How to make speaker brackets

1. Purchase 3/4" MDF
2. Remove door panel.
3. Remove speaker and basket.
4. Take speaker basket and trace around the outer edge of the basket.

5. Find center of the traced pattern.

6. Determine hole cutout size. (Normally found in instruction manual for speakers)
7. Using compass trace circle the size of the cutout hole.

8. Using jigsaw, or other tool to cut out hole.

9. Now using a jigsaw cut around the pattern you first traced from the speaker basket.
10. Insert basket into cutout.

11. Trace the four hole around the outer edge.
12. Drill hole for screw to mount bracket to car.
13. Using large diameter drill bit make holes larger so screws will be counter sunk.

14. Pre-mount bracket to door with four screws to check fit.

15. Take bracket off and paint.

16. Re-mount bracket and mount speakers.

very nice write up

Great Job Jim!!

Kick a$$!

This is the only part I didn't get...what exactly is counter-sunk, and how will the screws hold the wood in place if the pr-drilled holes are larger that the screw diameter used?

btw...you made this look so easy I will definitely be doing this by myself for my next car (hopefully the S)

i did mine last night and only just saw this thread, good idea on painting them, didnt think of that so i will be psinting mine today, finishes the look off.

Good Job! Added this thread to my how to section (link below).

As a word of advice, the door panels get a good bit of moisture in them when it rains. Using MDF might not be the best idea although it is easy to work with. Since you're not using it to make an enclosure, I would recommend using standard finished plywood. If it's exposed to moisture, it won't expand or buble like MDF. The paint does help though.

The best solution would be 3/4" plastic like plexi or something. Of course, that's a little harder to come by.

He is counterboring the mdf bracket so that the bracket mounting screws will be below the surface when it is mounted. Otherwise, the flange of the speaker would rest in the mounting screws for the bracket.

The couterbores do not go through the mdf bracket. They only go deep enough so that the head of the mounting screw will be below the surface.

huh?

What part do you not understand. Do you not understand the words countersunk or counterbore?

Precisely...I never took woodshop class

Picture a hole drilled through a piece of wood. The hole, when viewed from the side, will just look like a simple column. When you counter bore or counter sink it, a larger cutting tool (drill bit) is used to open up the one end of the hole so that the head of the screw will fit inside but still tighten up against the wood but the head of the screw will be past the surface of the wood.

If you look at a flat head screw from the side, the head is shaped like a triangle. If you use a drill bit the same or slightly larger diameter than the screw head, you can drill a little into the 3/4" MDF (or wood) just enough so that the head of the screw is not sticking up.

Better?

thought i would post a picture of mine mounted with the speaker in place.

nice speakers
how do they sound?

have not got them in my car as yet due to it being hit, they have very good reviews though, should get my car back in four weeks so will post once they get powered up.

still a long way to go in building the system only started three weeks ago and most of the bits have only just arrived from the US, so much better price than here in the UK. cant wait to get it all put in the car once its back.

Does this create any issues with the door panel?

No

nice nice, I started the process

Just wondering, are our speakers 6.5 inch? Because I got 6.5 inch /160mm JL Audio Coaxials and I don't think they fit

The OEM speakers are slightly smaller than 6.5". I have seen some posts refer to them as "european 6.5". That's the whole reason for this thread - very few aftermarket 6.5" speakers will fit the OEM mounts without building something like this bracket.

My Diamond D661s speakers were considerably larger than the OEM holes, but worked fine with a bracket just like the one described here

FWIW, the Polk Audio Momo speakers come with these brackets already in the box. Makes install a breeze and they won't warp since they're plastic.

Tada!!!
Thanks!!! This is awesome!!! I'd paint but I'm too lazy.

will 1/2 mdf make a huge differnce, only reason i ask is I have a ton of it

You will loose a 1/4" of mounting depth. If your speakers don't need the extra depth to clear the window when it's in the down position then the 1/2" should be fine.

Alpine Type S
is what they are.
Ill try 1/2 and if that doesnt work ill go buy some 3/4