Secret to threading speaker wire into doors....
#1
Secret to threading speaker wire into doors....
One word for you: spray f'ing silicone
Grab yourself some of this: http://www.amsoil.com/storefront/als.aspx
1. Poke a hole in the electrical tape at grommet entrance
2. Stick the red straw in, spray for a few seconds...
3. Spray 12" of your new speaker wire....
4. Slip wire into the hole and puuuuush..
5. Crap yourself when you realize how easy it was!
Seriously- after reading several threads, I was pretty nervous about this mod, but after doing it this way, I had the passenger side wired with 16g with no trouble at all.... Driver's side was a bit harder because of the angle, but was totally simple.
No need for a fish or anything goofy, just lube it up and slip it in. (Just like yo momma!)
Grab yourself some of this: http://www.amsoil.com/storefront/als.aspx
1. Poke a hole in the electrical tape at grommet entrance
2. Stick the red straw in, spray for a few seconds...
3. Spray 12" of your new speaker wire....
4. Slip wire into the hole and puuuuush..
5. Crap yourself when you realize how easy it was!
Seriously- after reading several threads, I was pretty nervous about this mod, but after doing it this way, I had the passenger side wired with 16g with no trouble at all.... Driver's side was a bit harder because of the angle, but was totally simple.
No need for a fish or anything goofy, just lube it up and slip it in. (Just like yo momma!)
#2
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I'd imagine any kind of slippery liquid would work. I started from inside the door panel, pushed a clothes hanger (slowly and gently) through the conduit, into the foot well. I attached the wire (braided pair of 2 10G wires, 4 total) to the clothes hanger, lubed it with a diluted mixture of Meguiar's APC (I'm a wash and wax freak, had this just laying around), and gently pulled it back into the door. After a little resistance, it gave way to smooth sailing (Just like YO momma )
#3
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God bless this forum.
I have been suffering serious angst over running the wire for my new components thinking it was going to be a major PITA. A quick search and I discover that it could be simple.
Thank you, thank you.
I have been suffering serious angst over running the wire for my new components thinking it was going to be a major PITA. A quick search and I discover that it could be simple.
Thank you, thank you.
#5
FWIW, you can buy a big squeeze bottle (lifetime supply) of
"cable pulling lube" at Home Depot for a few bucks, made
specifically for this purpose.
my favorite cable-pulling tool is a piece of solid-core copper
wire that I cut out of a piece of romex cable (the white plastic
covered stuff that modern houses are wired with). It's just
rigid enough to hold a shape you give it, while being flexible
enough to work through anything.
I soldered my speaker wire to it (though taping is probably
good enough), pushed it through the grommet from the cabin
side, and the pulled it through the door. piece of cake, no
cut fingers, took mere seconds per side (though the soldering
took some time because instead of doing on my work bench,
I did it while sitting in the car, trying to hold both wires, the
solder, and the soldering iron all at the same time).
"cable pulling lube" at Home Depot for a few bucks, made
specifically for this purpose.
my favorite cable-pulling tool is a piece of solid-core copper
wire that I cut out of a piece of romex cable (the white plastic
covered stuff that modern houses are wired with). It's just
rigid enough to hold a shape you give it, while being flexible
enough to work through anything.
I soldered my speaker wire to it (though taping is probably
good enough), pushed it through the grommet from the cabin
side, and the pulled it through the door. piece of cake, no
cut fingers, took mere seconds per side (though the soldering
took some time because instead of doing on my work bench,
I did it while sitting in the car, trying to hold both wires, the
solder, and the soldering iron all at the same time).
#6
Registered User
Originally Posted by oth,Aug 4 2006, 03:43 PM
...though the soldering took some time because instead of doing on my work bench, I did it while sitting in the car, trying to hold both wires, the solder, and the soldering iron all at the same time.
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#8
Former Moderator
Here is my version...I done dozens of s2ks, so take my advice without salt.
Get a wire hanger (metal,) cut of the hook, unravel it, and look proudly into your newly created wire snake.
Roll your windows up (this has to be done before you take the door panel off, since you wont have any switches to hit after)
Start from INSIDE the door, not from inside the car. Inside the door, the grommet is open, and MUCH wider, on top of that, its easier to reach. Lube up the snake with your choice of lube, and begin to slowly push it thorugh. Use your free hand to move the grommet the visible part between the door and the car. Now, eventually, you will feel a block. This is the electrical tape. Give it a light push, and with your finger, feel around, making sure you know the location of the snake point.
Once you determine it is as the electrical tape, give it a good push, and you will puncture the tape, and have your snake through.
Once that is done, (leave the snake in the door) tape the speaker wire parallel to the snake, on the snake with electrical tape. make sure it is TIGHT before you attempt to pull it though. Lube the tape section up, and from inside the car, begin to pull it through.
Works everytime.
Get a wire hanger (metal,) cut of the hook, unravel it, and look proudly into your newly created wire snake.
Roll your windows up (this has to be done before you take the door panel off, since you wont have any switches to hit after)
Start from INSIDE the door, not from inside the car. Inside the door, the grommet is open, and MUCH wider, on top of that, its easier to reach. Lube up the snake with your choice of lube, and begin to slowly push it thorugh. Use your free hand to move the grommet the visible part between the door and the car. Now, eventually, you will feel a block. This is the electrical tape. Give it a light push, and with your finger, feel around, making sure you know the location of the snake point.
Once you determine it is as the electrical tape, give it a good push, and you will puncture the tape, and have your snake through.
Once that is done, (leave the snake in the door) tape the speaker wire parallel to the snake, on the snake with electrical tape. make sure it is TIGHT before you attempt to pull it though. Lube the tape section up, and from inside the car, begin to pull it through.
Works everytime.
#9
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I'm printing this. Thanks, guys.
I've had everything I need for the install for two weeks now and fear of the unknown was the only thing keeping me from proceeding. I should have searched/asked a long time ago.
I've had everything I need for the install for two weeks now and fear of the unknown was the only thing keeping me from proceeding. I should have searched/asked a long time ago.
#10
After experimenting, the simpliest way I find that works well is to tape the wire to a long zip tie with electric tape, add some soapy water to the wire, and snake the zip tie through the grommet. The most painful part is to have to unwrap the electric tape around the grommet and re-wrapping the new wire around the grommet. I successfully ran 16 guage through both sides.