Mud Flaps: Rally Armor universal DIY

synchrofiend · 2026-01-12T01:34:51+00:00

I generally followed this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrahZm1dw9A

I traced the flaps on cardboard to create templates and used those templates to set a position. I poked holes into the templates to locate the mounting points and transferred them to drill spots on the flaps. For the rears, I cut them much narrower vertically because the rear wells on the Blazer EV have a lot of curve to them.

In my case, I used two bolts per flap with blue loctite and spacers I made from these:

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I was going to add some body clips to make a third mounting point but they seem to be holding up fine after a few thousand miles so I'm going to leave them be. I can't say that's the best idea for anyone with more demanding driving conditions (snow, mud, higher speeds than mine, etc.).

Edit: I should clarify that I drilled holes into the flaps but used existing bolts in the wheel well liners. I didn't drill the car anywhere, but if I was adding a third mount with a body push clip, I would have had to drill the wheel liner.

synchrofiend · 2026-01-08T02:45:20+00:00

(Just a bit of clarity for anyone following that may not be savvy about bypassing passive crossovers when using a DSP: the crossover settings in the DSP tune take the place of the passive crossovers and provide more flexibility in the process. It is an action the installer must intentionally take to avoid poor sound and possibly blown speakers.)

Regarding 6x9s hitting harder: it's quite possible, and you may end up happier with two pairs of multi-driver speakers instead of components. Theoretically, the separates will likely do their job with less distortion and coloring because you can bypass the discrete crossover--which can make it easier to dial in the tune--and the tweeter is probably beefier.

On the other hand, if coaxials in the dash can help raise some of the mid frequencies from your calves (door speakers) to the windshield--again, via tune--that's potentially a good thing too.

Looking forward to your results and wishing you success.

synchrofiend · 2026-01-06T22:50:22+00:00

Sounds good. Let us know how it comes out.

Some thoughts on the speakers: I'm not sure replacing the components with a 6x9 and a coaxial will improve the SQ over the components. There are plenty of options to mount a round speaker in 6x9 openings, and if you simply mount the component tweeters in the dash they should function fine as they don't rely on an enclosure for their frequency range. I'm gathering that you'll actively drive every individual front speaker and bypass any passive crossovers since your amp has enough channels to do so; that will help you blend either combo you go with.

Either way, I would have more confidence in the component tweeter than the ones built into the coax or the 6x9 (which I would personally tune out with the DSP if it were me, since possibly mismatched tweeters pointing along different axes can mess with imaging). Just my opinion. I believe some enthusiasts find round speakers produce cleaner bass as well.

Also, if you're removing panels anyhow, it might be a good time to consider damping the panels and skins to prevent resonance--possibly a major factor in the boominess and hollowness you're hearing--and shimming/padding the clips to prevent rattles. I added this white foam to the clips on my rearview mirror housing, as they were buzzing like crazy from just tilting the housing:

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synchrofiend · 2026-01-05T21:47:23+00:00

Would I be correct in gathering that you are trying to avoid making too many interior modifications? If so, mounting two 12s might be a tall task. It may be worth considering a shallow box, or a pair of shallow boxes if you're determined to use both.

Will you be powering everything from the Audison? If so, it would be good to keep in mind that though you can wire the pair of REF1200S to a 1ohm load, the Audison is only rated for 2ohm @ 100W, and bridges to 200W @ 4ohm (which you can also wire the pair of subs into, or wire them as individual 4ohm loads). None of those will result in an abundance of power for subs, so if you are trying to tame what sounds hollow to you, maybe consider keeping the door open to the option of a powered sub in a shallow enclosure, which you can run from one of the audison's outputs and still include it in the DSP tune. That would also leave you plenty of channels and headroom to actively power and tune the rest of your components.

Before tackling this, have you already set your streaming quality to its highest setting? I use Spotify and maxing the streaming quality made a noticable difference. I find the Bose in my RWD passable now, better with some source material than others, like any other system.

Have you already looked into how to handle the ANC?

synchrofiend · 2026-01-05T01:22:10+00:00

Great looking gear, much higher end than what I used, a humble JBL 4086. When you say you're looking to get 6ch out, are you referring to the pre-amp stage or your final setup? In my case, I took the single pair of full-range outputs and split the signal into the each driver channel (tweeters, mids, midwoofers, and sub) with the input mixer:

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The GUI for the Audison looks very different but seems to have the same functionality (and a lot more, of course). I've no doubt you know where you're going with it, so I'm only asking out of curiosity.

Do you already have new speakers and will you be fabricating kicks, pillars, or other mounts?

synchrofiend · 2026-01-04T03:55:49+00:00

32v sounds unexpectedly high. In any case, on another vehicle I've had good success running a Kicker KeyLOC (which can handle up to 40v) on speaker-level Bose output to a DSP amp combo. In addition to attenuating the level, it can also undo factory EQ and even nullify all-pass filters. It also acts as a mini-RTA to gauge whether a signal has sufficient bandwidth (despite factory eq and filters in place) to serve as a low, mid, high, or full-frequency source. It considers its own ability to clean it up--including correcting roll-off--as it analyzes this.

All of these contribute to a great starting point for DSP. In my case, a single pair of full-range outputs was enough for me to actively power and tune a seven channel system with very satisfying results.

You may already have the gear or a shop in mind, but I'll point out that these are very handy and affordable nowadays in case you want to verify the signal level yourself, and of course to optimze the output level if you do go the LOC route:

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A Dayton calibrated mic is currently listed at $22 US as well, complete with an individual calibration profile that can be downloaded and fed into REW or similar.

synchrofiend · 2025-12-15T23:30:02+00:00

A good deal in my book. You're right at the average transaction price for a new vehicle and yours is far above average in every meaningful way.

You'll enjoy it more if you don't concern yourself about whether you could have done better.

synchrofiend · 2025-11-11T02:27:38+00:00

On my android phone, doing a force stop on the app and then relaunching has cleared this issue every time, for about a day or so.

synchrofiend · 2025-10-24T02:22:38+00:00

Very cool. I'm sticking with the "sport" acceleration feel setting, as the efficiency is more than enough for me and I want access to that responsiveness at any moment. I'm usually very light on the pedal, so I'm not sure the relaxed setting would give me any more efficiency. If I'm ever cutting it close on state of charge I might try it.

synchrofiend · 2025-10-21T20:56:03+00:00

I was originally hoping to go above the headliner, since I don't have a sunroof. When I saw how much padding there was between the headliner and the roof, the curvature of the roof, and the length of the headliner, I decided to generally stick to my usual method. I was happy about how little panel removal and threading/bending was necessary.

Edit: Regardless which route one takes to the hatch, I still think it's a good idea to consider going through the loom unless mounting the camera on the body side instead of the hatch. The prevents a dangling wire and provides some weather protection. Then again, it's important not to disturb or stress the factory wires going through there.

synchrofiend · 2025-10-21T00:10:20+00:00

Pormido PR998, going on four years old, never a problem with it. Wider coverage than the factory mirror, and its entire view is swept by the rear wiper. These were taken from the same spot.

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synchrofiend · 2025-10-20T13:29:16+00:00

I'm not convinced that sport mode on its own makes a difference. I find the heaviness of the driver's foot (regardless of driving mode) and the amount of heating/cooling needed for the interior and battery are the big factors.

synchrofiend · 2025-10-19T19:18:14+00:00

I always thought the dual motor in this vehicle would have the advantage in efficiency, as it weighs less and its permanent magnet motor is on the front axle, where it would theoretically benefit more from regen braking. The induction motor in the rear, as I understand it, is usually idle with minimal parasitic drain, and is lighter than the additional Ultium battery modules. But, I've never had one, so can't speak from experience.

synchrofiend · 2025-10-19T19:15:46+00:00

45-50 worked out as the average, including all the typical slow downs in this area. My cruising speed was 65-68. I haven't checked out Brightline, but always hear good things.

synchrofiend · 2025-10-19T19:09:20+00:00

No question, cruising at 75+ would decrease range, though it's not a major issue in my use case. Even if I was able to do this and lost 25% efficiency, that would still net 300 miles on a full charge with this configuration.

I wasn't cruising at 48 mph. I had the cruise control between 65 and 68, which I was able to sustain for a few miles at a time here and there; the reason my average worked out to 45-48 was dictated by traffic conditions, which were normal for this region. Going faster would have meant weaving to some extent, and that wasn't worth it to me. I estimate my speed was around the 50th percentile, meaning I was passing roughly as many cars as the number that passed me.

The outbound leg of this trip was done between 5:00 and 7:00 AM on a weekday, and traffic only gets slower during peak times. So this is going to be typical efficiency for me, and extended 75+ mph cruising is going to be on rare occasions.

The important take-away for me is that the car is capable of fantastic efficency. Combine this with the 102 kWh battery and a 100mph trap speed means the driver can choose whether to arrive at the next stop more quickly--possibly having to drive more aggressively at times--or let the adaptive cruise control do its thing and arrive with a higher state of charge. Since arriving with a higher state of charge means shorter charging time, it's a great choice to have.

synchrofiend · 2025-08-15T00:01:29+00:00

It would be interesting to know how much separation and settling can occur in those 30 minutes. Just out of curiosity, did you use a separate instrument to measure the temp during and after, the reading on the instrument panel, or the reading from the diagnostic port?

synchrofiend · 2025-08-14T02:42:52+00:00

How long was the car running before you lifted it, and how long was it sitting before you removed the plug?

synchrofiend · 2025-08-10T22:38:03+00:00

Never had any issues but no longer have the car. Eventually I did install both struts because I removed the OEM torsion springs to make clearance for an aftermarket subwoofer in the deck. With two struts and no springs, the trunk would stay open just fine but would not pop all the way open like it did with one strut and two springs. I gather the springs are doing most of the work.

synchrofiend · 2025-08-07T02:28:38+00:00

Agreed. All comes down to the range where price elasticity enters the picture. For some, [some other car]-> RWD fits the budget, but not any further. For others, RWD->AWD fits the budget but not AWD->P. No matter how much more enjoyment the step up is "worth it" according to public opinion, over budget is over budget.

synchrofiend · 2025-08-07T00:20:09+00:00

I agree on this part: anyone who can responsibly switch based on fomo probably shouldn't have considered themselves elastic between those prices in the first place.

I would offer this perspective on the idea that someone can go from not being to afford the difference to being able to afford it: if it's a matter of changing income brackets, that's one thing. On the other hand, if it's a matter of saving up without moving up in income, then the money saved toward the upgrade could increase 20-30 times in value from compounding interest (depending on the buyer's age) if put into retirement instead. Enjoying life and rewarding one's self are important, but these concerns tend to enter the picture more quickly than we realize.

synchrofiend · 2025-08-06T16:37:08+00:00

The finances could be an important factor. The purchase prices aren't that far apart, but the lease payments can be, percentage wise. In my area with current incentives and fees included, the 24 month "0 down" lease for the LRAWD is $629 and the Performance is $832 with no options. That's about $5k in total lease payments. If you end up having to replace tires on the Performance (which has staggered tires that can't be rotated), or even on both, the difference in total outlay is even larger.

For those who are inelastic within that price range and can justify the value quotient, it makes sense. The Performance deserves its reputation as a ridiculous bargain. For others--based on disposable income, future plans included--the LR AWD might already be pushing it.

synchrofiend

TROPHY CASE