Materials for mounting components in doors

[Hernan]

The components I am replacing in the door are mounted to a piece of relatively thin plastic that bridges the gap between the factory holes and the mounting holes for the Infinitys. I have seen some much more solid looking efforts on the forum like this one What material should I use and where can I get it. Thanks :cheers:

[mrkln]

Anything 1/2" and up will be more that adequate for your application. I used 3/4" birch on mine. It is pretty common so you can pick it up at Home Depot or Lowes. :cheers:

[MY2K2C5]

Howdy:

I just finished a complete install in my C5 last night. Well all is through but adding a new amp to match the other amp I have...(wife doesn't know about it yet) :bb Will suffer the wrath when it arrives...hehe..\

I did an install similar to the one that you are mentioning.

I used 3/4" MDF that I purchased a 4'x4' section from Home Depot.
I removed the speakers and used the bottom of a pizza box as a template. I cut a square out of the box bottom near a corner for the OEM speaker amp module (bulky black square box). Once the square was cut in the pizza box I slid the OEM speaker assy. onto the cardboard. I then used a black marker and drew the outline of the speaker. I then cut that out and used it as a template on the MDF. I then used my scroll saw and cut the MDF. Then set the speaker on top of the new MDF plates and used a socket to hold one end up as it will teeter due to the black box on the bottom of the OEM speaker. Once that was level and lined up, the best you can do eyeballing it. I then slid a pencil that was the same diameter as the holes in the OEM speaker and made the marks on the MDF for the holes to drill for the speaker mounting. Once the holes were drilled I counter sunk thtem about 3/16" for the OEM screws to mount in and have enough threads to hold the speaker in the holes.

I ordered my speakers from Sounddomain.com and they had a specification for the hole size I needed for my component speakers. I only mounted the 5 1/4 in the MDF. The speakers arrived as did the Dynamat. I covered the MDF area and out about 4 inches with Dynamat. Cut the hole and mounted the speaker. I then mounted the crossover where the tweeter is in the picture you posted.

For the tweeter I cut two strips of 1/8" plexiglass about 1 1/2" wide and about 4" long. I then heated one end of the plexiglass with a heat gun until it started to bend from the heat and you see the bubbles in the plexiglass. I then pushed down on a 1/2" socket (I picked one that was the same diameter as the tweeter magnet) and used my roller I had for the dynamat to roll the plexiglass around the socket as well as bending back on the plexiglass to form it into roughly a 110-130 degree angle. I then used clear silicone to glue the tweet to the bent plexiglass.

Then mounted the tweet assy. to the MDF. I used a location just at the bottom right of the 5 1/4. In this location the tweeters are facing upwards and inwards toward the opposite seats. Meaning the passenger side door tweet is facing the driver location and vice-versa. Mounted the tweet assys. to the door with two 1/2" wood screws. They are solid as a rock!The door panels will fit on over the tweets and the crossover with out a problem.

Hope that this might help you out. Probably was too lengthy but it worked and it sounds great. I went upstairs to our engineers and asked them for ideas and they came up with something similar to this but it involved therma plastic and making a mold out of a dowel. Creating a suction on a coffee can and placing the plastic that has been heated with a heat gun over the dowel mold and suck it into shape. That was quite time consuming and I just wasn't into making the mold... :crazy:

Good luck.. let me know if this could help you I have other little things that I did also.

[_Nomad_]

1/2" to 3/4" MDF will do that job for you. If you don't plan to put such a large midbass in there then 1/2" will be fine. With a larger midbass like in that picture the 3/4" MDF would be recommended.

:cheers:

[AP]

Is MDF stronger than Birch? I used MDF because I was told it was stronger ..??