should I repair or replace?

[rocksteady]

Hey everyone, I'm new to this forum and I'd like to say this place has some of the most helpful info around. One topic I could not find was repairing cracked subs. More specifically a solo l5 that I have has a huge crack down the middle. Not wide but long. I tried a super glue set that came with an adhesion promoter and no fix. I then tried a heavier adhesion promoter and jb weld, still no fix. Is there anything out there that will work and if not is there anywhere I can find instructions on how to recone this beast. I have some leftover carbon fiber sheet from a custom enclosure I made a while back and I would like to use that but i'm not sure what the best way to go about it is.

Click to read more...

 

[ejschultz 10+ year member]

Being an L5, most people on here are going to tell you to replace it. I have never had to recone any sub; I know nothing about it, honestly. I don't even know if all subs are reconable, if that's a word. I'm going to make the assumption that an L5 is not reconable because Kicker does not sell any kits for it. I'd say it's had a good life. Try to sell it on Craigslist to some unsuspecting kid.

 

[LosIsATool 5,000+ posts]

Nothing really special about a L5. Replace it with a good sub

 

[rocksteady]

Sounds like I got nothing to lose i'll see if I can find a components breakdown and try the recone. I have to say I am losing faith in kicker, this is the second solo I have had that the cone just cracked out of nowhere, and both of them were wired at 4 ohm and only received about 500 rms. So, its not even like I pushed them to the limit.

 

[LosIsATool 5,000+ posts]

Kicker went down hill a long time ago.

 

[-01limited- 10+ year member]

Put tape over the crack.

 

[ejschultz 10+ year member]

Hey, I'm actually really happy with the quality of my CVXs I run in the Caprice. The CVXs continue to pull decent reviews here and elsewhere online. I wouldn't touch any of their other subs though. Their amps are pretty nice though. Open one of them up and open up almost any other manufacture's amp in that same price category and you'll end up picking the Kicker.

 

[LosIsATool 5,000+ posts]

I would take a JBL GTO over the ZX, I have used both.. The CVXs are not bad but there are better ar their price point

 

[sacsking916 5,000+ posts]

if you really want to try fixing it then like stated above you can use gorilla tape/duct tape over it, also have you tried non hardening silicone. not the best fixes but should do it to make it work for ya til you get something else

 

[hispls 5,000+ posts]

Amazing Goop glue or Gorilla tape would be my first try. You won't find the parts to recone and IMHO it wouldn't be worth the cost/effort if you could. If it were a solo X it might be worth putting an off-the-shelf basket on it and doing a round cone.

I don't think CF epoxy would hold on that cone for long and you'd never get the cloth to lay down right over the contours of that sub anyway. If you wanted to make a CF patch (like a band-aid) and super glue that onto the cone it might hold.

 

[sacsking916 5,000+ posts]

Amazing Goop glue or Gorilla tape would be my first try. You won't find the parts to recone and IMHO it wouldn't be worth the cost/effort if you could. If it were a solo X it might be worth putting an off-the-shelf basket on it and doing a round cone.
I don't think CF epoxy would hold on that cone for long and you'd never get the cloth to lay down right over the contours of that sub anyway. If you wanted to make a CF patch (like a band-aid) and super glue that onto the cone it might hold.

solo x has a SPAIR recone //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif makes it much much easier to recone than anything else

 

[SPLaudio 5,000+ posts]

prob is if it is in the center of the cone everytime the sub plays it will crack it. its time for a new sub sorry...

 

[-01limited- 10+ year member]

prob is if it is in the center of the cone everytime the sub plays it will crack it. its time for a new sub sorry...

I had a bad crack on one of my cheap kenwoods and just threw the gorilla tap over it and it held it solid. But the cone was smooth so it was easy to get it on there good.

 

[rocksteady]

I'm thinking something more flexible would be better to seal it, I just hate to trash a perfectly good speaker. I wonder if the solo x kit would fit it. I thought about just covering the front of the cone with the carbon fiber so it has more area to stick to. anyone have a good tutorial on a standard recone job on a sub?

 

[SPLaudio 5,000+ posts]

the L5 is a very cheaply built sub with a tiny coil. a solo x kit will not fit...