New Ford Bronco Wildtrack Full Audio System Upgrade

When this client approached us about upgrading the audio system in his new Ford Bronco Wildtrack, we were very excited! We love the new Broncos and have not had the opportunity to work on one yet. After putting together some options for the client, we settled on a design that would give him everything he wanted. The result was a system that would sound and look great.

Ford Bronco Amplifier Upgrade

A mounting plate was laser cut to give us a base for mounting the electronics.

It was a tight fit, but we managed to fit two amps and the integration piece on the board.

The two amps and processor were hidden behind the factory side panel.

The large screen of the Bronco served as the media source.

Powering the audio system upgrades would be two Rockford Fosgate amplifiers. A 4-channel amplifier would power the front and rear speakers, while a 500 watt mono amplifier would power the subwoofer. Integration with the factory audio signals is handled by a Wavtech processor. Based on the popularity of the new Bronco, we took the opportunity of having one in our bays to create some Bronco-specific mounting pieces.  For mounting the electronics in this Bronco we make a CAD drawing of a mounting board that would fit the spot behind the rear quarter panel on the passenger side. We then cut that pattern out in 1/2″ plywood with our CNC laser. By carefully positioning the amplifiers we were able to mount not only them, but also the Wavtech processor.

Ford Bronco Speaker Upgrade

We laser cut an acrylic adapter plate for the tweeters.

The tweeters we added fit under the factory grilles.

It is rare to find a vehicle these days with kick-panel mounted speakers.

The factory speakers would not be able to handle the power of the new amplifiers, so they had to be replaced. We chose as are replacement for the front speakers, Kenwood XR components. These speakers are very efficient and will ensure the client has audible tunes, even with the roof off. We cut a custom acrylic plate on our CNC laser to adapt the tweeter to the factory speaker location. The woofer from the Kenwood component set was installed in the factory kick panel location. The client wanted to keep the rear pods factory-looking, so we simply replaced the speakers in the pods with a JL Audio coaxial speaker.

Subwoofer Upgrade for Ford Bronco

The enclosure base was test-fit on the door to check the mounting points.

Additional contouring was added to the enclosure.

The enclosure was primed with high-build primer so we could sand it smooth.

Strips of foam were added to the back of the enclosure to limit vibrations.

The client can open the tailgate with pride, knowing he has the great-looking enclosure bolted to it!

The woofer was sunk into the front baffle to help reduce the space it takes up in the storage area.

This acrylic beauty panel is removable to access one of the mounting bolts.

The enclosure was kept as thin as possible so the client could retain his storage space.

The final piece of the puzzle for this Bronco was adding some bass. The client wanted to retain as much usable space in the rear of the vehicle as possible, so we decided on an enclosure that mounts to the rear door. To make sure the enclosure would hold up to any of the elements this Bronco might see, we built it out of marine plywood. The enclosure was designed to be attached to the back door with 5 bolts. The bolts attach to the rear door with rivetnut inserts. This lets the enclosure be removed and reinstalled without affecting the attachment integrity.

To complement the stylish interior of the new Bronco we decided the enclosure would be upholstered in a black vinyl. In order to have the vinyl be nice and smooth requires a bit of work. Once the enclosure was constructed, we sprayed it with a high-build primer to fill in any voids in the wood. The enclosure was then sanded and any remaining imperfections were repaired. The acrylic beauty panel on the front of the enclosure not only looks great, but it also serves as a cover for one of the bolts that secure the enclosure. Strong magnets attach the panel to the enclosure and allow for removal if the enclosure ever needs to be unbolted.

Radical Audio Transformation

When we were done installing all the gear it was time to setup the processor and amplifiers.  We made sure the levels were matched properly and that the crossovers were set on the amplifiers. After giving the vehicle a quick wipe down, it was time to return it to the owner. The owner was very happy with the upgrades and glad he would now be able to enjoy his music with the top on or off. Give us a call or contact us if you would like to learn more about options for your vehicle.