Perfect place for an aftermarket sub

[briantforce]

I would first like to credit audiovibe with giving me this idea and helping me through the process. this is just a step by step version of how i went about this.now what everyone first wants to see....i need to repaint it still to match and i have the carpet getting bound because of the holes i cut in it.now for how i got therefirst i took the original floor out of the back and have it hidden in my basement.next i bought a nice big sheet of 3/4 inch MDFfor the "box" i actually used the big plastic tub that covers the spare tire. To do so you must take out the the tub and dicard that stupid screw with all the disks that is supposed to hold the tire down (the tire isnt going anywhere)next i turned it upside down and cut out all the vertical support things in the very center with a roto zip. this gave me a good sized FLAT, SMOOTH ring on which i could creat a good seal.then i cut a circle of mdf to fit that space i had just cleared. I smothered this peice with silicone adhessive caulk and put it on the bottome of the tub. like sothen to keep it secure i braced it on the top with a metal brace i bought at home depot and two machine screws.again everything smothered in silicone.i allowed the silicone to dry, and then jsut to be sure i had a good seal, i hit it one more time with the silicone.now i drilled a hole in the bottom to put my speaker wire through. and then insterted the wire with a good amount of slack and surprise surprise assaulted that hole with silicone on both sides... twice.the next step was to messure what will be the mounting face of the box. this is simply the diameter at the top of the hole which is somewhere around 13 or 14 inches i believe.next you need to cut a disk of mdf to fit that hole and you want it VERY TIGHT because it will only be pressure and addhesive holding this peice in.i recommend using a circle jig and a router to cut all of your circles, however they are 60 dollars and i did not have one so i improvised. I made my own using and erector set from when i was younger and it worked just fine.next you need to cut the hole in which the sub will sit. refer to the manufacturers instructions for the size of the holeand cut this in the center of the disk. this will give you a ring.next comes the mounting of the ring.as always use plenty of silicone. i applied a few rings around the top of the tub and on the ring itself. you now set the ring in the tub and if it was cut well you should need to use a great deal of force to set it in. i would recomend using a rubber mallet and have a freind help hold it down. allow the silicone to dry and then add more.the box is now complete. My three reomendations for the speaker install and:1 use a ring of silicone around the sub just to be safe2 use half inch screws as to not pierce the mdf completely3 stuff the box with pillow stuffing it is 2 dollars for at walmart i used about a half pound because you are dealling with a very small box so the stuffing will make it act a little biggerafterward it should look like thisbefore putting the tub/tool tray abck into my car bought some basic non skid padding for under carpets and put it all around the edge of where the tray sits in the car. because the back of a vibe is mostly plastic so with a sub there are some buzzes and rattles but htis greatly reduced it i also put alot over the tire.now take the original floor and trace that onto your remaining mdf.you should have enough mdf left to have two atempts at this which you might need because positioning the holes is a little trickyafter you trace the floor take very carefull mesurements and mark all of your cuts on the mdfafter cutting these holes and making sure it fits dust the mdf and PAINT IT. this material does not react well to water because it is essentially sawdust and glue.after teh paint dried i put the no skid carpet padding on the entire bottom and sides of the new floor.if you want to use your carpet still, lay your carpet down upside down and place the new floor peice over it (also upside down) it the correct position and trace the holes onto the carpet. then simply cut the holes and i would recoment having the cuts rebound at a carpet shop to avoid fraying.i made my own custom grill out of plexi glass using a roto ziphow and where you mount your amp is really up to you just keep in mid you want a short ground and there are several ground spots where the child seat hooks are and you will most likely neet to either trim down or completely remove part of the tool tray to fit it in the back. just be sure that you DO NOT CUT THE BOX. here are some pics of how i did it.now you are ready to hook it up and go to town.when i get the carpet back from the shop i will post a pic with that. it makes it look much better.if you have anyquestions feel free to ask i would be glad to help

[Sublimewind]

Nice, I have questions though...1. Have you tried removing your sub since you siliconed it in? 2. How well does air pass through your "grill"? It looks to me it needs more holes.. 3. do you feel that your straps holding your amp up are going to make it through the long haul? I don't, you might want to consider some metal strapping, just to be on the safe side 5. you used the plastic tub, correct? Did you brace it with anything to keep it from flexing on the sides? Like fiberglass? Sorry for all the questions, i'm a former installer and always question installs... Not that it's bad, but just wondering... Otherwise, good show..

[briantforce]

i have not tried removing the sub since the installthe air actually pass throught the grill with no problem i was actually expecting to neet more holes but it trned out to be no problem at allthe straps i am doing as a test im not really sure how long they will hold up however they are alot stronger than they look because of the weavei did use the plastic tub but did not bracke it in any way. it actually fits quite snug in the center of the tire so the tire kind of acts as a brace.And no need to be sorry for the questions its the questions and critisism that will help me improve and others to do what they want

[briantforce]

the other thing i might eventually do is put braces across the top just to be sure that the mdf ring will not dislodge under pressure

[Sublimewind]

Cool man...!!! I saw that grill (which is great for a rotozip job BTW) and though it wouldn't "breath" very well.. You know, that sub may NEVER come off that ring, now that it's siliconed down.. lol.. I've always used a product called "strip caulk" which can usually be found in the heating section of home depot, it's basically a non-hardening clay like material, and it allows for removial of parts.. just a FYI... My BIGGEST concern would be the pastic tub, any flex is a loss in output.. just keep that in mind... You couls always go back and layer in some fiberglass, if you can get the sub out... lol... Like I said before, good show man...!! DIY is great isn't it..!!

[briantforce]

thanks for the adviceya DIY is fun, lets you get exactly what you want, and is so much cheaper.and as for the grill my friend is going to be putting a sub in his explorer and wants me to do a decepticons one so that will be a real test

[skylinedrifter]

Very nice, sir! I've been trying to figure out what to do with mine and this gives me something to think about.

[darcmater]

looks good, i really like the extra touch with the pontiac logo cover for the sub. Seeign all these installs of late really makes me want to redisign my box and stuff. Wonder what a ported box would sound like compared to my sealed one, or perhaps have all 3 of my subs in the floor. Not like I use or can even get to my spare tire anywaysas a side note anyone have some pictures of the cargo area with out the plastic tub or spare tire in there or even better yet some dimensions of the area so I can do some ruff calculations?

[audiovibe]

Looks good man, Another issue I had when I was using the tub was the Jack components rateling aginist the plastic, so if yo uhear a mysterious rattle check there. I really like the grill I should have done sonething like that with mine.Darcmater if I recall there was 2.5-2.75 ft3 in the well without the spare or the tub. I have a new plan in the works so Ill beable to tell you in a few weeks.Aron

[briantforce]

ya the cargo area without the tub or spare is a big almost flat rectangular box there is a lot of room if you feel like taking the risk with no spare

[darcmater]

a bit of a rehash, but I have been looking at soem pics and wondering if you take the plastic tub out is it just sitting on the floor of the car or is there some sort of plastic liner there?

[LOUROK]

Nice work and you still have trunk space. Keeps the system hidden aswell. very smart idea.

[WaveAction]

like the project man, it looks sharp..would be cool if you had some led bulbs or something shining underneath the plexiglass you made

[briantforce]

the tub is supported in two ways it hangs all the way around the edge and rests snug in the middle of the spare tire

[briantforce]

also i have all my carpet back in so its pretty much done ill be posting pics soon all i have left is a capacitor cuz i keep killing bulbs