I think the polyfil helps a lot. it's hard to explain but the bass just sounds more precise and not as sloppy.
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roger that; appreciate the feedback. one last question: which polyfil did you use? i was trying to find the type that was more of a continuous mass and less like the "pellets" or small balls that people stuff pillows/toys with...
i'll ask you the same question, then: recommend on a particular brand/maker of polyfil?
OP
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Fairfield The Original Fil Polyester Poly-Fill, 32 oz, White
thank you!
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I used:
Polyester Fiber Stuffing (1-pound pack) Make your subwoofer think it's in a bigger box at Crutchfield
I'll also add that I added cloth tape or foam anywhere and everywhere two pieces touched, especially the clips and screw threads. I used rubber washers on the 4 sub box connection points also. I wasn't having bad rattles (except at higher volume with bassy songs) but since I had the back opened up and I had plenty of materials I went ahead and kilmatted any flat/metal surface.
Some great concepts discussed here:
and here:
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Any updates on this? How did the 10 work for you?
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I ended up doing something very similar. The sound upgrade was almost the first thing I did on my Bronco when I got it.
I had the 6.5" non-B&O sub (7 speaker system). I had replaced it with a 6.5" Kicker powered from a 5-channel Kenwood X802-5 I threw in the glovebox. (Infinity references everywhere else, with the Mabett upgrade pods in the rear)
I didn't have the stock system long enough to notice a rattle, but after I replaced it, I certainly did. I didn't pull the enclosure out when I replaced the speaker.
Adding in Kil-a-mat and pulling out the entire enclosure, then re-torquing the attaching screws was all it took to clear the rattle back out. Honestly I think it was just the screws were loose.
I had also used batting when I installed the Kicker, but I don't think that contributed to either the rattle or the fix - just used some extra fiberglass bat insulation I had laying about.
All said, I had to go back into this back side panel like 4 times, so I was a pro at it by the end of it. Not too difficult to do but you do have to pull out a lot of interior panels to get it. There are good videos showing the process - not difficult, there at the end I could be in and out inside of 20 minutes, but the first time it took me almost an hour. There is an TSB update for the snapping clips for that rear interior panel (new P/N W722128-S300), although I haven't been able to find the updated clip in stock anywhere. I ended up replacing one of them with just a standard barbed plastic clip. I don't think this is what was causing my rattle though.
First time was just running wiring - I hadn't decided if I was going to do a tailgate mounted sub or replace the stock one yet, so just laid the wiring from the amp and ran an old sub I had laying around in an external enclosure in the rear for a bit - until I got sick of it eating up all my space in the back. I ran a big enough gauge wire that I could pretty much do whatever I wanted back there.
When I went back in, I used the 6.5" Kicker hoping to not have to significantly modify the stock enclosure - I was hoping to just speaker swap and be good. The stock speaker had some plastic alignment that I had to cut out, and there were some reinforcement gussets on the back side of the housing that kept me from using speed nuts to really toque the speaker screws in. I just used sheet metal screws and a bit of silicone and thought it should be ok.
When I first noticed the rattle, I thought the cause was that I hadn't used speed nuts, so I pulled it all back apart, cut away enough of the housing to get speed nuts in there, and re-sealed it all back up. (By the time I had done this, I had done enough work on the enclosure I should have just went with the 8" Kicker, but hindsight and all).
Since the rattle wasn't fixed, I went back in. Pulled out the entire enclosure, Kil-a-matted everything, and screwed it back in good and tight. That fixed it. Been running good since.
Sound-wise, the 6.5" Kicker is plenty loud for me. It does have some resonance points in it - it's not exactly tuned for the port on the factory enclosure, and it shows. If I were to do it all again, I'd seriously reconsider the tailgate mounted sub; although now that I have a molle panel there I don't know and I'd hate to give that up. Not sure the 8" would sound much different in that factory enclosure - it would certainly get louder (it has a higher wattage), but not being tuned I don't know if that would be better or not. Right now, I think for me it's good enough.
I had the 6.5" non-B&O sub (7 speaker system). I had replaced it with a 6.5" Kicker powered from a 5-channel Kenwood X802-5 I threw in the glovebox. (Infinity references everywhere else, with the Mabett upgrade pods in the rear)
I didn't have the stock system long enough to notice a rattle, but after I replaced it, I certainly did. I didn't pull the enclosure out when I replaced the speaker.
Adding in Kil-a-mat and pulling out the entire enclosure, then re-torquing the attaching screws was all it took to clear the rattle back out. Honestly I think it was just the screws were loose.
I had also used batting when I installed the Kicker, but I don't think that contributed to either the rattle or the fix - just used some extra fiberglass bat insulation I had laying about.
All said, I had to go back into this back side panel like 4 times, so I was a pro at it by the end of it. Not too difficult to do but you do have to pull out a lot of interior panels to get it. There are good videos showing the process - not difficult, there at the end I could be in and out inside of 20 minutes, but the first time it took me almost an hour. There is an TSB update for the snapping clips for that rear interior panel (new P/N W722128-S300), although I haven't been able to find the updated clip in stock anywhere. I ended up replacing one of them with just a standard barbed plastic clip. I don't think this is what was causing my rattle though.
First time was just running wiring - I hadn't decided if I was going to do a tailgate mounted sub or replace the stock one yet, so just laid the wiring from the amp and ran an old sub I had laying around in an external enclosure in the rear for a bit - until I got sick of it eating up all my space in the back. I ran a big enough gauge wire that I could pretty much do whatever I wanted back there.
When I went back in, I used the 6.5" Kicker hoping to not have to significantly modify the stock enclosure - I was hoping to just speaker swap and be good. The stock speaker had some plastic alignment that I had to cut out, and there were some reinforcement gussets on the back side of the housing that kept me from using speed nuts to really toque the speaker screws in. I just used sheet metal screws and a bit of silicone and thought it should be ok.
When I first noticed the rattle, I thought the cause was that I hadn't used speed nuts, so I pulled it all back apart, cut away enough of the housing to get speed nuts in there, and re-sealed it all back up. (By the time I had done this, I had done enough work on the enclosure I should have just went with the 8" Kicker, but hindsight and all).
Since the rattle wasn't fixed, I went back in. Pulled out the entire enclosure, Kil-a-matted everything, and screwed it back in good and tight. That fixed it. Been running good since.
Sound-wise, the 6.5" Kicker is plenty loud for me. It does have some resonance points in it - it's not exactly tuned for the port on the factory enclosure, and it shows. If I were to do it all again, I'd seriously reconsider the tailgate mounted sub; although now that I have a molle panel there I don't know and I'd hate to give that up. Not sure the 8" would sound much different in that factory enclosure - it would certainly get louder (it has a higher wattage), but not being tuned I don't know if that would be better or not. Right now, I think for me it's good enough.
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