Upgraded the 3.5 door speaker???

[Ponderthis]

So the JBL 329s up front can go a good bit louder than factory?

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[billross77]

Once you get the panel off, you will see that there is a speaker "plug" that connects to the 3.5" speaker bracket. That plug then feeds through the bracket, into the two wires that connect to the speaker. You will cut the two wires (black and white), splice or solder on your new connectors, then screw the speaker back into the bracket. I dont have a photo, but it will be fairly obvious when you open the door up.

 

[billross77]

Any yes, the 3.5's will make a huge difference. I cant say for sure that they are louder, but they are much clearer, so you wont have to jack the volume up to 22. Honestly, I think changing out the 3.5s and adding a sub to the trunk would fix the stereo for 75% of us.

 

[jbailer]

Once you get the panel off, you will see that there is a speaker "plug" that connects to the 3.5" speaker bracket. That plug then feeds through the bracket, into the two wires that connect to the speaker. You will cut the two wires (black and white), splice or solder on your new connectors, then screw the speaker back into the bracket. I dont have a photo, but it will be fairly obvious when you open the door up.

Gotcha. So you're saying I just need to cut the wires off the factory and solder to the new speakers.

I was hoping there would be an adapter available like the one I used for the 6.5" speakers. I soldered the Metrica 72-5602 adapter to the JBL GTO638 speakers, then just plugged the adapter into the factory connector without having to cut the factory connector off. The adapter looked like this but solder onto the speakers.

 

[billross77]

Other than the fact that the wire is tiny brittle wire, soldering will be fine. Dont worry about the speaker adapter wires for the 3.5s. I am a total electrical dummy and I figured it out pretty easily.

 

[wildcatgoal]

Pretty much any 3"/3.5" speaker will fit in there with a little work to get it mounted. These days I find myself creating custom speaker mounts (baffles) for most cars or cutting up stock speakers to install new speakers into the remaining mount. I use HPDE plastic, not MDF. Don't use MDF in a door unless you dunk it in resin or something to seal it.

 

[jbailer]

Other than the fact that the wire is tiny brittle wire, soldering will be fine. Dont worry about the speaker adapter wires for the 3.5s. I am a total electrical dummy and I figured it out pretty easily.

I wasn't worried about soldering them. I'm actually very good at soldering. I was an electronic technician for 10 years and attended NASA certified training for soldering. I was more concerned with preserving the stock connectors so I can put it back to stock if I want.

 

[Rash]

Gotcha. So you're saying I just need to cut the wires off the factory and solder to the new speakers.

I was hoping there would be an adapter available like the one I used for the 6.5" speakers. I soldered the Metrica 72-5602 adapter to the JBL GTO638 speakers, then just plugged the adapter into the factory connector without having to cut the factory connector off. The adapter looked like this but solder onto the speakers.

Why couldn't you just use the same adapter for the 3.5" speakers?

 

[jbailer]

Why couldn't you just use the same adapter for the 3.5" soeakers?

I don't know what kind of connector is on them, I've never had the door panel off. I read on here about that adapter specifically for the 6.5" but never a mention about what is used on the 3.5". Do you know if it's the same?

 

[billross77]

The 6.5 and the 3.5 use different wire connections. I should have taken photos, but too late now. The 3.5s were very easy to change out.

 

[vnzbd]

I have been following this thread with curiosity. For those with the 3.5s up front, isn't that just supposed to be a mid? When replacing it with the JBL 329 or equivalent, do you then disconnect the tweeter or do you run a mid-bass, and tweeter with it?

 

[billross77]

I put a mid woofer in the 6.5 slot. If you are not adding an amp, I would just change to the 3.5 and leave the 6.5 stick.

 

[jbailer]

I have been following this thread with curiosity. For those with the 3.5s up front, isn't that just supposed to be a mid? When replacing it with the JBL 329 or equivalent, do you then disconnect the tweeter or do you run a mid-bass, and tweeter with it?

That's a really good point, it depends on what level system you are upgrading. The base system doesn't have the 3.5" in the door, that's added with the Shaker but Shaker and Shaker pro have the 6.5" mid base and the 3.5" midrange speakers and a discrete tweeter in the A-pillar.

My original plan was to put discrete components in each location but I couldn't find them. I had heard of others using the JBL GTO line successfully so I went for it, including GTO 19T tweeters for the A-Pillar. My plan was just to put the 628 and 329 coaxials in the door and the 19T for the tweeter (if I can get it mounted) and hope it all works. I have no idea...

 

[Rash]

I don't know what kind of connector is on them, I've never had the door panel off. I read on here about that adapter specifically for the 6.5" but never a mention about what is used on the 3.5". Do you know if it's the same?

No, I just assumed you knew. That's what happens when you ASS/U/ME.

 

[Racemaster]

The plugs are made by molex.You can source them at mouser.com
Part # 538-31067-1040 is the female plug end which takes a male pin
#571-2-1419158-5.The male plug is part # 538-31067-1010 which takes
a female pin #571-1393366-1.

The tweeters use the same plugs

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