I too am installing a stereo in my Prowler. I bought the Arctic Cat hard top and headliner, and I am now trying to figure out how best to run the wires to the headliner. I am also uncertain as to how I will secure the stereo in the headliner. If anyone has done this installation, I sure would appreciate any input.
Stereo
I just found this forum from a link on the Rhino forum. I hope that this one proves to be a good one as well. A lot of the stuff on the Rhino forum is very helpful, but I have been looking for a good prowler forum for a while. I have been on a couple, but they just haven't gotten a very high level of participation yet. Great people, just not enough of them. Of course, there aren't nearly as many Prowlers as Rhinos, so we are at a bit of a disadvantage from the start. Anyhow, I have a 700XTX. So far, my only mods are: Adjustable seat sliders for the driver seat, and a pair of seats in the bed. On the to do list are some custom paint, a rear cage and a stereo. What are you guys doing with your stereos? I know some cut the cubby hole out and put the stereo there. I kind of want to keep that. What I would rather do, is cut the hole above the cubby in the area next to the diff lock cable. The problem that I have is that I plan to use a marine radio cover, and it will not fit there. There seems to be ample room for the radio, though. A different way to go would be to build a center console for the radio, and it could hold a couple of speakers as well. The way I am starting to lean is to build a rear cage (doing that anyway) and also remove the part that separates the front and rear loops, and build a new one that has a bar on each side. The downside is that I would really have to watch my head climbing in and out. On the upside, I can make an aluminum top, then mount the speakers and stereo in pods underneath, up high and out of the weather. Anyone have any other ideas?
1 - 17 of 17 Posts
As for the wires, the wiring for the rear brake light is run through the rear bar. I would check to see if can bring additional wires through there. It may require tying a string to the existing wires, disconnecting them, and pulling them out. Then you would either tie another string to the wires so you could pull more wires after the originals are back in place, or tie the additional wires to the existing ones then pull them back up all at once. Otherwise, Home Depot and the like have some conduit track that is pretty flat and made for concealing wires in homes.
i haven't tried it but sounds like it works pretty good.....
kite string or something similar then use your shop vac to pull it on through the hole.....
kite string or something similar then use your shop vac to pull it on through the hole.....
you can drill your roll bar and run a pull wire wherever you need to, if you have a stock roll bar I would drill low down by the mounts where it less noticeable then run it back under your floor to the battery , then run it up and over by your rear view mirror drill it again and pop the wires out, I like to use rubber grommets and a little heat shrink where the wire meets tubing, that will give you a clean look , you should be able to ground up at the top unless you get some ground loop noise if so you might have to run the ground back to the battery and choke aswell.
The Prowler that I bought used, had the radio in the cubby hole and the speakers under the dash and two speakers in the bed, which had been removed before I bought it.
I have an xtz 1000 just installed a small amp behind the pass seat behind the air filter rubber, ran 2 marine box speakers and mounted to stock rollbar behind seats then ran an rca jack to amp for an ipod works great also ran a subwoofer in storage box
That looks pretty good. Did you have to reinforce the bottom of the dash to mount the speakers? I have looked at that location, and it seemed like it may really vibrate with the weight of the speakers. Does the stereo work pretty good while underway, or is it mostly good for when you are stopped? I have recently been considering building a rack over the hood that would mount at the cage just above the dash in the rear, and at the bumper in the front. I was thinking I could mount everything there if I wanted to do it that way.
One of the reasons for getting a marine deck is they are made for rough water. It doesn't skip while at speed, does really well. No reinforcing at all. The MTX speakers are not that heavy. This thing sounds incredible at high speed or stopped. All my friends like it. When we stop to take a brake, when I pull up they all turn theirs off and would rather listen to mine. Be sure and get a deck with a remote, it's much easier to control while you are driving.
2
Good mounting spot for the radio, but Spekers should not be mounted there. They are directional, so it's important they "image" towards the driver and passanger. In oder to have proper volume, bass and clarity they need to be in an enclsoure not just cut into the dash. a speaker needs a baffle. Thats why our pods allow the best possible sound quality.
And, now we ahve a preseason deal going... 20% off Prowler unloaded pods or our base systems.
http://www.prowlerforums.net/forums/arctic-cat-prowler-audio/58-ssv-works-speaker-pods.html
![]()
![]()
And, now we ahve a preseason deal going... 20% off Prowler unloaded pods or our base systems.
http://www.prowlerforums.net/forums/arctic-cat-prowler-audio/58-ssv-works-speaker-pods.html
I went ahead and purchased one of the gimbal mount marine stereo enclosures that mount under the dash, so I won't have to sacrifice my cubbyhole in the dash. It has the door that protects the stereo also. I also purchased a set of the marine box speakers. I have had a stereo and speakers that I purchased for it about a year already, so its time that I got it done. I can always use those speakers to replace the basic ones in my car. I will probably mount the box speakers on the roll bar. They also have a set of smaller ones that I can add later, but they were out of stock today.
I started my stereo install this weekend. I ended up removing the x-shaped bar that connects the forward and aft loops. I welded a piece of 4130 tubing between the front legs of the X with a couple of brackets on it to mount my marine enclosure. That went pretty well. My speakers turned out to be pretty big. I mounted them to the inside of the roll bar just below the headrests. They are pointed inboard and a little aft. They are right behind your head, so they should be easy to hear. Once I started looking at the wiring, I knew I was screwed. I had planned on working from the unit to the speakers and battery. The harness for the stereo wasn't long enough to reach the back of the enclosure, and you have to have it long enough to plug it into the unit before sliding the unit into the housing. The antenna that I purchased about a year ago wouldn't work either. It was telescopic and had a housing underneath that the mast goes into when the antenna is retracted. I could not leave that hanging down, so I got a different antenna and made another tab to bolt to the bracket that holds the stereo housing. Now that all the hardware is mounted, I have to deal with the wire routing. I guess that I will run all the wires through the rear loop of the roll bar. At least that way, they won't be snagging on stuff. I had planned on being done already, but once I start running the wires, it should go pretty fast. I really wish that the speakers weren't quite so large, but they should work good.
just moving your speakers into our pods will make a huge difference in sound quality. Remember, tweeters and speakers are directional. So, like headlights they're MUCH mroe effective when aimed properly. Plus, a speaker is designed to have a baffle and be in an enclosure. Just cutting a hole to mount speakers not only can damage it, but you also get little-no bass response and less volume.
Trevor
Trevor
I built a box that fits in the X brace, like a overhead console, it is wedge shaped so the deck fits on the rear of the box facing back, 2 marine speakers are mounted on the bottom faceing down, radios antenea is mounted inside the box, mounted a dome light for extra light for at night. Was going to post a video of it but can't figure how to do it on this site! Box is made of 1/2 inch mdf, coated with a layer of fibreglass for strength, then shot with truck bed liner,looks tough!
Putting the stereo in the headliner is easy if you get the wiring harness.Make sure they send it.Deck and speakers go in the top.
1 - 17 of 17 Posts
- This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Arctic Cat Prowler Forum
A forum community dedicated to Arctic Cat Prowler owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about performance, classifieds, troubleshooting, maintenance, and more!
Full Forum Listing
Explore Our Forums
Recommended Communities
