After searching I found that no one has posted a DIY about how to install aftermarket rear speakers. There are a few people who have said they managed to mount new speakers into the frame of the oem speakers, but there are no instructions available to my knowledge. I tried this method with success. So, here is the DIY.. enjoy
First, here are a few comparison shots of the oem and new speakers:
Here is a box shot of the new speakers:
Top view of the speakers side by side (Pioneer and oem)
Bottom view of the speakers side by side
Side profile of the speakers side by side (to show depth)
Now it is time to disassemble the oem speakers and prepare them to be mounted to the new speakers:
First you need to cut the plastic supports. I have included circles around each one.
*This will destroy your oem speakers*
Then cut the outside material on the top of the speaker as shown.
You can now remove the speaker section from the mounting/spacer apparatus.
I suppose it depends on which aftermarket speaker you choose, but most likely you will need to follow this next step which involves cutting off the plastic rim/lip that protrudes upward from the oem mount.
Here is a shot halfway through the cutting process.
Here is a shot after the cutting is complete.
I left the section on top intact which needs to be there in order to bolt back on to the car *it also helps to align the new speaker*
I then smoothed the rough edges with a razor blade so the lip now sits flush with the rest of the top. *This step may not be necessary depending on how you cut the lip off in the first place. I used wire cutters so I had a lot of jaggies left to deal with*
Now the preparation is complete and it is time to mount the new speaker into the newly created apparatus.
*Now may be a good time to attach the wires to the speakers as it may be more difficult after the speakers are set in*
Here the new speaker is aligned and sitting on top of the frame. It fits like a glove.
The next step is to mount the speaker to the frame with screws (they should be included with the new speakers). It may be hard to see in the photo, but I put the two bottom screws in the inside holes and the two top screws in the outside (one side opened) holes.
The speaker is mounted and is ready to be installed in the car.
Here is a shot of the rear. *I have added a couple circles where you can see the screws have penetrated through to the back*
The following photos are of the new speakers installed in the car:
Two inside shots:
Three outside shots:
Two trunk shots:
As you can see there are no clearance issues whatsoever. No modifications of any kind were required inside the trunk or on the deck where the speakers sit. Some aftermarket speakers may be bigger though and might require cutting of the trunk bars.
What to do with the old oem speakers?
Now that the oem speakers have been destroyed you can either throw them away or you can salvage the clips from them if you decide you want to use the stock clips on the new speakers by soldering them on. I have included a photo below of one of the clips removed. I just used the wire cutters to do this.
DIY complete.. and some final words..
It may look like a lot of stuff but the total install took me about 1 1/2 hours. *It may not go so smoothly with different aftermarket speakers due to different sizes and hole patterns.*
As for the sound improvement, there are some ups and downs. There is no doubt the new speakers sound much, much better than the old ones. However, the stock Honda head unit (Civic Si Navigation) is horribly underpowered and there are few equalizer options. So the new speakers seem a little quiet compared to the old ones because the head unit simply cannot provide the necessary power to run them (an aftermarket amplifier would be a good idea). I played with the "equalizer" on the "Premium Sound System" and came up with a temporary solution. I moved the sound fader two clicks to the rear and now it sounds pretty evenly dispersed..
Anyway here's a photo of how I set the "equalizer."
I hope this guide will be of use to someone. Good luck.
