8" Mid-Woofers in Doors

Question for the masses.... has anyone replaced their door speakers (front and/or rear) with an 8" speaker? If so, which brand/model did you use? I am looking to replace mine with Memphis Audio 8" in all 4 doors if capable. TIA

 

Looking forward to the responses for this. Seems like you’re gonna need some really good deadening in the doors, as well as some type of “enclosure” to make them work well.
Sounds like an awesome idea if it works!

 

I have not seen it in a 3rd gen since I have not looked for it but this is a 2.5 gen
https://www.tundras.com/threads/small-audio-storm-trooper-2015-crewmax-build.20913/

 

Where there's a will there's always a way lol. I've not seen someone do it, but doesn't mean it's not possible. When you say Memphis 8", are these what you're referring to: Memphis Audio MJP8 MOJO Pro Series 8" 4-ohm component woofer at Crutchfield

In any case, biggest barriers will the mounting depth and cutout diameter. Your cutout diameters will be the biggest hurdle. In the 2nd gens the front doors have a 6x9 speaker which makes dropping in an 8" way more feasible. Since the 3rd gen cutouts are circular, it makes putting in 8's a lot trickier. Mounting depth might also be a hurdle since you've only got so much room before you hit the window glass when it's down. Two main solutions there are custom mounting brackets to increase the depth, or use washers/spacers to move the window track slightly. You'd likely have to use custom mounting brackets anyways and those will help solve your cutout diameter issue as well as some of the depth issue, but without trimming your doors sheet metal it might now be possible.

Some fitment specs to start considering:

Front doors. Ignore the Scosche specs.


Rear Doors:


I don't see that Memphis has a technical drawing of those speakers anywhere, but it looks like the cutout diameter is listed as 7.125". If you have a 1" mounting ring on the back side of the speaker, the diameter around the basket of the speaker at that depth needs to be less than 5.66" in the front and 5.74" in the rear. You can certainly stack mounting rings to get more depth and "increase" your cutout diameter, it's just tricky to try and guess the angle of the basket and what the diameter would be. The wire terminal also adds to the problem. Stacking mounting rings could help with your cutout diameter problem, but then it becomes a dance of push the speaker too far out towards the door panel and it hits the door panel. To crappily illustrate:


Imagine the blue is a 1" mounting ring with your 7.125" cutout. 1" towards to magnet of the speaker is where the diameter of the basket and wire terminal would have to be below the cutout diameters above so that your speaker would fit through the door holes.

Using a quick online measure tool, it looks like the diameter of the basket 1" towards the magnet would still be over 6" which would still be too wide to fit through the factory openings, and then at the wire terminal you'd also be hitting.

You could certainly also cutout your door holes to widen them and use rivnuts to make new mounting points but I personally would be leery of doing that. Using a photo measuring tool I did some realllllly basic measurements:


Based on these measurements being a good bit over the cutout diameter you'd need to be clearing, my 2 cents is that without widening/cutting your factory holes larger, you wont be able to install 8's in the doors.

 

I believe I have 6X9s in my front doors (I haven't taken off the door panels yet, but a quick look through the holes in the panels, the speakers in my front doors are definitely oval). I believe the rear doors are 6.5" from everything I have read from others who have swapped theirs out (definitely round speakers looking through the holes in the door panels). I have found 6"X9" to 8" speaker adapters, so the option is there if I do decide to go that route for the front doors. As for the rear doors, I can easily make a set of 8" adapter from MDF. The two models I have been contemplating are the one Mojo Pro referenced above, or the SRXP82V2 https://www.memphiscaraudio.com/product/srxp82v2/. I am not doing a competition build, but for sure along the lines of a SQL build. Once I have everything nailed down and all components on hand, I will take pictures and complete a build sheet to upload on the forum.

 

I have a few sets of 8's that I plan on testing/trying to fit up in the front doors that *should* work without serious modification. I think some custom brackets should get it done, just not time to make it happen. Yet.

I have some Dayton RS drivers (I think paper cone, but I prolly have both Aluminum and paper drivers on the shelf...), some Dayton Signature series (appear to be an updated Peerless HDS driver; the basket is a dead ringer, the cone and surround are different, and the motor appears to have some updates), and maybe a few other things I wanted to try. Might have some Wavecor, Peerless, and SB drivers to try.

There are two major hurdles to fitting an 8" driver in the door: physically fitting the driver and proper integration.

Physically, 8's are typically deeper, so the driver has to be moved forward a bit to keep the magnet from interfering with window operation, but not so much that you have to cut the door card or run in to excursion issues and hit the back of door card. Simply fitting the 8" driver in to the opening in the inner door skin isn't usually the difficult part.

As for integration, you are correct in asking for advice on a mid-woofer, and not a midrange or full range. But still, most 8's don't play cleanly in to the upper mid-range (above 1500 hz or so). There is typically a cone/surround resonance right in the 1000hz range that can wreak havoc on vocals as the resonance is very difficult to dampen out without affecting nearby ranges, even with DSP. So an 8 is typically used below 1000hz. Most tweeters don't play down that well very well with a some sort of quasi-elliptical filter wherein the components for the crossover cost more than the driver. DSP, again, can't always iron it out either, without applying more filters per channel than some basic DSP units allow. Usually the tweeter itself will implode with any sort of wattage below 1500 hz.

But that fine line can be flirted with...

Unfortunately, it's often poorly implemented and most opt for a three way system - which is the biggest problem with running an 8" mid woofer, IMO. A three way setup complicates things, especially in a vehicle, and is a less-than-ideal solution. I know that's gonna upset some people, but if you are implementing a three way system to fix the poorly implemented two way system with an 8" mid woofer, you should have either stayed with a two way system or just designed a three way to begin with. Yes, a well designed three way system is superior to a two way system, but it takes quite a bit of refinement to dial that in compared to a good, solid two way.

If memory serves, the Dayton RS and Dayton Signature would work well. The Reference series paper cone has a cone resonance (peak) around 3500 hz that would have to be dealt with; the Signature series has a much smaller resonance around 3khz that would be easier to deal with and another one just above 7khz but it shouldn't affect much with a good filter.

 

Stereo integrity tm8. They have a low profile but huge sound. Many would be happy with these and not even need a sub. i deadened my doors heavily and ran my three way up front with out my subs connected as I was waiting for a new amp when that stupid hurricane Helen showed up. Anyway amp was delayed but I actually considered not using my subs in the back and just run the three way up front. They produce a ton of midbass and integrate nicely in either a 2 way or a three way.
These would be at the top of the list.

 

At $400 each on sale, ain’t no room left in the budget for a sub…

 

no sir. They are on sale for $399.00 per pair. They are $199 each.

 

The front speakers are not a 6x9, they are a ~6.75 and look like this:


As you can see, the openings are still large enough to fit some 8's depending on mounting depth. TT lists that with their 1" adapters, max top mount depth is ~2.95". The Memphis SRXP82V2 list a top mount depth of 2.85" so those should theoretically fit, but the
Memphis Audio MJP8's list a top mount depth of 3.25" so those would theoretically not fit unless you add an additional spacer (which depending on excursion of driver etc. might hit back of door card, or you space out the window track.

As for the rear doors, they are a ~6.5" and look like this:


The rear doors have a smaller cutout making fitment of an 8" driver more difficult/likely requiring trimming of the doors sheet metal to widen the opening.

 

You are correct, sir. I simply went off of, what appears now to be misinformation, what I have read in different forums and websites. I just pulled the door panel off to verify (previously I had just used a flashlight and looked through the speaker vent holes on the front of the panel), and yes, the speaker itself is 6.5". The speaker adapter is oval and is what I apparently had been looking at through the vent holes. That being said, do you know if a 6"X9" to 6.5" speaker adapter is what is needed to install a 6.5" speaker? I may just make custom adapters out of MDF, but I also like to know all of my options before executing the build.

As for the 8" mid-woofers.... I think I may have been getting over zealous with the thought bigger is better. Like I said in my original post, I am not doing a competition build, but definitely staying on the lines of a SQL build. At this moment I will more than likely stay with 6.5" in a 4 doors.

 

The 8s are a step up from 6.5 and awesome for sql build. You will regret it later but it’s your build. The si tm8 is a monster both for sq and sql builds. They fit with an adapter. Sounds good stereo has adapters.

 

No worries at all! Bigger can definitely be better in some circumstances, but in this case mainly due to the number of options available in a 6.5" vs 8" drivers I'd lean towards 6.5's for more price points/brands/specs etc.

As for adapters, if you go the MDF route just be sure you seal them up super well as the Tundra doors are not super good at keeping water out and water or even moisture quickly degrades MDF. I'd advise spending the money to go either the "cheap" plastic adapters route, or the thick CNC'd ABS plastic route. In any case, adapters for the front and rear door openings are readily available from a few different vendors.

For "cheap" fronts and rears, you've got these included with speakers if you buy through Crutchfield, as well as the wiring harnesses if you use the factory wiring:

$12.99 a pair for the front, allow install of a 6.5" or 6.75": Scosche SAT69 Speaker Mounting Brackets Install 6-1/2" or 6-3/4" speakers in select 2002-up Lexus, Scion, and Toyota vehicles at Crutchfield

$19.99 a pair for the front, allow install of a 6.5" or 6.75": Metra 82-8148 Speaker Mounting Brackets Install 5-1/4", 6-1/2" or 6-3/4" speakers in select 2000-up Lexus, Scion, Toyota, and Pontiac vehicles at Crutchfield

The wiring harnesses according to Crutchfield are the Metra 72-8109 for $12.99 a pair (again, included for free if you buy speakers from Crutchfield): Metra 72-8109 Speaker Wiring Adapters Work with select 2018-up Toyota vehicles — connect new speakers to the factory wiring plugs at Crutchfield

For "expensive" brackets, as much as people on the forum hate on them, Taco Tunes offers these 1" ABS ones:

Front $70.24, with the longer bolts to install, you give them your cutout diameter: 2022+ Toyota Tundra Heavy Duty Speaker Adapter Installation Kit (FRONT DOOR) - Taco Tunes - Toyota Audio Solutions

Rear $66.24, with longer bolts to install, you give them the cutout diameter: Toyota Tundra 6.5" 6.75" Heavy Duty Speaker Adapter Rear Door Installation Kit (*********.com)

Another company I'm a big fan of and would definitely recommend is Sounds Good Stereo. They have a very solid reputation in the car audio world and do a lot of F-150's, but offer adapters, amp racks, other products etc. for many vehicles. On their website it gives mixed results on whether or not their adapters fit a 2022+, but they look like they should. I bought an amp rack from them once and they were super fast to respond via email so if you reached out to them I'm sure they could help, and their site actually lists 8" for the front as an option.

For just the front/rear adapters they're price is $143, or $248 for the kit: 2014+ Toyota Tundra Custom Speaker Adapters – Sounds Good Stereo

If you wanted to stay with the 8's up front, the Stereo Integrity's that @Iamsecond recommended would definitely be nice. Another 8" that comes to mind are the Helix HELIX Ci5 S200's.

If your goal is SPL, I'd look for 6.5's that have fairly high RMS power handling and then get an amp that provides adequate power for them to get loud, clean, undistorted sound. In my last truck I had JL Audio 6.5" C2 component speakers in the front and 6.5" C2 coaxials in the rear, all powered off a JL Audio RD900.5 and that s**t was plenty loud and sounded good doing it.

 

@blenton... very well said, sir. I agree, and as I responded to Snert, I think I got over zealous with the thinking bigger has to better (after all, I am from Texas). As I said earlier, I am not doing a comp build, just wanting to stay on the lines of a SQL build. As of now, I am going to stay with 6.5" components for all for 4 doors. I am not going to do a 3-way front system. I am getting rid of the stock center dash speaker and installing tweets in the dash corners.

I appreciate all of the feedback. This is why I love these forums so much. I get to find out ideas I never thought of, and I get a reality check on thoughts I never should have had in the first place. Keep it coming guys!

 

@Snert, first let say, I appreciate the time you spent and all of the feedback. Yes, the door sealing on the 3rd gen appears to be lacking and I would seal the MDF with a polycoat first then spray bedliner on them afterwards. I am hesitant to go with the adapters from Scosche or Metra as they appear to be cheap plastic at best. As for *********...they are literally 20 minutes from my house. Their adapters appear to be very well made, but their reputation is the one, and MAIN, reason I haven't considered them. The speakers and amps are Image Dynamics rebranded with their name, and as ID was a reputable brand back in the late 90's & early 00's, the aren't so much any more. I have heard nothing but horror stores of TTs customer service as well. This is why I feel more comfortable and better about making my own adapters, and as you said, making damn sure the MDF is sealed very well.
I prefer a "bright" sounding component set. Again, back in the 90's and early 00's, Soundstream was my favorite and go to. I am a fanboy of Soundstream, but I will be the first to admit they have really gone downhill since. I have always like Memphis Audio and the sound they recreate, but I have never done a Memphis system. I figured I'd give them a try this go around. I have two Soundstream T4.1500L amps that I plan to use for the mids and highs powering Memphis Audio MJP6C components (https://www.memphiscaraudio.com/product/mjp6c/) front and rear. That should be right at the 125RMS for each speaker. Then I have a Soundstream BXT1.10000D amp that I plan to use to power two Memphis Mojo Pro 10s at 4ohm. This should push them both at 700RMS nicely. Hopefully this rounds out the entire system nicely and completes the SQL build I am going for. I will be using a DSP (instead of LOC and active crossover) and right now my two final choices are the Goldhorn DSP10 and mini-DSP C-DSP 8X12 DL. I am learning towards the Goldhorn only because I like to use the underdog equipment (if for some reason the Goldhorn doesn't work I can always replace it with the miniDSP). Oh, I agree with you on Sounds Good Stereo. I have checked them out as well and I think they have solid products. I haven't ruled them out yet.

 

Happy to help. For more information, here is a link that explains something called beaming, which is an issue we face when using larger cone drivers as midranges, even if the speaker can play that high. Most basic frequency response graphs are on axis (speaker directly facing you, like sitting directly in front of the TV); most decent drivers prove some off-axis data at different angles (like sitting on the side seats of the couch, or in the corner of the room watching TV).

http://www.troelsgravesen.dk/Beaming.htm

It's very difficult to create an on-axis listening position in a car environment and even more difficult to create a uniformly on-axis listening environment from all drivers on all channels, especially if mounting drivers in doors. It can be done, sure, but requires extensive modifications and is only relevant to one seating position. The mid and/or tweeters can easily be aimed as they are small and typically placed up high on the dash or in the door sails, but woofers are more difficult.

6.5" drivers are typically better behaved. If you want some power handling and displacement from a 6.5" driver, you can look in to something like Exodus Anarchy 704 woofers or Dayton Epique E180HE-44. The Anarchy is a beast but out of stock currently and not restocked with super regularity. It is available in 4 ohm version. The Epique is an interesting driver with crazy excursion and power handling; you can flat out use it as a sub down to 30 hz and 200 watts RMS before it starts to complain. But it comes in dual 4 ohm, so you get either a 2 ohm load or 8 ohm load. 2 ohms is rarely a problem in the auto world, but it's very inefficient at something like 80db reference efficiency and NEEDS lots of power compared to the Anarchy or most off the shelf kits. But the bass is CLEAN. And BOUNTEOUS.