Mounting replacement rear speakers in original position

Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 6:35 pm

I've just taken the rear interior panel out of my 1994 Coupe to fit a replacement set of 5 1/2" speakers in their original positions. However, the original Nokia speakers twisted into position on a metal mounting plate per the image . And also one with the speaker laid over the top.
Does anybody know the best way to mount this new speaker before I go hacking about with a drill, jigsaw & mdf??
Cheers in advance
Lee

Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 7:45 pm

I just used some screws on mine but with a small legnth and maybe a washer or 2, held nicely without pushing trough fabric etc or coming loose for a good 4 year Very Happy

Not the correct way but hey ho.

Be careful when putting that panel back on or you'll either scratch that fake leather bit at the top or miss them pesky plastic tabs on the rear of the panel. they have to be lined up precisely.

Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 8:35 pm

Dez, Did you attach the speakers to mdf first? The screw holes on the new speakers are in line with the metal bracket that held the old speakers. Also, I'd like to get a good seal between the speaker & what I'm mounting them too.

Audi Nut Joined: Nov 18, 2011 Posts: 50 Location: Teesside

i did this speaker replacement just yesterday. You have two problems, unless you are rewiring the the rear speakers and just fitting 2-ways you'll need component speakers with separate tweeters, i got a set of Alpine Type-E components and i cut the plastic tabs down enough so i could screw the new speaker in the original way, where the plugs are on the OE speaker itself, i had to cut the whole plug off the original speaker and solder new wires onto the original feed so i could keep the original wiring and plugs, bit of a bodge but easier than re-wiring the whole car with bass/treble splits, the original tweeters were a nightmare to remove, i undid the 3 screws, pulled the magnet away from the bottom, cut the centre out and mounted the new tweeter underneath, with grills back in place it looks tidy and OE.
Front speakers were easy, bendy screwdriver and some persuasion Laughing

Audi Nut Joined: Nov 18, 2011 Posts: 50 Location: Teesside

my answer to your problem, bend the screw tabs over about half way down and rotate the speaker to lock it as the original ones were

Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2012 6:26 pm

If I bend the screw tabs over I'm worried I'll accidentally snap them off. The original wiring isn't an issue as it isn't apparent near the head unit so I've added some wiring from the front, down the passenger side and will run the drivers side wire under the rear bench.
What I had though was to use the foam type draught excluder stuff you can get for house doors & windows from B&Q so that the speaker is flush against the mount then to use short self tapping screws to fix to the original bracket.
I'll have another look tomorrow lunch and see what i might be able to do.
If I did bend the tabs then twist them into the original slots, how is the best way to wedge/fix them into place? I'm concerned they may come loose if I don't fix them...........

Audi Nut Joined: Nov 18, 2011 Posts: 50 Location: Teesside

the plastic tabs on mine were quite thick so they wedged in nicely, i would assume the metal tabs would be the same, but if in doubt, self tapping is the answer but careful not to exit the other side with the sharp bit lol, you could possibly self tap through the card from underneath the speaker grills, when the grills are back on, you wouldn't see the screws

Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2012 9:18 pm

How do you get the mdf to stick to the panel...

I just screwed to where the mounts go, the bottom screw holes lined ip behind the pocket area, but i just put small self tappers on there. Sealed with silicone, then wrapped rubber type stuff round the behind of the speaker to seal then applied sound deadening onto that so it was nicely enclosed without building a box for it.

So long as you enclose the rear of them somehow your laughing, otherwise it effects them I find.

For the fronts dont seal them, instead seal the little area you have around the tops and the dashboard where that foamy stuff is. I found this much better sound reproduction on mine and you tend to get a bit more lower down sound, as in from lower down near footwell sound if you know what i mean, not lower bass.

Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2012 10:50 pm

Ok, decision made draught excluder type affair & possibly some sealant & self tappers it is. what length did you use from memory Dez? I'm guessing half inch should just about do it but will get 3/4 inch as well just in case (it's a fair drive to B&Q).............

Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2012 11:40 am

from what i can remember only very small ones. 1cm long at the maximum. Although the speakers which are in there are deep, they only wedged in. Shock

phew. like I said not the correct way to do it but hey ho it works for me. Definatly try and get some kind of sealing goin on behind the speaker way too much space there, it sounds much cleaner if you can. I was going to just lay fiber glass sheets over the back of the speaker straight onto the back of the panel but never got round to it.