LR3 TAILGATE SUBWOOFER

[Manuelsv]

I have been playing with he idea of replacing my side sub-woofer for a while.. And really I was jut out on the Junk-yard hunting for odds and ends when I came across a range rover LR3. Anyhow I found that they put a 10" sub in the drop down tailgate part covered by a simple carpet with clips just like in our 80's... The LR3 tailgate is tiny compared to the tailgate on our 80's and they used a very shallow sub in there that was sun and water rotted so I am not using that.. Anyhow I disassembled it and got the metal grill bracket piece that holds the 10" Sub in the LR3 it is obviously strong enough to stand on..

I also ordered the 10" Sub PIONEER TS-SW2502S4 10-Inch which has a 3-1/8" mounting depth So I am hoping there is at least 4" at the deepest part of the tailgate.. ((( CAN ANYONE WITH A TAILGATE STORAGE DOOR TAKE A DEPTH MEASUREMENT? )))
Speaker should be delivered this week, and next week then I can decide if I will install in tailgate or revert to the original plan and put it in the stock rear PS side wall location..

Thoughts? Help with max depth in that area? Do I have at least 4" at the deepest area?

My plan is to dynamite the entire inside of the tailgate and use the LR3 bracket to mount the sub, it's more than strong enough to stand on.. and clip / mount the carpet on top of it for a total stealth / hidden install. Some pics of what I am working with..

 

[Ronny Grady]

Let us know how it goes putting speakers in the tail gate.

my 2 cents - put an all in one under seat sub in the stock rear quarter panel location for best results

Sound Ordnance™ B-8PTD

Compact powered subwoofer with 8" sub and 125-watt amp

www.crutchfield.com

 

[80ways]

You may get just at about 4" at the sides and bottom. You can see in the first shot that there is a raised hump in the middle.

 

[ExpoGeorgia]

Following!

 

[Manuelsv]

Thanks 80ways It looks like I have enough room !!! So I will take lots of pics and crossed fingers it will work.. I only need the most bottom of the woofer to have enough room so I am going to try to position the center of it at the deepest part on the PS..My calculations are that I need just shy of 4" total.. If it does not fit.. I think I can slap a 1/4 or 1/2 inch plywood piece across the whole tailgate then put the carpet on top of that to give me that little extra room needed without making the tailgate look too out of the ordinary?

 

[tacocat]

My plan is to dynamite the entire inside of the tailgate

Wow! Can I have your passenger sill step after you do this?

 

[Manuelsv]

Well It has taken way longer than I thought.. The weekend after I started this project.. I got what I thought was the worse flu of my life.. Until I woke up in the ICU.. I ended up having seizures and my girlfriend called an ambulance.. Turned out I had Meningitis and well I almost kicked the bucket.. But it's been now about 4 weeks since I got out of the hospital and finally feeling well enough to get back on the hobbies.. So now I hope this new Virus does not kill me after another one almost did! Stay Safe everyone!

 

[Manuelsv]

So I ended up using plywood to finish up the project, Insulated the inside of the tailgate as much as I could, then insulated the top of the tailgate as well.. I took the original carpet and removed the cardboard OEM portion and re-used the carpet on the plywood.. It was a tight fit, but it works.

 

[Manuelsv]

Some more pics.. I could have done a cleaner job.. But I am still weak and recovering from being in the ICU for a week and a half and about 2 weeks of being in bed.. Still not too able bodied. Anyhow the end result looks great, it's transparent like there is no sub there, and I can still stand up on my tailgate, actually should be stronger now.. Aaaand! the sound is amazing no rattle no shaking nothing.. And just the right amount of base for my taste.

 

[clx16]

Cool project and clever idea. Also glad you are feeling better enough to work on it. Stay away from everyone and just focus on the cruiser until the virus passes to stay safe.

 

[80ways]

Nice stealthy install. Good work.

 

[leonard_nemoy]

Well It has taken way longer than I thought.. The weekend after I started this project.. I got what I thought was the worse flu of my life.. Until I woke up in the ICU.. I ended up having seizures and my girlfriend called an ambulance.. Turned out I had Meningitis and well I almost kicked the bucket.. But it's been now about 4 weeks since I got out of the hospital and finally feeling well enough to get back on the hobbies.. So now I hope this new Virus does not kill me after another one almost did! Stay Safe everyone!

Oh snap, that meningitis is no joke.... I am glad to hear anytime someone survives Meningitis.

I like the creativity, its seems like you found a good solution. I would be worried about rattles from the hatch and latch mechanism parts inside, but it sounds like the insulator you used did the job.
Are you going to install an amp to power the sub?

 

[Manuelsv]

Thanks guys.. Yes it's been hard.. The meningitis was the worse thing I have ever had.. It did a number on me... My hands shake (Had to erase a bunch of double letters as I type), my short term memory is , and I am slower.. That said I am supposed to be in cognitive therapy, but with the corona virus... We will see when that will happen.
Anyhow I am still lucky because I am still alive, and so far besides the short term memory hand shaking and slowness I am not disabled permanently.. + according to the docs it should all get better in 6-9 months. So I guess I am lucky overall..

OH and Yes I had a rattle.. It ended up being the license plate so I tightened it up put a licence plate frame on it, and used silicone on the back to stop the rattle and now rattle free..

And Yes I have an Amp in It's located on the side panel bolted to were the OEM Sub was located to the same metal bracket. it's a bridgeable Pioneer amp.. I've had it for years probably sat in my parts pile for 10+ years.. But it works great! Don't remember the power rating but it seems to be just right, Snaked the cable from the amp to under the truck following some other cables that go down then over and into the same rubber piece that connects the tailgate to the truck then inside the tailgate over to the sub. Anyhow the wires are inside the rubber piece carrying the other cables that go to the tailgate.. So it's in there like an OEM cable. I also taped them down inside the tailgate and put them under the sound insulation were I could to minimize rattling.

 

[vmiaptetr]

Just ordered a 10'' sub and amp. I'm gonna do the same location with my sub. Where did you install your amp?

 

[80ways]

Just ordered a 10'' sub and amp. I'm gonna do the same location with my sub. Where did you install your amp?

See the start of the last paragraph in post #13.