Adding speakers to the door panels

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Aug 30, 2022
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Texas
So i want speakers in the door. I will put a set in my half doors as well as my full doors. The half doors should be much more simple with no window but the full doors will be where i start this project. Today i was trying to decide what material id start with, ive watched a few hours of various custom door panels and most use some cardboard or mdf. Both of these materials I dont think would hold up well in a jeep considering the water it might see. The next obvious choice was metal. Break out the arcdroid make a template and be done right? My first stop was youtube to get pointers on removing the door panel. Next was some heat to remove the plastic liner with a heat gun to see what i would be working with. After a bit of looking a metal panel would be fairly complex because the the various bulged areas in the door, exposed bolts and clips. Of course shims and spacers could be built a bit of bending and such or possibly some metal work could possibly work. Those probably are not impossible bit they are a bit outside my comfor zone. Then i revisited using the stock door panel and cutting it up but i couldn't see how i could fit eithet a 6.5 or a 6x9 in the existing panel and still look reasonable or acceptable. So with some brain storming i came up with using some sheet abs. Next i started hunting on my phone to find a piece and none of the box store had any in stock. So i began looking around the shop thinking i would make a cardboard template vs spending a few hours chasing down a sheet of abs. Upon looking for a big piece of cardboard i spotted a partial sheet of plexi glass left over from some covid sheilds i made for my old boss for his mcdonads store a few years back. Remember never throw away anything you might one day find a use for it. So i grabbed a marker and shetched a outline.
 
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With the sketch done i had to figure out how to get the template cut so i could make something like a proof of concept. Sometime in 2010 i picked up a dewat 10pc kit that had a jigsaw i knew i needed as well as a rotozip like tool both of which i think ive used maybe once since I got them years ago. The jigsaw worked ok but the rotozip turned out to be alot better

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With the door panel sorta roughed out in plexiglass i made a few alterations, i had to enlarge the door handle a bit and then since the plaxiglass is transparent was able to mark a few bolt holes and Christmas trees sticking out of the door by inside door latch and window crank. I trimmed these out and popped the window crank back on to help hold the door panel on. Then some masking tape to somewhat position the template. Having had the heat gun already out i picked it up and began heating the plastic up and after a bit of taping, heating and forming the panel is starting to take shape. This could be done sort of simply with a heat gun for the most part so far once cut out. Looking at it, it's probably easiest to laminate 2 pieces to keep it simple and not shim for the exposed components. At least that is likely the angle i will go with this at the moment. So far shaping is fairly easy just heat push masking tape to hold till cool. This is where i left off for now. The top is rolling favorably but will need a bit of work to be uniform. I need to find a way to replicate the hook like area of the oem panel and find something like the inner window seal/wiper. Looking at the door i have about 2" i can recess a speaker and the 6x9 i really want to use is roughly 3" deep so this should be doable with out heavy modifications to the door. But we will see i guess

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Can’t see how this is really going to improve the sound system.
 
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Bit more progress today. Worked a bit more on shaping the panel. Think ive found a place to buy abs from. I need to shift the speaker down about a inch. The window rolls up and down and the hand crank is kinda tight a bit more space would be good. Hooked up the 6x9 and shifting from left to right is beyond noticeable in sound. I need to look a bit more into working with abs as i do not want to see the speaker spacers at all. I want them seamlessly incorporated into the door panel. The panel with speaker had as much intrusion as the factory door panel with the useless pocket. The real question is if i want to make the panel puff out like the oem panel or leave the space between the door panel and the dash. Another thing is do i want to cover it with material of leave it more of a raw plastic. Other than some screws to hold the panel for fit ive yet to have to cut the door also.

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Can’t see how this is really going to improve the sound system.

You think a 5.25 or 4x6 speaker burried in the dash will sound better or as good as a speaker in the door? The speakers are mostly blocked in the factory location and it may be just my jeep but everything seems to rattle in the dash seemingly because of this at relatively low volumes, amd much worse as the volume goes up. Driving noise really impacts the sound also.
 
You think a 5.25 or 4x6 speaker burried in the dash will sound better or as good as a speaker in the door? The speakers are mostly blocked in the factory location and it may be just my jeep but everything seems to rattle in the dash seemingly because of this at relatively low volumes, amd much worse as the volume goes up. Driving noise really impacts the sound also.

yep.

these would be a better option imo but you do you

https://selectincrements.com/2019/05/the-journey-begins/
 
You think a 5.25 or 4x6 speaker burried in the dash will sound better or as good as a speaker in the door? The speakers are mostly blocked in the factory location and it may be just my jeep but everything seems to rattle in the dash seemingly because of this at relatively low volumes, amd much worse as the volume goes up. Driving noise really impacts the sound also.

I’m very pleased with my sound system. Soundstream 5-channel, Polks in dash and sound bar, Kicker 4-ohm square 8” sub bridged to 2-ohm in a box custom fit under the rear seat. Doors intact.
 
You think a 5.25 or 4x6 speaker burried in the dash will sound better or as good as a speaker in the door? The speakers are mostly blocked in the factory location and it may be just my jeep but everything seems to rattle in the dash seemingly because of this at relatively low volumes, amd much worse as the volume goes up. Driving noise really impacts the sound also.

My 5.25” polks sound fantastic in pods mainly because they are powered by an amp.

I’m running the top down and doors off 99% of the time enjoying my tunes at all speeds. Powering the speakers is the biggest game changer and the dash pods compliment it.

With that said, as a lover of music I’m definitely rooting for u on this.
 
My 5.25” polks sound fantastic in pods mainly because they are powered by an amp.

I’m running the top down and doors off 99% of the time enjoying my tunes at all speeds. Powering the speakers is the biggest game changer and the dash pods compliment it.

With that said, as a lover of music I’m definitely rooting for u on this.

Biggest issue is with moderate volume the 5.25s i have in the dash vibrate everything. Ive done them with and without boom mats, spent a few hours trying to resolve that.
 
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