i have two older RF punch xlc 12s (bought them off a friend about 2 years ago, he had them for like a year) recently when i turned up the bass i started noticing a really bad rattle in the trunk, so when i had a little time this weekend i went to investigate, well its the SUB ITSELF that is rattling. it sounds just like a metal on metal rattle, and sounds like its coming from the magnet area. at first only one was doing it, but then i switched the subs to see if it was the chamber on the box or something, and now they both do it. i have in the past month installed a new head unit with subwoofer specific outs, which i never had before, but i cant see that being the problem. they dont sound like their blown...they still bump nicely, but rattle like there is a friggin pop can in the box with them. any suggestions as to what this could be/how to fix it? i am poor as a **** right now, my fiance is in need of a new car, so were saving for that, so buying new subs isnt really an option at this point. any suggestions are welcome!

 

They could be blown, or they could also be about to blow. YOu might be "bottoming out" the voice coil, whcih could cause the clicking - does this happen only when they are bumping hard, or all the time? Some subs "break in" and "loosen up" over time, meaning that they might have been fine before, but now are bottoming out.

Could also be the tinsel leads slapping the cone. Check to make sure these leads (the wires that actually come from the voice coil to the cone) are not hitting the cone when the sub moves.

A very quick test to see if a sub is trashed is to push the cone in with no power to the sub (radio off). It should be nearly silent. If you hear any scratching noises when you push the cone in and out, you probably have a blown speaker.

Check it out, let us know your findings - if you really like the subs, certain kinds of "destruction" can be fixed DIY, like a cone that separates from the spider.

Post back - we'll see what we can do.

 

well i found my rattle. it is, like i thought the speaker itself. i am not a genius about speakers, so forgive me if i use the wrong terms. the spider (the twead looking rippled thingy) between the magnet and the cone is what is rattling. it is raised out of the basket a bit, and is mounted on an aluminum plate. the plate has come loose and is hitting the basket. i took the sub out of the box and was playing it to figure out what was rattling (i know this is bad for it, but i only did it for like a minute) when i held the spider in place the rattle stopped.

my question now: how do i fix this?? is it even possible to fix or is it a lost casue?

 

Is there any way you could take a picture of the speaker and damage?

It's a little hard to figure out from just your description - I know how hard it can be to describe something in words.

Lots of issues can be fixed with a little patience and some epoxy .

See if you can post a picture (**** - email it to me direct if you want) and we can see what's what.

~HH

 

no problem, i'll get some pics tonight after work and post em up. look for them around 6 pm (est)

 

If you can get the parts you need, yes a spyder can be replaced. You normally don't fix a syder, but replace it. The gaps between the coil and the magnet are actually very precise, and the two should never meet! Lots of large sub drivers used in DB drag etc. need to be redone after about every competition. Photos will help us all to understand what it looks like for sure.
The question is what held the spyder to the magnet. You mention an aluminum plate, did it look like it was glued? Or where there screw holes...

 

not the best pictures, but they get the point across....


i couldnt get down in there with the camera, but the spider is DEFINETLY no longer connected to the basket on one side. the other side is glued down, and you can see where it once was glued...

 

So that metal plate was originally glued to the basket, huh?

I would assume that if you could squirt some epoxy down there and somehow clamp the plate down, you might be able to bond the two again. Maybe try an epoxy designed for metal bonding (check the auto parts store).

Give it a few days curing time, too. All you are looking to do is re-bond what came loose.

Also - any chance you've got a warranty on the subs? Good route to try.

The end is, trying to fix this yourself won't do any harm - I mean, the sub is trash the way it is, so what more can you do to it? You could also get an estimate for a pro repair, if you can find a place near you that does this sort of work. Worth a look.

~HH

 

yeah, the pictures dont really do it justice.
i totally agree with the "there trash anyway" way of thinking. thats how i got started with computers, and now i build em, program em, and network em. its always better to try to do something your self, then f*ck up and pay the amount you would have paid someone else anyway, but at least you get the experience and gain a bit of knowledge along the way....anyway, back to topic, im gonna see if i can find some sort of metal to metal epoxy, im not too worried about needing to clamp them too much, the amount of rattle i was getting (and my investigation) tells me that the plate is trying its hardest to stay put, but just cant, but im still gonna clamp it and let it sit in my room this weekend (im going on a road trip, so i could probably use the trunk space anyway, but no bumpity bumpity ) thanks for your help hiho, i'll report back on monday, wish me luck

 

i have some epoxy, but what i cant figure out is how the hell to get it in there?! the angle sucks, and i cant really squit it, since i have to mix it first. can i use a q-tip or will the cotton funk it up? any other suggestions?

i cant really explain the interior well, but here goes:
the basket angles in then flattens, the spider plate attaches to this flat part, as you can kinda see in the photos. you can see how the plate steps at the top, well it does the same kinda thing at the bottom, but not as severe, but its enough to get in the way of the point of contact.

btw, absolutely no warranty, bought them second hand (off a friend), and they are over 2 years old, so out of any warranty i know of.

the best i could do on short notice:

 

It will be pretty important to get it coil and spyder back to as close to the original position as you can, the ineraction the magnetic fields and the coil are a big part of getting the right sound out of a speaker, even a bass!

 

well i decided that i could not live without bass for two 4 hour drives, so i brought the subs along with me on friday, i left them unplugged until saturday when i plugged them back in, but i didnt run them until the drive back this afternoon. the rattle is gone and they seem to be hitting harder than ever i was on this drive with a friend who loves bass, so the ENTIRE 4 hours back my car was vibrating. it felt like i was at a frickin concert. it definetly helped that this was the first time since september i have been able to put my windows down while driving on the freeway (it was a scortching 65 out today, according to the news thats like the highest since november 2). so as my ears continue to hum and ring, i smile i know im going to be deaf in a few years, so i might as well make the most of it, right?

 

WTG man! Looks like you fixed them, huh?

Hey - even if it only lasts for a while, at least you got them to work again. And you never know - might last damn near forever.

Good job - and glad we could help out.

~HH