2001 Tacoma Xtended cab speaker upgrade and sound insulation

I just picked up a 2001 SR5 extended cab, and am doing an audio upgrade and general clean-up. The door panel is easy to remove using various guides off the internet, but am struggling with the rear speakers.

Does anyone know how to remove the cover panel for the rear speaker? I saw this video but his panel looks different (mine is recessed). I just don't want to break anything while going all gorilla on it. Thanks all.

 

Congrats on the buy. These are awesome trucks!

I have an '03 and believe they're the same. I'm pretty sure you have to pull that whole panel off or at least loose to get to the baffle.

While you're in there... The cavities in those panels are pretty vast. It might be a good time to fill those echo chambers. I used CLD on the larger parts of the panels - they're big and prone to resonance and the factory 'deadener' was all dried up & inadequate. Be prepared to use a plastic scraper tool to remove that. A heat gun helps too. I also used closed cell foam from pro AV projector packaging to fill the gaps. There are lots of materials that would work well for that, but that was free for me.

 

Thank you for the prompt and useful reply. I will remove the panel, and also do some sort of sound deadening. What is CLD btw?

 

Constrained Layer Damper. Dynamat, etc.

 

Thanks. I ordered some

$166 Noico 80 mil (2 mm) 36 sqft (3.4 sqm) car Sound deadening mat, Butyl Automotive Sound Deadener, Audio Noise Insulation and dampening

Noico 80 mil (2 mm) 36 sqft (3.4 sqm) car Sound deadening mat, Butyl Automotive Sound Deadener


and

Noico Red 150 mil (4mm) 36 sqft (3.4 sqm) Noico Liner Car Heat and Sound Insulation,Heat and Cool Liner, Self-Adhesive Closed Cell Foam (PE Foam)

Noico RED 150 mil 36 sqft Сar Sound Insulation, Heat and Cool Liner, Self-Adhesive Closed Cell Deadening Material (PE Foam Sound Deadener)

Will see how that works.



For future reference to anyone with the same question, there is a write-up of the process here (duplicated here).

 

Im finishing up system for my new truck. knuckels are still scraped up. I did a 3 way set up in the front with a focal 6.5 woofer and JL audio c2 6.5 components. kenwood excelon xr high def 6.5 in the rear doors. Im 6'4 300lbs. The empty space in the door panels are a frustrastion for a big guy trying to blindly fumble around in them while driving. i only need to drink 1 bottle at a time. This is now a home for my speakers. Go crazy with confg, 10" mids 4" tweeters...plenty of room! I started out with a piece of 1/2" mdf cut to shape of the swoosh type design of the storage area. 6.5 and tweeter there, other woofer in factory door location. Currently cutting panel nearly in half to incorporate a panel large enough to hold all 3. Check out the panel, the pattern is already there. As for deadening? Many many auto audiophiles, installers, and parrots "people without original thought" have scoffed at my usage of a product from the home improvment store. Hear me out. I was an Industrial maintanence tech for 10yrs, Boiler Maker, and high level manufacturing tech. I worked for a company that made sound deadening materials for flooring and was a grinder operator in a foundry making train wheels. Grinding stones 3' across 3" thick 124lbs. 3 giant machines, each grinding 900lbs of steel in unisin, is literally earth shaking and deafening. Sound deadening foam is manufactured, then sold to a company that cuts it, adds adheisives, labels it and packages it to theyre specs. So 15 companies, same stuff, labeled and sold in different markets for different purposes. Foam for 3ms sticky wall hanger is the same as foam under your floor laminant. Im not an idiot, I know sound, cause and effect. I also know for a fact that many products are meant to be completly functional and not fashionable because theyre not meant to be seen. A pretty foil backing doesnt improve car audio sound deadings functionality and its always hidden. The orange store has a 33'x9" roll of window and door insulation. Its rolled tar, a poly backing, sprayed on addheisive, and a paper barrier thats peeled off during installation. I did all 4 doors inside and out, all door panels inside and outside of front panels where speaker panel covered, the speaker panel, floor, dual 12" sub box, every piece if trim I can remove ect. Not strips...complete coverage $45

 

The foil is a constraining layer & is a critical part of the damper. Its constitution and thickness largely dictate the damper's effectiveness.

Those materials pictured above won't do anything for resonance, absorption or transmittance - which are the typical goals of deadening treatments.

And you don't want tar in a vehicle.

 

Thank you for describing your experience in such great detail. I hope your upgrade works well for you; I share, however, @rob feature 's concerns about having tar in a vehicle, or at least, having a product not explicitly designed for the small inside space of a car.

As mentioned I ordered Noico, that has since been delivered by Amazon. It is a two-part system, with a heavy foil-covered butyl sheet and second, foam layer. Will see how it works.

 

fellas...not litteral tar. Its thick sticky black shit. my point was its the same stuff. different presentation and advertised purpuse but ultimetly same stuff. i told you i worked for a company that makes sound dampening. "we" as in me and a few engineers that are into audio brought in and tested many products. In a Tifec lab. that stuff does everything you say it doesnt. if youve used it and have a differing opinion ill listen but youre repeating the exact mistakes i told you about. keep burnin through that cash or do what most do...half ass it. Ive tried worse things for $15

 

Will you be posting the methodologies & results of your testing?

 

No, im going to enjoy my truck and how it sounds. Had some extra cash so ive gone 4 way active

 

I could be wrong but tar based sound deadening like Fatmat that was put in my doors and rear cab was applied by a pro…but I was told many do not like the black tar stuff because you really have to know what you are doing when putting it in…otherwise it tends to come unglued if not heated right.
So basically tar based whatever that stuff is is completely fine and works very well if applied right…more expensive brands are easier to apply.
My truck sounds great btw with Fatmat but I have very limited experience with sound deadening but I noticed I had to lower my bass after having it put in.
My doors are definitely stiffer now.

Still waiting on Subs…should get fun then.

I was told by the audio dealership they were putting in Audioshield…they ran out so just put a bunch of Fatmat in and gave me a nice discount…I’m honestly happy with the tar “black guey stuff” in my truck…I’m not stressing because I already have too many things to worry about…but I’ll see if I’m still happy once I have 2 12” subs in the back…I really hope so.