American Bass Install- custom 5.25 brackets

MattismodderX · 12-10-2009, 10:19 AM

(thread moved. id like some advice!)
Ok so it only took from 4:30pm to 10pm but i got the front two american bass 4x6s in the font doors and rerouted them to the headunit. after i did that it sounded great but the 6x9s in the back sounded like dirt in comparison. the 6x9s only played mids and hardly any lows. the stock amp wouldnt let me have the tweeter on it hooked up with the mids hooked up. so i rerouted the wiring to the headunit for them and now the highs are crispy fresh! didnt get to make a baffle for the 6x9 adapter to fit the 5.25s.. it was too late. below are pictures of the install, the 5.25 baffle will be done tomorrow. any ideas that are out of the ordinary? i was going to mount some kind of wood and cut out the hole for the middle of the 6x9 adapter bracket and have the speaker in the middle with the speaker cover. any creative ideas on a different kind of baffle is welcome. (not fiberglass)

also something completely unrelated... so after installed the speakers i go to leave.. crank up the bass and it sounded waaay different. before it was clean as hell. every bass hit between 24-35hz was perfect deep. now it seems like its not quite as clean/perfect sq but quite a bit louder. it vibrates hella ridiculous hard now and i think it HAS to be hitting at least 140. the song i used for the db drag that has the highest spl on a constant sounds way louder. it sounds so much better on just about every song i have. even the low ones. better response too on every tone it playes. personally i listen to my car full blast at least 2 hours+ a day since september. i remember thinking just yesterday how i think either im getting deafer or the sub is getting quieter. now i can notice a major different. i didnt touch any of the sub wiring/amp settings/headunit setting, nothing.. it just hits crazy hard now. any ideas as to wtf happend? im really excited about this. its like a miracle or something. id there has to be a possibility. all i did was rewire all the speakers to the stock head unit. it still has the remote wire to it connected to the harness tho

i thought the packaging was pretty damn good for the price.

soo beautiful

the old 4x6 compared to the new one. time to cornstarch/water experiment with them! the pictures are pretty dark because the garage i was working in had one 60w bulb on the other side ceiling and i had a table light with an extension cord inside my car. it actually turned out working better then any other light source. even daytime.

the wires were a nightmare for the headunit- but i ended up brute forcing and a vice grip to take out the piece of plastic that wouldnt let it go in all the way. all i had was electrical tape to connect everything unfortunately

photo of the speaker installed in the door. ill add some silicone tomorrow to seal up all the gaps due to the speaker not being big enough lol

the headunit finally fits perfectly inside without being slanted and pushed out to much. overall the speakers in the front are much much cleaner compared to the old ones. totally worth every penny. the highs in the back are on as well making it sound better all around.

Nate's Alero · 12-10-2009, 10:26 AM

Looks good

MattismodderX · 12-10-2009, 12:12 PM

thanks. ill post the rest tomorrow when my check cashes. ideas are welcome

Fi-Alero · 12-10-2009, 05:00 PM

Everything looks good except for the electrical tape connections. I can not begin to count how many radio installs I've had to fix because of that. I would recommend going back and at least use butt-connectors to connect the wires as soon as possible.

MattismodderX · 12-10-2009, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fi-Alero

Everything looks good except for the electrical tape connections. I can not begin to count how many radio installs I've had to fix because of that. I would recommend going back and at least use butt-connectors to connect the wires as soon as possible.

i plan on it when its warmer out. ill hold the winter for sure. had them on my car since i first bought it. i just make sure to tape it real good/clean so it wont ever come apart unless its physically disturbed.

i can tell no one read the 2nd paragraph about the sub. or if they did just dont know me well enough to care

but id love to hear how its possible for it to just completely change the sound w.o touching/disconnecting any of the sub wiring. i HAS to be hitting at least 140 now.

so today i decided to snap a couple shots of the car. i added window tint all around to add to the murderocity of the alero. forget oldsmobile. murdermobile! the rims look amazing shiny and tire-wett'd but the salt covered that up pretty damn quick

cleaned up the box install a hell of a lot since last time.. sanded down the hole to fit the rubber surround and flipped the box/sealed the holes on the bottom. the jumper cables are there because my car has died a few times in the past week and its faster then AAA. had the acc on too long.

tsmitty025 · 12-13-2009, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fi-Alero

Everything looks good except for the electrical tape connections.

I have used electrical tape connections in all 3 of my vehicles throughout 7 years and have never had a problem with it.

no worries.

Fi-Alero · 12-14-2009, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tsmitty025

I have used electrical tape connections in all 3 of my vehicles throughout 7 years and have never had a problem with it.

no worries.

That just means you have good luck lol.
As I said earlier, I cannot begin to count how many vehicles I have had to repair the radio install on because of electrical tape. Not only can it result in a loose connection, but it also can result in an unseen bad connection.

Ryan from Ohio · 12-10-2009, 05:55 PM

Did you unhook the radio when wiring up the speaker? Undo the battery?

If so you may have changed your crossovers or sub output gain.

The loud feature may be enabled.

Your previous eq settings may have been whipped.

Most radio's fully reset when unplugged.

MattismodderX · 12-10-2009, 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ryan from Ohio

Did you unhook the radio when wiring up the speaker? Undo the battery?

If so you may have changed your crossovers or sub output gain.

The loud feature may be enabled.

Your previous eq settings may have been whipped.

Most radio's fully reset when unplugged.

it does reset every time it loses power. i set all the settings in every last corner of the headunit. the loud feature is always off. dont even know why its there. with the sub on 0 its quieter then before but when i put the gain on the amp where its supposed to and add +3 to 4 on the subwoofer setting menu it beats STUPID hard. waaaay harder then it ever has. went from dayum to

Fi-Alero · 12-11-2009, 01:24 PM

You have a setting changed somewhere.

Quote:

with the sub on 0 its quieter then before but when i put the gain on the amp where its supposed to and add +3 to 4 on the subwoofer setting menu it beats STUPID hard.

Which most likely means it is receiving a stupid distorted signal

Distortion can create the illusion to the ears that you bass is louder, but in reality, it is just killing your subs.

MattismodderX · 12-11-2009, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fi-Alero

You have a setting changed somewhere.

Which most likely means it is receiving a stupid distorted signal

Distortion can create the illusion to the ears that you bass is louder, but in reality, it is just killing your subs.

ive been kind of expecting it.. i found a rip in the spider the other month and havnt just been beating it until it doesnt beat any longer.. then i can just get a recone. what could cause this distortion? i really think it sounds better on a lotta songs. especially the high SPL songs

UPDATE: bought a piece of birch wood 2"x2" to cut the baffles out and some silicone to seal it in. will hopefully get it done tonight, if not almost all the way. pictures for days as usual

Ryan from Ohio · 12-11-2009, 02:35 PM

Seal the fronts also!

MattismodderX · 12-12-2009, 01:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ryan from Ohio

Seal the fronts also!

does it make them louder? they seem a quite a bit quieter then the stocks at more rms

cherrington17 · 12-12-2009, 07:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ryan from Ohio

Seal the fronts also!

so if i get that set of massives, i should make a box for them, on the back of the door?

or are you talking about the backseats?

Fi-Alero · 12-12-2009, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cherrington17

so if i get that set of massives, i should make a box for them, on the back of the door?

or are you talking about the backseats?

The only way to go in the front is 6 1/2s with custom fiberglass pods

cherrington17 · 12-12-2009, 02:02 PM

i'm well aware of that. I'm planning on fiberglassing my doors, since my current pods are fugly-tastic.

i'm just wondering if i should seal the back, of it?

Fi-Alero · 12-12-2009, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cherrington17

i'm well aware of that. I'm planning on fiberglassing my doors, since my current pods are fugly-tastic.

i'm just wondering if i should seal the back, of it?

If you wanted a little better mid-bass response out of your door speakers, you could sound deaden the door to seal it off a bit. It should help alot.

Ryan from Ohio · 12-12-2009, 03:16 PM

The whole concept is to keep the front wave from meeting the rear wave.

Take it how ya want.

MattismodderX · 12-12-2009, 03:17 PM

UPDATE: the guy whos tools i was gonna use had them all out on a job 40 miles away (residing a house) so i couldnt do it yesterday. will be completed today tho! eff yeah!

MattismodderX · 12-13-2009, 02:24 AM

Ok so the baffles are created! the speakers fit great but gotta wait for the adhesive to dry. gonna paint them around 10am tomorrow then install the speakers in them that night. will have photos of the completed baffles then!

LOL this is back side of the first one i made.. looked like DIRT. ended up tossin it

the second one. much more pretty and symmetrical

mm yess fits quite nicely

pre-glued

after-glued. will be sanded and painted tomorrow!

the backside. adhesive out the ass!

painting 10am sharp followed by the install. rest of the pics up sunday night!