Hey! You must agree with me traveling from one point to the other in a vehicle, be it a car or a minivan, can be quite monotonous for most of us. This problem is much more intense when we have to drive solo, with no one to give us company. How do we get rid of this boredom you might ask?
Well, the most common answer would be our vehicle’s music system. Many prefer listening to the radio or playing their favorite music on the factory audio system while traveling. It really does help when traveling alone.
However, to obtain the best and the most premium audio experience on the unending roads, the factory audio system that has been pre-built just won’t cut it. You must install aftermarket 6×9 speakers in the rear deck to bring the party to your car.
Make sure you have all the necessary tools for installation:
No installation process is easy and simple enough to be conducted with your bare hands. In order to install 6×9 speakers by yourself, you will need to utilize quite a few tools and equipment.
Other than the speakers themselves, you will need cut-out template for the speakers, a small cutting tool such as a Dremel, 2-3 metal cutting wheels, grinding wheel attachment, Drill (preferably cordless), 1/8 inch drill bit, mounting screws, any gasket material of your preference, a marker, and a medium flathead screwdriver.
You also need a few tools for your own safety during the process, such as safety glasses, dust mask, ear protection, and a long-sleeved shirt. Keep all the necessary tools close by, so that you can reach them easily.
Take out the factory speakers shipped with your vehicle:
Before you can install your premium aftermarket speakers, you must take out the stock speakers your beloved car came with. In order to do this, you have to remove the factory speaker grill first. Press your thumb against the edge and push with backward and upwards motion for the grill to pop out. Now, since the grill is off, you have to unscrew and remove your factory speaker. Remember to disconnect the connector as well.
Make sure the aftermarket speakers fit in place:
Once the stock speakers have been successfully removed, you will have to prepare the rear deck for installing your aftermarket 6×9 speakers. First of all, place the cutout template at the center of the hole, and then use a bold marker to trace the edge on the fabric. Next, you have to run the small cutting tool around the marked cutout line to cut out the fabric. Keep running the cutting tool along the cutout line on the fabric, until it touches metal.
This indicates that the fabric has been cut out properly. You can now remove the cutout material because you no longer need it to be there. Now, since the fabric has been removed, the next step requires you to remove a portion of metal along the edge of the remaining fabric. In this step, you could use something to avoid tiny, hot pieces of metal particles from flying around everywhere while you’re cutting the metal portion.
You should try your best to cut as much of the raised stock mounting tabs as you can, without straying too far from the initial cut outline. Make sure you use your safety glasses in this step because there will be particles flying around which can easily get into your eyes and cause irritation.
You should also use a dust mask to prevent the particles from being inhaled, and ear protection to protect your ears from the noise created during removal of the metal piece. Once you cut an almost perfect circle along the cutout line, you will eventually reach a point where the metal closest to you has not been cut.
At this stage, you have basically two ways of cutting the rest of the metal. You could continue cutting from above, but there is a risk of cutting your arm. The alternative way is for you to cut the remaining portion by laying in the trunk. You must also try to avoid using a worn-out blade while cutting metal.
After you cut out the hole, you must place the metal piece against the template to know if any further trimming is required. The use of a small cutting tool, such as Dremel, is bound to leave some sharp edges in the hole. You should grind those down in order to create an even and smooth surface. The hole should not be ready for placing the 6×9 speaker.
Place the 6×9 speaker in the hole
Since, the hole is ready, now you can install the 6×9 speaker into it so that it stays in place appropriately. You must make sure it fits properly and no further trimming or grinding is required.
When you know the speaker fits properly, wrap the portion of the metal that touches the speaker with your gasket material so that it is between the speaker and the metal-edge.
This reduces vibration and rattle. Next, you have to look for a drill bit which has to be smaller in diameter compared to the mounting screws. Now, after positioning and mounting the speaker properly, drill out one hole at a time using the mounting points as a guide.
Then, you have to place each screw into those holes. This procedure needs to be conducted carefully, to ensure the wrong spots are not drilled. You can now put back the factory grill in place, or use a new grill.
Make some final adjustments
After placing the speaker properly, hook it to the connectors. If you have removed the sub-woofer earlier to cut out the metal piece, put it back in its place and reconnect it back into the amp. Finally, you must test out the speakers to check if they are working properly.
Installing rear speakers are not particularly easy, but doing it on your own definitely is cost-effective. Workshops tend to charge quite a bit for any form of installation, and you may not always be satisfied with their work.
If you are an audiophile, and you really want a taste of that premium aftermarket sound, these steps will help you install your favorite 6×9 speakers hassle-free.