Audio Systems: hooking up subs and amp, rca outputs, chevy silverado

Question
i drive 2001 chevy silverado ext cab and recently acquired two 12" CV mobile subs and a 250 amp of the same brand.  i need to know what is all the wiring i will need to hook everything up?  my researching shows different wiring depending on the amp etc and i couldn't find my specific brand so i didn't know if there might be a universal wiring kit for the model.  obviously i know nothing about hooking it all up so any and all info/tips would be greatly appreciated. thanks

Answer
First you must look up the specifications for the amp and determine if it is mono, stereo or quad and if it has bridging capability.

For speaker connections the impedance loading on the amp must not be lower in ohms than the rating of the amplifiers output.  

For connection of the speakers to a mono, stereo and bridge amp are shown here:

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-ioFpFeWSvXU/learn/learningcenter/car/subwoofers_wir...

and choose the situation that is working for your system.

Secondly, you must determine how to get the audio output from the head unit to the input of your sub amp.  If the head unit has rca outputs on the back you can run them to the amp inputs directly.  If the amp is intended for subs it will have a built-in crossover which you can switch in.  If no rca outputs then you will need to use a HI-LO adapter which takes a tap off the speaker wires and divides the voltage down to a low enough level to feed the input of your amp.  (This being said, some amps have HI or LO inputs and can be selected by a switch.  You can learn this by looking at the amp and studying the specifications in the operating manual).

You can find a hi-lo adapter for your vehicle here:

http://www.installer.com/main.php?page=hilo

Thirdly, you must run three power lines to the sub amp. ONE is the ground connection to them amp which goes from the ground terminal on the amp to a good, solid chassis ground on the truck or the negative terminal of the battery.   The SECOND line is 12v from the battery to the always ON terminal of the amp.  The THIRD is a 12v remote turn on which comes from either the ignition or from the remote connection of the head unit.

There are a few tutorials and guides on how to install a sub amp on the Internet.  A simple google search will bring them up and you can choose the ones that match your needs and level of understanding.

Hope this helps.

PS: If you need more, let me know but I must know the model number of the subs and amp.