Installing Speakers the Easy Way
Oct 12 '00
The basics of installing speakers are relative to any automobile with a car stereo. And if you've read my opinions on installing a car sereo or choosing a car stereo then your up to beat on most of my views.
This bit of advice will be a little bit more extensive then my last 2 on Car Audio and should guide you through setting up your speakers.
Different kind of speakers need to be placed differently in your car, i.e you wouldn't put a Subwoofer in the front or 6 inch splits in the boot now would you.
So there are 3 typical types of speakers most easily rounded down to the following:
Front Speakers: Usually small and produce good sound with not to much base. Like 6 inch MB Quarts, tweeters etc.
Rear Speakers: Usually bigger and provide a bit more base. Like 6x9's etc.
Subwoofers: Big speaker providing Big Base.
I'll start with front speakers, which are the hardest of the lot.
Before starting make sure the battery is disconnected and that you have a template to work from.
Most speakers will come with a paper template you can trace onto wood or the door to cut out the hole for the speaker to fit.
Most cars come with front speakers but not all are the size you want so you may need to make build-outs or increase the size of the hole. Build outs look a lot better but i'm not going into detail about them here!!!
O.k you may need to take the door covering off, i know it's a pain but it's a must.
Take out the old speakers by sliding off the connectors or snipping the wire, don't worry you can solder or connect it later.
Make sure the window is all the way down as you don't want your speaker getting in the way of the window.
Now cut the hole out of the door or wood. (if needed)
Make sure the speaker has a spacer. Just a piece of material to stop rattling.
There should be 2 wires coming from the deck of different colours, one negative and one positive. The negative one is usually black.
Connect the 2 to the speaker negative to negative and positive to positive. You can use connectors or solder them on. Connectors are better if you are going to be taking them out again when selling the car.
NOTE: Connectors that i refer to are little y shaped objects that you crimp onto wire and slide onto the back of the speaker. All car audio places should sell these.
Now push the speaker into the hole. Hopefully it's a snug fit!!! If not a bigger spacer can fill the gap!
Screw the screws into the door and your done!!!
REAR SPEAKERS
I'll persume you are putting these on the back shelf of the vehicle!
Now rear speakers, say 6x9's should come with a template!! I haven't found one that hasn't.
If your car doesn't have rear speakers you'll need to do all of the following if not you can skip some of the steps.
You'll need to buy some speaker wire and connect it to the back of your deck. Remember which one's you made positive and which one's negative.
Run the wire behind the dashboard and down onto the floor. Once you get to the floor the best is to hide it under the removable skirts that run along the doors. Go behind the back seat and through to boot, then up to the speakers.
Now you'll need to get that template and trace it onto the shelf. Chalk is good or you can just cut through the template. Cut the hole out of the shelf and place the speakers in the hole again make sure there is a good spacer. Connect the speakers negative to negative and positive to positive either by solder or connectors.
And your done!
NOTES: A good back shelf is made from ply and is between 10 and 5 mm thick.
Also make sure you connected the right speaker to the right speaker at the deck otherwise when you adjust the balance it'll be the other way around.
SUBWOOFERS
Subs go in the boot, thats what i say at the very back of the car.
For subs you'll need a box made. A box tightens the space and air the sound travels through and produces more base.
Now there is 2 ways to make a box:
1) You can just put a thick piece of ply in the boot spanning width ways across about a 3rd of the boot. Or
2) Make a box!!!!
The first way is good for 2 subs but i'll persume you want to do it the 2nd way.
To create the box you'll need thick ply and shape it like a computer monitor but more rounded at the back if you catch my drift. It doesn't need to be too big only a couple of inches bigger than the sub on all edges. I persume the sub will be connected to a amp so you'll need to add a convertor (if forget the name of it, it's like a plug that connects the amplifier leads to the speaker. (If anyone know's the proper name or i remember can they tell me and i'll change it)
Connect the sub before placing it in and then place it in.
Screw it in and leave the grill off it looks a lot better.
Now connect the battery and turn it on.
Working? Good.
NOTE: Don't turn it up to loud at first as new speakers need time to get "run in". A couple of weeks or so!
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