3.5 Door Speaker Upgrade Recommendation

[Canoman]

If by tons you mean none, then I agree. Just looked - zero 8 ohm 3.5 mids on either site.

https://www.parts-express.com/tecto...-3-1-2-bmr-full-range-speaker-8-ohm--297-2156

https://www.parts-express.com/peerl...-3-1-2-full-range-paper-cone-woofer--264-1062

Here are two 3.5" 8 ohm drivers, but I'd check that 8 ohm is right, just as Mumbles suggests. I thought they were 2 ohm.

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[mumbles]

Again, please verify what impedance (ohms) your `18 speakers are as it is a primary factor determining how much current is drawn from the amp.

Generally speaking, you can safely increase the impedance values and not worry about bad things happening. For example, if your `18 speakers turn out to be 2ohms, you can safely replace them with 4ohm speakers which will draw less current... they will also probably not get as loud at a given volume level.

Going the other direction is where things bad things can happen... if your stock speakers are 8ohms, and you replace them with 4ohm speakers, you increase the current draw on the amp and could possibly damage the amp.

 

[svtsnake]

I used the Polk DB351's in my '18. I changed out both doors & the center channel. I desoldered the factory connectors and modified the stock speaker mounts. The mounts for the door speakers had to be clearanced a bit, the center was bolt in other than the soldering. It was a little too much tweeter, so I unplugged the factory a-pillar tweeters, and use the Polk 3.5"s as a 2-way. I switched out the 6.5" door to a Polk BD 6502 6.5" component, mounted in modified factory speaker housings, and didn't use the tweeters. I changed the rear deck speakers to a pair of Polk DB652's. I added 2 12" woofers w/ 800w RMS in a Zenclusure forward firing box and keep my rear seats folded down unless i need to use them. I have about $800 total in the system, and it sounds much better than stock.

 

[Rash]

I used the Polk DB351's in my '18. I changed out both doors & the center channel. I desoldered the factory connectors and modified the stock speaker mounts. The mounts for the door speakers had to be clearanced a bit, the center was bolt in other than the soldering. It was a little too much tweeter, so I unplugged the factory a-pillar tweeters, and use the Polk 3.5"s as a 2-way. I switched out the 6.5" door to a Polk BD 6502 6.5" component, mounted in modified factory speaker housings, and didn't use the tweeters. I changed the rear deck speakers to a pair of Polk DB652's. I added 2 12" woofers w/ 800w RMS in a Zenclusure forward firing box and keep my rear seats folded down unless i need to use them. I have about $800 total in the system, and it sounds much better than stock.

Questions:

- What impedance were the factory speakers? And your replacements?
- How did you wire the 12” woofers?
- Is this all running off factory amp?
- Does the sound stage sound okay considering factory processing is setup for factory speakers and not your replacements?
- Do you have 9 speaker or 12 speaker shaker?

 

[svtsnake]

I don't remember the impedance on the factory speakers for sure & I threw them out, but I think the doors were 4Ω, and the center was 8Ω. Everything is using the factory amp, it sounds much better than stock. I had the 9 speaker, but the only difference is the rear deck speakers have a tweeter in the 12 speaker. I now have the rear tweeters, and a center tweeter. With the subs I now have a 14 speaker counting the way Ford does.
For the subs, I ran the power through the bottom of the battery box through the little vent, then through the firewall by cutting the "nipple." I went under the carpet, behind the trim panel and back to the trunk. I used the center seat bracket for my ground. I put the amp on the back of the box. I soldered the RCA cables directly to the rear deck speaker connectors along with the wires for the new speakers, as my amp can accept low level inputs. There was no need to run a remote wire, as the amp turns on when it senses the low level inputs. I ran the cable for the bass boost knob under the carpet and up into the bottom of the center console. The knob is on the driver side, inside of the console.
It was a very easy install. The most time consuming part was modifying the (4) 6.5" factory speakers / brackets. What I did was cut the factory speakers out of their brackets with a dremel, and then pulled the cone off.
Then I clearanced for the new mounting ears and screwed the Polks to the "cage" that was left. I basically turned the factory speakers into a speaker adapter utilizing the factory plugs for wiring connections. The 3.5" are simple bolt in and resolder the wires. The factory speakers are screwed to a mounting adapter that contains the factory plug. They only needed a tiny bit of clearancing.

 

[Rash]

- What impedance were the factory speakers? And your replacements?
- How did you wire the 12” woofers?
- Is this all running off factory amp?
- Does the sound stage sound okay considering factory processing is setup for factory speakers and not your replacements?
- Do you have 9 speaker or 12 speaker shaker?

I don't remember the impedance on the factory speakers for sure & I threw them out, but I think the doors were 4Ω, and the center was 8Ω. Everything is using the factory amp, it sounds much better than stock. I had the 9 speaker, but the only difference is the rear deck speakers have a tweeter in the 12 speaker. I now have the rear tweeters, and a center tweeter. With the subs I now have a 14 speaker counting the way Ford does.
For the subs, I ran the power through the bottom of the battery box through the little vent, then through the firewall by cutting the "nipple." I went under the carpet, behind the trim panel and back to the trunk. I used the center seat bracket for my ground. I put the amp on the back of the box. I soldered the RCA cables directly to the rear deck speaker connectors along with the wires for the new speakers, as my amp can accept low level inputs. There was no need to run a remote wire, as the amp turns on when it senses the low level inputs. I ran the cable for the bass boost knob under the carpet and up into the bottom of the center console. The knob is on the driver side, inside of the console.
It was a very easy install. The most time consuming part was modifying the (4) 6.5" factory speakers / brackets. What I did was cut the factory speakers out of their brackets with a dremel, and then pulled the cone off.
Then I clearanced for the new mounting ears and screwed the Polks to the "cage" that was left. I basically turned the factory speakers into a speaker adapter utilizing the factory plugs for wiring connections. The 3.5" are simple bolt in and resolder the wires. The factory speakers are screwed to a mounting adapter that contains the factory plug. They only needed a tiny bit of clearancing.

Thanks for the detailed info. I may hit you up for more if I do this.

Do you remember if the factory speakers were paper cone or poly? I believe the 12 speaker system are poly, so if yours were paper I might not notice as much improvement as you.

 

[svtsnake]

They were poly. The factory stuff has no mid base. I can hear the high hats now too, and couldn't before.

 

[Rash]

My only concern is that once the highs and mid bass are different (better), the factory eq, with just treble, mid, and bass settings, will be inadequate to get the sound balanced properly - any issue with that?

 

[svtsnake]

I changed out every speaker in the car, they are all better. I can adjust he bass with the subs separate from the rest. I'm sure it could sound better with a dsp and by replacing the factory amps, but this is good enough for me. It's night and day from stock.

 

[z06psi]

Just rip it all out and start over. Lol

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