JL Audio XR650 CSi Speakers in Front Doors

[stanton]

Not quite a tutorial, but here's what I did.

I installed Raamat 60 on the outer panel and over the inner panel of of the front doors.
Raamat60 sound matting in front doors

Then I installed JL Audio XR650 CSi component speakers. Impressions: http://www.clubwrx.net/forums/showth...235#post104235

The OEM speaker wire run to the door was used to connect to the crossover. There are instructions elswhere to get the panel off and use the wires.

[stanton]

The tweeter was mounted in the same place as the OEM, using the same bracket. The original was unscrewed and the glue bond broken. I bent the little tab back and used steel high-strength (unnecessary) epoxy to mount the JL tweeter to the bracket, centering it slightly forward of where the other was, and set it asside to cure.

The woofer was more challenging. The OEM Subaru mount uses a larger diameter 3-hole mount. Most normal speakers use something else. Also, the JLs are too deep to be mounted directly to the door sheet metal. Mounts had to be made. I couldn't get a good reference measurement of the clearance behind the inner door panel, so I just went ahead with a guess. My choice of MDF (medium density fiber board) is either 1/2" or 3/4", so I made two 1/2" mounts and stacked them to equal 1". The speaker cleared well. However, after I got it all together the inner panel had a way to go to fit well. So, I went to a single 3/4" mount. I counter-sunk screw holes for the mount mounting screws. Self-tapping sheet metal screws of the right size thread right into the OEM holes. The four speaker screws were wood screws supplied by JL Audio and screwed right into pilot holes drilled in the MDF. I used silicone caulk to seal the perimeter between the mount and door and between the mount and speaker.

Clearance of the inner panel was fine after a little trimming, BUT a window stop was now set for collision. With a dremel and a cut-off wheel, I trimmed about half of the protrusion of that screw and white plastic thing seen in the picture. It is important to take it slow to not melt the plastic.

The speaker box states "2.81 in. mounting depth". I never measured it, but I had to remove the 3/16" thick rubber cover over the magnet to buy more room.

[stanton]

Below is a dimensionally-accurate speaker mount. Unfortunately, I scanned it before I made final trimming adjustments. this is not was is seen in the final picture at the top of this post. After I took the picture, I trimmed the left side alond the dots and also chamfered the bottom edge closest to you with a utility knife to avoid contact with the inner door panel.

[stanton]

I performed very little trimming on the inner door panel. Trimming the upper part of the circle is the only thing I did. I was too lazy to really determine whether it needed it.

...Edited for picture mark-up...

[jutus]

Now THOSE are details. Super informative.

I'll be going with component speakers myself and hope to get direct-fit replacements. Thanks for the pics + instructions stanton.

[stanton]

Jutus, good luck finding a direct-fit. Keep in mind that shallower speakers tend not to have good bass.

Crutchfield only shows the Rockford Fosgate U's (I forget the number) as being the only ones in their line-up that would fit. I listened to the same models in non-U (which claim to have better bass response) at Best Buy. Yuck! Sound was over-all just bad. I did compare them to other speakers with the same amp set-up in the store, so comparatively they are weaker in performance.

Make sure you listen to what you're interested in - then post when you're done.