Speaker install - torque

[lowell]

I've been using my drill with a socket. I have it set quite low at 7 on my Makita. This is my approach to even torque on every nut. I feel its tight but not too tight as to warp the basket. I'm curious if there's another, better way.

What's your approach?

[Enzo]

I just have a Craftsman, with I think three torques, I use the lightest one all the time unless something says otherwise. I never has a basket warp on me. Whether I really need to or not, I use the crossing star pattern tightening them. On a four bolter that isn't much, it looks fancier on 8 screws.

[nosaj]

I just have a Craftsman, with I think three torques, I use the lightest one all the time unless something says otherwise. I never has a basket warp on me. Whether I really need to or not, I use the crossing star pattern tightening them. On a four bolter that isn't much, it looks fancier on 8 screws.

Just like Dad showed you when putting a tire back on.

nosaj

[Jazz P Bass]

There is a local speaker pro (he worked at Clare Brothers) & for high power rigs he tightens the speaker with a tone running through them.

[nosaj]

There is a local speaker pro (he worked at Clare Brothers) & for high power rigs he tightens the speaker with a tone running through them.

huh what did ya say I can''t quite hear you.

nosaj

[Enzo]

Well on stamped baskets, I can see the frame distorting under screw torque if I am unsubtle. With cast baskets, I don't worry much about it.

[cjenrick]

i would not use power tool on speaker hardware, you need a real light torque,

stolen from the Telecaster forum:

JBL says tighten the bolts 1/2 turn after it touches the frame, (seems light)

another tip is use your fingers on the shaft of the nut driver or screw drive, not on the handle,

and then another tip, feel around the baffleboard, if the frame is closer to the board at the bolts, then it is too tight,"

i also remember something about using a circular pattern instead of a cross pattern.

either way, never had problems with coil rub, those frames are pretty rigid, especially the old Altec 417-8C things,

i do notice on amps that come in for repair that the speaker nuts are always kind of loose, the gasket probably compresses,

one thing to watch out for is to make sure the baffle board is not warped.

[Tom Phillips]

I always tighten speaker mounting hardware by hand. I use a small nut driver tool. I'm not doing production so that hand tightening is not a problem and I like the feedback feel I get by using the hand tool. I find it useful to feel the rate that the torque ramps up as the gasket compresses and I can also tell if a baffle screw starts to spin loose. I also like re-checking after a while to determine if the gasket has compressed and caused a nut to loosen. (That is infrequent) Another concern for me is that I use a powerful cordless driver/drill for both my amp work and other projects and I know that I would eventually leave the torque set to max and crush a speaker frame to the baffle board. All of this is just my personal methodology. YMMV.
Cheers,
Tomon

[g1]

I like the 'by hand' technique Tom mentioned. If there are a lot of screws, or several speakers, I might use the cordless to do the initial 'freewheel' tightening, but then torque them up by hand.

In the 'watch out for' column, be careful of big honkin' magnets that can yank your screwdriver blade right through the cone. Don't ask how I know it can happen.

[Mick Bailey]

I use my cordless screwdriver on the next to lightest setting (2 out of 10) for threaded inserts, and hand-tighten on wood screws, which can sometimes be variable. I did some experiments to check the torque and consistency on my driver when I got it and it's done scores of speakers without warping.

[lowell]

Right on people. Thanks for chiming in. Yeah the last thing I want is for a customer to call me saying the speaker/s I just installed is loose and hanging off the baffle. It's definitely a fine balance between secure and overtight. I also feel that new speaker surround may shrink or compress more over time. So even if things are sured up there's a good chance some tightening will be in order shortly thereafter.

[nosaj]

Right on people. Thanks for chiming in. Yeah the last thing I want is for a customer to call me saying the speaker/s I just installed is loose and hanging off the baffle. It's definitely a fine balance between secure and overtight. I also feel that new speaker surround may shrink or compress more over time. So even if things are sured up there's a good chance some tightening will be in order shortly thereafter.

On nuts I'm questionable about or if I want to know if it has been accessed. I use a particular nail polish color on the bolt and nut. It locks it but not too much that you can't loosen it with a manual tool.

nosaj

[minim]

A little bit off on a tangent, but i have often wondered about the bottom-end response and loudness of a speaker when it is only lightly torqued using that foam type gasket, for example. It seems to me that a speaker mounted with the harder cork-type gasket might elicit a louder, bassier response. If the cabinet plays a part, would a more solid connection to the baffle be preferable?

[cjenrick]

those nuts with the built in internal lock washer seem to hold good even without a lot of torque,

yeah you see a lot of front loaded bass cabs, wonder if it improves the bass?

[Randall]

I prefer to take them off with an electric driver, but I always put them on with a hand driver. What makes me comfortable is first snugging with fingers extended on the handle, then second time around I grip a bit more and dial it in. Too tight is as bad as too loose.