securing the speakerbox?

[1meanGTA]

i've got a pretty large box in the back, 41 inches wide, 27 deep, 20 tall. it covers all 4 cargo hooks. how do you guys secure your boxes, i hear people say "bolt it down" a lot, but is everyone honestly drilling giant holes through their carpet, the bottom of the truck, and through the box to put a threaded rod through and bolt the thing to the floor?

 

[Spdrcer34]

If your SERIOUS about your install, YES.

{climbs up on soap box, and talk to EVERYONE}

If drilling a few holes is out of the question, then don't put a sub box in your car/truck/SUV. Besides the OBVIOUS reasons of theft prevention (which doesn't matter, if they can't get the subs for themselves, they'll make sure YOU can't use them either)...there is the (ever so slight) sound improvement you'll get from not allowing the box to counteract the subs motion. Theres the body or interior panel damage issue from having a box rolling around when you take a turn, accelerate, or brake....and LAST BUT NOT LEAST...There's also the SAFETY issue....in an accident, the sub box becomes a WILD, HEAVY MISSLE in the back of your ride. And depending on where the box is located, and how you are hit, that box could go ANYWHERE...

{climbs down off the soap box now}

My box, with subs, wiring and caps weighs ~250 lbs. My amp rack and wiring weighs another ~100 It could get DANGEROUS in an accident if the proper precautions weren't taken.

Ryan

 

[1meanGTA]

i guess i was just looking for something that would do a little less damage than drilling 2 or 4 giant holes in the floor of my new low mileage eddie bauer. so everyone who drives an suv with a system either drills holes in their trucks no matter how valuable, or has boxes sliding all around?

theres got to be something really simple i'm overlooking. i'll figure something out when i pull the carpet in a week or two to do the deadener, maybe i can remove the cargo hooks and make some type of bracket to attack the box there.

 

[davesexplorer]

First explorer: Drilled box to wheelwells, also had false floor.
Cavalier: Drilled/mounted in trunk, L brackets all around as well.
Second explorer: Velcro baby! I changed boxes too much to want to put holes in my floor for this one.

My current ride has nothing, because I have yet to build the box for my 18"s , but I plan on attaching it somehow?

 

[410Fortune]

I use tie down straps and the cargo hooks in my trucks
I got some steel handles from Home depot on the sides of the box for the straps to attach to, makes it real easy to remove the box or move it around for hauling other items

 

[Wagonized]

i agree with velcro...although sometimes it can make a heavy box almost impossible to remove when you finally decided to

 

[1meanGTA]

sounds good for daily driving, and i get can all i want for free from work, but will velcro hold a ~200 lb box in place in a crash? im an extremely defensive driver, keep a good distance behind other cars, etc. haven't had a crash in about 7 years, so its unlikely, but you never know.

 

[Ranger379]

i second the ratchet straps lol... i dont have the "ratchet" ones, dont know what they are called, but same thing, i am using them in both explorers to hold the spare tire down in the back, i would suggest useing them, pretty cheap at walmart. since u say the box covers the tie down points in the back, i would cut the metal hook of the strap, lift the box up and just use the nylon strap and tie each end onto the tie downs, set the box back down and pull them tight, just my idea, i understand your point tho, i cant justify drilling any holes in my truck for some reason, good luck

 

[JIGAWHAAT]

I built this box many many moons ago.

http://jigs-97-xlt.0golf.com/images/100_5031.jpg

It has been in about 5 different cars/trucks now.
I used velcro on the bottom of it and its never moved once on or off road.

 

[Ranger379]

velcro would work good but im in agreement with haing an accident, if one where to wreck, that box would still become a 65 mph rocket, i would still use atleast one strap or bungee chord

 

[Wagonized]

high strength or heavy duty velcro is extremely extremely strong.

i had an amp mounted with it with a strip along the length of each side (amp being 25 inches long) and it took 2 guys to peel the amp off

 

[Ranger379]

high strength or heavy duty velcro is extremely extremely strong.

i had an amp mounted with it with a strip along the length of each side (amp being 25 inches long) and it took 2 guys to peel the amp off

really? i never knew they made a HD velcro, i just figured it was all the same, in that sense it may be strong enough to hold it

 

[Jason94sport]

Any Velcro is not going to hold a 200lb box from being a projectile. It will hold in normal driving but not in an accident. However if the box is large as is yours, what are the chances it's going to find it's way up the back seats then over the back seats & then over the console to the front?
I've either used L brackets drilled into the floor & then siliconed sealed the holes from underneath, or used the bungee cord method. That works very well & is plenty strong.

 

[MountaineerGreen]

Since your box sits on top of the hooks, why not get two ratchet straps, cut the hooks off of the ends and slip the loops over the hooks. Put the loops on the forward hooks, set the box in, lean the box back, hook the rear loops and then tighten it up. Then the box will still sit flat but be secure. Make sense?

 

[JIGAWHAAT]

I didnt think about the whole projectile issue if in a wreck, But between the velcro and the pet divider that you can kinda see in the pic
http://jigs-97-xlt.0golf.com/images/100_5031.jpg
I should be ok. as for if my dogs are back there that could be a whole other issue.

 

[1meanGTA]

Since your box sits on top of the hooks, why not get two ratchet straps, cut the hooks off of the ends and slip the loops over the hooks. Put the loops on the forward hooks, set the box in, lean the box back, hook the rear loops and then tighten it up. Then the box will still sit flat but be secure. Make sense?

yep, i think that'll work well.

 

[410Fortune]

In a head on collision a 200# box will make short work of the folding back seat.
Velcro may/may not hold in a wreck, with the industrial type stuff (heavy plastic) and enough of it you are spreading the load ALOT and it would take quite a bit of force to get it loose, but thats assuming it doesnt pull the carpet up off the metal floor.
Straps or bolts are the safest.
Heavy duty velcro rules I use that stuff for all sorts of crap, but a wooden box back there scares the crap out of me after some of the accidents I have seen enough to secure it to the metal body

 

[1996explorerxlt]

And I thought I was the only one that was using velcro! Seriously, I thought it was a good idea and thought of it on my own!

When I put my box in my friends car because he was interested in buying it (1-10"W7) he couldnt believe it was only held down by velcro.

 

[SunSearching]

on my del Sol, the problem is easily fixed.. the box is behind the seats, in front of the rear firewall... I simply looped a steel cable through the box, then though the firewall, and have a combination lock tucked behind the trunk carpeting.

The explorer has an ugly as HELL box in it right now, with two 12" subs. Not sure how I am going to go about securing down the box I'm gonna build.. thinking about doing the false floor idea, but I generally like boxes that are flashy. It's all gonna depend on the box itself. I've got a couple of designs done now, but I'm trying to do something that won't completely destroy the "utility" aspect of it.. that I can still fold down the rear seats and bring home big art canvases with... (I'm in art school). I'll have pics up when I get something built.