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Thread: Ideas on how to make a swappable sub box wall

  1. Back To Top    #1

    Ideas on how to make a swappable sub box wall

    So far I'm only this far on the sub box - didn't even have those walls screwed together yet.


    The sub box is the right half of the tire well (will be 'glassed) and rising up the right area behind the fender. The Sub baffle will be at a bit of an angle, but think of it as "firing up".

    Amp rack and emergency kit will occupy what's left of the tire well and left cubby.

    Original plan was to just make a gently curved fiberglass "waterfall" panel for the panel between the hatch floor and sub baffle above - but you know what -
    I also have two 12" passive radiators that would be fun to swap in.
    (That's the correct number of PR's for a single 12W7)

    I'd love the ability to make that a swappable set of panels -
    1) One vertical panel that maximizes my hatch space and makes it sealed.
    2) One vertical "V" shaped panel that protrudes into my hatch space to hold two passive radiators.

    To do that though, I'd need a way of securing that panel in a way that would be (drum roll)
    a) truly secure
    b) without visible fasteners

    My only idea so far sounds like a pain:
    Make a recessed frame to mate the swappable panel and the box, put threaded inserts on the swappable panel(s), and bolt it from the inside through the hole in the baffle above... which would require removing the sub every time... And probably what, 20 or 30 little bolts? And lord help me if any fall into that lower chamber... I guess I could stuff that chamber with polyfill...
    Hmm.

    Any better ideas?

  2. Back To Top    #2

    Re: Ideas on how to make a swappable sub box wall

    Why not just have the screw visible?

    If you are blessed with a thick wallet...
    https://youtu.be/NaN-Emvizq8

  3. Back To Top    #3

    Re: Ideas on how to make a swappable sub box wall

    I vote screws visible. Two things.

    #1 at work we learned long ago that so many bolts is a non-starter. Rather than, say, 20 8-32 screws, you can get the same holding power from 6 or 8 1/4-20. You just need to get the plates stiff enough not to wave on you.

    #2 exposed bolts is exactly the way I went on my grille. I used oversized screws and direct threaded the underlying MDF. I think I used 3/8" course thread. The oversized screws provided the needed coarseness to bite the MDF while still allowing me to use a bottoming tap to thread the MDF. Then I used black coated screws and countersunk them to make sure they looked pretty.

    best pic I have at the ready...



    The point is, you can make exposed screws look good if you take your time with the design.

    Obviously your design will not direct thread into MDF as your load requirements are too high for that, but you can get threaded inserts in any size, or countersink nuts as needed. I suggest sockethead cap screws for aesthetics and strength. 1/4-20 or 1/4-28 are easy to work with, I highly recommend. Otherwise 3/8 or 5/15 are great too, I've used those in the past too.

    Nothing fancy for the cleanest look, just stainless or black coated.

    -------------------------------------

    BUT

    What I would really do, in this case, is make the trunk floor swappable. The w7 would be on a fixed waterfall baffle. The trunk floor is going to be flat, and that is where you intercept for the PR. You make a rectangular panel that bolts on from the top and is hidden under the false floor, rather than a fixed panel.

    For the PR, the false floor comes out, the top of the box unbolts, and you bolt on an adder box (5 sided with flange) that holds the airspace and PRs. Then another false floor that clears the PR piece.

    That's the approach I would take, anyways.

  4. Back To Top    #4

    Re: Ideas on how to make a swappable sub box wall

    It's funny, you read my mind - check it out:

    But also I dropped the plan for the up-firing sub. So rather than a waterfall panel, the sub baffle will be there. It's going to complicate my fiberglassing, but that's OK:

    (That far panel is reshaped now - I have made much progress since this pic)

    On the left hand side is the upper chamber of the amp rack. It'll be motorized to tilt to open the bottom chamber, but importantly it's got a glass window suspended in a frame that will need to be removable to access the amps.

    On the right is the lower chamber for the sub box - about 1.5 cu.ft - and of course it needs a top panel. Conveniently, that is about 26" x 18". I can make that panel removable - allows me to swap a solid panel to make the box sealed, for a panel to finally try out my two flat panel 12" Passive Radiators. Never tried them yet, but check out how easy it is to change mass:

    I'm in the process of making a template to router some scallops 1/4" into my panels in this shape:

    It should allow the bolts to be about 2.75" apart from one another. Next step is to make the two templates and router the three panels.

    I bought these threaded 10-24 inserts and machined aluminum cone washers and stainless hex-key 10-24 bolts:

    They'll be recessed into those scallop areas so my hatch carpet panel will still set flush.
    This way the panels and bolts can be both functional and decorative.

    And if I could work on this more than an hour or two every other evening, I might actually make progress.

    Sent from my LM-G820 using Tapatalk

  5. Back To Top    #5

    Re: Ideas on how to make a swappable sub box wall

    I installed an invert mount w7 once. Painful….. but worth it. Looks like you’re doing that here?

  6. Back To Top    #6

    Re: Ideas on how to make a swappable sub box wall

    My only other thought is that when trying to fit 10 lb of amp into a 5 lb bag, there is no room for motors, not to mention the KISS principle… I’d keep that side simple and functional and let the right side do the talking!

  7. Back To Top    #7

    Re: Ideas on how to make a swappable sub box wall

    Quote Originally Posted by geolemon View Post
    It's funny, you read my mind - check it out:


    I bought these threaded 10-24 inserts and machined aluminum cone washers and stainless hex-key 10-24 bolts:

    I tried google, but if you have a link for those “washers” I could use it - please.

  8. Back To Top    #8

    Re: Ideas on how to make a swappable sub box wall

    Quote Originally Posted by Holmz View Post
    I tried google, but if you have a link for those “washers” I could use it - please.
    No problem - they were actually tough to find, I couldn't find them separate in this specific shape - these came with 1" bolts so I had to separately order 1.5" bolts, but that's no biggie.
    They also come with pop rivets which I don't need - using threaded inserts instead.
    Despite all the throw-it-in-the-hardware-drawer extra parts, they still weren't too bad since they are machined and solid, not hollow.

    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B087Q24GMN...p_mob_ap_share

    If you follow the "other customers bought" links, there are several other very cool looking washers that mate up with pan-head bolts instead, too... and those shapes you can buy separately.

    Sent from my LM-G820 using Tapatalk

  9. Back To Top    #9

    Re: Ideas on how to make a swappable sub box wall

    Quote Originally Posted by Whiterabbit View Post
    I installed an invert mount w7 once. Painful….. but worth it. Looks like you’re doing that here?
    No - believe it or not, it fits!
    The GTi does also.

    Might be my camera but all these spaces are larger than they appear. I'll net more than 1.5 cu.ft, even with the sub just dominating the upper chamber.

    But now I'm dying to know how you invert-mounted a W7 - I'm guessing you made a donut shaped baffle, bolted the W7 to it, then stuck the inverted baffle-ring-plus-W7 over your sub opening? It does have a sexy motor side!

    And yes - I'm adding a half inch more clearance to that grille. Going to make it hard to get the sub in and out to swap but I think I solved that too with a brace/support...
    Last edited by geolemon; 07-22-2021 at 10:58 AM.

  10. Back To Top    #10

    Re: Ideas on how to make a swappable sub box wall

    It was a traditional box in trunk install, vehicle owner wanted simple. The kind of box that is something like 12x12x24 for a pair of 10w7

    The a-traditional aspect was the entire baffle unbolted. A simple 5-sided box with bracing, and a 12x24 plank of MDF for baffle. Box was upholstered in black carpet, so the baffle was held on with flathead phillips black wood screws countersunk below the carpet face, so it was more or less invisible unless you were really looking for it. If I were doing it today I would use machine screw inserts, but still flatheads or sockethead caps countersunk to "disappear" as best as possible. I don't like bling, even if it is done nicely like you're planning here.

    Other than that, it's as you say. Pop off the baffle, mount the w7 backwards, then screw the baffle back on.

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