# What's the "RIGHT" way to mount aftermarket speaker grills to doors?



## justinking060310 (Apr 29, 2010)

Seems like a simple question, but I can't figure out how to put these grills on my door panels.

Thanks for pointing the idiot in the right direction!

PICS:


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

A. is that surround gonna smack the door card tabs??
B. use the OEM grille. Stealth is wealth.
C. is that door that shallow or is that speaker that deep? can you trim the ring down some at all?

I have a crude method of trimming them down but your health insurance company does not wanna know about it.


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## justinking060310 (Apr 29, 2010)

I was trying to use the stock grills, but yes, that surround is being squashed by the stock grill mount. The speaker is 2.9" deep. I could have save 3/8" of an inch by not using such a thick ring.

My initial idea is to mark the holes for the grill mount on the door panel, and then attach the grill mount to the door panel with 1/4"x1/2" bolts with a washer on the back. Then trim the door panel inside the new grill ring. This way the grill would come off when the door panel is taken off.


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## UNBROKEN (Sep 25, 2009)

justinking060310 said:


> yes, that surround is being squashed by the stock grill mount.


Shorten the mounting rings and fix that issue before you even consider proceeding.


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

UNBROKEN said:


> Shorten the mounting rings and fix that issue before you even consider proceeding.


this....

I set the gate on a table saw and roll the rings through it, the blade height needs to be BARELY tall enough to get it to work. And be careful, your finger don't look so good already.


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## justinking060310 (Apr 29, 2010)

chad said:


> this....
> 
> I set the gate on a table saw and roll the rings through it, the blade height needs to be BARELY tall enough to get it to work. And be careful, your finger don't look so good already.


Did this -- Worked very well. Thank you! I presume you are implying that I should use the stock grill now that the surround is not hitting? Might not be able to tell in the pic, but stock grill is 5 1/4" and the replacement speaker is a 6 1/2". No loss there?


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## Aaron'z 2.5RS/WRX (Oct 24, 2007)

You'll be fine.. Good work at trimmin'em down and keepin yo digits.. lol...


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## XaznKewLguyX (Sep 5, 2007)

deadner > your fingers? 

seal that huge hole in your door!


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## justinking060310 (Apr 29, 2010)

XaznKewLguyX said:


> deadner > your fingers?
> 
> seal that huge hole in your door!


Actually, that is just my manly fuschia(sp?) sharpie on my hand. I didn't fare too badly with the foil backing on the deadener ... this time - LOL

I did put some deadener on the panel that slides into the gapping whole, so hopefully it is tight enough that way (that's what she said).

J


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## Reach (May 12, 2008)

Yeah, but you really should try to seal up that monstrous hole. What car out of curiosity? Never seen inside of a door that looked like that!


I did mine with sheet aluminum, followed by damplifier matting.


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## Aaron'z 2.5RS/WRX (Oct 24, 2007)

Reach said:


> Yeah, but you really should try to seal up that monstrous hole. What car out of curiosity? Never seen inside of a door that looked like that!
> 
> 
> I did mine with sheet aluminum, followed by damplifier matting.



If I'm not mistaken, that's a Cooper Mini... And because it's so small, the door panels actually intrude into the door... The weather stripping seal around the hole is a giveaway that it seals to something...


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

Aaron'z 2.5RS/WRX said:


> If I'm not mistaken, that's a Cooper Mini... And because it's so small, the door panels actually intrude into the door... The weather stripping seal around the hole is a giveaway that it seals to something...


Mine does that too, the map pocket intrudes into.. that made things... well.. unique.


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## BowDown (Sep 24, 2009)

Ah the old days of 1/4" plywood door cards.


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## justinking060310 (Apr 29, 2010)

The car is an 02 MINI Cooper. The panel does seal with the gasket, I just made it a little bit tighter by putting damplifier on the door card where the seal meets.

So I wound up shaving the speaker rings down about 3/8", placed a 3/8" round ring of modeling clay on the door and bolted them down, then added clay around the speaker ring. I cut the tabs for the original speaker grills off, and then siliconed the original grill to the door card (there is a nice round indent to glue it in place). All said, I think it looks pretty good, and I am hoping that the added weight of the clay does some good...

Thanks for the tips!


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