So I finally purchased a woofer today. I went with the DC level 4, and will be running it on my SAZ-1500. The guy is shipping it out tomorrow so im getting excited to have my bass back.
Okay on to the real question. I want to seal off my trunk, and i need some ideas or guidance on how to do it properly. My box is 38x16 and the opening is ~39.5x18.5
yes, i am aware of the expanding foam ( thegreatstuff) idea but, i dont want my opening to look like total junk. with foam protruding everywher in my cab. Also what about the back shelf? (below the back window) how do i seal of those holes without fu*king my carpet in my car up.
Oh what fun. Someone willing to do something right. I have a semi.
You wouldn't see foam unless you have no paneling. You can place it very accurately, there's a nozzle.
"how do i seal of those holes without fu*king my carpet in my car up"
You couldn't figure this one out for yourself? Lay down newspaper, foam isn't corrosive. I have food but it's messy and I don't want it on my kitchen table, what am I ever going to do? LOL, sorry! You'll spend more time vacuuming what you sanded than building.
Make it as flush as possible. Measure 10 times.
I would do:
Before the box is in, wrap each dimension in lots of deadening, except for the baffle. Carpet but not the baffle. Also play with the sub. Take notice, then don't play with the sub.
After the box is in (sub in box), put strips of duct-tape from the edges of the driver to where you want the seal to stop - try 2-3" along the ending dimensions, just so it doesn't fall off. Only use width & height duct-tape placing so that you end up with flush multiple layers close to the driver, and so that the edges of the tape can't become loose while being close to the driver because the tape won't end near the driver.
Don't use the sub, it'll flex the duct-tape.
Now to stop the duct-tape flex.
Put layers of deadening on both sides of the duct tape. Coat the deadened duct-tape (both sides) in a thick resin and wait. It should be really hard after. It's really important that you place the duct-tape as flush as possible. Multiple layers are fine but don't have anything sticking out because this is where the fiberglass will latch onto, and eventually harden.
Play with the sub. Notice anything different? It should smell like a 3dB gain.
Get lots of strips of fiberglass and moar resin.
Coat the fiberglass strips in resin (paint brush or just give'r in a bucket) and place them on both sides of the deadened & resined duct-tape (don't wait). I would use as many layers as I could (afford). Make sure each section is flush and has the same amount of layers (same thickness everywhere) but for each next layer I would place the strips inbetween the gaps of the previous ones for a "thatch" or "flannel" or "weave", I don't know what it's called. Like how clothing is made, the sh!t weaves or something. When you're finished placing all of the layers, put a thick coat of resin on the front & back.
A day later, it'll be hard (as in ductility, and gangsta), and looking awefull. If it looks like a mess of hardened see-through mucus than you have succeeded.
Sand the front down to a smoothness that sh!ts on Barry White. Leave the back of the seal alone.
For the port (which should be firing into the cabin as well or it's pointless lol), don't block it by latching fiberglass onto the inside, move around it.
When the tape goes past the box, try to keep the tape secured to the edges, just so if the tape angles to the attaching point it doesn't leave a small hole between the tape and the edges of the box (at the back of the wall). Glue the tape at those outer edges so it stays in place, allowing for a possible bend.
Foam (sand it) the outer edges of the moulding.
Secure the box with 2x4's on the trunk floor so if you hit a bump your moulding doesn't crack from box movement.
I would also stuff the trunk with mad blankets. Angry, angry blankets.
Might I ask, why you wish to seal off the trunk from the vehicle cabin, if the trunk is where you are placing the sub, in an enclosure?
Unless you're doing either an IB or AP enclosure, there's no real reason to seal the trunk. Reducing resonance/vibrations is a different matter. If that's all you want to do, it's not so hard as completely isolating the trunk.
I don't have much experience But the competition i went to Sunday i fired into the cabin and it was a good amount louder when i lightly sealed it off with two pillows. However from past experience my subs have always sounded better port and sub facing the trunk with the seats down.
Sealing the trunk with everything firing into the cabin stops cancellation from the rear of the car. If you open your trunk lid you get more bass, this is why. It stops rattles all around the trunk. You get around a 3dB gain. No matter what, it will always be louder than when everything fires to the rear without it sealed off.
Doesnt it depend alot on the vehicle an sub/subs too? Im mean, every car that ive owned has had a completely different sound. And even when changing subs out,its always seemed to me that some sound better than others in different positions.
Does what depend a lot on the vehicle? Since the vehicle is a part of the equation, of course it does. However, sealed is always better.
That's frequency response. The actual "sound" of a driver doesn't change between different vehicles. Of course, "how it sounds" is frequency response but the quality of it at whatever frequency isn't different. The environment changes frequency response.
In any vehicle, a sealed wall (behind the front seats or the trunk) will be louder. The less air there is to move the louder it'll be. The closer you are to the car being the box, not having a box, or being inside the box, the louder.
With the same box and car, if one driver plays better in a different position than a different sub than it's because of the driver and/or the box - the wave that gets to your ears is different either because the driver has different characteristics and/or the box makes it perform differently.
@ glasswolf - No i don't go to events, and im looking for more spl.
@ lord - i was just going to use that as an example, Basically i want my box to be firing into my cabin, and you could consider that a second box i suppose nahhhh mean?