How To Install Midrange Speakers Into An Astra Door.

[Fhrx]

Hey guys,

In addition to having a fair few Astras here lately I've also received quite a few emails from people asking how to install midrange drivers into Astra doors. Rather than reply to each person I thought I'd chuck this tutorial together (similar to the tutorials I've put on other forums with other cars). Below is a run through of what goes into your standard midrange installation.

Step one: Take one original door complete from factory. Remove the plastic splash guard and the goo that holds the plastic on (don't stress about water getting through - the deadening will stop it).



Step two: Apply sound deadening to outer skin.



Step three: Add diffuser panels behind the speaker.



Step four: Run aftermarket speaker cables through the door loom tubes. This is important because there's no fuse between the amplifier and the speakers - if the factory wires are too small they'll get hot.



Step five: Make the baffles. These take a similar shape to the factory ones and screw into the factory screw holes (thus avoiding damaging the door). They're usually constructed from MDF but we've made them from perspex or even 6061 alloy depending on application. If they are MDF then they should be painted with polyester resin to avoid absorbing water.



Step six: Sound deaden inner skin and remove all air bubbles. Make sure you leave enough clearance for door handle and lock control rods to move freely. Also leave a little deadening around the top of the speaker hole to act as a 'roof' against water when it rains.



Step seven: Screw the baffle onto the door and seal the baffle onto the deadening with gap filler. Make sure you also install a gasket between the speaker and the spacers because air leaks out here too (ever tried to run your car without a head gasket)?



Step eight: Solder the trimmed speaker wires onto speaker. Don't use crimp terminals because their two best traits are falling off and creating resistance.



Step nine: Heat shrink around the terminals to protect them. Unlike electrical tape, heat shrink will not begin moving after a couple of months.



Step ten: Sit back and enjoy your new found midbass. This is what the door looks like when complete:



So there you have it; one Astra door with midranges installed. Using this method you have about 70mm of mounting depth (using varying thicknesses of spacer). Any deeper than that and your speaker might impact the door trim during large excursions.

[Fhrx]

By the way; this is what the entire door looks like:

.

[Jerram]

Good stuff.

The mark of a good recording engineer is where bass sounds phat without driving the speaker to it's extremes.

[tomburke7]

Step five: Make the baffles. These take a similar shape to the factory ones and screw into the factory screw holes (thus avoiding damaging the door). They're usually constructed from MDF but we've made them from perspex or even 6061 alloy depending on application. If they are MDF then they should be painted with polyester resin to avoid absorbing water.

why do you need the spacers?






.

[nuggz]

those look like they're made to use the existing mounting holes, so no extra drilling, would also make sure there is a proper seal between the door and the speaker

also probably so the speaker magnet doesn't hit the window

[Fhrx]

why do you need the spacers?.

Primarily for depth. Most after market speakers are far deeper than the original ones.