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Speaker Install - "How-To" with TONS of pics!! LS400

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Old Jul 9, 2004 | 08:58 PM
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Default Speaker Install - "How-To" with TONS of pics!! LS400

As of now, this is front only!

Credit to retrodrive.
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Old Jul 9, 2004 | 09:16 PM
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These are my new front speakers that operate at 4 OHMS. I'm an idiot and I just got what the tweeter guy told me was nice! I think they are handsome speakers don't you think? At least the box anyways. It's a 4" coaxial.



Sorry I kinda jumped a section, what happened here is you put a flat head screw driver between the door handle and the edge and push the frame out a little bit. Same with the top between the door lock and the frame and push the frame (or squeeze a better word?) out a little more and then you open the door handle so the entire frame comes out. It's not that hard to do but you have to have patience otherwise you'll crack or break your frame. Just use some common sense while doing this part to get the studs out of the holes. To be a little more clear, what you are trying to do is lift the frame so you can pull it over the door handle and lock.



This is simple. Push the clip down so you can unhook the "frame" which includes the seat belt thingy and the seat memory buttons from the wire that is hooked up to the door.



Now I'm stupid. I should've taped my flat head so if it slipped it wouldn't have scratched. But I didn't slip, so this time I got lucky. Just slip the flat head under the wood trim that has the window switches and doorlocking button and snap it out of place. It'll slide backwards out.



Another clip to remove. Simple stuff but this ones huge! At first I was amazed with Lexus when I saw this. Good stuff there.
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Old Jul 9, 2004 | 09:29 PM
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Here's the first screw I wanted to get out. Just use a normal Phillips head and unscrew this out. If you have a drill use it if you want. Otherwise be a real man and get those hands working!



Um what do I say? It's... ANOTHER SCREW! Wow. Well this one is tricky to get out and in because it's in a recessed hole. While your at it, it'd be nice to have a screwdriver that is a little magnetic so the screw doesn't fall in while your taking it out.



Another screw, be careful while taking this one out because of whatever its attacked to slides up and then out. Small piece, but this is another spot for me to mention. TAKE YOUR DAMNED TIME DOING THIS! If you break something, you're screwed. I can't help you there.



Here's a boatload I dumped on you right now. Four screwed! I hope you can see them, if not, bite me. But honestly, if you are having any trouble, feel free to contact me in any way possible. I have almost all the instant messenger things and I'm online a lot.



Sorry for the flash yall, but on this picture, you need to to see the recessed screw deep in the door handle. Just get underneth to see this and take it out.
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Old Jul 9, 2004 | 09:40 PM
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Now folks, pay attention real well otherwise you'll snap some pegs off. Hell I do it EVERYTIME I take the panel apart. Start by pulling the bottom of the panel off a little bit. Then the sides and then you slide the thing up and take if off. And yes, I know, sliding is an understatement. I had to beat this thing silly to get it off. Kinda like fighting with it. Patience is the key here though. As always you don't want to force something you aren't sure of!



Um, I forgot about this bad boy. He's a clip too. Take it off. Hooks the door light up.



There's your positive / negative speaker wire. I think that's what it's called. If any doctors are reading this, can yall tell me if that vein there is bad? It only pops out when I'm outside in the sun or feeling a breeze. Err.. back to the car!



The old Nakamichi's. They are totally irrelevent to the entire thread, but the angle I took this picture at totally freaked me out because it looked really phat.



Back to the door. As you can see you have to take off the frame first before you remove a speaker. Mind you I had my speakers removed BEFORE I did this as I have taken my door panels apart many times. There are four screws to do this. It's simple.
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Old Jul 9, 2004 | 09:47 PM
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The frame and the four screws.



Houston (get it? I live in Houston!), we have a problem. Actually not really. It's just this padding what two fold and a little bit too thick to have my speakers screwed in perfectly. I could have done it without any mods but I didn't want to so on this door I refolded it and smushed the remaining padding in and on the passenger side I was too lazy so I just cut it off.



Here is the beauty installed. Random credit goes to kaosmoon for assuring me that the speakers I bought are in fact decent and not "crap" as I thought they would be I love you man!



Here is the door panel re-attached back to the door.



Same thing as before, but now I've screwed everything back on. Completely stock looking!
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Old Jul 9, 2004 | 09:50 PM
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The two speakers I removed, as you can see they are 20W / 40W @ 4OHMS. I'll miss these.



I have a confession. I'm not of legal age to pop a beer yet I'm only 16, so I had to get the closest thing I could. A GUAVA JUICE! MAN I LOVE THESE THINGS!



Here is the passenger side, pretty much same thing but here's one difference. Two clips instead of one big one.



A rought outlook on how much I cut on the passenger side from the padding.



Speaker installed! Check that sweetie out.
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Old Jul 9, 2004 | 10:06 PM
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Two fantastic videos I made

https://www.clublexus.com/gallery/da...98MOV02908.avi

https://www.clublexus.com/gallery/da...98MOV02895.avi
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Old Jul 9, 2004 | 11:13 PM
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Perfect. This is just the start for LS audio and there is a lot more coming from vraa and from myself. Once there is more info it will be organized a little better.
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Old Jul 10, 2004 | 02:16 PM
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Very good write-up Ricky, props to you and retrodrive, very informative, and good luck with the rest of the system buddy!
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Old Jul 10, 2004 | 03:13 PM
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bostons are a great choice. I love the sound
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Old Jul 10, 2004 | 05:03 PM
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Great job on the write up, time for me to get a job so i can get some new speakers!
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Old Jul 12, 2004 | 03:11 AM
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awesome article,
question: given the bostons are coaxials, meaning they're two way and the originals were meant to be components for midrange, is there much sound difference ? Did you leave the original cross overs intact ?
I think this should would work out great because the crossovers would only allow the midrange to these bostons, hence the tweeters shouldn't really give much output. but then again, perhaps the tweeters could be disconnceted before installation mimicing exactly the original setup.
what do others think about that idea ?
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Old Jul 12, 2004 | 03:14 AM
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also,
what is the model number for the speakers that were installed.
were the front and rear speakers the same ? i noticed they're the fx series, but fx4 or fx5 is the question.
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Old Jul 12, 2004 | 08:14 PM
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I'm guessing that fx4 is 4" and fx5 is 5", so the speakers that he used would be fx4. (Of course it helps that the speaker box shown in the first photo has fx4 written down the side) Great write-up!

Last edited by chazglenn3; Jul 12, 2004 at 08:17 PM.
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Old Jul 12, 2004 | 08:18 PM
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Originally posted by Lexs400
awesome article,
question: given the bostons are coaxials, meaning they're two way and the originals were meant to be components for midrange, is there much sound difference ? Did you leave the original cross overs intact ?
I think this should would work out great because the crossovers would only allow the midrange to these bostons, hence the tweeters shouldn't really give much output. but then again, perhaps the tweeters could be disconnceted before installation mimicing exactly the original setup.
what do others think about that idea ?
The sound difference is subjective, personally I think the new BA's give a little more oomph in the lower end and sound the same in the higher end (seeing how I have treble and mid turned all the way down).

I don't know how to disconnect the tweeters on the BA's. I just have the component tweeter hooked up, and the BA's just dropped in.

Those are Boston Acoustic FX4's as seen in the first picture.

Front and rear speakers on OEM Nakamichi are the same 20W/40W 4ohms 4" except for the fact that there is a component setup in the front.

Now my car has Boston Acoustics for the front and OEM in the back (including woofer).
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