JBL Speaker repair

It might last, but I think what has usually happened is deterioration of that foam itself, making up the speaker surround. Your layer of urethane will stick it back together where it came apart the first time, and then the foam will just disintegrate again someplace else nearby.

I've had very satisfying results using refoam kits from Parts Express.

 

Absolutely agree. Once the surround starts to go, it's a death spiral. Need to either replace the speakers or re-surround them. I've done the re-surround on home speakers and it's not that difficult, but sometimes replacing the drivers is more cost effective as it takes a bit of time to do the re-surround well plus the cost of the kits. If those drivers are easily and inexpensively replaced, I would go that way. After all, JBL is not some kind of super-duper awesome and rare speaker that must be preserved for posterity for future generations.

 

Best price I'm seeing on the driver is about $115, but here's a refoam kit for $22.

 

You don't need to go to Toyota for a speaker, I am sure. Just find a pair that's similar in size at Walmart or Crutchfield and go on with life. On the other hand, $22 refoam kit will take all day to install, if the installer is not experienced in such things, there is a 87% chance it will not come out well and they'll be back at square 1 minus $22 and a day wasted. I am all for DIY, but after having refoamed a few drivers I would not advise it to others unless the driver in question is something really special that can not be replaced for $35/pair. That's just my opinion, obviously, no judgement on what others want to do with their time and money.

 

No strong opinion either way on my part, just reporting. There is an older PriusChat thread reporting favorably on refoaming. (One point raised there is the possibility of doing the work in place, no drilling out rivets.)

 

I checked with crutchfield before on the jbl speaker replacement, they didn't have anything that was in the same range as the oem speaker. Not sure what the correct terminology was used, but they didn't have it. Best to go online and buy a newer non foam (rubber) jbl speaker from later model Toyota cars