[RHon]

Well, I've been working on my door panels and doors lately, trying to deaden them. I took the door panels off and fiberglassed the backs of them to make them a bit more sturdy, then put a layer or two of dynamat over the fiberglass. On the doors themselves, I've used pieces of 1/8" wood to plug up the holes in the inner door skin, and also applied a few layers of dynamat to both the inner and outer doors skin.

Here's the problem: The driver's side door panel will not fit flush against the door now, in the lower corner where the light is. The rest of the doors went back on great, but in that corner, the door panel sits about 1/4" off the door. If I push on the panel, I can get the edges to go flush with the door, but it takes a lot of force. It feels like something is between the panel and the door right behind the little compartment, like where that screw is. I've taken the panel back off and inspected it, but to now avail.

Now, I didn't add all that much fiberglass and sound deadening. Also, I've seen pics of impala doors with way more material added behind the panel in my case, and their door panels went right back on.

Does anyone have any ideas?

Thanks a lot,
Rob

 

[buffman]

So does that fiberglass strengthen up the panel pretty good? I have to remove my front ones again to fix the pieces that brooke off again (that hold the xmas tree push thingys). Damn super glue. Time to use the plastic welder...

Matt

 

[RHon]

I fiberglassed the part of the panel where the top half and the bottom half meet...that's where I've seen amny doors crack. And yes, it worked well...I used woven mat fibercloth, a few layers, and that part of the door is much stronger now.

I've had lots of problems with the POS push retainers (the metal things mounted on two little plastic pieces) breaking off the doors, and I've used JB Weld on those, they're rock solid now.

I've been toying around with the idea of getting rid of the dorr push-pin things in favor of very strong magnets...just an idea.

Rob

 

[cc rider]

I'm about ready to quit trying to hide the fasteners and just bolt through the dang things. Get some button-head socket hex bolts, stainless. Sure would beat the rattly-creaky I've got now.

Any word on replacement one-piece door panels? There was a thread about them awhile back...

c.

 

[RHon]

I believe that the fiberglass replacement panels are in, or close to being in, production by now. They have a spot ofr a 6.5" driver built in too, which is nice.

But, my panels look fine from the outside and I would like to keep them. I just have to figure out how to get them back on right.

Rob

 

[druzBBB]

I dynomatted my doors too and ended up using a few nuts, bolts, and washers to hold the 3/4 mdf 6.5 speaker plate to the door.

 

[sokoolss]

Save your time and money gents and wait for the Street Trend panels. I've stopped trying to fix them in anyway shape or form. Everytime I take them apart I pray to break something else on them. I'm probably going to burn them when I get the new ones! I'll send pictures =)

 

[RHon]

I actually prefer the stock look to the ones from Street Trends. Plus (and tell me if I'm wrong here) it looks like the ones from Street Trends are going to have a cutout for a 6.5" in the door...I def. need to go with an 8" or larger, so that won't work.

Hmmmm

Rob

 

[sokoolss]

RHon, 8" probably won't fit. Why 8" RHon?

Just wondering. Most people opt for the 6.5"

Thanks
-Sokol

 

[chevmdnss]

Yea why an 8 or larger???

 

[95CuSStom9C1]

Originally posted by sokoolss:
...Why 8" RHon?

Just wondering. Most people opt for the 6.5"...

He might be looking at some of the competition/audiophile quality setups. Some of the 3 way component sets (like the Dynaudio system 360, for example) use a 7" or 8" midbass driver, along with a 5.25" or 6.5" midrange driver and a silk or soft dome tweeter. Usually the door is a likely mounting place for the midbass driver, while kick panels are often fashioned (for proper aiming/soundstage imaging) for the midrange and tweeters.

Just a guess about why he might be looking to accomodate an 8" woofer in the door

Its not easy, but it can be done. Needless to say, the door panel has to be altered quite a bit, as the mounting surface (usually of fiberglass and/or MDF) has to be built out a considerable amount from the door to provide clearance for the magnet without interfering with the window track and its ability to roll up and down

 

[RHon]

Wow, I left the forum for awhile and totally forgot about this post. Sorry, and I REALLY appreciate all of the replies.

The answer to the "Why 8" question is because I am indeed going with a 3-way system. I have a set of ID CD-2 COMP full-bodied horns sitting in my den waiting to get put in, and I'm probably going to be ording a set of nice mids for the kickpanels here soon. I'll need a lot of midbass up front, and hence the 8's.

I have actually already fit a set of MDF mounting rings for an 8" speaker to the doors, and the panels clear them easily. I am very confident that I can fit the 8's in the doors without window problems. The 8's I am looking at have a mounting depth of about 3 5/8" with an xmax of about 6mm one-way, linear.

I had considered another set of 8's that are 4" deep with considerably more xmax, and I do NOT believe that I can fit those.

Even if I decided to not go with the horns, I still want 8's in the doors. I have a 18" sub (RE XXX) for the trunk, and I want to cross it over low to help keep the image up front and add impact. That sub is going to be getting, oh, about 2800Wrms, and so I need as stout a front stage as possible.

Funny thing is that the door panel problem I'm having is nowhere near the speaker mounting locations, it's on the bottom part of the door which swings outward when the door is opened, near the light. I didn't add that much material in there, and I can't figure it out.

BTW, US Amps had a nice SS they built up with 8's in the dorrs (OZ drivers). They also added a lot of sound deadening, and didn't appear to have much of a problem getting the doors panels back on. Oh well, I'll figure it out eventually I guess. The main problem here is that It's a PITA taking the door panels off over and over and over, and I get more and more worried that I'm going to break something important one of these times.

thanks again for the replies,
Rob

 

[nineseeone]

what are door panels?

 

[Mendonmafia]

I know this is an old thread but if anyone has any pics of sealing their doors id be really interested to see them. Im having the same issue as the OP but i know its because the door panel pocket is hitting the wood panel i made to cover part of the really large hole below the door lever and latch. Im also having a hard time trying to figure out how to seal around the door lever and lock mechanisms and would love to see some ideas others have used