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Questions on door speaker sizing

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Danny G

Re: Questions on door speaker sizing

you guys ever decide on speaker wire gauge? I am getting ready to start reassembling my door skins and figured speakers should go in now rather than taking them apart and doing it later.

1986 F-150|Standard Cab|4x2|300Six|C6Transmission w/3.08 rear|Name:TBD
2021 Ranger XLT Super Crew

Rembrant

Re: Questions on door speaker sizing

I'm just going to use 18ga. The new speakers came with wire pigtails, and they're smaller than 18...so I'm sure 18 is fine, at least for mine.

1994 F150 4x2 Flareside. 5.0 w/MAF, 4R70W, stock.
1984 F150 4X2 Flareside. Mild 302 w/ 5spd. Sold.
1980 F150 4X4 Flareside. 300i6 w/ 5spd. Sold in 2021.
1980 F100 4X2 Flareside. 351w/2bbl w/NP435. Sold in 1995

kramttocs

Re: Questions on door speaker sizing

Administrator

Sorry, never got back to you.
With just a HU and the door speakers, no longer than the run is, 18 is fine.
If you had to order wire and didn't already have the 18 on hand, I'd go with 16 but again, not necessary.

Scott
'Camano' 1986 F250 Supercab XLT Lariat 460/C6
'Chanute' 1980 F350 C&C 400/NP 435 - Gin Pole

But there ain't nothin' wrong with the radio

Danny G

Re: Questions on door speaker sizing

you guy's established 6.5 for the doors.

The speaker in the dash is what I also need to replace. From what I gather it is a 5 x 7 dual voice coil speaker. Those seem to be practically a specialty item now a days. Or would any 5 x 7 work rather than "dual voice coil" I really have no idea on this stuff lol.

Also found amazon is making OFC 14g speaker cable for about $20 for 100ft rolls.

1986 F-150|Standard Cab|4x2|300Six|C6Transmission w/3.08 rear|Name:TBD
2021 Ranger XLT Super Crew

kramttocs

Re: Questions on door speaker sizing

Administrator

Do you need the dash speaker? If you are attune to that stuff, it can cause some odd stereo effects for driver and passenger.

Scott
'Camano' 1986 F250 Supercab XLT Lariat 460/C6
'Chanute' 1980 F350 C&C 400/NP 435 - Gin Pole

But there ain't nothin' wrong with the radio

Danny G

Re: Questions on door speaker sizing

kramttocs wrote

Do you need the dash speaker? If you are attune to that stuff, it can cause some odd stereo effects for driver and passenger.

Care to expand?

Again this is new territory for me. I'm pretty sure that speaker wasn't working when I got the truck. I guess I could test it out or leave it dead... mount a little dc exhaust fan there for the new stereo lol.

Reading this thread it looks like I will be getting 3 way 6.5 inch speakers for the doors.

1986 F-150|Standard Cab|4x2|300Six|C6Transmission w/3.08 rear|Name:TBD
2021 Ranger XLT Super Crew

Gary Lewis

Re: Questions on door speaker sizing

Administrator

I like a center speaker, but I don't wire it the way the factory did - and they didn't put a center speaker in a truck with door speakers if I remember correctly.

Ford's center speakers were mono, as were the radios that drove them. But if you have a stereo head unit and, therefore, door speakers you can wire the center speaker as a center channel by giving it the negative lead from one side of the stereo and the positive lead from the other. That way things that are in both channels come out of the center speaker as well, but things that are only in the left or right don't.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Dad's: '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4: Down for restomod: Full-roller "stroked 351M" w/Trick Flow heads & intake, EEC-V SEFI/E4OD/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches
Blue: 2015 F150 Platinum 4x4 SuperCrew wearing Blue Jeans & sporting a 3.5L EB & Max Tow
Big Blue: 1985 F250HD 4x4: 460/ZF5/3.55's, D60 w/Ox locker & 10.25 Sterling/Trutrac, Blue Top & Borgeson, & EEC-V MAF/SEFI

Danny G

Re: Questions on door speaker sizing

Gary Lewis wrote

I like a center speaker, but I don't wire it the way the factory did - and they didn't put a center speaker in a truck with door speakers if I remember correctly.

Ford's center speakers were mono, as were the radios that drove them. But if you have a stereo head unit and, therefore, door speakers you can wire the center speaker as a center channel by giving it the negative lead from one side of the stereo and the positive lead from the other. That way things that are in both channels come out of the center speaker as well, but things that are only in the left or right don't.

OK so this is making more sense to me. The PO had some aftermarket 4 inch speakers held in with two screws, and sloppy wiring cut through the body plugs. I bought the flex tube for between the door and the body with plans on running door speakers. I like your idea of running it as a center out. With that I should be able to get any old 5x7 speaker, which seems to be still harder a find than say 6x9 or 6x8

1986 F-150|Standard Cab|4x2|300Six|C6Transmission w/3.08 rear|Name:TBD
2021 Ranger XLT Super Crew

kramttocs

Re: Questions on door speaker sizing

Administrator

In reply to this post by Danny G

TheScatch wrote

Care to expand?

If you wire it in a standard dvc config (stereo) the driver will have L on one side and L+R on the other. Passenger would be opposite.

Gary Lewis wrote

... you can wire the center speaker as a center channel by giving it the negative lead from one side of the stereo and the positive lead from the other. That way things that are in both channels come out of the center speaker as well, but things that are only in the left or right don't.

I've heard of people doing that in high school but I've never heard it in person (or am not attune enough to know...). I am not positive that it won't play L-only and R-only output, I thought that required a dsp.

Regardless on whether it's a true center or not, if you want a center speaker without a more complicated setup then that sounds like a valid plan. People hear/tolerate things differently so you can always run it for awhile and then unplug the center to see what sounds best to you.

Scott
'Camano' 1986 F250 Supercab XLT Lariat 460/C6
'Chanute' 1980 F350 C&C 400/NP 435 - Gin Pole

But there ain't nothin' wrong with the radio

Gary Lewis

Re: Questions on door speaker sizing

Administrator

Scott - I should have cranked up the sound system in the shop over the weekend. The Bose speakers have a center channel speaker wired exactly that way. It works pretty well.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

kramttocs

Re: Questions on door speaker sizing

Administrator

This post was updated on .

Always next year!

I am taking this further into the audiophile realm than needed (and in which I don't belong since even a bucket won't help me carry a tune) but it's an interesting discussion to me.

That config would be:

LEFT -- driver -- MONO -- Passenger -- RIGHT

So there would still be the situation where the driver would hear the left channel out of both ears. Right?

But if you say it sounds good and TheScatch goes that route and reports back in the positive, and if I can find the 5x7 from Camano (was installed but not wired) I might give it a shot.

Scott
'Camano' 1986 F250 Supercab XLT Lariat 460/C6
'Chanute' 1980 F350 C&C 400/NP 435 - Gin Pole

But there ain't nothin' wrong with the radio

Gary Lewis

Re: Questions on door speaker sizing

Administrator

Your illustration is correct. But I don't think the driver will ever hear the left channel out of both ears, nor will the passenger hear the right channel out of both ears. That's because the center speaker is limited to what is common to both left and right channels. So if it is only in the left channel you won't hear it from the center speaker. Ditto for the right channel.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Danny G

Re: Questions on door speaker sizing

Could always use that space to mount something cool like a UHF reciever or an exhaust fan lol... Or a speaker for a CB lol

1986 F-150|Standard Cab|4x2|300Six|C6Transmission w/3.08 rear|Name:TBD
2021 Ranger XLT Super Crew

kramttocs

Re: Questions on door speaker sizing

Administrator

My favorite (when the grill deteriorates) is a coin/glasses/misc cubby to fit down in there. We just need to convince Reamer to make some

Scott
'Camano' 1986 F250 Supercab XLT Lariat 460/C6
'Chanute' 1980 F350 C&C 400/NP 435 - Gin Pole

But there ain't nothin' wrong with the radio

Danny G

Re: Questions on door speaker sizing

I'm hoping these new dash pads don't do that

1986 F-150|Standard Cab|4x2|300Six|C6Transmission w/3.08 rear|Name:TBD
2021 Ranger XLT Super Crew

1986F150Six

Re: Questions on door speaker sizing

Administrator

Look at #48-8566 & 48-8564

http://www.lmctruck.com/icatalog/fd/full.aspx?Page=77

Rembrant

Re: Questions on door speaker sizing

You guys have me curious...

Since my truck was a radio delete model, there were no speakers, no wiring, no brackets, conduits, etc, etc.

I bought a stereo and a set of 6.5" speakers for the doors.

Would there be much benefit in me also installing a center speaker? And, what does it attach to?...last time I looked behind the radio delete bezel, it was just a massive empty cavern...

Gary Lewis

Re: Questions on door speaker sizing

Administrator

Yes, I think there's a benefit. And you need the thing on the left, and it mounts as shown on the right. But I don't have an extra as the one on the left goes in Dad's truck and the one on the right is in Big Blue.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

kramttocs

Re: Questions on door speaker sizing

Administrator

Should be able to just pop the pad off and see the bracket Gary provided.

Unless we are talking about a true center (dsp), I vote for no benefit (detriment actually) so we need you or TheScatch to try it and break the tie

Scott
'Camano' 1986 F250 Supercab XLT Lariat 460/C6
'Chanute' 1980 F350 C&C 400/NP 435 - Gin Pole

But there ain't nothin' wrong with the radio

Gary Lewis

Re: Questions on door speaker sizing

Administrator

Scott - Do you read lips?

I was once into true high-end stereo equipment. My Miata had an Eclipse system, including fiber optics from the head unit to the DSP unit in the trunk, and that produced the center channel signal to the Boston Acoustics speaker on the back of the rear view mirror, which bounced the sound off the windshield. BA 3-ways in the doors and rear channels in the head rests finished out the system - all driven by Eclipse amps. And the sound was tailored by a 9-band parametric equalizer, which was automagically set initially with a mike held at the driver's head position.

It worked extremely well. In Blue Raincoat you could close your eyes and "see" Jennifer Warnes standing on the hood due to the center channel. So I know what a true center channel sounds like. And what I've suggested won't create that.

But, standing in front of these Bose speakers and listening to Question Mark & The Mysterians belting out 96 Tears I can tell that the center channel is there. Placing my head half way between the left and center speakers still gives me some stereo, and ditto between center and right - which approximates the position of the driver's and passenger's heads, respectively.

Give it a try - it won't cost much.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

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