Front Door Speaker Upgrade

cruiser37 · 10-25-09, 07:19 PM

I just replaced the front door speakers with Polk db651 6.5" speakers and the difference in sound is very noticable. I ordered 2 pair and plan to put the other pair in the rear doors soon.

When I removed the door panel, I realized that the PO replaced the front door speakers with the CD player - maybe that is why they didn't sound as bad as others have commented. So I debated whether or not to replace them at all, but after taking the driver side speaker out and hooking up the new speaker, there was no comparison.

However, what I learned is there is another front speaker option for those that want to retain the factory grills. The speakers I removed are Rockford Fosgate Punch FRC4206U and they fit behind the front door panels without a problem. The metal frame that holds the window inside the door seems to be the limiting factor with speaker depth.

cruiser37 · 10-25-09, 07:31 PM

I selected the Polk db651 because the mounting depth was fairly low. I debated between these and the db651s, which are shallow mount, but found out that shallow mount refers to how much of the speaker sticks out above the mounting plate. Since I was more concerned with depth inside the door, I went with the regular db651. I don't mind the speakers being visible (it is a 15 year old vehicle), so trying to find a very shallow speaker was never a concern because the selection is very limited and the sound quality suffers a lot.

First, I removed the door panels and the speakers. I checked the mounting depth and knew I needed to space the speakers out from the door some. I used the supplied mounting bracket and cut off all the extra tabs. Next, I taped the speaker bracket where I wanted it and drilled 4 holes using the bracket as a template. I attached it to the door using 4 #8 x 1" stainless screws.

cruiser37 · 10-25-09, 07:42 PM

Then, I put the door panel back on and made sure everything lined up. Using the supplied mounting bracket allowed me to create a spacer between the door and the panel to give me a little extra clearance. It also gave me a solid surfact to mount the speakers as I didn't want to just screw them into the door panel. I used the 4 speaker mounting holes as a template and drilled 4 small holes around the speaker opening in the door panel. This gave me a template to mount the speaker and made sure I was securing it to the bracket in the correct places. I used a Dremel to smooth out the edge of the speaker grill that rests against the chrome accent strip on the inside of the door and provide enough clearance so the speaker sits flush. The amount of material removed from the speaker grill was minimal. The mounting bracket is mounted to the door and the speaker is mounted to the mounting bracket (the way it should be) through the door. It feels very secure and offroading shouldn't be a problem.

cruiser37 · 10-25-09, 07:49 PM

A few more pics of the finished product. There are no clearance issues with the dash and the difference in sound is amazing. The 6.5" speakers put out a lot more sound than the 5.25" versions of the same speaker, so I plan on installing my other set in the rear doors soon.

lndcruz · 10-25-09, 08:03 PM

Doesn't look bad compared to most of the setups without factory grills.

Good job

1r78 · 10-25-09, 08:19 PM

I've been looking at these as well. They have some pretty good reviews. Do you think that the sound is a big enough of an improvement to justify purchasing them over a set of cheaper pioneers or sonys? I am just wondering because of my own interest in upgrading. Also how is the bass response and how far away from the window track was the back of the speaker?
Thanks

cruiser37 · 10-25-09, 08:43 PM

I can say they are a major improvement over the Rockford Fosgate speakers that were already in the doors. I imagine it would be even more of an improvement over the factory speakers. I just hooked them up to a Kenwood in dash unit, so they will sound even better when I add an amp down the road. Bass response is respectable for speakers this size (and a lot better than the Rockfords), but I'm adding a sub after I install the rear speakers to really fill out the lower end.

Are they better than cheaper Pioneer or Sonys? First, decide if you want to keep the factory grills. If that's the case, you are very limited in speaker selection and a cheaper speaker might be the only option. I never considered that option. I think they sound better than the lower cost speakers, but I just bought these from Crutchfield and the total cost for both pair delivered to my door was $99.98 - not a bad deal in my opinion.

I'm not sure how much room is between the speaker and the window track. They will not fit unless you space them out from the door. The supplied speaker brackets were perfect for this. If you install them the way I did using the supplied mounting bracket between the door and the panel, they will not hit the window track at all. It's not a lot of room, but enought to fit.

firetruck41 · 10-25-09, 11:58 PM

I have those same speakers in the front, and the 5 1/4 in the rear (do not get the 5 1/4" for the rear, just use the 6.5", they will fit better and sound better). WELLLLL worth $50, I would not go for a lesser speaker. I mounted them the same way. After a few weeks I decided to make them look a little better, and primed and spray painted the speaker grilles with a matching brown paint, it looks good, though I should have put a clear coat on to really finish them off. No one but a mudder would know they are not stock now.

cruiser37 · 10-26-09, 08:06 AM

As of right now, I'm not planning on painting the grills because they don't really bother me. Do you have any pics of yours with the painted grills in case I change my mind?

70sguy · 10-26-09, 11:43 AM

Very nice.... so now I have to upgrade mine too..
Have the shallow TSGR 6.5" pioneers behind the factory grilles which are a big improvement over stock
but nothing like the KEF separate mid/ tweets I used to have in previous Cruisers.
The Polks may get me closer.
I think they look pretty good in that stock color, sets off pretty nicely on the Tan/Oak panel.
I have kind of downgraded the value of maintaining the factory speaker grills.
This stereo thing is a bit of a slippery slope..

hawaiicruz · 10-26-09, 01:11 PM

Polk audio makes excellent speakers well worth the xtra $

1r78 · 10-26-09, 03:01 PM

I got on Crutchfield's site and for $50 a set I had to do the same. So now I have two sets on the way. This should turn out to be a great improvement. The PO installed some kenwoods in the front doors, but they are pretty crappy and all the rest are the stockers so now I'm anticipating the upgrade. I really like that they are marine certified. That makes me feel like I purchased something that will withstand what we like to do. Post some pics of the rear install when you get a chance. Thanks

firetruck41 · 10-27-09, 11:32 AM

The rear install requires making the speaker hole a little bigger in the sheetmetal. You can use a jigsaw, with a metal blade, it is very simple. The 5 1/4" speaker is actually bigger in the wrong places, than the 6.5" which should fit easier.

The 5 1/4" did not come with the spacer like the 6.5" did. I bought a $15 spacer (now I remember, that is why I bought the brown spray paint, because the spacer is black and doesn't look right). And attached it through the door panel and into the sheet metal with sheetmetal screws. Then I attached the speaker to the spacer, I used a small nylon spacer/washer to make sure the grill and speaker were snug when screwed to the spacer.

You may not need the external spacer with the 6.5", but if you do, the same spacer fits 5.25" or 6.5", so you could mount it exactly the same if you want/need to.

firetruck41 · 10-27-09, 11:33 AM

A few more pics:

firetruck41 · 10-27-09, 11:34 AM

Here is a pic of the front door, with painted grill:

BP22 · 10-27-09, 02:29 PM

Ben...the painted grills look factory, well done.

I have been running the DB651s in my boat for 1 1/2 years and they sound great and have held up well.

lndcruz · 10-27-09, 07:42 PM

Ugh, why must you people keep making me add more and more to the list of things to do.

ehanes75 · 10-28-09, 01:12 PM

Will the Polk db651 speakers fit in a 97? I read somewhere there are fitment issues with the 97 because of extra steel reinforcement in the door

cruiser37 · 10-28-09, 02:37 PM

Someone posted that the 96-97 has extra reinforcements in the doors, but without seeing a pic I can't tell you if it's different than the 95. If you look at the second pic from my first post, you can see directly what is behind the speaker in the front door. The depth issue in mine was created by the window channel directly behind the speaker. Compare yours to the pic or post a pic and I can tell you if mine looked the same.

firetruck41 · 10-28-09, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ehanes75

Will the Polk db651 speakers fit in a 97? I read somewhere there are fitment issues with the 97 because of extra steel reinforcement in the door

In my posts above, you can see in my sig that I have a 96, it is the same as a 97. IIRC, the side impact bars in the doors were added in '95.

ehanes75 · 10-28-09, 03:53 PM

4xoddic has a thread about an speaker install in a 97 LX450:

http://forum.ih8mud.com/80-series-te...r-related.html

The thread says that 96 & 97 owners have about 1/2" less room to play with because of the extra thickness of the door reinforcement.

There is a picture of the inside of the door in post #7. It is hard to tell from the perspective if the reinforcement bar inside the door is larger than what is shown in this thread. This is probably only an issue if you want to retain the original grills.

cruiser37 · 10-29-09, 06:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ehanes75

4xoddic has a thread about an speaker install in a 97 LX450:

http://forum.ih8mud.com/80-series-te...r-related.html

The thread says that 96 & 97 owners have about 1/2" less room to play with because of the extra thickness of the door reinforcement.

There is a picture of the inside of the door in post #7. It is hard to tell from the perspective if the reinforcement bar inside the door is larger than what is shown in this thread. This is probably only an issue if you want to retain the original grills.

Compare the inside door pic (first pic) from post #7 to the second pic in my first post. The door reinforcement is there on my 95. What you are seeing in post #7 is the metal window channel, which is present in mine as well. You can see the door reinforcement behind the window channel in both pics. If you compare the width of the door reinforcement to the width of the window channel in both pics, it looks like they are the same. Judging by this, I would say the changes apply to the 95-97s and these speakers should work.