Ideas for strengthening door panels?

[Buck 5,000+ posts]

Fiberglass resin the backside, maybe use kitty hair on it. Would strengthen it, then maybe lay down some MLV between the door and the panel.

 

[Kangaroux 5,000+ posts]

Just noticed your location. Are you sure your knee isn't hitting the panel because you're shivering? My brother lives on the water outside of Brunswick. Spent a week there one winter. Not doing that again. Beautiful during the summer but I'm guessing the shivering lasts about 6 month after the weather warms up.

Only outsiders shiver in maine lol. I sweat like a mother when it's 70 out. When it's spring I have a t shirt on when it's 35 degrees out and love it. And yes to your previous question, the panel is attached using clips. It doesn't flex where the clips are, it flexes in the center of the panel though. The door itself doesn't flex very much, just the panel.

 

[Rudy 10+ year member]

Post a video. Like to see this.

 

[TheUnderFighter 10+ year member]

He's a fat ass, he's got plenty of layers to keep him warm

In for vids. And I second the suggestion of cement.

 

[mlstrass 5,000+ posts]

For the actual plastic panel I've had good look using a LOT of deadener to add mass and self tapping screws to hold the panel on better....

 

[Kangaroux 5,000+ posts]

Post a video. Like to see this.

I've tried taking vids of it but my camera BLOWS when it comes to picking up lows. It flexes the most on 27-33hz but the camera literally cannot pick it up, at all.

 

[Kangaroux 5,000+ posts]

dbl

 

[xSPLoder 10+ year member]

I didn't want to read through all of this so sorry if someone has already said this but I was thinking about this last night and maybe instead of reinforcing the door, maybe you can put a foam layer padding behind the panel that will absorb most of the vibration. They make this blue foam padding that you put under floating floors (snap on wood laminate floors) that is pretty thin so it wont make your panels not fit and are cheap. They come in 100sqft rolls, I believe it is called luon(sp?). Wouldn't hurt to give it a try.

 

[Rudy 10+ year member]

I've tried taking vids of it but my camera BLOWS when it comes to picking up lows. It flexes the most on 27-33hz but the camera literally cannot pick it up, at all.

Probably doesn't show in a mirror either. Sounds like vampire flex. You have to drive a stake through the speaker to stop it.

 

[maylar 10+ year member]

I've tried taking vids of it but my camera BLOWS when it comes to picking up lows. It flexes the most on 27-33hz but the camera literally cannot pick it up, at all.

Got pics of the install? If you have sub bass in your doors I dunno how you'd ever keep plastic door panels from flexing.

 

[Exist_ential 10+ year member]

if you have any fiberglass experience you could glass in your own mounts and drill holes for additional skin clips

 

[Kangaroux 5,000+ posts]

Got pics of the install? If you have sub bass in your doors I dunno how you'd ever keep plastic door panels from flexing.

No sub bass in the doors, just a 6.5. It's a mid size suv so naturally it isn't built extremely well for audio. I plan on upgrading in the near future and it will require me to step up my front stage a bit. Fiberglassing the speakers onto the door will probably strengthen it enough that I won't really have to do much else.

 

[Kangaroux 5,000+ posts]

Probably doesn't show in a mirror either. Sounds like vampire flex. You have to drive a stake through the speaker to stop it.

lulz. I think it's part of the cameras anti shake feature that causes it not to show up. Instead of showing it how it should be, it blurs it a TON.

 

[Joseph7195 10+ year member]

My door panel is pretty flimsy too. I ended up using some expanding foam to help stiffen it up. It actually worked really well. My door panel is made from 3 different pieces that are sonic welded together and flex really good when the air would start moving. It really irritated me bro! I tried a couple things, including deadener, but ultimately the thing that worked was expanding foam. Here is a pic:

The foam is pretty stiff, but it's still flexible. Since it's not a solid structure, it doesn't rattle either. After it's solidified, it's easy to trim to the contours you need too. But the biggest plus, is it's cheap!!