[kcker]

Hi.

Has anyone changed their door speakers in a 2006 forester? How did you do it?

i think i looked close enought and is this true:

*there is no room for aftermarket spacers.
*size of front OEM speaker is 6" and not 6.5" as crutchfield says.

 

[parad1mg]

**i highly suggest that you get a set of nylon/non-scratching interior removal tools.


for the front:

- pop the plastic ring thing around the handle.
- theres a small cover at the base of the door grab handle (the one you hold on to when you close the door from inside) pop that open and remove the screw.
- lift the whole "pull handle" and window switch upwards and disconnect the wire harness attached to it.
- with proper interior panel removal tools, pry off the door panel starting from the bottom while taking note of the location of the clips that attach it to the metal door panel.
- removal of the speakers (front) is as easy as removing a few screws and detaching the connector behind it.

>installation is just the reverse.

>>>> 6.5" speakers will fit in the front. i have POLK db651's in there with no spacers at all and it fits perfectly. i did have to drill an additional hole to further secure the speaker properly. google db651 and take note of the speakers' dimensions and find one that is almost similar to it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

for the rear door:

- removal is the same process with the front door.

>>>> i cannot comment with the speaker size (diameter wise) but it is deep enough for me to fit 6.5" speakers INSIDE of the door. i just have to make a seal between the speaker and the metal door since i have a half inch gap between them. one thing to take note of is that the interior panel will not allow you to install a speaker with protruding tweeters. there is just no space for it.


I trust Crutchfield with the proper gear to outfit any vehicle. sometimes they say it wont fit (even though it does with a few modifications) so that a customer will buy their recommended item and be able to install the recommended hardware without any hassle and with very minor work, as in plug and play.

hope this helps..

 

[kcker]

i removed the door panel and took measurements and thought that its gonna be too hard to find a better than stock speaker to put in there.

thanx a lot parad1mg, its good to know that 6.5" speakers could fit and i'll check measurements of db651 now.

did you use the same speakers in the back?

btw. i've read that rear speakers are only for rear passengers
what are your thoughts?

 

[parad1mg]

i did use the same 651's in the back but that took some modified mounts to make it work right and i would recommend doing the same to anyone..

if you want a decent soundstage that wont blow your windows out then i'd get the following:

- aftermarket HU (pioneer, alpine and kenwood would be my brand picks)
- component speakers up front (separate tweeter and woofer. mount tweeter in the factory door pillar location to bring the sound up to ear level)
- 3 way/ 2 way speakers at the back with a flat face (no protruding tweeter cones)
- an amplifier to power the speakers. (i honestly dont have one since i dont listen at an ear shattering volume level so there's an option for you too :biggrin
- subwoofer. search the forum for an underseat one (go aftermarket and dont get an oem subwoofer). search "sea-scooby sub kit" too as he sells a complete custom kit.
- sound deadening. search "project quiet car" in the forum and read it up. a sound deadened car makes a big difference.


you could go slowly with the whole process too like what i'm doing (audio is NOT a cheap project at all). i started with oem tweeter kit> aftermarket speakers > underseat powered subwwofer (boss 8") with stock headunit and soundeadeners soon and the 3 upgrades already made a HUGE difference in sound quiality.

have you checked out crutchfield.com? that site has tons of info for anyone looking to upgrade their system.

 

[kcker]

no coaxial speakers in front, got it.

its an expensive project, yes
i have had a subwoofer for some time now and i start to feel that there is absolutely something missing between sub level and tweeter level

now ill go and find good 6.5" speakers.

drive around for a year and maybe ill find myself in need for rear speakers

sound deadening could be the last/most expensive thing to do. i would want it perfect and im not sure who here in Latvia does it.

 

[parad1mg]

you can put coaxials in the front and the back for the best quality sound you can buy. but like what i said, if you dont really need it then 2 way and 3 way speakers will do you just fine :smile:

you can buy the deadener at ebay.. i think poland is the closest one to you since estonia and belarus doesnt have ebay sites. link> sound deadener, Auto Cz??ci za granic? taniej na eBay, sound deadener najwi?kszy wybór, niskie ceny.

sound deadener is easy to install too. it just takes some time.

for whatever plan you go with your audio, have fun and goodluck!

 

[Tussen]

Here's what I did. http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/f77/my-audio-system-44534/
Polks up front also.

 

[kcker]

thanx parad1mg.
im almost ready to do some shopping.

Tussen, sweet setup.
tell me how your door speaker mounting went - hard/easy parts