Keanu's mrs. T

I recently finished off a very time consuming fiberglass enclosure in my trunk. I have loaded it with a Kicker Solobaric S8L5 and it's really outstanding in perfomance! I cannot believe that much bass comes out from that lil' beast. Anyway, my question for all you audiophiles and devoted bass folk is will removing my stock sub be beneficial? Up front it appears that taking that now defunct sub out is a pain in the ass. Will there be any noticeable increase in bass if that thing is removed or should I leave it as is?

Trew

iTrader: (1)

Bass may be a little louder and richer if you remove the stock sub, but you will have to also make an opening in the cover under the deck in the trunk so the air has no restriction.

Keanu's mrs. T

Makes sense for the airflow but I am weary of cutting into that liner. Will that deform or make that liner lose it's sturdiness? I've removed it several times and it really seems to fold right down the middle when you remove those middle plastic tabs/anchors. Thanks for the input!

tech14

I took my 8" sub out when I installed my system. I didn't cut a hole in the liner. It has not added to any extra road noise, and I think it would be worth removing. You want as many holes as possible going to the trunk. I notice a big difference when I put the armrest opening down in the back, so why would the 8" opening be any different? When I hook up my new subwoofer I will figure out if I need to cut a hole in the liner. You can see my install here:

https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-audio-bluetooth-electronics-navigation-94/tech14-complete-audio-installation-643839/

Keanu's mrs. T

oh yea, lowering that pass thru makes a whole lotta difference! I am still weiry of removing that deck lid. I've read that those airbag cover plugs are suspect to cracking. Any more words of wisdom or shortcuts would be highly appreciated. Thanks guys keep em coming!

tech14

Use a very small screwdriver on all four sides to gently pull up the square airbag label. I had no problems with cracking, however the fabric is very delicate that covers it. Once you do that, it is simply a matter of pulling off the panel as a whole. It comes right off. Just make sure you apply gentle pressure to the whole thing and not just one area. It was quite easy once you pull up that little square piece.

One last thing. Make sure that you do everything you want to that deck while you have the panels off (speakers, sound deadening, removal of sub). You do NOT want to remove that stuff twice.

Trew

iTrader: (1)

I had no problem removing the airbag plug. All it is is a clip. You remove it like you would any other clip, except you want to be careful not to bend the shaft of the clip or slip and damage your upholstery on the c-pillar.

I agree with tech14. If you pull up from all sides you should have nothing to worry about.

Keanu's mrs. T

Good tips and words of advice guys, a big thanks. I am now leaning toward removing that silly stock sub. And I might just have to apply some type of dynamat while that rear deck lid is detached. I also read that those bolts that secure the rear seat back SHOULD NOT be removed, only loosened. It seems that removing those bolts will be a bitch to reinstall? Upgrading the subwoofer has been very satisfying even though its been eating up a lot of my time.

tech14

I removed the bolts when I took the rear seat back out. You can fish them out with the ratchet, or let em drop down to the seat bottom. I found it easier just to remove them. Reinstalling them wasn't that big of a deal. Either way is up to you.

The one bolt that is going to be a HUGE pain is the one that is used to bolt the seatbelt receptor to the car, along with the seat bottom in the middle left when facing the front of the car. It was very difficult to line everything up. Also, be careful when removing the rear seat bottom, because there are tabs that will scratch your plastic molding pieces if you let it slide on the way out. The best thing to do is to get somebody to help you lift the other end up and over the molding so it doesn't scratch.

Scans for the rear seat removal:

https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-tires-wheels-suspension-97/how-remove-back-seats-put-suspension-3g-garage-f-070-a-567460/

CSWBiggs

Rear Seat Removal is cake guys...just think logically...as for removing any surface clips and trim panels...my only recommendation for proper tools is...


http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item....store&tool=all


small price to pay vs...scratching an expensive dash piece...

Just take your time...if you get frustrated...walk away before you regret it...lol

-Jason

csmeance

for the screws behind the headrests, loosen them 3 turns an pull the seat up, then out like a picture frame. Makes installation much easier and no screws to find missing.

Keanu's mrs. T

Wow very good remarks and responses, a big thanks goes out to you guys. Oh yeah Tech14 nice on the thread for the scans. I've ran across those a while ago, but couldn't find them again. You saved me the headache of searching for them!

Anyone else remove their stock subwoofer and are glad that they have done such a task?

Kracker

Whenever I see a thread about removing the rear seat I have to throw in "Do no reinstall the bolt on the bottom." It serves no purpose but to make my life a living hell.

If you do have to put it back in, do not over tighten it. It stamped to a nut under the car. If you cross thread it or break the tack, you will start replying to treads that talk about removing the rear seats.

Just think about it before you reinstall it.

Keanu's mrs. T

Man, so much good information about this process, thank god I posted this thread. So by not reinstalling that lower bolt, this will not jeopardize the functionality of the seat? I'd probably opt to not put the bolt back in since it would only be my luck that the stamped nut would snap off!

Kracker

It just makes it a little harder to take the bottom part of the seat out... Im a little buzzed, but I think the bottom seat isnt bolted it except for this bolt. The top part also uses this bolt hole (I think). I spent 4 hours dorking with this bolt (in the summer in texas). I ended up drilling out the stupid bolt... Think about how much that would suck considering its position between the upper and lower parts of the seats...

Its not attached to a seat belt... So there is no safety reason not to do it... Take 30 seconds and look at it... I would suggest covering it with duct tape....