I want to use the stock location for a sub-woofer. I was thinking about an JL 8W7 sub. Rather than just mounting it free-air, it ideally needs an enclosure of .875 cu ft. I was considering JL's CLS108RG-W7 box-woofer assembly. I would then remove the front plate of the box and woofer, mount them above the rear deck, and the box below the rear deck. I would mount and secure the box through the rear deck and seal any gaps/unused holes. Saves the trouble of calculating a precise box size, not to mention building a nice carpeted box. Anybody forsee any problems with this plan?

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or you could just find out the dimensions of the jl box and build it yourself for about a fourth of the cost of that JL box. Just a thought.

 

I wished I could say this is a good idea. Unfortunately, there are too many obstacles for this to be successful. First, you would ruin the cabinet before you successfully removed the baffle. Second, you would increase the volume in the enclosure if you could seal it properly. Third, the weight of the assembly would be too much for an un-reinforced rear deck. Lastly, the cabinet is 15.75" deep, it wouldn't be an attractive addition to your trunk.

The W7 series is not designed for free-air applications. Hope this helps with your system design.

Take care,


amG35
2003 Silver Sedan

 

amg35 - Thanks for the feedback. I hadn't thought of the weight issue.

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No problem. Good luck with the system and here is some advice I give everyone who asks on system design. First, listen to the products that you are considering for your system. Second and most important, "don't believe the hype." What I mean by that is that you are the ultimate judge of what sounds good in your car, so if you love the sound then it is the best for you and your car, regardless of what others may think. You listen to the music everyday, so make sure you enjoy the music.

Take care,


amG35
2003 Silver Sedan

 

Another question on weight; The 8W7 weighs 17 lbs. The back deck currently has the stock sub (5lbs??) and the stock amp (2lb??). Both will be gone once I install the new sub. Add another couple of lbs. for a suspended enclosure, so I would be adding about 12lbs of weight to the rear deck. I can't see how that's a problem....the rear deck must be pretty darn strong, as it has seat belt mounting points in it.

2nd question; can an enclosure box be wide and flat instead of somewhat square? Or does the driver need air space directly behind it? The W7 is 8.32" deep. A wide enclosure 8.5" deep would be a lot less in the way (in terms of trunk space loss) under the back shelf than one almost 16" deep; granted it would have to be almost twice as wide.

3rd question; the .875 cu ft enclosure size does not include the driver itself, correct? The sample enclosure diagram on the JL spec sheet showed an actual size of .93 cu ft. if my calculation is correct.

Woodworking is not at all an obstacle for me, the plan is the problem.

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You will be adding easily 20+ pounds concentrated to a weaker point of the rear deck. In addition to the W7 weight, the force the W7 can create will stress the rear deck.

An enclosure can have any shape. The 8W7 has a vented pole piece so allow a minimum of .5" clearance behind the sub.

Yes you must account for the displacement of the sub and any bracing you put into the enclosure.

Consider using fiberglass as an enclosure material, it has greater strength per mass and will allow you to conform to almost any shape.

Take care,


amG35
2003 Silver Sedan

 

I guess I need to take a closer look at the read deck, and consider some means of reinforcement in my plans.

04 G35s 6MT BS Aero Kit/Nav/Prem
Warning: Objects in Mirror Are Losing!