How To Install Midrange Speakers Into A Wrx Door. Options

[Fhrx]

Hey there gang,

I've had a surprisingly large number of people ask me (both via PM and email) how to install speakers into WRX doors. Instead of replying to each and every person I thought I'd chuck a thread up about it. Hopefully this thread will also dispel the common misconception that you need 'slim line' speakers.

Step one: Take one original door complete from factory. Remove the plastic splash guard and the goo that holds the plastic on (don't stress about water getting through - the deadening will stop it).



Step two: Apply sound deadening to outer skin.



Step three: Add diffuser panels behind the speaker.



Step four: Run aftermarket speaker cables through the door loom tubes. This is important because there's no fuse between the amplifier and the speakers - if the factory wires are to small they'll get hot.



Step five: Make the baffles. These take a similar shape to the factory ones and screw into the factory screw holes (thus avoiding damaging the door). They're usually constructed from MDF but we've made them from perspex or even 6061 alloy depending on application. If they are MDF then they should be painted in polyester resin to avoid absorbing water.



Step six: Sound deaden inner skin and remove all air bubbles. Make sure you leave enough clearance for door handle and lock control rods to move freely. Also leave a little deadening around the top of the speaker hole to act as a 'roof' against water when it rains.



Step seven: Screw the baffle onto the door and seal the baffle onto the deadening with gap filler. Make sure you also install a gasket between the speaker and the spacers because air leaks out here too (ever tried to run your car without a head gasket)? Remember to take the small white plug off the bottom of the window too if you need more depth than 68mm.



Step eight: Solder the trimmed speaker wires onto speaker. Don't use crimp terminals because their two best traits are falling off and creating resistance.



Step nine: Heat shrink around the terminals to protect them. Unlike electrical tape, heat shrink will not begin moving after a couple of months.



Step ten: Sit back and enjoy your new found midbass. This is what the door looks like when complete:



So there you have it; one WRX door done Fhrx Studios' style. Using this method you have about 72mm of mounting depth (using 18mm MDF). Any deeper than that and your speaker will begin impacting the skin during larger excursions.

[Fhrx]

I might just add this as a post script though; by using spacers on the door bolts you can get an extra 5mm if you have to install something deeper like these Focal Utopia 6's we did on HypeSTI's WRX:





If you want to further enhance your listening experience (staging and imaging wise) then you'll probably want to make a set of a-pillars to mount your tweeters on (in the case of a two way component set) or midranges and tweeters (in the case of a three way set) like this:





If you wish to read more about what sound deadening, diffuser panels and sealing does click here and click here.

If you wish to find out more about staging, imaging and how our ears relate to them both click here and click here.

Now we take photos of every install we do so I have used different photos to make up this tutorial. I hope this helps everyone a little.

[GonadMan2]

Excellent writeup FHRX!

I found with some extra hi tech cutting and taping I was able to enclose the area that the door handle rods go through. It was a pain in the arse, and I'm not totally sure how much difference it makes sonically but at least I know its been done...

[Fhrx]

Love your work Gonadman2!!!

[blackietattat]

how much difference does it make without covering the rod holes? do you know fhrx?

[Fhrx]

It makes a little difference yes but remember you need to be able to open your doors.

If that deadening gets caught on those rods once the door is closed and the trim is on, it's one hell of a mission to get the door open again hey.

[GonadMan2]

I don't know, its just sounds good now. I don't think that it would make 'that' much difference, as the holes themselves are a decent distance from the cone. The whole idea is to try and separate the front and rear waves from the listener, and I don't think that much sound emitted from the rear of the cone would be emanated from the rod hole. I just did it for peace of mind, knowing that I have done everything that I can to assist sound deadening.

It makes a little difference yes but remember you need to be able to open your doors.

If that deadening gets caught on those rods once the door is closed and the trim is on, it's one hell of a mission to get the door open again hey.

Yea I was worried about this, but its not too much of a concern for me, as I did the work. For FHRX on the other hand, it would not look good running the risk having a customer's door rods jamming on the dynamat, for a very small increase in SD. Horses for courses I suppose.

I haven't had an issue with the Dynamat since I installed it a couple of months ago. The summer heat up here will be the ultimate test however (in excess of 40C every day).

[jheeno]

baffles wow shows how dumb i am i was thinking of drilling holes on the metal
the baffles look like their wood are they? im thinking soft wood or maybe hardish rubber what do uthink/what did you use ?

[Turismo]

Very neat install. There's some nice work in the spacers.

[RSR-020]

in regards to the outer skin sound deadening and defuser panel behind the speaker... what did you use?

great write up, will help many, i'm sure.

mike.