How to install midrange speakers into a Supra door.
Hey there guys, a few people have asked me about how to get decent speakers into Supra doors to replace the standard 4" enclosed ones. It seems there is a common misconception that you need to install special 'slim line' speakers in order to get decent sound at the front. While the speakers do have to be a little shallower than many cars, they don't have to be super slim.
Without further ado, this is the procedure for doing a Supra doors correctly.
Step one: Take one original door complete. Remove the plastic splash guard and the goo that holds the plastic on.
Step two: Apply sound deadening to outer skin.
Step three: Add diffuser panels behind the speaker.
Step four: Run aftermarket speaker cables through the door loom tubes. Be very careful to tie the new speaker wires to the factory loom. There are many things that move around inside the Supra door when the windows go up and down. It’s very easy for a cable to get caught up in something.
Step five: Make the baffles. These are a peculiar shape, almost a splash shape. The best way to do it is to trace the original enclosure and then do a few trial runs until you get it sitting right. You'll need to use a couple of 18mm spacer blocks to get the height just right.
Thickness is usually 6mm and while this might sound a little thin, remember it needs to be reinforced behind the thin bit (see image below) and the sound deadening over the top of it will add extra strength. This baffle should screw into the factory screw holes thus avoiding damaging the door.
Step six: Sound deaden inner skin and remove air bubbles. Go over the top of the baffle for extra strength. Be careful not to split the sound deadening because this needs to seal the baffle to the door. Also leave a little deadening around the top of the speaker hole to act as a 'roof' against water when it rains.
Step seven: Solder the trimmed speaker wires onto speaker. Don't use crimp terminals because their two best traits are falling off and creating resistance.
Step eight: Heat shrink around the terminals to protect them. Unlike electrical tape, heat shrink will not begin moving after a couple of months. Remember to install a gasket between the midrange and door.
Step ten: Sit back and enjoy your new found midbass. This is what the door looks like when complete:
So there you have it; one Supra door done Fhrx Studios' style. Using this method you have about 65mm of mounting depth (using 6mm MDF). Any deeper than that and your speaker will begin impacting the skin during larger excursions.
Now we take photos of every install we do so I have used different photos to make up this tutorial. I hope this helps everyone a little.
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