How to properly install a speaker in the door

Procedure is for a sedan, installing a Boston Acoustics Pro 6.5" speaker.
Sedans do not have a lot of clearance between the door metal and the door panel, so cutting a hole and recessing the speaker works best.

The benefits of installing the speaker this way, rather than in the door panel (factory mounting setup) are a much more solid mounting surface (less vibration) and better baffle (separation between the back and front of the speaker). This setup works very good for midbases designed to be installed in door cavity (most midbases).

Procedure for the coupe is similar, but there is a window rail in the middle of the speaker location, behind the metal, so the speaker needs to be spaced out more by stacking rings and then cut two half circles on the metal around the window rail to vent the speaker.

Step 1. Center the speaker, mark the speaker location and determine area to be cut out. get hole started with drill


Step 2. Cut hole using tin snips (or hole saw, if you have one that big)


Step 3. Mount MDF ring with screws, seal with Dynamat Extreme. Also apply Dynamat all over the door to minimize rattles.


Step 4. Connect and mount the speaker. Test for rattles, fix with Dynamat if any.


Step 5. I like to put foam around the speaker to avoid interference from waves in the middle of the door cavity. Maybe not necessary, but doesn't hurt either. Make sure you get the vapor barrier back. If it was damaged or ripped, fix it with duct tape.


6. Final product before putting the grill back:

You are a brave man. I am too afraid to do this to my 05 M3

Did you have it mounted first on the skin and then move it to the door? Is the sound difference that noticable? I had posted this question because I figured the door will give the speaker "box" more volume and therefor more bass response.

MODS - THIS SHOULD BE A STICKY.

Yeah, that is the best way to mount a speaker. It should be mounted to the door and NOT the damn door panel. It should come like that from the factory like most cars. Nice work!


-Rich

That is not my car. In my own car, I have kick panels

I am a "semi-retired" professional installer and have done it on different E46s (coupes and sedans). Not much to it, as long as you are careful. Sound quality improves greatly, especially on the midbass department.

I second the sticky motion. A lot of perople can benefit from this post.

Originally Posted by spta97

You are a brave man. I am too afraid to do this to my 05 M3

Did you have it mounted first on the skin and then move it to the door? Is the sound difference that noticable? I had posted this question because I figured the door will give the speaker "box" more volume and therefor more bass response.

MODS - THIS SHOULD BE A STICKY.

Do you have a picture of your kick panels. I am thinking about going that route, if I don't remove every stereo component first...

Originally Posted by SAB30

Do you have a picture of your kick panels. I am thinking about going that route, if I don't remove every stereo component first...

http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=273622

JUst a note for your coupe owners - you CANNOT completely recess a driver like that. The track for the power window runs right there and attaches to the area that should be cut.

not saying the install isn't possible, but you can get much deeper drivers into the sedan with this method if I understand it correctly.

Originally Posted by ca1242

http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=273622

WOW, Very nice!!!

Know that I have upgraded to a little nicer set of components up front, I really don't like the factory speaker locations.

So, this would also allow sedan owners to mount just about any 6.5" driver in the door? If so, I think I'll take the recip saw to my doors...eventually.

in a coupe, is it obvious where the track for the power windows is? i wouldn't want to mess that up if i have to cut two holes.

I've got a 3-1/4" deep OZ Audio mid in my coupe's door so you can still get a good sized mid in there. You'll have to cut some things on the back of the door panel like the little screw hole posts.

Just don't cut too close to the window track and you'll be fine.

As stated before, on the coupes, there is a rail in the middle of the speaker location. The speaker needs to be spaced out. It is very easy to feel the track behind. To cut the two holes, just start with a small hole on each side and carefully enlarge them with tin snips, that way you can't cut too much.

Also, metal on coupes is relatively easy to cut with tin snips. On sedans, about 1/3 of the area to cut is thicker, so it takes a bit more work.

This is a very good post. I did this install too, in about the same way. I'm an amateur at this.

In step 3, how did you match and attach the MDF ring to the door? The metal door skin is not flat. Did you stuff Dynamat in the space? I ground-down the MDF to match the door shape, caulked it in, and bolted it to the door. It was more work than I would have liked.

I used the non-hardening modeling clay and then screweed the bottom ring into the door with some drywall screws. I screwed the additional rings to my required thickness and then put some dynamat on the inside and outside of the ring.

I wish I took some pics but alas, I didn't.

Just to make this thread a little more complete....

Here's the backside of a coupe door:


And a naked door panel:


And the hole in my door - you can clearly see the track:


And my temp midbass install:


You can see that first ring against the door panel is actually just a part of a ring. All 3 are 3/4" mdf. I have since added a lot of non-hardeneing modeling clay to up the mass of the mount. I Was thinking of adding some lead shot there too

That shows you the challenge on a coupe. Now, I could cut that hole larger, but that bolt mount has to be there, so you really can't put a speaker magnet through it. I'm fairly certain you could shim that track back a bit with some washers, but not too far.

Hope that helps.

Originally Posted by Tom Busby

This is a very good post. I did this install too, in about the same way. I'm an amateur at this.

In step 3, how did you match and attach the MDF ring to the door? The metal door skin is not flat. Did you stuff Dynamat in the space? I ground-down the MDF to match the door shape, caulked it in, and bolted it to the door. It was more work than I would have liked.

I filled the bigger gaps with a section of a ring. If I remember correctly, this is not necessary in the sedans, but it is required in the coupes. Dynamat seals the gaps pretty good. It is not a sealed enclosure, so it does not have to be 100% sealed, only 99%.

One more thing about the coupes. If you want to get a deep speaker in there, the mid will be right against the back of the door panel. A standard 6.5" speaker is tight since the cavity on the back of the door panel will accept a speaker with a 7" outer diameter. If you have an oversized 6.75" speaker, it might not fit.

You'll have to cut the OEM speaker screw hole stand thingies and shave the back of the grill.

that looks familiar We initially had the speaker mounted to the door pannel. Mounting it to the door made a huge difference and really brought out the mid bass from the speakers

Originally Posted by ca1242

http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=273622

Nice but where do I put my clutch peddle? Is this an SMG only thing

Originally Posted by spta97

Nice but where do I put my clutch peddle? Is this an SMG only thing

I have step, so I don't have a clutch. You still should be able to get kicks in if you have a clutch, might just need to angle the midbases up some more.

In a previous car I had, I moved the clutch almost an inch to make room for my kicks.