About to take on DIY speaker adapters...

**bradisonn** · 08-22-2008 09:23 AM

How thick does the ABS plastic have to be? And would I be better off going with MDF wood or something?

Also, if anyone has done this, how did it go? Is it still a good fit (no rattling or anything)?

Thanks in advance!

**firstars** · 08-22-2008 10:08 AM

I have done this for the fronts. For the rears you can buy meta adapters from crutchfield. I used the speaker grilles that came with my kappa 5 1/4'' speakers. I had to dremel the stock screw rods off and part of the door to make them fit. It is a tight fit and you will be test fitting the door to make sure it works with the window. I did this a few months ago and put my speakers louder then my ears can take with no rattles

Dont bother with the ebay.uk adapters. will cost you $40 and take a while to deliver. Make your own

**A4 Effort** · 08-22-2008 06:34 PM

If you get a sheet of ABS, it should be at least 1/8" thick. MDF is also a decent substitute. I created my own brackets with an extra set of speaker brackets i had lying around. Speakers are solid with no rattles or vibrations.

Necessity is the mother of all inventions, and there is no "right way" to mount speakers in the front door panels. Be creative, i'm sure you'll find something that will work.

Also, try searching the forums, i've seen several topics that cover this and should be of some help. Good luck

**legionvr6** · 08-22-2008 07:14 PM

does any one here have a DIY? preferably one that shows what to do to keep the door card looking stock?

**Jeff** · 08-22-2008 07:20 PM

You're better off using the speaker adapters if you want a complete seal around the baffle of the speaker--it's worth the extra few bucks in the time you'll be spending. You can use a piece of plexiglass, mdf, or others, but the clearances will be off (PITA to reinstall the door card), and you will need to seal the CRAP out of the edges with strip caulking. If you don't seal the speakers, they will sound like hollow, lacking bass, and easily distort because there is no proper baffle. But whichever setup you use, order yourself some of this:

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showd...number=269-300

This caulk is like clay, but will stick to and make an airtight seal around your speakers.

**JaVa** · 08-23-2008 07:32 AM

mdf is fine and easier to use. then use the caulking posted above or some kind of sound deadener ot seal the rings.

**Jeff** · 08-24-2008 01:21 AM

Originally Posted by JaVa

mdf is fine and easier to use. then use the caulking posted above or some kind of sound deadener ot seal the rings.

In my case, I used 5.25's with some pretty massive magnets. Doorcard was a PITA to reinstall. With MDF, I had to keep re-drilling to position the driver where it will clear the door. And if you're using 1/4" thick MDF, we all know what a threaded screw will do... strip. So instead I was drilling holes using nut/bolt to secure the driver. Ended up using plexi instead. On the other B5, I just ordered adapters, and it made my life a lot easier.