Need advice on MDF Ring for My 6.5's....

[Mr. Black 10+ year member]

I am attempting to install my new CDT HD-642 speakers in my '77 Ford F-150. I cut out some 1/2" MDF rings, but the problem is I have very little space between the door panel and the actual door. Needless to say the ring with the speaker mounted will not allow my door panel to go back on. I suppose I could try a 3/8" MDF ring but that might be too tight as well. I would prefer to stay away from butchering my door panels if at all possible. Anybody have any other ideas? Thanks

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[Mr. Black 10+ year member]

What would be the thinnest MDF ring I could get away using?

 

[msrpIZtooMUCH 10+ year member]

If you really want to use the stock door locations for your front stage, and modifying the door panels is not an option and the CDT drivers will not fit without spacers, then you will have to switch drivers with shallower mounting depths. Look into Morel and Dynaudio.

What you could do...and what I would do if I were in your position...is ignore the stock door locations and make some fibergalss kick pods to mount the speakers in. This way you could keep your door panels stock, get your fornt stage more on axis and get better pathlength equalization for your front stage.

 

[Mr. Black 10+ year member]

If you really want to use the stock door locations for your front stage, and modifying the door panels is not an option and the CDT drivers will not fit without spacers, then you will have to switch drivers with shallower mounting depths. Look into Morel and Dynaudio.
What you could do...and what I would do if I were in your position...is ignore the stock door locations and make some fibergalss kick pods to mount the speakers in. This way you could keep your door panels stock, get your fornt stage more on axis and get better pathlength equalization for your front stage.

It's not the speakers (mounting depth) that poses a problem, rather the factory spacing between the door and the door panel that is preventing the use of an MDF ring. Where exactly would you recommend mounting the kick pods? Still on the door? Thanks

 

[dakotus 10+ year member]

Black

Im kind of in the same boat as you. I have a set of EF-61 woofers that I want to install. But I dont think they will fit. Im pretty sure that the mdf ring will be protruding too far and will hit the plastic door panel. Maybe chop the pdf ring in half? and make it 0.375 " thick?

 

[msrpIZtooMUCH 10+ year member]

Where fiberglass kicks are installed is somewhat dependent on the vehicle and the options that it gives you, but usually they are installed somewhere near the e-brake on the drivers side (assuming you don't have one located in the consule), and the same area on the passengers side. Sometimes you have to get creative to make them work.

 

[Mr. Black 10+ year member]

Where fiberglass kicks are installed is somewhat dependent on the vehicle and the options that it gives you, but usually they are installed somewhere near the e-brake on the drivers side (assuming you don't have one located in the consule), and the same area on the passengers side. Sometimes you have to get creative to make them work.

Hmmm, as my truck is quite old, there really is not a lot of room in those particular areas. Plus I just spent the last week deadening the hell out of my whole truck, with emphasis on the doors, so I just got to test em out I suppose I could start choppin away at the panels. Before I get too carried away though, would slicing the ring in two as Dakotus suggested have any purpose at all? Another idea I had might be to reverse the ring location. Instead of mounting it on top of the door, I could widen the hole some and then slide the ring behind the door, mount it and then mount the speaker to the MDF. Any thoughts? Thanks again

 

[msrpIZtooMUCH 10+ year member]

For a midbass driver you want the ring to be as thick as possible to assure the strongest mounting surface...3/4 inch or thicker is ideal. Assuming this will be playing the midbass frequencies (60hz to 200hz), and assuming that you plan on listening at high volumes, anything less will likely fail in time due to vibrations. If you are going to modify the panels, there is no reason not to put the thickest/strongest mdf ring you can get.

BTW - Make sure you seal the MDF.

 

[msrpIZtooMUCH 10+ year member]

I wouldent advise mounting the ring behind the sheet metal, because the sheet metal will not make as good of a seal with the mating surface of the speaker as the MDF would. It all depends on listening volumes and end use. The louder the volumes and the lower the frequencies are the more critical the ring, deadening, and the seal between the speaker and the mating surface become.

 

[Mr. Black 10+ year member]

For a midbass driver you want the ring to be as thick as possible to assure the strongest mounting surface...3/4 inch or thicker is ideal. Assuming this will be playing the midbass frequencies (60hz to 200hz), and assuming that you plan on listening at high volumes, anything less will likely fail in time due to vibrations. If you are going to modify the panels, there is no reason not to put the thickest/strongest mdf ring you can get.
BTW - Make sure you seal the MDF.

Thanks for the info. Yeah I got 2lbs of non-hardening clay waiting to be used...