2012 Maxima spare tire enclosure build

[Bossman150]

I started the process of building a sub box out of my spare tire well.

First I used reynolds non stick aluminum foil over the entire area:

http://s1381.photobucket.com/user/bossman0150/media/spare%20tire%20sub%20enclosure/IMG_0408_zpsrw9oddfr.jpg.html?sort=2&o=0

I went ahead and cut out the piece here that holds down the spare tire:

http://s1381.photobucket.com/user/bossman0150/media/spare%20tire%20sub%20enclosure/IMG_0409_zpsffqxehzc.jpg.html?sort=2&o=1

I laid out my fiberglass cloth and realized I was missing two bags of the cloth, so I ended up using some old cotton sheets for the final layer:

http://s1381.photobucket.com/user/bossman0150/media/spare%20tire%20sub%20enclosure/IMG_0410_zpscep2vl6m.jpg.html?sort=2&o=2

http://s1381.photobucket.com/user/bossman0150/media/spare%20tire%20sub%20enclosure/IMG_0412_zpsyjpz7rkc.jpg.html?sort=2&o=3

http://s1381.photobucket.com/user/bossman0150/media/spare%20tire%20sub%20enclosure/IMG_0413_zpszqftzfh6.jpg.html?sort=2&o=4

Now I am just waiting for it to cure. It's 50 out and rainy here so it will take a while to cure enough to take it out.

Edit: For the life of me I can't get pics to show up, just links //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif

Click to read more...

 

[Bossman150]

Hmm getting a bit concerned, the very top part is hard but the rest is still rubbery. Been close to 3 hours now I think.

 

[The Camry]

Maybe you didn't give each layer enough time to cure. Thus leading to wet loose rubbery inner layers

 

[Bossman150]

Maybe you didn't give each layer enough time to cure. Thus leading to wet loose rubbery inner layers

Could be, guess I get to drive to work and back tomorrow with my windows down lol. Have to let it sit until I get home tomorrow

 

[Bossman150]

Ok got it pulled out this afternoon. The non-stick Reynolds wrap worked like a charm, popped right out and not a thing stuck to it. Still needs to cure a bit better though, I put it in my dad's workshop and cranked the heat to 75.

 

[CSCStang]

Tuned in......

 

[Ramrod 10+ year member]

 

[Bossman150]

Thanks for adding those! Well I must have screwed up a bit lol, tried to fill it with water today and it leaked, sigh. I will have to add more layers to the bottom and probably some to the sides to make it a bit more rigid.

 

[Bossman150]

Ok did some more work on this today. This morning I sanded down the last layer I put down with a disc sander, and took off a lot of the areas that had voids because the layers didn't stick together. Then I used a bit of bondo and filled in the voids.

This afternoon after it had dried good I sanded again and put down another layer of fiberglass, I used fleece this time and I used a LOT more resin, things stuck much much better. I don't think I used enough resin last time, but I have now used an entire gallon of it. It's in my dad's workshop and I have the heat cranked to 75, should be good to go on Monday when I get back there. I forgot to take more pictures. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif

 

[Bossman150]

Much better today! Very rigid, and it held water. I was able to get 22 gallons of water in it, and there would be room for another two gallons if the top was on (and it wasn't sitting on a slight incline lol). So it is right at 3 cubic feet, minus .1069 cubic feet for the divider I will put in, gets me 2.893 cubic feet, divided by two for each box is 1.447 cubic feet for each side and subtract the displacement of the sub .078 = 1.369 net cubic feet per side. Now to decide sealed or ported. I love the quality I get from sealed but the output is not where I want it, I'm not sure if going sealed and adding a second 10w6 would be enough or not, I would hope so.

How much will the sound change going from a prefab sealed net 1.122 sealed to this spare tire enclosure that points up toward the trunk lid?

 

[The Camry]

How much will the sound change? Well prefab to custom is a HUGE different. So thats good..except..The direction you have your sub faced(towards the roof) might cause you to lose alot of output. You need something close to load off of. Chances are...you wont get much output.

Take the prefab box and face it towards the roof and see what kinda output you get.

 

[Bossman150]

How much will the sound change? Well prefab to custom is a HUGE different. So thats good..except..The direction you have your sub faced(towards the roof) might cause you to lose alot of output. You need something close to load off of. Chances are...you wont get much output.
Take the prefab box and face it towards the roof and see what kinda output you get.

It's too long for me to do that, it wouldn't fit. That's a bit disappointing, but really no other way for me to do it and keep my trunk. CSCStang is going to help me calculate ports, hopefully that will help.

 

[The Camry]

Every car is different. Subs just usually like something to load off of. You might be just fine. Wont know till you try //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[Bossman150]

Thanks to some great advice from CSCStang, I am going to do 16" of 4" flared Aeroport. I will put enough outside the box to get the port as close to 6-8" away from trunk lid as I can. It will look a little funny but still will take up very little trunk space, and will also keep things from falling in the ports.

 

[The Camry]

throw up some pics when your done. im curious to see how youll pull this off.