Anyone want to beta-test some door speaker spacers?

[phenryiv1]

With the reported specs on the OEM door speakers, I am looking to fabricate dome door speaker adapters/spacers. I use PVC for my spacers to prevent all kinds of bad things that happens with MDF- rotting, splitting, cracking, mold, etc.

Here are pictures of a set that I made for my WRX:

Front





Rear





The top height of the OEM speaker is about 1 1/16" and the rear mounting depth is currently about 2" from the inner door skin to the window (when lowered).

Based on these measurements, a 3/4" spacer shoudl fit in the cavity between the inner door skin and the inside of the door pane and should result in about 2 3/4" of mounting depth.

I will be making a template this week to make adapters for the car, but I don't have a BRZ/FR-S available to do fit testing. If someone wants to do some fit-testing and has a pair of speakers that they want to use, please contact me and we can discuss getting these in your hands for testing.

I will update this thread with pictures once I get them fabricated.

[Hix]

Wow, when I saw this thread I was thinking like deletes or something. Why would someone do this to the car?

[Dave-ROR]

I use hardwoods instead, I agree that MDF is absolutely the worst material to use for door speaker spacers

[phenryiv1]

Originally Posted by Hix

Wow, when I saw this thread I was thinking like deletes or something. Why would someone do this to the car?

Are you asking why someone would replace the cheap-o OEM speakers with upgraded aftermarket speakers? Does that question really need to be answered?

Assuming that people want to upgrade speakers, there are many reasons for adapters like the ones that I made for my WRX (and for every other car that I have owned in the last 10+ years...).

Stock speakers have an odd shape. The speakers are contoured to fit the door, and the mounting holes are 3 holes in a roughly triangular shape where the screws go into a nylon insert (as opposed to the inner door skin). This helps prevent the screws from backing out too easily. This is a good thing, so you should try to re-use the stock mounting points. This means that you need some sort of an adapter, because aftermarket speakers typically use 4 mounting holes that are on a different mounting pattern than the stock circle.

In addition to an adapter for the mounting holes, most aftermarket speakers are more robust than the stockers. This means bigger baskets, bigger magnets, and an overall deeper profile. Sometimes, the basket diameter is much larger than the stock ones. You need an adapter that has a larger cutout diameter.

You will also need something that will allow your window to clear the larger magnet assembly on the back of aftermarket speakers. For this, you need a spacer.

If you look at a stock speaker (or a picture of one), you can see that it usually has a built-in spacer. If you subtract that extra depth and just screw a replacement to the door skin, you lose a lot of mounting depth.

[Moshpit37]

I'd like to help you out. I got some 6.5" Polk Audios from a friend of mine that I'd like to put in.

[phenryiv1]

Originally Posted by Moshpit37

I'd like to help you out. I got some 6.5" Polk Audios from a friend of mine that I'd like to put in.

Got your PM and replied. Let me know about the speaker model and we can go from there.

[kmbkk]

Man, looking forward to these! My speakers have a mounting depth of almost 2 3/4", so this is a necessity.

[phenryiv1]

Slight bump in the road...

The distance measurements that I got from another member do NOT match up with anything else made by Toyote or Subaru. With the body being a Subaru product, I assumed that they were at least similar to other Subaru mounting configurations.

He posted a model number for some universal spacers that worked (though they were thin and made of cheap ABS), btu the measurements for those universal spacers do not match the hole-to-hole measurements that he sent me.

The cars are so new that Subaru and Toyota parts departments don't even have/stock replacement speakers that I could buy to make a template.

Doing more research tonight.

[cruzinbill]

so how much are you wanting for a set of the fronts? I was gonna make some but if you already are i may as well get them from you. Im running Hertz Milles dont have specs in front of me but can get them later if you need.

[phenryiv1]

Originally Posted by cruzinbill

so how much are you wanting for a set of the fronts? I was gonna make some but if you already are i may as well get them from you. Im running Hertz Milles dont have specs in front of me but can get them later if you need.

I don't want to get in trouble with the mod staff/management, so I'll send you a PM.

I will be approaching the site management about vendor status if/when I can verify that I can make something that will benefit the community.

My other Subaru spacers (and info on what I charge for those) is on www.subaruaudio.net

[Lytheum]

may be interested in these. i have a set of CDT Hd's sitting around. they are oversized 6.5's so more like 6.75's.

[Calum]

very interested!!

[phenryiv1]

Originally Posted by Lytheum

may be interested in these. i have a set of CDT Hd's sitting around. they are oversized 6.5's so more like 6.75's.

Which ones?

http://www.cdtaudio.com/hd_series.htm

The HD-62US mids have a cutout of 5.87", which is fairly large but do-able. I have made adapters up to a 6" cutout to go in Subarus.

Still trying to verify measurements on the mounting hole distances.

I was told initially that the triangular distances were 7 5/8" apart with the bottom one being 8 1/8" from the top 2, but then I was told that there was a Scosche adapter that bolted right up. I have that adapter (supposedly it was a direct firt for my Subaru as well, but it wasn't) in my garage and the measurements off of that adapter don't match up with the measurements above.

The plan today is to call tuning shops that I know to have a BRZ or FR-S in the shop for R&D and see if they will pull the measurements for me.

I woudl gladly BUY a set of speakers (all 3 of the major ones- front, dash, and rear), but nobody will come off of a set long enough for me to make templates.

If I could get my hands on them I could make tweeter mounting plates for the dash, 6.5" adapters for the doors, and 6.5" or 8" adapter plates for the rear.

[ImAwesome]

If I had my car id help you out