Which aftermarket speakers are thin enough for front doors?

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peterdouglas

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A while back some of you folks made suggestions about which speakers fit into the front doors without hacking apart anything. I believe someone suggested a certain model of Eclipse speakers? The OEM speakers are so incredibly thin.

Yesterday I picked up a set of Pioneer TS-A1371R speakers (the thinnest speakers that store carried). They're nice 3 way speakers, 5 1/4" but if installed flush to the metal opening, the back of them gets in the way of window as it's lowered. I see two choices:

1. Make a spacer so they stick out more and let the window clear (not sure how much space they need, probably a half inch more). But, then the door panel might bulge out a bit, and I'd rather not cut a hole in it.

2. Find another set of speakers. I suppose I could even go for used OEM speakers from the wreckers if someone knows what car has the right size. Or, has someone found aftermarket speakers that are a bit thinner?

Thanks! :banana:
 
In my 1984 fj60 I installed Kenwood KFC-1380IE 51/4inch "DOOR/REARDECKSPEAKERS"

These speaker have a "tweeter" in the middle (two way speaker) I had to put some standard round washers between the speaker and the mounting holes in the door to keep the window from hitting on the right (passenger) magnet . Drivers side went right in. The right side window still contacts the magnet just bit at full down, but slides past with just a bit of friction. The tweeter, which has a hard frame around it, pushes out on the stock speaker grill but not enough to effect the panel fit, It is not noticable, The Radio shop said it would not effect the speakers performance by being hard up against the grill.

I am satisfied with the quality of sound, I can crank it up enough to hear over the Mud T roar at highway speed...and in town they work fine..I did not want to cut so these have worked well..If your looking for a "unhooked" sound system..you gotta cut to get the speakers to work or go big $$$ to get the high end thin speakers...
 
Those are a bit thinner than mine... according to specs I found online, your speakers are 1.87 inches deep, mine are 2 1/8" deep. Close, but when there's so little space, every fraction of an inch counts. I'll see if I can find those Pioneer KFC-1380IE speakers for sale.

Or, has anyone found speakers that are even thinner?
 
I can't find a store locally that sells those, but I did find that the Kenwood 5 1/4" 3-Way Car Speaker (KFC-1361S) is only 1 3/4" deep and there's a Best Buy about 45 minutes away that sells them. I'm off to go pick those up. Looks like it's the best solution. There don't seem to be too many speakers thinner than that. One last hope is a car stereo store nearby. A couple of people recommended them, but they're closed today. In the worst case, I'll have to go there tomorrow although they might be expensive.
 
I think my Kenwoods were $90 or so, Crutchfield carries the whole line. I use their catalogs for research, the local stereo shops match Crutchfield prices w/o shipping cost. Remember to check the front side measurement on those speakers.

I think depth is from the frame of the speaker to the back of the magnet.

The Three Way midrange and tweeter may make the front side protrude out into the door panel further than my two way Kenwoods do. You gotta check that out. Kenwwod assumes buyers are going to use their speaker covers on the speaker... so they sometimes only post up the magnet depth as I mentioned..
 
Just mount it lower and it should clear the window regulator.

Dynosoar
 
I have sony xplods and they fit fine. Got 'em at Wal-Mart.
 
Keep your pioneers and use a spacer 1/4" MDF should be good.
 
Not to cut?

Dynosoar said:
Just mount it lower and it should clear the window regulator.

Dynosoar
Click to expand...

But, wouldn't that involve cutting the hole in the door and cutting the panel? That is no big deal of course, however, I wanted to leave mine stock and didn't see anyway around it but to find speakers that would work in the given stock space...

I couldn't find the Explod speakers when I did mine, I've got the Sony stereo in my Tuffy..would have been a good match..
 
i know exactly what you are talking about my solution is the simplest

dont roll the window down all the way ! been working fine for me for 8 months now .


on my other cruisers i just hacked a big hole in the door skin , i am running JBL speakers in this cruiser and i dont want to advertise to everone so i just mounted them under the door skin , one rainy day i will cut a couple of rings out of 1/2 " mdf , but for now we just dont roll the windows down .
 
i did a search online and found some 'shallow mount' 6" pioneers for the front. had to remove the stock speaker grill, but they fit great and sound fine. they were mounted to the top/front of the door liner, not the actual metal door panel itself.

everything cleared fine and i can use the windows, no problem.
 
BlueCruiser84 said:
I have sony xplods and they fit fine. Got 'em at Wal-Mart.
Click to expand...

same as me. I did have to use a about 2-3 washers between the speaker and the door. But the panel still fit and the speakers were fine.
 
Looks like there are lots of potential solutions to this...

OK, the good news is that I got the Kenwood KFC-1361S speakers. They're 5 1/4" and 3 way speakers. Just did a quick placement in the driver's door and it clears the window without spacers and should fit flush enough that the door panel won't bulge out. That will be nice so nobody will see I've got new speakers. Mind you, they're not really high end - I think $79.99 or something like that at Best Buy. I chose them for their dimensions.

Not sure if they'll clear the passenger door without any spacers. High Desert mentioned the passenger door speaker required a few washers. No problem - cheaper than the $25 spacers Best Buy sells. Now all that's left is to get some 6x9 speakers for the back. Best Buy had some nice 4 way speakers for $89.99 (Sony Xplod I think). I just want to check Wal Mart to see if they're any cheaper. Also got a different deck... a Sony CDX-GT610UI. It's also got an audio input for an iPod, but it also comes with an iPod interface will recharge the iPod while driving AND I can use the controls on the stereo to control the iPod. Very nice indeed! It was a bit more, $199 with free installation. I asked if it was cheaper if I installed and it and they said no, and then there's no warranty. So, I'll get them to install the stereo and I'll put in the speakers (hopefully in the next few days).

My old stereo, an 1980's Pioneer Am/FM/Cassette with OEM Toyota speakers in front and blown aftermarket 6x9's in the back, sounds more like a bad trip to Oz (wizard of Oz, not Australia)! ;) Plus, it only works some of the time. I have to smack the dash and then maybe it will work. On the bright side, I never had to worry about anyone breaking in to steal my sound system. I don't have a tuffy box, so my stereo will be in plain view unless I remember to detach the face every time I park the truck. Plus, the Sony Xplod speakers I want to get are kind of flashy looking and will be plainly visible. I'm thinking of covering them in black felt to hide them. Or is that just silly?
 
philos1 said:
Keep your pioneers and use a spacer 1/4" MDF should be good.
Click to expand...

I kind of want to keep the Pioneers since they're better quality, but with a spacer they'll really make the door panel bulge out (as it does a bit already, even without a spacer). The Kenwood speakers I got are about the right size (much better fit), still 3-way, but I can tell they're not as good quality (they're not as heavy, if that's in indication). But the good thing is that they fit in a lot better. I've still got both sets of speakers but I'm leaning towards keeping the thinner Kenwoods and returning the thicker Pioneers.

toynut said:
i know exactly what you are talking about my solution is the simplest

dont roll the window down all the way ! been working fine for me for 8 months now .
Click to expand...

Wow, I don't know if I could live with my window like that! I love rolling it all the way down and resting my arm on the window ledge, especially on a nice spring day like today. I haven't yet confirmed it, but it looks like the Kenwood speakers I got will clear the window without any spacers, and as an added bonus, won't push out the door panel at all.
 
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I had the same problem. I tried to install 5 1/4 infinity speakers and the windows would not roll down. All you need to do is go to Best Buy, Circuit City, or any auto install place and buy spacers. For the infinity's I need 1/2 inch spacers and everything works well. I have space for the windoes, etc. The "spacer is a plastic, round apperatus that fits between the speaker grill and the 60 body - sounds great with the sound deadening I did!
 
peterdouglas said:
lus, the Sony Xplod speakers I want to get are kind of flashy looking and will be plainly visible. I'm thinking of covering them in black felt to hide them. Or is that just silly?
Click to expand...

yah I hate the flashy look many of the speaker companies are pushing. the xplods don't even have a good mesh cover.

I don't think it is silly to hide them. A stereo attracts attention. If it's visible you will get broken in to. Even for a 150 buck deck.

I would not stick a CD player in a tuffy. I don't believe they work the same vertical. My opinion only probably.....

Just use the detach face in the dash..
 
brownbear said:
yah I hate the flashy look many of the speaker companies are pushing. the xplods don't even have a good mesh cover.

I don't think it is silly to hide them. A stereo attracts attention. If it's visible you will get broken in to. Even for a 150 buck deck.

I would not stick a CD player in a tuffy. I don't believe they work the same vertical. My opinion only probably.....

Just use the detach face in the dash..
Click to expand...

Some work better than others in the tuffy. the sony is built to work at 45degree angle, does fine in my tuffy which of course is nearly vertical, I've been running it for over a year. The buttons are so damn small on this thing it is really hard to punch the correct button while under way..impossible if on a bumpy road..fingers too big buttons too small and close togethter. some manufactors do not recommend it, just read the mounting specs,

I wanted to keep the stock radio in the dash..makes the rig look "worthless" to some crackheads looking for electronics..I did the same with keeping the stock speaker grills, All you see when you look in is a locked tuffy..
 
I don't have a Tuffy box, and don't have any plans for getting one anytime soon. So, the deck will go in the original stereo location. It's easier to use that way (I think). I just have to remember to detach the face when I park, but I can see me getting lazy about that really fast.

As for the back 6x9 Sony Xplod speakers, you're right BB, they are kind of flashy looking and they don't even have good speaker grilles. I think I will use the covers they provide and then put black felt over top. The front speakers will be hidden behind the stock speaker grilles in the door panel. It's not like I live in the projects or something - and no offense to anyone who does - ;) but the less inviting my truck looks to thieves (anywhere I go), the better. Some people would break in to steal some loose change.
 
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