Tacoma Upgraded, again.

It al started here ==> Finally, Proper Tunes

I took a leap and decided to custom make some door mounts for this install. Being a novice in every aspect, I feel the results were better than expected. The end result is one of both satisfaction and humility. I really learned a lot.

I have abandoned my previous set up for a set of Hertz Mille components run active and powered by an Audison LRX 5.1K.

I have to say, and being a huge fan of Focal, the difference is night and day. The pure power handling of the Hertz alone is astounding. The crisp and clean highs and powerful midbass produced from the LRX match up very nice with the only remnant from the previous install, a JL 13TW5.

This is also posted up on DIYMA. I highly recommend perusing that site for tips and knowledge seeking. The majority of guys over there have some great input.

Thank you for taking a look. Please feel free to criticize constructively.


Audison LRX 5.1K and JL13TW5 (Before clean up! ) Still kicking around ideas to trim in the surround.




"Custom" door mounts.

Point of no return.







FOAM, Trimming, Bondo, Vinyl

 

wow great job!!

 

thats awesome and great detail and writeup

 

Thank you very much fellas.

 

Excellent job! As I was first scrolling down your post I was thinking omg why did this idiot cut up his door panels like that and what on earth are those weak ass post looking deals on his baffles.

Of course a few pics later and my wife was right, I'm once again proven a fucktard to the core!

Excellent job! I just might do this for my cheap polk db's to fatten the fucktard appellation! Thanks again!

 

LOL! That's funny. Great job ThreeMan. Looks like a pro job.

 

Came out damn good!
One suggestion I would make is to cut the ends of the covering fabric/leather when stretching and it wont roll the edges at corners.

 

BWWWAAAAAAAHAHAHAHA!

Thnaks gtrplr!

I figured out by the end I kind of knew what I was doing. I second guessed the project the whole time.

 

What Focals did you have before?

 

Thank you for the compliment.

I should have cut reliefs. But I was stretching them by myself and at 8 in the morning with a 12 1/2 drive to make that day, I kind of rushed them. A second pair of hands would have been great. I kept coming up with better alternative ideas for these as I was going along. The next set will be much better. All and all, I am very satisfied by my novice effort.

 

Focal KRX2 165 Components. I dreaded taking them out because of how great they sound, the fantastic midbass response and sharp tweeters.

Want to know the worst part of the install? I dropped one of the Focal 6 1/2s and broke it like a fucking asshole. Still fuming about it.

 

Thanks Max!

 

Oh no! Was going to see if you still had them too.. what part broke on the speaker when you dropped it?

 

Ouch! That is PAINFUL lesson for sure! I once dropped removing from the shipping box an $8K tecktronix o-scope that my boss finally gave the ok for me to buy after months of hounding him and it cracked the lcd screen! That was a long day for sure! Luckily for me the company we purchased it from sent me another one NO CHARGE and took this one back because I called them and asked for the highest level manager I could speak with and told him the truth about what happened!

Did you just use that same foam stuff you can fill holes in walls with found at home depot, lowes, etc? Like the can type stuff?

How does it sound? Do you think its worth the effort sq / spl wise vs having them in baffles behind the door?

I started out thinking I wanted to upgrade the sound about two months ago and have become obsessed now to get the best possible sound I can. Currently I have polk db6501s with a 60 watt rms kenwood amp, pioneer 7000x double din - non dvd hu, and a 10" mtx sub with a mtx 4202 amp. It sounds pretty decent but I'm going to put it all in my boat and start over again, either HAT's or Focal's or Hertz. Joined that damn diyma forum as well and not only my wife is threating my life if I talk car audio another nano second so are my employees. Its great for when I want them to leave me alone!

 

Focal and Hertz are the ONLY two speakers I run.. They cost a pretty penny but hands down are amazing. Personally this is my next buy to replace my fronts.

http://www.abt.com/product/57128/Focal-165WRC.html

 

Cannot be positve. When it fell I heard a good crack and when I readily retrived it and inspected it, I found that it had lost suspension. So I would imagine the voice coil is destroyed for an internal part of the frame work is catching it.

I do have a set of PPI 6 1/2s I am looking to off load. Very nice mid range drivers. Middle of the road price wise. I don't have the exact model number in my head. 365cs somes to mind.

 

Nice! I almost traded up the Milles for a set of Berylliums. Too much scratch. Plus, I hadn't put the Hertz to the test.

 

I would still put a mesh protector over the speakers. Them being on the door "kick" panel should say it all.

 

Surly a hard lesson I learned. I had to pry the passenger side Focal off, so I figured... Then the bitch just fell out of the drivers side.

You had some good luck with the O-scope, damn.

The foam was Great-Stuff insulation gap filler. It is readily available. I will go with another produt next time. It ended up very porous and I had to do two layers to solidify the base.

As far as having them behind the door. Do you mean still behind the door card, the plastic part and mounted to the metal? If that is so, then yes. I believe it is worth it. I had previously deadened the whole truck, doors too. That is where you get the most measureable gain in sound. I didn't want to make pod on the card and waste the work I had already put in.
Along with deadening and proper installation of the speakers to the door. I used CCF (closed cell foam) between the baffles I made and the speaker to the baffle. Essentially it turns the door into a speaker box. Well, as box like as a door can get.

As far as upgrading. I only have opinions and you know how they are. I believe it all depends on budget. Really. If you are short, I would piece it together. Start with the source. A good HU will make anything smoother. Next, a clean power source from a good amp. There IS a difference. Then components, and finally the sub. Again My opinion. 60w RMS is just wasting your time on those speakers you have in mind. They are power hungry and you need to feed them.

DIYMA is worse than TW for me. I might as well burn $100 bills.

As far as other people. Most of them don't understand why we like to have an incredible stereo. Then, they hear it and the discussion is over.

 

I might do something to keep them safe. They are recessed 3/4" I am careful getting in and out. I damn sure make the passenger up front watch thier step.

They are actually in the doors not the kick panels. There is no way I could drive and be comfortable with a set of speakers down there. They would get crushed no matter what I put over them. I angled these up some to try and bring the sound stage up a little from what I think is a very poor stock speaker location.