DIY: JL Audio XD700/5 + Rainbow SLC NG + Earthquake SWS-8

[wavesofsilver]

Do we have a correct contact for jtsherri? His msn email doesn't work. I would like to get a pair of his SWS-8 spacers. The same for Technic harness. I am still under the rule no PM

[Technic]

Originally Posted by wavesofsilver

Do we have a correct contact for jtsherri? His msn email doesn't work. I would like to get a pair of his SWS-8 spacers. The same for Technic harness. I am still under the rule no PM

I have both items in stock, PM when you are allowed to.

[wavesofsilver]

A couple of comments from an amateur installing Rainbows in a convertible, and issues I found doing the install:

1) I 1st got the Rainbow SLC, the round crossovers do not fit in the doors of the 2011 due to the outside pockets, so I upgraded to the Vanadiums and front mount them with the Rainbow grills; their crossovers are smaller and fit fine. No clearance issues with the windows. I used the nice aluminum machined holders from jtsherri. No need to cut the leather, the only thing is to grind 1mm the plastic panel for the screws to pass through the speaker hole.

2) Make sure you remember that the passenger door has an inside handle with a screw inside it, you need to pry out the leather cover of the handle to reach it. The driver door has no inside handle

3) For the tweeters, due to their large size, I took the old OEM tweeter AND the plastic holder out, by pushing from the screen side. The new tweeters are kept in place just by pressure from the inside foam

4) The quick snap tabs have a soft foam washer that tends to end in the floor. Reinsert them all before putting the panel in

5) At the rear, I used the KX 100 bottom mounted. To mount them, I cut the OEM speaker "ring" around the speaker foam with my welder, and used this "ring, by drilling 4 holes to hold the speakers in place. You need to use some spacers between the 'ring" and the speaker, to move it forward inside the OEM grill. It fits tight

6) While installing the SWS-8s, I unbolted the seats and rock them back. My car has a plastic seat rail cover trim, on the rail next to the door. These are fragile in the back, I broke both sides. I didn't remove the sub boxes, only the speakers. I used Technic's spacer. You will need longer screws, the OEM screws will not reach with the spacers in

7) For speaker connections, all OEM cables with wires that have a brown line are negative. I welded all connections

8) The bottom door sill plastic cover has "sliding" tabs. You need to slide the last tab, so the panels "grabs" the inside of the rear side panel.

9) I used a door kit of Dynamat extreme, in the door and rear panels

It took me one day for the subs and rears, one day for the fronts. First time in one section is X 3. Playing with the OEM amp, the difference is already amazing. The HiFi OEM speaker are a joke...

Next weekend I am doing the amp and the MS-8. One question that I have is how can I program the MS-8 to change the settings to:

a) Top up
b) Top down and windows up
c) Top down and windows down

Should I just program three times for driver but with the different environments, and no passenger or rear? I think the top down environments can not be done in the garage... the ceiling will bounce the sound.

[mkPOTO]

very nice write up!

[taibanl]

Front l and r -calibrate as usual

Rear l -all down

Rear r- top down