# With a subwoofer box, how do I get to the spare tire?



## voltage23 (May 26, 2013)

Hey all,

I'm considering adding a subwoofer to my Cruze LT. I've never had one before. One of my main concerns right now is if I do get a flat, how am I going to get to the spare tire with the sub enclosure in my trunk? Since the spare tire cover is all one piece, am I going to have to take the sub box out of the car if I get a flat? Since the box and the subwoofer are both pretty heavy, that seems like a daunting task to get that all out of there. Would I have to disconnect the two and take them out separately? Is there some other way to get at the spare tire without taking the box out? Has anyone had to get at the spare tire with a sub in their trunk? Am I perceiving this to be a bigger problem than it actually is?

Thanks!


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

It depends on the subwoofer abd box in question. Have you decided which?

I can recommend a subwoofer with a neodymium motor, which would be far lighter than a ferrite motor, and build you a sub box with 1/2" MDF instead of 3/4" and brace it well like I usually do, and you'd most likely be at around 30 pounds loaded instead of 45-50 pounds. That's really quite manageable, and the bracing I'd use wouldn't sacrifice any sound quality. 

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## Ranger_Giltrow (May 25, 2013)

all you'd have to do is drop your rear seats forward and slide the box up the seats. I locked my keys in my trunk and had to get someone to unlock my car, but since there is no trunk open button i had to put my seats down, slide the box back and crawl back there for the trunk release tab. Pain in the arse but it can be done.


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## APCruze (Mar 7, 2013)

Ranger_Giltrow said:


> all you'd have to do is drop your rear seats forward and slide the box up the seats. I locked my keys in my trunk and had to get someone to unlock my car, but since there is no trunk open button i had to put my seats down, slide the box back and crawl back there for the trunk release tab. Pain in the arse but it can be done.


There is a trunk release button above the license plate, inbetween the license plate light.


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## H3LLON3ARTH (Dec 16, 2011)

APCruze said:


> There is a trunk release button above the license plate, inbetween the license plate light.


Yes vehicle has to be unlocked but I assume yours was already unlocked.

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## voltage23 (May 26, 2013)

I haven't decided which sub yet. I'm just starting to toss around the idea. I'm not even sure yet what my budget is going to be. The Neodymium motor idea is intriguing. What are some woofers you would recommend? Btw, I'm planning to build my own box.


The idea to slide the box up on the seats is also interesting. Even with that option though, a lighter woofer and box would still be attractive.


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## Stevear22 (Mar 6, 2013)

With my sub I had the amp and everything mounted to the back of the seat. That way if need be there is only the two wires going to the sub box that I was to worry about if I need to remove the box. 


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

voltage23 said:


> I haven't decided which sub yet. I'm just starting to toss around the idea. I'm not even sure yet what my budget is going to be. The Neodymium motor idea is intriguing. What are some woofers you would recommend? Btw, I'm planning to build my own box.
> 
> 
> The idea to slide the box up on the seats is also interesting. Even with that option though, a lighter woofer and box would still be attractive.


You'd shave a lot of weight with a Neodymium subwoofer. 

If you build your own box, you'll need to be able to brace it well with 1/2" MDF or it will not sound good at all. 3/4" MDF will be significantly heavier. 

One little detail about Neodymium subwoofers is the cost. The price of Neodymium is quite a lot higher than that of Ferrite magnets, so that needs to be factored in. Here are some options worth considering:

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?partnumber=297-453
Vifa NE265W-08 10" Subwoofer Speaker 264-1140
Vifa NE315W-08 12" Subwoofer Speaker 264-1142

The 12" Vifa is 6 pounds, and the 10" version is 5 pounds. That's pretty light for a subwoofer; especially one that has such excellent sound quality. The HiVi is a bit heavier, but is the cheapest of the three, and is still half the weight of a ferrite 10" subwoofer. 

They are 8-ohm drivers, so you'll be looking for a Class-AB amp (mono or 2-channel to be bridged) that can provide double the 8-ohm rating, at 4 ohms. So if the sub says it can do 200W @ 8 ohms, find an amp that can do 400W @ 4 ohms. It wouldn't really be difficult at all as there are very many 2-channel subwoofer options out there that can be bridged to provide that power.


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## voltage23 (May 26, 2013)

Hmm, interesting. So, let's say I go with the Vifa 12" @ 200W. How would that compare to say an IDQ12 @ 750W? Would it be anywhere near as loud? Is there any benefit to the Vifa other than weight?

Also, are there any guidelines for how to design the bracing?


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

voltage23 said:


> Hmm, interesting. So, let's say I go with the Vifa 12" @ 200W. How would that compare to say an IDQ12 @ 750W? Would it be anywhere near as loud? Is there any benefit to the Vifa other than weight?
> 
> Also, are there any guidelines for how to design the bracing?


The Vifa is more of a 100% SQ sub. It runs in the level of Scanspeak, Seas, Focal, and Morel SQ subs. The IDQ12 V3 is more of a general purpose-leaning SQ sub. It has more excursion and a slightly higher moving mass. The Vifa is not a sub I'd buy for synthetic bass. I'd say it's closer to an IDQ V2. 

It's made of higher quality materials also. The neo motor is stronger, and the sub is more efficient. The IDQ V3 would get louder for sure but would weigh 15lbs more. 

It really depends on your listening preferences and genres. 

Check out my sub box thread for bracing.

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## voltage23 (May 26, 2013)

Thanks for the info. I think I'm going to go with an IDQ12 and a 1/2" MDF well-braced box. That shouldn't be too bad to slide up onto the rear seats once they are folded down. I have additional questions, but I think it best to start a new thread as this one has been solved. Thanks!


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

voltage23 said:


> Thanks for the info. I think I'm going to go with an IDQ12 and a 1/2" MDF well-braced box. That shouldn't be too bad to slide up onto the rear seats once they are folded down. I have additional questions, but I think it best to start a new thread as this one has been solved. Thanks!


The IDQ12 is IIRC about 24 pounds, so you're looking at an 18 pound increase in weight. Depends on how big of a deal it is to you. 

A 3/4" MDF box with a double thick baffle and heavy bracing that I usually build is about 30-35 pounds for a single 12. You'll still need to use 3/4" MDF for the baffle as you need a strong mounting point through which to drive the screws, and I would strongly recommend a double thick flush mount on the baffle, which would have to be at least 5/8". All in all, you're really only going to save about 10 pounds on the box going to 1/2" MDF instead of 3/4". At that point, I'd just build the whole thing out of 3/4" MDF so you don't have to buy two sheets of MDF.


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## Aussie (Sep 16, 2012)

voltage23 said:


> Thanks for the info. I think I'm going to go with an IDQ12 and a 1/2" MDF well-braced box. That shouldn't be too bad to slide up onto the rear seats once they are folded down. I have additional questions, but I think it best to start a new thread as this one has been solved. Thanks!


I am not an expert so forgive me if this is a stupid question. Why not attach the sub to the rear of the seats so they can be folded forward if the spare is needed taking the sub with them?


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## Fun_Bucket (Feb 12, 2013)

Aussie said:


> I am not an expert so forgive me if this is a stupid question. Why not attach the sub to the rear of the seats so they can be folded forward if the spare is needed taking the sub with them?


How would you fix upwards of 50kgs of weight to the rear of the seat?

Just pull out the floor mould and trace a circle then cut it out. Flip it over and attach a thin mdf ring slightly larger than the cut out so the cut out piece has something to rest on. Just pull it out when you want to access the spare.


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