I got this box in a package from crutchfield and when i put my alpine type e 12" subs in it the box started rattling. I got the same box and now I want to drill some holes in it to allow the blast to escape, hopefully preventing the same problem. I don't know where to put the holes or how big they should be so if anyone knows please help!

 

If you wanted a ported box then you should have bought a ported box.

Drilling holes will completely change the characteristics of that sealed box, and will most definitely sound like crap.

What exactly is rattling? Is the sound coming from the seams where the sides of the box come together or is it coming from the sub mounting surface??

 

like the whole left wall is loose

 

You could call crutchfield back and tell them it was damage thru shipping or you could repair it yourself. either fiberglass the seems or try liquid nails.

 

It's probably just a cheap box. I got one before that was made from press board (sp?) That crap that looks like thick cardboard.

 

I work at best buy and they sell cheap boxes there too.

<U>solution 1: </U> *FREE* drill screws through the surrounding walls into the loose wall, securing the loose wall and making the box structurally sound to prevent the rattling. Then silicone the inside edges completely making the enclosure airtight. this will "repair the box and make it airtight.
PROS: it is free, and best of all, it will sound like its supposed to.
CONS: it is ugly, and it will eventually fail again (if you do a good job it might last a while)

<U>solution 2:</U> buy a quality box from a specialty car audio store.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by wrx-killer-Sti eater &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You could call crutchfield back and tell them it was damage thru shipping or you could repair it yourself. either fiberglass the seems or try liquid nails.</TD></TR></TABLE>

DO NOT...I repeat DO NOT use liquid nails in a subwoofer enclosure under any circumstance.......unless you allow about 2-3 days with the speakers out and the box "breathing" to allow the cumbustible vapors that liquid nails produces to dissipate.

i had a kid come into my shop and damn near made me **** myself...he wanted a pair of JL 13W7s for his car and he built the box himself. everything about it was totally up to snuff...built with thick MDF, corner and center bracing, correct dimensions...everything. but when he went to assemble the box he used liquid nails and then screwed it together...which doesn't really sound that bad...until we loaded the box with the 13s and created what sounded like a friggin quarter-stick exploding in my install bay! everyone in the entire store (including customers) ran to see what the hell happened. with the very first note that the subs emitted...the sub box completely exploded because of the amount of current going across the voice coils...it ignited the vapors from the liquid nails and caused an expolsion . totally demolished both the box and both subs AND did damage to the car itself...the rear deck was bent upwards some and the trunklid itself had a decent sized dent in it. if it had been a hatchback there would've been broken glass everywhere.

good old glue and screw baby!


Modified by jz98ctr at 9:28 AM 5/30/2007

 

Anybody wanna do that again so I can come and watch?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 02 accord &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Anybody wanna do that again so I can come and watch? </TD></TR></TABLE>

dude...i should've taken pix of it but i had no camera at the time. if you wanna make a big bang like that i suggest you put the sub in a box on the ground away from anything damagable and simply plug the sub into a wall outlet from a safe distance using an extension cord or something of the like. always wear your safety goggles ******* or you'll end up like this guy &gt;

 

Is gorilla glue adviseable? Or just old fashion wood glue?

 

This is the first time I ever heard of this happing and I being do this for years. I might have to play myth buster on this one.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by wrx-killer-Sti eater &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">This is the first time I ever heard of this happing and I being do this for years. I might have to play myth buster on this one. </TD></TR></TABLE>

I think liquid nails uses quite a bit of esters to dry (or some type of volatile petroleum); if you think about it there isn't much airflow to cure the glue when used in houses, say for example glueing subflooring (obx/plywood) to joists, so esters are needed to sure the glue because they evaporate regardless? Seal up a subbox put together with it, and the gases would be built up in the box and ignite...sorta like what jz98ctr says...

buy heck yes record that myth buster and post it up on here!

 

why not just build your own box, i mean i've never done it before but it can't be that hard,

get some mdf wood, something thick like 3/4", a saw, small tapping screws, ****,

take the measurements of the inside diameter's to find the airspace that matches the sub woofers needs, this one I'm looking at now says 1.25, so WxHxD divided by 1728,

mark you lines, measure again, cut, assemble, i dunno how you would cut the holes, i image a very steady hand with a jigsaw or some bit, doing at home i'd just mark a center point, and then mark around that,

shrug, prob take an afternoon and a few hours of research to learn how.. sure you can pull it off..

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by wrx-killer-Sti eater &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">This is the first time I ever heard of this happing and I being do this for years. I might have to play myth buster on this one. </TD></TR></TABLE>

I agree on this one. Hell I probably built over 100 boxes with liquid nails and have yet to have anyone have any issues. Once I heard that it can happen I started using sillicon sealant just out of possible safety concern. I'm wondering if bad wiring causing a spark or something was really to blame because a W7 just plain out won't get hot enough to light anything off that quickly.

 

if i rememeber correctly not only did he use LN to build it but also seal the box...i don't think it's really that bad but i always seal my boxes with silicone. you could prolly get away with using it instead of wood glue as an adhesive but i wouldn't seal the box with it. basically ends up being like an internal combustion engine that can only make one rotation before it needs a rebuild lol.
drivers=pistons
box/air=crank/rods
the pistons will compress the air and then it's ignited....i'm thinking maybe it happened across the tinsel leads or the binding posts on the back of the sub...i really can't be sure. and i'm pretty sure it had nothing to do with heat...although...warmth prolly didn't help the situation at all.

 

use silicone. unlike liquid nails, silicone is flexible and if the walls of the box flex a little then silicone will flex with it and maintain the airtight seal.

when building your own box, use wood glue, then nail with an air nail gun. when that dries, use silicone.