2003 component Door speakers

[chadecoen]

Hi guys and gals,
I am starting to make a list for my stereo install. I am considering door speakers. My goal with doors or mid bass speakers is to have enough rich sound as to not need a sub at all. I have done some door speakers in my last '04 expy and I lost considerable bottom end from the OE speakers. I am pretty pleased over all with the oem set up but want it louder and richer.

So, my front speakers are what look like a 4" woofer and tweeter in a sealed case and my rear door speakers are just the standard 5x7 looking speaker in an open type enclosure. So, the front are in a sealed enclosure and rears are not, what would sound best with aftermarket speakers? Should I build little enclosures around the mid woofer or leave them open? Why the difference in the front door and rear door oem speakers? Any advice?

Thanks,
Chad

 

[GAINMOB]

you shouldve had 5x7's in both front/rear doors...typically 5.25 components (mid bass/tweet) will go in...6.5 components will fit but will need short mounting depth...in either case you will need speaker adapters for either size unless you go with 5x7 component which should bolt right up with no probs

i have 6.5 Massive Audio components and didnt pay attention to mounting depth so i had to use spacers to not have the door hitting the speaker...normally the spacer goes under the speaker...i put it on top

if you do an enclosure...it should only be fiberglass enclosure for the doors....no need to enclose them other wise and depending on response hz will dictate how much base u get out of them as well...

 

[bricekin]

So, my front speakers are what look like a 4" woofer and tweeter in a sealed case and my rear door speakers are just the standard 5x7 looking speaker in an open type enclosure.

It is possible that someone had gotten a set of the older JBL style speakers and put them in the front. They use to be of that kind of design. In any case, you should be able to remove the whole assembly and have a 5x7/6x8 hole to mount a standard style speaker into.

In my last 3 Ford builds, I've manufactured thick steel adapter plates and used higher end 5.25" component sets. But, when doing those setups, a sub was in the plans at one point or another. At the moment, I'm using JL Audio ZR series 5.25" and have surprising amounts of bass from those after ALOT of fine tuning.

JL Audio has 5x7 component sets in the C3 and C5 categories. Both of which, when installed properly with pretty well sealed and deadened doors, will offer very good bass performance.

 

[chadecoen]

I'm not sure about that. It does look like the old style but I was at the junk yard the other day and several lincoln navigators had them in front and rear doors. My truck is a Bauer with 6 disk and factory sub, if it matters? Weird. Anyway, next problem is my rear door speaker wires do not match any wires in the dash. All OEM wiring. Both rear doors pair wires are brown/yellow and brown/white. I only have 1 brown/yellow in the harness in the dash. I do have the center console out of the truck so maybe that has something to do with no rear sound. I will know more later when I put it back in (I installed the front amp under it).

So I moved forward and hooked up speakers, reinstalled door panels, and finished the install. and sure enough I have no rear sound.

However, I did the total door panel treatment with deadener, thinsulate, and dampner and everything. HOLY SHIT my front doors sound badd ass!!!!!!

You guys preaching "do the door panels" are sooooooo right!. I can't even believe I am in the same truck. Un F' ing believable. I am absolutely blown away with the difference. And I am just using an old JBL amp and some 5x7 mtx coax speakers. Crazy difference. Thanks for y'alls help everyone. What a joy it will be to drive my truck again.

Chad

 

[bricekin]

So I moved forward and hooked up speakers, reinstalled door panels, and finished the install. and sure enough I have no rear sound.

So, do you still not have rear sound or did that come back with the installation of the console? If your truck has the RSE (rear seat entertainment) and the controls are on the back of the console, that would definitely affect your rear speakers as the stock wiring goes from the radio into the RSE system and back out to the speakers.

Otherwise, off the top of my head, I can't think of any reason you'd be having a problem. When I did my install, I just ran new wire into all of the doors. Got rid of the pesky issues with the RSE killing my rear speakers whenever I turned it on.

 

[chadecoen]

Update......I reinstalled the center console and have rear sound again. Although, it is at a way lower volume than the fronts. I wish I would have just run speaker wire while I had the interior apart, duh. Oh well, maybe next time. I was able to tune most of the volume difference out with the gain on the amp. So all is well after all. Sounds incredible and thank you again for all the forum people that talked me in to wrapping my doors!

 

[bricekin]

You may be able to track down a wiring guide for the wiring going into the console, and bypass whatever the audio may be traveling through right there and save the headache of running new wire into the doors.

 

[chadecoen]

I like the way you think man. That is exactly what I was considering. Next time I have that console out I am going to track down the offending wires and bypass the whole rear controls thing. I know what color they are at the door and at the dash so finding them in the middle shouldn't be too difficult. Thanks.

Chad

 

[bricekin]

Any update on this?

 

[chadecoen]

Hey man,
No changes as of yet. I was able to get the rear speakers working again by re-installing the console and matched the front volume by turning the gain up on the rear channel. Not planning on taking anything apart again for a while. Although I may have to to get ipod wire in to the center console. Not sure yet. It sounds so good to me I may never change a damn thing. Well, I may ad some more sub but doors sound great.

Chad