Hey there guys. Over the last few months I’ve had scores of people asking me to do a tutorial on how to install speakers correctly into the doors of the R33 Skyline. Well we (obviously) had to wait for another R33 to come in for the treatment and that has happened this week with an R33 GTR. So without further ado, this is the procedure for doing the doors correctly.

Step one: Take one original door complete with factory moulded plastic base speaker. Take plastic off and remove residue.



Step two: Apply sound deadening to outer skin.



Step three: Add diffuser panels behind the speaker. Tie the factory speaker wires (hanging down in image) to the loom as you'll be running aftermarket ones.



Step four: Run aftermarket speaker cables through modified door plug socket. In the Skyline where the cables run through to the doors, we simply machine a single hole (diameter varies depending on gauge of cable; pictured below is Audison Connection Sonus 14 gauge). This hole should be located between the main wires and that is where the aftermarket cables run through. These holes are traditionally blank. If need be you can also remove the plug totally and run your own loom tubes.



Step five: Sound deaden inner skin and remove air bubbles. Seal spacer onto door. Leave enough clearance for door handle and lock control rods to move freely. Also leave a little deadening around the top of the speaker hole to act as a 'roof' against water when it rains.



Step six: Create the spacers. These should be drilled to match up with the doors factory holes ensuring you don't damage the car by drilling holes).



Step seven: Make sure the midrange has a gasket because there is little use in going to all this trouble and then having no seal on the door itself. Solder the trimmed speaker wires onto speaker. Don't use crimp terminals because their two best traits are falling off and creating resistance.



Step eight: Heat shrink around the terminals to protect them. Unlike electrical tape, heat shrink will not begin moving after a couple of months.



Step nine: Screw speaker onto spacer. Make sure you seal around the baffle and place a gasket between the speaker and the baffle in order to keep the bass strong.



There you have it; one Skyline door done, Fhrx Studios style.

That is a very slick looking install. These are definately things that this place needs, as even though not everyone has these cars or doors, small things you put in give great ways of doing things (ie soldering on the connection rather then using a crimp terminal, never really thought much into it before now)

lookin awesome as usual marty!

cheers

Hi Marty,


1. What should we use for a gasket between the speaker and the spacer?

2. What Would you suggest for sealing the spacer against the door? That looks like a layer of dynamat to me? Cut out in the shape of the spacer?

3. "Also leave a little deadening around the top of the speaker hole to act as a 'roof' against water when it rains." Can you explain this?


Cheers

In answer to your questions:

1. Foam gasket material. You can get it from Clark Rubber or Jaycar.

2. Silastic goes around the spacer. The spacer screws onto the deadening (remember the deadening covers the entire door).

3. When you cut the speaker holes in the deadening, leave about four inches at the top of the circumference. When the speaker goes in it simply pushes this piece of deadening in and up, hence it becomes the roof that stops water going into the speaker.

Looking good Marty. Where you drilled/machined that hole, isn't that where the bolt goes through to hold the molex plug into the door?

I must admit, I have stolen the idea of using the heatshrink on all my speaker connections now.

No the hole machined through actually sits right next to the M6 bolt hole. The bolt actually holds the plug in so if you take that out you'll be in a world of hurt!

I don't have a clear shot of the plug from the opposite side however this is the passenger one from the back. That sort of shows how it sits next to it.

I didn't think you guys would make that kind of mistake

"world of hurt" I like that. hehehehe

That pic clearly shows it, thanks


* I have seen worse on the R33's, an un-named fitter, spent 5 minutes in the engine bay looking for the battery I found that most amusing

Speaking of batteries; this R33 has had the usual Fhrx battery / earthing kit upgrade too. All with custom alloy brackets etc to avoid damaging anything.

so where are all the earthing points? i cant see it real well in those pics. any run to the engine bay?

Fantastic write up Marty

pretty much overlaps the entire skyline family as well they way it all goes.

Do you clean the doors prior to putting the SD on and if so what with???

Cheers Ben

Earthing points are on the shock towers, and sway bar lock down bolts. Anything to make the cars body a much stronger earth.

You really do great work with that stuff. Keen to know, how much would have each of those things set the owner back?

Top work

I have a query that has probably been answered before but....



How do you deaden the outer skin if you only have 2-3 small serivce holes? I can get my hand in part the way, but it can only contort so much. Do you just cut up a aheap into smaller portions, or is there an easier way??

feed strips in with a pair cooking BBQ clampy things , a cheap metal set so u can mod it if needed.Grab one end with the utensil and feed it through, and grab the other end with your hand and guide it till its in place and then let it stick on.Another way is a coat hanger and punture the edge of teh strip and use that to giude it in, do the same with the other smaller holes , eccept feed the wire/clampy through the smaller holes towards your feeder hole, then clamp and feed, and then just cut smaller bits and use your clamps or wire jig to get to those hard to get at areas.
Put a lead light in your door cavity for some surgery like precission.Bash the deadner down with bits of wood u cut up to the perfect size ...........cors

how much $$ of dynamat is recommended as a minimum ? please dont say two xtreme door kits

does deadening the outer skin serve a different purpose to the inner skin ? are they both to reduce rattles ?