated at 1,000 watts into one ohm, and wire the coils in parallel. Normally I would prefer a higher impedance, but I believe most buyers of this woofer will use it at one ohm, so that’s how I did my listening. As usual, it’s all about getting you, our valued readers, the best possible info!

LISTENING As usual, the first thing I do with a woofer is exercise it. I like to use a 10 Hz signal to maximize excursion in order to allow the suspension to soften up a bit prior to my listening and measurements (did you know that with every halving of frequency, a speaker’s excursion quadruples?). With just enough power applied to get about half-an-inch of cone movement, I let the woofer run for about 10 hours. Then I remove the signal and allow the woofer to cool and

TUNING ESSENTIALS // 2015 TRUCKS // 3RD EDITION

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TEST REPORT With the amplifier’s crossover set at 80 Hz and the subsonic filter at about 28 Hz, I audition the Stroker woofer with a bunch of different music. Make no mistake about it, this woofer plays low and loud! Power handling is never an issue, and I don’t see any indication of reaching the woofer’s limits, even when playing at the limits of my amplifier. The sonic performance of the woofer is actually quite good, too. The output is warm sounding, with decent definition and not a lot of “overhang” on the transients. I begin, as I frequently do, with one of my all-time favorite bass test tracks, The Planet Krypton. In this track there is a one-minute 39-second crescendo that goes down to about 18 Hz. If there are any excursion issues to be found, this track will find them, but it was no problem for the big Stroker woofer. Fast plucked bass notes, such as in Thom Rotellas’ Friends, sound powerful and well-defined, and I can easily hear the resonances and echo in the recording. The bass and drums in The Blues Brothers version of Sweet Home Chicago sound very natural, and like I’ve noted with other paper cone woofers, has that really pleasing “round” and warm timbre I find particularly natural and realistic. Pushed hard on bass-heavy tracks from Yello and Thomas Dolby, the Cerwin-Vega Mobile woofer simply pounds out the bass with nary a whimper or protest. In terms of output, the woofer is right there with the other high power handling woofers I’ve tested. They have a bit lower overall efficiency, but the tradeoff is the extreme power handling and the amount of abuse they’ll take, where a more efficient woofer would simply self destruct. No worries here, this woofer can certainly handle all the power it’s rated for.

MAGNITUDE OF ELECTRIC EMPEDANCE Z(F)

SPL VS FREQ

CO IL S IN PAR AL L EL

SYST EM F REQ U EN CY RESPO N SE – 1 . 5 CU - F T VEN T E D E NC LOS U R E

quite different from the published specifications, which are only given for a series wiring configuration, whereas I make mine with the coils in parallel as that is likely to be the most commonly used wiring configuration.

CONCLUSION The new Stroker woofer is just the ticket for those who want it low and loud. The woofers are built with modern materials and techniques that are designed to withstand the type of use Cerwin-Vega products are famous for. There is no question the Stroker woofers will be very capable of disturbing the peace for another 50 years!

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ON THE BENCH On the test bench, my Klippel analyzer’s measurements of the Stroker ST122D turn out very much as one would expect, but

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CerwinVegaMobile CerwinVegaMobile

MEASURED PERFORMANCE - CERWIN-VEGA MOBILE STROKER ST122D WOOFER

ELECTRICAL PARAMETERS

(coils in parallel)

0.89

Ohm

electrical voice coil resistance at DC

0.804

frequency independent part of voice coil inductance

1.389

para-inductance of voice coil

1.97

Ohm

electrical resistance due to eddy current losses

Cmes

4023.46

µF

electrical capacitance representing moving mass

Lces

9.52

electrical inductance representing driver compliance

Res

9.29

Ohm

resistance due to mechanical losses

25.7

driver resonance frequency

MECHANICAL PARAMETERS

(using laser)

Mms

237.630

mechanical mass of driver diaphragm assembly including air load and voice coil

Mmd

225.633

mechanical mass of voice coil and diaphragm without air load

Rms

6.357

kg/s

mechanical resistance of total-driver losses

Cms

0.161

mm/N

mechanical compliance of driver suspension

Kms

6.20

N/mm

mechanical stiffness of driver suspension

7.685

N/A

Lambda

0.007

force factor (Bl product) suspension creep factor

LOSS FACTORS Qtp

0.542

total Q-factor considering all losses

Qms

6.041

mechanical Q-factor of driver in free air considering Rms only

Qes

0.579

electrical Q-factor of driver in free air considering Re only

Qts

0.528

total Q-factor considering Re and Rms only

OTHER PARAMETERS Vas

53.2204

equivalent air volume of suspension

0.150

reference efficiency (2 pi-radiation using Re)

83.97

characteristic sound pressure level (SPL at 1 m for 1 W @ Re)

Lnom

84.47

nominal sensitivity (SPL at 1 m for 1 W @ Zn)

483.05

cm2

diaphragm area

EBP

44.4

TUNING ESSENTIALS // 2015 TRUCKS // 3RD EDITION

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TEST REPORT

Kicker Comp Q CWQ12 Subwoofer Review Earlier this year we had a look at the Kicker L7 square subwoofer, which is part of Kicker’s illustrious Q-Class product line. Adding to that Q-Class product is the CompQ series of woofers, which are a more traditional round shape, but include a lot of the leading edge engineering found in the Q-Class products. The CompQ series of woofers represent the highest performance round woofers the company has ever made, and that says a lot when it’s Kicker doing the talking. Designed specifically to have increased excursion and power handling while retaining enclosure size and type flexibility, the CompQ woofers are also built with sound quality in mind, and are backed with a full three-year warranty when purchased from an authorized dealer. For this review, the good folks from Stillwater, Oklahoma, sent us a CWQ12, so we put it through the paces in the test lab and listening room. Here is what we found.

FEATURES The Kicker CWQ12 woofer is a

Power Handling

850 Watts RMS

QUICK

Frequency Range

20 Hz – 200 Hz

SPECS

Sensitivity

83.9 dB/SPL @ 1.0 W (1.414 V @ 2 ohms)

Nominal Impedance

(2) 4 ohm coils

TECH

dual-voice-coil, 12-inch woofer built around a heavy duty die-cast aluminum alloy basket with several unique features. Just above the large magnetic motor assembly and below the spider are large finned vents to provide cooling airflow for the 2.375-inch voice coils. For a nice cosmetic touch, the top outer lip of the basket features a raised rib that has received a nice polished treatment. To ensure maximum linear voice coil movement, the voice coil placement in the magnetic gap is determined using FEA computer analysis. The woofer’s magnetic motor surrounds long low-carbon poles designed to augment the long throw design. The resulting pole piece is a solid, non-vented design with high mass to improve thermal power handling. An additional benefit of this design is the ability to mount the woofer in shallower depth enclosures, since there is no pole piece airflow to worry about. It’s fine to build the coil and magnetics to provide a bunch of excursion, but you must also have a mechanical suspension system

PASMAG

BY GARRY SPRINGGAY

that’s up to the task. To that end, Kicker employed large diameter spiders with integrated ribbontype tinsel leads for maximum current handling and no possibility of torn leads under high excursion conditions. This assembly couples to Kicker’s proprietary injectionmolded, concave-ribbed cone with an integrated dustcap. For maximum reliability under the most extreme conditions, the CWQ12 has the Santoprene ribbed surround glued and double stitched to the cone. On the underside of the cone, the woofer uses a 360-degree cone brace to provide maximum rigidity and decreased distortion. Additionally, all of the surfaces that are bonded together with adhesives are pre-treated with a laser etching process to ensure a full strength positive bond. The speaker terminals are also thoughtfully done, with all four terminals placed together on one side of the basket for ease in connections. The terminals are spring loaded and will accept up to eight-gauge cable.

LISTENING According to the supplied owner’s manual, the woofer can be used in sealed- or vented-style enclosures. I decide to test the excursion and power handling, as well as the sound quality of the woofer in one fell swoop, so I opt for a large sealed enclosure, measuring 1.75 cubic feet in volume. In fairness, I should mention that the woofer will

work in sealed enclosures as small as 0.88 cubic feet. With the woofer mounted in my test enclosure and after a bit of experimenting with crossover points and getting the woofer’s output level adjusted to match the rest of my system, I’m ready to hear the best round woofer Kicker has ever built. Not surprisingly, I’m not disappointed! One of my favorite tracks for checking very low frequency output is Avril Lavigne’s’ Sk8er Boi. There is some low frequency synthesizer in the beginning of this track that can really surprise you if you’ve not heard it before. Many systems simply don’t have enough output to reproduce this track properly, but the round Kicker Q-Class woofer nails it. The synthesized bass is so strong, I play that part of the track several times just for the fun of it. Changing musical gears, I play a few tracks from Level 42’s World Machine, and a couple of my favorite tracks from Yello’s Essential. On these intentionally bass-heavy tracks, the Kicker CWQ12 provides fantastic output, plays very deep and handles power exceptionally well. Then it’s time to get serious about evaluating the sound quality of the woofer, so I switch to more revealing jazz and classical musical selections from some of the best audiophile labels. I’m seriously impressed with the woofer’s timbre and definition. Chord changes and other low frequency nuances are distinct and pure.

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TEST REPORT MAGNITUDE OF ELECTRIC IMPEDANCE Z(F)

WOO F E R S FREE A I R I M PEDA NCE – COI L S I N PA R A L L EL .

SPL VS. FREQ

MEASURED PERFORMANCE - KICKER COMPQ CWQ12 WOOFER

ELECTRICAL PARAMETERS Re

1.63

Ohm

electrical voice coil resistance at DC

2.294

frequency independent part of voice coil inductance

3.455

para-inductance of voice coil

4.70

Ohm

electrical resistance due to eddy current losses

Cmes

1879.87

µF

electrical capacitance representing moving mass

Conclusion

Lces

9.64

electrical inductance representing driver compliance

After my evaluation of the Kicker CompQ CWQ12 woofer, I can’t argue with the original statement that this is quite possibly the best performing round woofer that Kicker has ever produced. When you are talking about a company with a long history of performance and product excellence that the Kicker brand has earned, that single statement pretty much says it all. The Kicker CCWQ12 is available at a Kicker dealer near you with a suggested retail price in the U.S. of $499.95.

Res

24.15

Ohm

resistance due to mechanical losses

37.4

driver resonance frequency

NE ARFI EL D SPL /FREQUENCY RESPONSE 1W/1M

On these exceptional recordings from DMP, Telarc, Sheffield Lab and others, the Q-Class woofer sounds simply excellent. A professional bass player friend of mine had joined me for the evaluation, and he commented that on some of the songs that he was very familiar with, he’d heard things in the bass he’d never heard before. Pretty high praise!

On The Bench With the woofer normalizing overnight, I move it into the lab for some basic measurements. The results are not surprising at all, as the technical data backed up everything we’d heard the day before. Some of the Thiele-Small parameters are a bit off of the published specifications, but that’s not surprising considering the tolerances that are normal on loudspeakers, and the fact that the woofer I measured had about five hours of enthusiastic use on it. 78

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MECHANICAL PARAMETERS

(using laser)

Mms

303.362

mechanical mass of driver diaphragm assembly including air load and voice coil

Mmd

290.625

mechanical mass of voice coil and diaphragm without air load

Rms

6.682

kg/s

mechanical resistance of total-driver losses

Cms

0.060

mm/N

mechanical compliance of driver suspension

Kms

16.74

N/mm

mechanical stiffness of driver suspension

12.703

N/A

force factor (Bl product)

LOSS FACTORS Qtp

0.725

total Q-factor considering all losses

Qms

10.664

mechanical Q-factor of driver in free air considering Rms only

Qes

0.718

electrical Q-factor of driver in free air considering Re only

Qts

0.673

total Q-factor considering Re and Rms only

OTHER PARAMETERS Vas

21.3701

equivalent air volume of suspension

0.149

reference efficiency (2 pi-radiation using Re)

83.94

characteristic sound pressure level (SPL at 1 m for 1 W @ Re)

Lnom

84.84

nominal sensitivity (SPL at 1 m for 1 W @ Zn)

502.73

cm2

diaphragm area

EBP

52.1

TUNING ESSENTIALS // 2015 TRUCKS // 3RD EDITION

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