[shreyasma]

The Car...



The door...



More to follow..

[jkdas]

Do post pix of seats too :P
Looks good.

[shreyasma]

Originally Posted by jkdas

Do post pix of seats too :P
Looks good.

It all started that one of our Tbhpians wanted to ICE his Safari. He wanted to do this himself. But the challenge he faced was that he didnt know how exactly to pull out stuff and put it back. That is when I was contacted for help as I have already removed the safari doorpads 4-5 times during the fibreglass damping.

At this point of time, he was still finalizing the equipment. The discussions went on for many hours(close to a month) and finally the installation was done on the Independence day with another Tbhpian, who joined us for help.

So all these days, we prepared, we discussed and bought all the equipment slowly so that we had everything ready on the D-Day.

One thing I like to say is that we were successful in installing the components in safari without cutting the plastic stock mount or the metal like other safari installs we have seen here.


Yes, there are WIP pictures to come, list of equipment, and the details of the installation

[DerAlte]

Oy Shreyas, stop being a tease!

Hmmm, looks like an LX which strangely has a color similar to my Safari. Where are you doing the work? May I drop in some time to help?

Metal cutting? What metal cutting?

[akbaree]

As this was a DIY exercise, let me rewind the story a little bit. IIRC, it was on 31st July when I received an SMS from Shreyas requesting if I would like to join him and another Tbpian - Sumith (Tbhp ID: LionX).

1st Augsut 2009
So we meet at around 11:00 am. The plan for the day was to get the subwoofer box made and purchase necessary wiring. At this time, Sumith already had purchased the components and the subwoofer. His HU was purchased but delivery awaited (it is still awaited). The amp was also finalized.

Shreyas had already done the required calculations based on the boot space and the subwoofer volume requirements. We gavethe dimensions to our trusted wood work expert and decided while the box gets ready, we will go get the wiring. After some discussions, we went to Satya (blueraven316). This guage, that guage, this brand, that brand kind of discussions. Finally after two hours we had all the required wiring except the power cable.

We then returned to collect the subwoofer box. As it happens with all DIY exercises (there would be no fun and learning otherwise) when we tried the box, the child seats were not opening after putting the sub box. It turned out that Shreyas had arrived at the dimensions based on the other Safari that he worked on. This Safari had a little different boot dimension. With my limited understanding of percentages, I recalculated the dimensions based on the available boot space and we gave the new dimensions. Unfortunately the box was almost complete. Only carpeting was pending. So after sharing the new dimensions, we decided to call it a day.

Sumith then collected the box next day (on Sunday).

8th August 2009
I get a call from Shreyas in the afternoon and he shares with me that they have been with the carpenter to get the customized spacer rings - that have a varying width over its circumference to give a tilted design. They also got a wooden plank for the base of the seat and the planks for amplifier, crossover and fuse (more on this later) .

We discuss that it might be next weekend when we can look forward to start the installation.

P.S.: Sumith and Shreyas, please feel to correct me wherever you feel so.

P.P.S.: I am sorry that this post has no pictures. But I thought of sharing my thoughts anyways.

Equipment

Front Components: Diamond Audio M661
Subwoofer: Blaupankt Velocity V-Spl15
Amplifier: JBL GTO 100.4
HU: Clarion DXZ785 (yet to arrive)

[akbaree]

15th August 2009

With all the gear and equipment required for the installation, it was decided to start the installation at 10:00AM at Shreya's apartment. The HU had still not arrived, but we had Pioneer 3050 for installation purposes. I believe that will be returned when the Clarion lands.

I was pretty excited for my first DIY exercise (although just as a helping hand). I reached Shreyas's place at 11:00AM. The installation had already started. I know Sumith must be more excited then me and he had reached in time, unlike me.

The front door pads, beeding etc were already open when I reached. After opening the other necessary beedings, I and Sumith started working to make room to pass the power cable to be bonnet, while Shreyas started cutting the plastic basket on the front door pads to make room for the mid bass.

Shreyas and his Dremel Kit at work...


Shreyas had already done some research on how not to cut the metal for extending the ring on the door or the entire plastic basket on the door pad and still be able to fix the mid basses. The answer was these customized spacer rings that you see in the picture below.


We too joined Shreyas in attaching the front mid basses. As the surface of the ring (after shaving for making a slopy circumference) was not 100% flat, we used a silicone based sealant (Dow Corning 789, Sumith can share more details) to provide stability and rigidity. Please don't laugh at the picture below. I am sure that at least 30-40 pound pressure is required to squeeze each drop out of that can.



Sumith actually used this same sealant on the inside joint walls of the subwoofer box. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures that cleary show that. He did a pretty neat job of that. I am really amazed with his patience. Because when you are applying such huge pressure with the handle of a hammer, it is not easy to reach so neatly to those edges and corners in the subwoofer box. Kudos man.

Finally, the front mid basses are on...




To be continued...

[navin]

Originally Posted by shreyasma

Attachment 175260
More to follow..

That pic tell me the Safari door is ideal for a 3 way using 2 6.5-8" woofers, 4-5.25" midrange and tweeter.

The woofer would goin the map pocket area the midrage in an angled midbass pod (use an angled spacer ring to point the midrange up by say 15 deg) and a tweeter in the OVRM pod.

[DerAlte]

The spacer need not be angled. The original mounting is for a 150mm dia driver, and the stock position itself is angled up - see the first pic where Shreyas is cutting out the shroud. A normal spacer, with a flat cut at one end (the blessed place has a chamfer at the bottom; dia is 168 max horizontally, but 160 max vertically at the chamfer), and a 100 or 130mm driver shouldn't be a problem.

The map pocket is too far behind the legs / facing the seat side, but for the bass driver that shouldn't be a problem.

[LionX]

Shreyas and Anant, thank you guys for sharing the experience in the forum. You guys are doing a great job.

Originally Posted by DerAlte

The spacer need not be angled. The original mounting is for a 150mm dia driver, and the stock position itself is angled up - see the first pic where Shreyas is cutting out the shroud. A normal spacer, with a flat cut at one end (the blessed place has a chamfer at the bottom; dia is 168 max horizontally, but 160 max vertically at the chamfer), and a 100 or 130mm driver shouldn't be a problem.

The map pocket is too far behind the legs / facing the seat side, but for the bass driver that shouldn't be a problem.

DA, initially we tried using the flat spacers but the magnet of the mid bass was big enough to touch the sides of the metal. The real problem is that the safari doors are made in such a way that the trim mounts are not aligned with the holes on the metal inside. So this left us with only 2 options 1) Cut the metal inside to accommodate the driver magnet 2) Use a angled spacer to compensate the stock mount angling. We went for angled spacers to avoid the hassles regarding the metal cutting.

[shreyasma]

@Navin & DA,

Its was never a problem to mount the midbass driver on the doorpad. The problem arises when the doorpad is fitted back. The hole provided to accomodate the driver magnet on the metal wall behing is not at all alligned to the axis of the pad (Thanks to the pathetic design by tata). So I came up with the angled spacer that will raise the mid bass on one side making the mounting angle to allign to the hole behind.

This is how it is by default (apologize if it was not understandable)



The MDF spacer. But I filed it more to give more straightness than you see on the angled side



After test fit



The only portion I cut to accomodate the magnet.

[shreyasma]

Courtesy:- TBHP

I didnt want to do any of these to mount a 6.5" set. Some installers also told me its impossible to fix components without cutting the metal and increasing the dia of the hole in the metal.





Alright, let the comments flow. The story will continue after a while

[DerAlte]

Shreyas, the OE speaker is mounted with axis angled a few degrees towards the seat and up. The original midbass in EX and VX is a 150mm driver (6"), not a 165mm (6.5") driver. That way (and the way the tweeter is canted), it gives a nice high and forward image in the front seats. The rear door locations are also similarly angled. One can see this in the doorpad rear view in the last pic of your post. The front of the grill is actually parallel to the door plane.

The way you have ground the spacer, you have actually nullified the original inclination. Now your axis is roughly perpendicular to the door plane. And that is how one would face a problem with the driver magnet fouling the hole.

PS: The nicest way to mount 6.5" midbass without spoiling the stock arrangement is probably the 2nd pic in your last post. This is probably what @blueraven did, though not having heard it I am not sure of the effect on the sound image.

[shreyasma]

Originally Posted by DerAlte

Shreyas, the OE speaker is mounted with axis angled a few degrees towards the seat and up. The original midbass in EX and VX is a 150mm driver (6"), not a 165mm (6.5") driver. That way (and the way the tweeter is canted), it gives a nice high and forward image in the front seats. The rear door locations are also similarly angled. One can see this in the doorpad rear view in the last pic of your post. The front of the grill is actually parallel to the door plane.

The way you have ground the spacer, you have actually nullified the original inclination. Now your axis is roughly perpendicular to the door plane. And that is how one would face a problem with the driver magnet fouling the hole.

PS: The nicest way to mount 6.5" midbass without spoiling the stock arrangement is probably the 2nd pic in your last post. This is probably what @blueraven did, though not having heard it I am not sure of the effect on the sound image.

DA San, The mid bass are still inclined the way it comes as stock. I have modified the angle only by a bit. Trust me, the imaging will be as good as normal when the 785 replaces the dikchak pioneer



PS: I have filed the spacer more than what you see in pic. This pic was taken when the carpenter did the inclination.

[akbaree]

Originally Posted by DerAlte

The way you have ground the spacer, you have actually nullified the original inclination. Now your axis is roughly perpendicular to the door plane.

The tilt has become subtle. It would be close to 20-25 degrees.

Originally Posted by DerAlte

PS: The nicest way to mount 6.5" midbass without spoiling the stock arrangement is probably the 2nd pic in your last post. This is probably what @blueraven did, though not having heard it I am not sure of the effect on the sound image.

I too think the second picture posted by Shreyas can be another way of doing it neatly but after looking the two ways, in our case we were able to retain the tilt and we were also able to put the stock grill back. It looked absolutely stock. This is my personal view but I will leave it to the pros.

Let me continue with the iteresting story...

Doorpads being set, we moved on to fix the amplifier plank. For some reason there's no metal board behind this Safari seat. Was it removed when after market seat covers were done? We have no idea. So we inserted a wooden base and attached three spacers to screw the amplifier plank.


We then moved on to run the wires. Left side we passed the power cable. All smiles once the power cable reached the boot...


Then soldering was done for the holder that will attach to the battery terminal...


While Shreyas and Sumith were busy doing soldering and getting the fuse mounting ready, I continued with running the RCA and speaker cables from the right.

The original idea was to mount crossovers also on this same board. But we realized that the speaker wire calculations that we did while buying would not allow us to mount them there.

However we were still short of speaker cable. And we had forgotten to buy remote cable (used for powering the amp from HU). So I and Sumith had to do some shopping.

To be continued...

[DerAlte]

Originally Posted by shreyasma

... Trust me, ...

Oh, I do! I mentioned I had not heard the difference with the mid-bass axis perpendicular to door plane in Safari.

Originally Posted by akbaree

The tilt has become subtle. It would be close to 20-25 degrees.

AK, 20-25deg is as subtle as the Leaning Tower of Pisa!

Originally Posted by akbaree

I too think the second picture posted ... This is my personal view but I will leave it to the pros. ...

(I am no pro, but) Stock for me is not having to cut *anything*, so that I can take out the aftermarket ones and put back the original speakers while selling the vehicle. That way the arrangement with MDF spacer has the least disturbance to stock. Other than that, anything goes as long as we get good music from the speakers.