Pioneer shallow 8" subs installed, now i have a question....
06-05-2008, 07:28 AM
#1
5th Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Winter Haven, Florida
Posts: 2,214
Pioneer shallow 8" subs installed, now i have a question....
i have installed the pioneer shallow premier 8" subs to replace the door subs....
this, however, CANNOT be accomplished without some minor door panel modification....
it was mentioned earlier in this thread about a flat section in the sub enclosure molding on the inside of the door panel....it DOES in fact prevent the sub from being set into the enclosure space correctly....
i had my mind SET on getting these installed so i went ahead and modified the enclosure to get them to fit...i had no idea a heat gun could be used to soften and manipulate the enclosure to fit around the sub so i went ahead and cut out the flat area that was preventing the subs from sitting flush in the enclosure....after this was trimmed....
after the flat, angled area within the enclosure was trimmed and removed, the sub fit in perfectly....
i am pondering on a possible dilemma as to whether or not i need to find a way to seal off the hole i put in the enclosure to get the sub to fit in order to get the best sound (bass quality) that i can....it just seems that the bass quality is flat, which is possibly because of the hole in the enclosure....
do i have to seal off this modication hole? if so, what can i use to seal it off?
this, however, CANNOT be accomplished without some minor door panel modification....
it was mentioned earlier in this thread about a flat section in the sub enclosure molding on the inside of the door panel....it DOES in fact prevent the sub from being set into the enclosure space correctly....
i had my mind SET on getting these installed so i went ahead and modified the enclosure to get them to fit...i had no idea a heat gun could be used to soften and manipulate the enclosure to fit around the sub so i went ahead and cut out the flat area that was preventing the subs from sitting flush in the enclosure....after this was trimmed....
after the flat, angled area within the enclosure was trimmed and removed, the sub fit in perfectly....
i am pondering on a possible dilemma as to whether or not i need to find a way to seal off the hole i put in the enclosure to get the sub to fit in order to get the best sound (bass quality) that i can....it just seems that the bass quality is flat, which is possibly because of the hole in the enclosure....
do i have to seal off this modication hole? if so, what can i use to seal it off?
06-05-2008, 08:06 AM
#3
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Join Date: May 2006
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RE: Pioneer shallow 8" subs installed, now i have a question....
will it bond better if i used silicone to apply the resin over the hole?
im new to all of this so pardon me if i sound like a noob lol
im new to all of this so pardon me if i sound like a noob lol
06-05-2008, 08:17 AM
#4
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Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Gainesville, FL
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RE: Pioneer shallow 8" subs installed, now i have a question....
ORIGINAL: 0NF1R
will it bond better if i used silicone to apply the resin over the hole?
im new to all of this so pardon me if i sound like a noob lol
will it bond better if i used silicone to apply the resin over the hole?
im new to all of this so pardon me if i sound like a noob lol
I'm sure it wouldn't hurt to sand the area with some ruff sandpaper before applying the resin. The instructions should tell you what to do, in order to get a good bond. I believe fiberglass will bond to just about any material.
06-05-2008, 08:19 AM
#5
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Join Date: May 2006
Location: Winter Haven, Florida
Posts: 2,214
RE: Pioneer shallow 8" subs installed, now i have a question....
what if i used a piece of an 8" speaker baffle to install over the hole in the enclosure.....do you think this would solve it?
06-05-2008, 10:49 AM
#10
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Chicago
Posts: 757
RE: Pioneer shallow 8" subs installed, now i have a question....
Hey 0NF1R,
Is money a concern here?
I ask, because I think the best way to fix your enclosure would be to re-bond the cut out piece with Duramix 4040. If you've got the cut out piece and a heat gun, you can heat it to conform to the new subs, then tape it from the inside (take sub out, of course). Then from the backside, you just slather on the 4040 over the seam (the tape keeps it spilling over to the inside of the enclosure, and thus, possibly interfering with the sub space). That stuff is incredible (a 3M product line). It should form a very strong bond and bridge whatever plastic was lost from the cut.
The downside is that it isn't cheap, and to properly apply it you need a cartridge gun (which also isn't cheap). However, if you're planning on more interior (and especially plastic) mods, then this is a great investment. If you're in the Chicago area, I can lend a hand, and I have the gun. Hell, I even have a cartridge of 4040 (upcoming project).
At any rate, if you go fiberglass, make sure you do a few layers, rough up the plastic well, and bond it out well past the hole (to grab as much of the enclosure as you can). Your enclosure is going to see a good deal of pressure from the sub, so make it strong.
Personally, I wouldn't go with autoparts store resin, as it is the weakest (polyester based resin) you can find. A few layers will probably work fine, but I prefer an overkill approach (for a few dollars more) and use epoxy resin in all my composite work. I've done speaker enclosures and pods with it, and they come out very strong. You could split the difference (in dollars) with a polyvinyl resin, but I don't see the point. If you're going to step up with the money in the first place, go with the best.
Best,
-j
Is money a concern here?
I ask, because I think the best way to fix your enclosure would be to re-bond the cut out piece with Duramix 4040. If you've got the cut out piece and a heat gun, you can heat it to conform to the new subs, then tape it from the inside (take sub out, of course). Then from the backside, you just slather on the 4040 over the seam (the tape keeps it spilling over to the inside of the enclosure, and thus, possibly interfering with the sub space). That stuff is incredible (a 3M product line). It should form a very strong bond and bridge whatever plastic was lost from the cut.
The downside is that it isn't cheap, and to properly apply it you need a cartridge gun (which also isn't cheap). However, if you're planning on more interior (and especially plastic) mods, then this is a great investment. If you're in the Chicago area, I can lend a hand, and I have the gun. Hell, I even have a cartridge of 4040 (upcoming project).
At any rate, if you go fiberglass, make sure you do a few layers, rough up the plastic well, and bond it out well past the hole (to grab as much of the enclosure as you can). Your enclosure is going to see a good deal of pressure from the sub, so make it strong.
Personally, I wouldn't go with autoparts store resin, as it is the weakest (polyester based resin) you can find. A few layers will probably work fine, but I prefer an overkill approach (for a few dollars more) and use epoxy resin in all my composite work. I've done speaker enclosures and pods with it, and they come out very strong. You could split the difference (in dollars) with a polyvinyl resin, but I don't see the point. If you're going to step up with the money in the first place, go with the best.
Best,
-j