Car speakers are not something that you change everyday, so knowing the required size is not exactly a piece of cake. Speakers are created to fit into specific speaker locations of certain car models. Although you may find some information about them, in some instances there is no available data to check. If the car is too old, then the task may be even more difficult.
All hope is not lost though, because you can measure the car speakers yourself if they need to be replaced. If you don’t know how to do it, this article will enlighten you.
How to Figure out the Size of Your Car’s Factory Speaker
You’re going to have to do some work to determine the factory speaker’s size. They are usually not the same as aftermarket speakers. The factory ones are specially manufactured to work with the vehicle’s design. It’s hard to get to estimate the size of the speaker, but here is what you can measure:
- Diameter
Whereas you may think that is the logical way to go, the speaker size is not determined by measuring the diameter of the speaker cone. You have to measure the diagonal length of the speaker frame.
If the speaker frames are 4-hole ones, then you start the measurement at one hole and end it at the hole located at the opposite diagonal end. If you have a speaker frame with more or less than 4 holes, then the measurement will be based on the frame diameter.
- Mounting Height
The mounting height is one of the factors that contribute to the car speaker size. Basically, it is the distance between the mounting flange and the highest point of the speaker.
If the mounting height is lower, it will look much flatter once the mounting is done. You should be very careful with this because otherwise, your speaker may bump in surfaces such as grills or door panels. That’s certainly not something you would look forward to.
Moreover, the mounting height should fit flush to the space that was allotted for your speaker.
- Mounting Depth
You measure the mounting depth by going from below the mounting flange of the speaker to the magnet’s base. This is also corresponding with the deepness when inserting the speaker in its place. If a speaker has a great depth, then it will end up bumping on surfaces beneath it.
As such, if it’s too deep, the speakers would either not fit flush or damage the housing.
- Cutout Diameter
To measure the cutout diameter, you basically have to measure it as the largest diameter at the back of the speaker. Usually, it is correspondent to the size the speaker needs to fit into the car’s speaker slot.
Conclusion
Measuring the car speaker sizes can be tricky, and you may have to do some work until you get the right numbers. However, with this quick guide, you should now be aware of the measurements you should take to determine the speaker size. Measuring the cutout diameter, diameter, mounting depth, and height is how you can figure it all out.
Once you do it, connecting your phone to your car radio will be one step closer.