smaller sub options?

[01TX_Tahoe]

@ NC_John: no problem. Good thing is those subs really aren't that expensive either. I got mine for around $150 at a local shop by my house. Awesome bang for the buck if you ask me. So awesome in fact, I just bought another one to put in my wife's, son's future car..

 

[NC_John]

@ NC_John: no problem. Good thing is those subs really aren't that expensive either. I got mine for around $150 at a local shop by my house. Awesome bang for the buck if you ask me. So awesome in fact, I just bought another one to put in my wife's, son's future car..

$159.99 Shipped from online carstereo warehouse. $199 from crutchfield. There is a local shop that carries JL. I may stop by there tomorrow.

I'll keep you posted. I have a family road trip in June so it'll need to be done before then....

 

[01TX_Tahoe]

You're gonna love it! It makes such a big difference and just brings the music to life. I'm trying to figure out some sort of mount for my iPad so I can mount it on the roof like a flip down TV. I think it would be pretty cool to have it up there and watch movies on then just pull it out and take it with you.

 

[NC_John]

You're gonna love it! It makes such a big difference and just brings the music to life.

Agreed, once you run a sub something is missing without.... I'm stopping by the local shop that carries JL today.

If you've got a picture of the MDF mod you had to do to the factory box I'd sure like to see it....

 

[Atreuce]

i built a box that fits a 10 in the rear quarter factory location and it jamms

How much did it cost you to build it? Might drive down and getcha to build me one

 

[NC_John]

@ NC_John: no problem. Good thing is those subs really aren't that expensive either. I got mine for around $150 at a local shop by my house. Awesome bang for the buck if you ask me. So awesome in fact, I just bought another one to put in my wife's, son's future car..

OK, picked one up yesterday. $177 locally. Got a small dynomat kit too (I'll use on the outside of the enclosure and inside the quarter panel. The shop gave me a scrap piece of hickory (they don't use MDF) to use for the adapter. If you have any pictures of what you did to fit yours I'd appreciate seeing it. I just spent most of the day in my crawlspace running home theatre wiring in the house so haven't taken the 'hoe apart yet. Its on my to-do list for next weekend...

 

[NC_John]

Its on my to-do list for next weekend...

Couldn't wait until next weekend. Went out to the garage and pulled the factory sub enclosure. I measured the volume (filled it with water, measuring the water) and its 0.35 cubic feet. JL recommends a 0.30 cubic foot enclosure (for a sealed box) so if I put a block of wood in there to take up the extra volume I should be about dead on. The box will be tuned for 55 hz.

If I want to run a ported box the volume is correct but they want a 2" dia, 18" port. The box would be tuned to 35 hz which is pretty darn low for an 8" sub. I just don't know if there is room in that little box for an 18" long port. I might buy a length of 2" PVC and see if I can make something work. I'd have to figure out where to exhaust the port as well. If it came out behind the side panel cover it'd probably both do nothing but vibrate and sound like crap. Hmmm... got some figuring to do.

---------- Post added at 07:45 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:39 PM ----------

Both. I took measurements of the box and calculated the air space subtracting the wall thickness and thickness of the new face I added. I cut 1/2" off the face and added a piece of 1/2" mdf to fit the 8W3. The stock hole was too small and because it was counter sunk the sub didn't fit.

OK, did you just make a complete new face on the enclosure and cut a hole to fit the 8W3? I think that would be easier than trying to cut an adapter ring (as long as everything fits behind the side panel.

 

[01TX_Tahoe]

did you subtract the displacement of the sub from that total? what you came up with is just about the same as what I had and I think after subtracting the sub displacement you should be right on. here's a pic of the face of my enclosure. really simple.

 

[01TX_Tahoe]

good idea on the dynamat too. i sprayed some sound deadener but it didn't seem to work too well. i still get vibration all over. i'm going to have to invest in some dynamat or something similar also. the outer side panel behind the enclosure is going to vibrate something nasty! that's the only thing i hate... so i've got more work ahead of me to get the tahoe just right.

 

[NC_John]

did you subtract the displacement of the sub from that total? what you came up with is just about the same as what I had and I think after subtracting the sub displacement you should be right on. here's a pic of the face of my enclosure. really simple.

OK- thanks. That was what I had figured you made. I've got all my parts in the truck here at work and am going to a coworkers after work to get this done- he has a huge woodshop so what would take me 3 hrs to do will take 15 mins at his place.

We're going to a) make the adapter plate to use the factory box and b) build the 0.35 cu. ft. ported box that JL recommends. I bought the 2" PVC parts for the port at lunch. He says it'll take 30 to build the box so what the heck. JL says its 3 db more than the sealed and is tuned to 33 hz. I'll try the sub in both configurations and see which I like better. I'm guessing it'll be the ported box we build. Oh well, it should be 1/4 the size of my RF 12" box.

One of my concerns abouy using the factory box is what you said- how much is that plastic cover going to buzz? I don't think all the dynomat you can fit will be enough to completely deaden that flimsy piece of plastic.

I'll get back to you with results!

 

[01TX_Tahoe]

yeah i thought about doing the ported enclosure too but didn't know where to put the exit hole in the panel. i didn't want it behind the panel.

the factory box doesn't buzz, its the metal panels and the plastic panel cover that do. i added some stuffing inside the box just for good measure and surprisingly the box doesn't vibrate like i thought it would. i want to see how your ported box comes out and where you put the exit. i might decide to do mine over too..

good luck!

 

[jdpber]

How much did it cost you to build it? Might drive down and getcha to build me one

cost me in materials? or how much will i charge to build another? those are 2 total diffrent numbers

 

[NC_John]

yeah i thought about doing the ported enclosure too but didn't know where to put the exit hole in the panel. i didn't want it behind the panel.

the factory box doesn't buzz, its the metal panels and the plastic panel cover that do. i added some stuffing inside the box just for good measure and surprisingly the box doesn't vibrate like i thought it would. i want to see how your ported box comes out and where you put the exit. i might decide to do mine over too..

good luck!

I am thinking the big plastic trim/finishing panel that goes over everything will be what really buzzes. The box is a lot sturdier than I expected. The factory sub was complete shit (mine had completely dry rotted) but the box is pretty tight.

 

[jdpber]

you are correct you need to line the entire inside of that panel with deadener to prevent this issue.. also some 1" foam on the box separating box from plastic will help a ton..

 

[01TX_Tahoe]

you are correct you need to line the entire inside of that panel with deadener to prevent this issue.. also some 1" foam on the box separating box from plastic will help a ton..

I'll have to give that a try when I get some free time.

 

[Mykal]

I modified the factory sub box to house a JL 8W3 in the stock location, and it sounds amazing!

Did you simply hook up the sub and leave the Bose amp to power it?
8 ohm sub?
JL Audio 8W3v3-8 - 8" 500W 8-Ohm Subwoofer

Semper Fi.

 

[01TX_Tahoe]

Did you simply hook up the sub and leave the Bose amp to power it?
8 ohm sub?
JL Audio 8W3v3-8 - 8" 500W 8-Ohm Subwoofer

Semper Fi.

No I have an after market amp pushing the sub

 

[Atreuce]

cost me in materials? or how much will i charge to build another? those are 2 total diffrent numbers

Both... price 2 is price 1+?. So I'd be halfway there

 

[01TX_Tahoe]

Here's some pics I found online of a custom enclosure for a 12" that fits behind the stock plastic cover. Looks to be all fiberglass and ported. Wanted to try it myself but my superior shot it down.

 

[jdpber]

yea next one i build i will glass the back and have the front MDF.. the issues i see with this layout are:

the sub location is firing at a solid flat surface of the panel.. = massive vibrations, and distortion of sound..

then a ported box behind a closed panel = vibrations.. i would have left it a closed box..

now if you have the mat and resin out. i would mod the entire panel and glass in a grill over the new sub location.. and that would clean things up and all would go in harmony..

the reason i went with MDF over glass in my truck is i prefer the solid sound of MDF over a glass box. and i had the MDF in my shop.


now a 2 pieces of mold and then mesh to a full box. closed and a flat 12 in the stock location i think would be preferred.. this could be a standard driver model JL i cant tell from simply looking at the cone and that may be the reason for the location change as that section is deeper to allow for the larger driver vs a flat shallow mount sub..


****also this guy kept his CARGO box storage.. and to me that was valuable box air space keep that in mind..****