Lexus install

[HHawk]

Originally Posted by Electrodynamic

Thank you. I've said that the doors might be deadened. I only had so much of day light to work with and I didn't have enough time to deaden the doors and do all of the fab work for the mids. I will put one layer of deadener on the doors once I install the other 5.25's (yes, I'm going to install another set of them). However, the car is very quiet already. For instance, this car is quieter than my last Civic with 5 (read: FIVE) layers of Second Skin damplifier on the inner and outer door skins...and this car has zero deadener.

I have a Lexus IS 220d from 2007 and my doors rattle like hell with high volume (with my previous component installation) even after deadening.

Maybe it was caused by the mid-woofers in the doors, which could get pretty low and loud:

Woofer 175 Power @ 150W RMS each
Frequency response: 35 - 35.000 Hz

Anyways Nick can always see if it needs deadening or not.

I would recommend to deaden it anyways or at least use speaker tweaker kits e.g. from Secondskin audio.

[Electrodynamic]

The thing about using kits and such is that the mids already have enclosures. I am going to deaden a little bit of the inside of the factory enclosures and obviously do the same to the pods that I make for the second set.

Making the second pods is going to be interesting. I'm going to have to fill the existing pods with styrofoam to get the internal volume and then duplicate that volume in a different shaped pod. That way both pods will be ported. I'm also planning on incorporating the grille for the first mid in with the pod for the second mid.

Saying it will be interesting isn't even scratching the surface!

[HHawk]

Finally had some spare time (and good weather) to install my new component sets.

Also had to redo the speakerrings. Due to moisture etc, the old MDF rings got soaking wet, so it was unusable. Anyways made new speaker rings with different wood; multiplex. Moisture shouldn't be a problem anymore...

Doors were already deadend, but I used some Damplifier from Secondskin Audio which I still had over from the trunk. Also used the Speaker Tweaker kit from them. Hopefully it will improve a bit over my previous install.



Still have to build myself an enclosure for my 3 Mag's, but anyways, the doors are a start and they are done.

And the component set is a: CDT Audio ES-07 (mid-woofer) + ES-010 (tweeter) + ES-200Z. Crossovers will be build in the trunk. Less moisture. :S

[Electrodynamic]

Your progres looks good! Yeah man, un-treated MDF rings and moisture = failure.

I know I'm going to get a FAIL for this without pics, but I made larger openings in the tweeter grilles and then re-covered the grille with black grille cloth. The factory grilles were HORRIBLE for sound. I'm amazed anything tweeter related got through them. Yes...I said tweeter related. Anyway, I took pics, but I haven't hosted them up yet. I'll post more next week as I'm going out of town for the weekend.

[sundownz]

I need to hear yo shit Nick

</ghetto>

[HHawk]

Originally Posted by Electrodynamic

Your progres looks good! Yeah man, un-treated MDF rings and moisture = failure.

I know I'm going to get a FAIL for this without pics, but I made larger openings in the tweeter grilles and then re-covered the grille with black grille cloth. The factory grilles were HORRIBLE for sound. I'm amazed anything tweeter related got through them. Yes...I said tweeter related. Anyway, I took pics, but I haven't hosted them up yet. I'll post more next week as I'm going out of town for the weekend.

Well the MDF rings were treated, or at least the installer who did my car hifi said so. But apparently it was not good enough. :S

Hopefully these will last longer.

I really didn't have space for my tweeters in the original tweeter locations in my Lexus. However, the Lexus comes with stock mid-speakers. So I replaced those with the tweeters. Fitted perfectly.

Tomorrow (or today if time lets me) I am going to pick up some MDF and start working on the enclosure. Finally! Hopefully everything will go well or without pushbacks...

[hobie1dog]

Funny, age is catching up with him now....he's beginning to like quiet interior levels.

[Electrodynamic]

Updatezorz!!!!!!!!

Here are pics of the tweeter grilles hogged out - one being covered in grille cloth already:



And today was the mid grille work. Man, this took a LOT longer than I thought. There was a LOT of cutting, more cutting, and more cutting. I basically had to hog out the entire grille. BTW: from the factory, the black mesh is metal. That's right, metal mesh inset into plastic. Odd. Anyway, here we go:

Here is the factory grille on the left and the grille with the grille cloth removed on the right:


I hogged out the port and shaved the extensions around the mid:



Here it is all hogged out:

and from the backside:


And here's what they look like after they are wrapped in black grille cloth and installed on top of the ported mids:






While I was at it, I tore apart and re-wrapped the rear speaker grilles. I also removed the two rear speakers and left the sub for now...until I install the pair of Mag's.

[Electrodynamic]

Wow...double post.

[Electrodynamic]

And yesterday I ran two 4 awg runs of power wire for the install with the help of the legendary Simon Eichenberger. The wire is run along the drivers side of the vehicle, behind the rear seats, up and under the rear package tray, and then finally inside the trunk via the now deadened open hole where the left rear speaker was. Here are a few pics of how it sits now:






The only place I could drill a hole large enough for the two runs of 4 awg (note: this is for power ONLY, not power and ground - twin 4 awg runs is almost equal to a single 1/0 run but it lays under the carpet a LOT better) is about 3" above the drivers footrest. It opens up into the fender, but it's behind the tire and will never touch the tire - it's in a little nook, which I then went up into the engine bay via the opening that you see in the last picture. I'll take a pic of the hole when I have the car raised up again.