Anyone want to beta-test some door speaker spacers?

[Fenrir]

If you were local I'd let you take all the measurements you want on my car. I don't feel comfortable enough taking off the door cards blindly (I've never taken door cards off), but if you got a guide or something I could take a shot at it.

[phenryiv1]

I resolved the front door speaker measurements and will be cutting a template tonight. I'll snap pictures of them and post tomorrow. Wroking on the dash/3.5" speaker measurements. They REALLY look like a Toyota product similar to what is in the Tacoma.

I don't like cutting the main shape before I cut out the speaker mounting hole (it makes the material much more dangerous to stabilize in the fly cutter), but I will at a minimum map it out and show you guys what I come up with.

If someone wants to beta test I can get the actual mounting hole cut and get them shipped out.

The only restrictions:

1. Please have the speakers in-hand or en route and be able to install them quickly,
2. Please be willing to take pictures,
3. Please be willing to write a review of them for me

I may be able to get my hands on a set of BRZ/FR-S disassembly instructions, but no promises. Working on that as well. If I get them, I will host them on my existing how-to website and share the link here.

If someone wants to beta test, please contact me at patrickhenry at g mail dot com (all together, no spaces/dots/dashes/underscores)

[Calum]

email sent!

[cruzinbill]

Originally Posted by phenryiv1

I resolved the front door speaker measurements and will be cutting a template tonight. I'll snap pictures of them and post tomorrow. Wroking on the dash/3.5" speaker measurements. They REALLY look like a Toyota product similar to what is in the Tacoma.

I don't like cutting the main shape before I cut out the speaker mounting hole (it makes the material much more dangerous to stabilize in the fly cutter), but I will at a minimum map it out and show you guys what I come up with.

If someone wants to beta test I can get the actual mounting hole cut and get them shipped out.

The only restrictions:

1. Please have the speakers in-hand or en route and be able to install them quickly,
2. Please be willing to take pictures,
3. Please be willing to write a review of them for me

I may be able to get my hands on a set of BRZ/FR-S disassembly instructions, but no promises. Working on that as well. If I get them, I will host them on my existing how-to website and share the link here.

If someone wants to beta test, please contact me at patrickhenry at g mail dot com (all together, no spaces/dots/dashes/underscores)

do I need to remessage you there or are we good from the pm here

[phenryiv1]

Originally Posted by cruzinbill

do I need to remessage you there or are we good from the pm here

Good from the PM, but please shoot me an email to finalize things.

The ML 1600 show a cutout of 5 11/16" http://www.hertzaudiovideo.com/Doc/H...et_ML_1600.pdf
The HSK 165 midranges are 5 3/4" http://www.hertzaudiovideo.com/Doc/H...rgy_HSK165.pdf

Both of these are close to the mechanical limits of the spacers (they can't support a cutout larger than 5.75" without a serious risk of hitting SOMETHING in the doors). With a 1/16" delta in the 2, the same spacers would work for both sets in the front doors.

If you shoot me an email we can get the ball rolling on getting a few sets of door adapters testers out to a few prople who have contacted me.

As for the rear, I really need to get my hands on an actual vehicle for fitting. I would need to do a blockoff panel that woudl be sealed in place over the cavity and then cut a mounting hole in that location.

Honestly, doing the doors will be the biggest benefit unless you plan to enlarge the grille area in the rear, because all of that sound pressure trapped between the mounting baffle and the plastic inner trim panel could create a lot of resonations.

I am also looking at an adapter plate to replace the OEM 3.5" speaker in the dash with a flat peice that could be drilled out for a tweeter.

Would people rather go with a 3.5" in the dash or have it replaced with a panel where they can mount the tweeter from an aftermarket component set?

My thought is that using the 3.5" location for the tweeter would allow just about any tweeter to be mounted there rather than shoehorning an aftermarket tweeter inthe OEM tewter location.

In other news, here are some shots of my rough first template.

The template it 1/4" lexian, but I will be using 3/4" PVC for the actual production spacers. The prototypes that I ship out will also be PVC.

Drawing of the mounting hole, plus the rough outer shape (the top hole in the center of the template represents the real center. The bottom hole was there to help with layout. The black circle represents a 6" cutout, which is the largest cutout that I have ever done on any spacer, and that was fro a true 7" midwoofer from home audio.



Here is the template overlaid with the off-the-shelf adapter that fits the vehicles. The OTS adapter is abs plastic and has a limited mounting diameter for speakers up to 5" in diameter. There are some that fit this spec, but not a huge amount.




Just for fun, here is the template with some other Subaru adapters that I made last night. As you can see, the scale is similar but the FR-S/BRZ adapters will use a larger peice of raw material than the Forester/Impreza/Legacy adapters. This is due to the mounting hole spacing and the overall size.

If I can somehow shift the mounting hole up slightly, I MAY be able to fit these adapters on my current material. If I have to go with the larger size, the price will be slightly higher for these than it is for the I/F/L spacers.

[Thefuzz]

I'm extremely interested in a pair of these.

Got some JL 6.5 C5's coming in with:
Mounting Hole Diameter (F) 5.56 in / 141 mm
Mounting Depth** (G) 2.59 in / 66 mm

Looks like I'm in your parameters from what I can read?

[phenryiv1]

Originally Posted by Thefuzz

I'm extremely interested in a pair of these.

Got some JL 6.5 C5's coming in with:
Mounting Hole Diameter (F) 5.56 in / 141 mm
Mounting Depth** (G) 2.59 in / 66 mm

Looks like I'm in your parameters from what I can read?

You are within the parameters. I tend to cut the holes for those JL C3s and C5s to 5 5/8" as opposed to the 5 9/16" that they call for. I had some feedback a while back that the 5 9/16" was a little tight. With the 5 5/8" cutouts I have had no complaints.

I don't want to send out too many sets of testers until we get a couple of sets in the car and confirmed to fit. If something happens and thye don't fit, I don't want to have 47 sets out there that DON'T work.

If people can email me directly I will be fabricating this weekend. I talked to an engineer at work and he made a few minor suggestions. After work, I will be making the adjustments and running off some full-depth prototypes. I can ship out Monday morning.

The following people have contacted me:

cruzinbill (Hertz ML1600 or HSK 165, both requiring 5.75" cutout)
Calum (ID OEMs [5.625"] or Boston Pro 6.5 [5"])
Moshpit37 (Polk DXi 6.5" [5"])
TheFuzz (JL C5 6.5s [5.625"])

I am a little nervous about the depth allowance with the spacers, so with the spacers in place I would like it if the testers did their best to put the window in the "closest" pisition behind the speaker location and measured the distance from the front of the spacer to the point of interference with the window.

So if the guys above can email me ASAP to get the detaisl on the beta testing I will do my best to get the spacers out Monday. After they get things installed, hopefully we can make a results thread and I can open up the offerings to the masses.

[Gen]

Originally Posted by Fenrir

If you were local I'd let you take all the measurements you want on my car. I don't feel comfortable enough taking off the door cards blindly (I've never taken door cards off), but if you got a guide or something I could take a shot at it.

See this thread

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showt...?t=9676&page=2

[Fenrir]

Originally Posted by Gen

See this thread

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showt...?t=9676&page=2

Oh nice, my doors are rattling as well. I might try this out this weekend and see if I can secure it better.

[phenryiv1]

First set of beta test spacers completed:



That is a 5.625" cutout and the black adapter over it is the confirmed-fit "universal" adapter that maxes out at a 5" mounting diameter.

These will ship out Monday for testing.

[Calum]

Looks good. I'm a little worried that the thin portions may be too thin, but it's hard to say without being more familiar with the material and/or having it in my hand.

[phenryiv1]

Originally Posted by Calum

Looks good. I'm a little worried that the thin portions may be too thin, but it's hard to say without being more familiar with the material and/or having it in my hand.

I assure you that after making HUNDREDS of pairs of these spacers for the Legacy/Forester/Impreza (WRX) guys, the thickness of that mounting area is more than adequate. I predrill the mounting screws and have run the spacers through extensive tests with large-shank drywall and machine screws and the material does NOT split unless you try to destroy it.

[cruzinbill]

Originally Posted by phenryiv1

You are within the parameters. I tend to cut the holes for those JL C3s and C5s to 5 5/8" as opposed to the 5 9/16" that they call for. I had some feedback a while back that the 5 9/16" was a little tight. With the 5 5/8" cutouts I have had no complaints.

I don't want to send out too many sets of testers until we get a couple of sets in the car and confirmed to fit. If something happens and thye don't fit, I don't want to have 47 sets out there that DON'T work.

If people can email me directly I will be fabricating this weekend. I talked to an engineer at work and he made a few minor suggestions. After work, I will be making the adjustments and running off some full-depth prototypes. I can ship out Monday morning.

The following people have contacted me:

cruzinbill (Hertz ML1600 or HSK 165, both requiring 5.75" cutout)
Calum (ID OEMs [5.625"] or Boston Pro 6.5 [5"])
Moshpit37 (Polk DXi 6.5" [5"])
TheFuzz (JL C5 6.5s [5.625"])

I am a little nervous about the depth allowance with the spacers, so with the spacers in place I would like it if the testers did their best to put the window in the "closest" pisition behind the speaker location and measured the distance from the front of the spacer to the point of interference with the window.

So if the guys above can email me ASAP to get the detaisl on the beta testing I will do my best to get the spacers out Monday. After they get things installed, hopefully we can make a results thread and I can open up the offerings to the masses.

Email sent

[phenryiv1]

Working on a second tester set now. I also hope to finalize the dash adapters for the OEM 3.5" locations and get those out ASAP. For now, just shipping the door adapters.