Vents in back of GTS?????

[whip383]

I'm about to put a 10" sub in the back of my GTS. I read somewhere on this forum that I shouldnt block some vent in the back??? Will I be okay if i put a sub in the back on the passenger side?

Thanks,
chan

 

[snakebitdave]

If you look at your GTS from the rear you will see two vents, one on each side. These are above the bumper within the sculpted curved body quarter panel. Their purpose is to release interior air pressure should the air bags inflate. Without somewhere to go your eardrums may rupture. You shouldn't block these off.

 

[snakebitdave]

If you look at your GTS from the rear you will see two vents, one on each side. These are above the bumper within the sculpted curved body quarter panel. Their purpose is to release interior air pressure should the air bags inflate. Without somewhere to go your eardrums may rupture. You shouldn't block these off.

 

[fe155]

I wanted to use the 10" sub but would not fit so i used the 8" in the right rear with a custom enclsure i made . Yes it blocks off the rear vent but i have not noticed any difference and the left side is still open. Also if it became a concern you can cut a hole in the right upper rear shelf and cover it with a vent or speaker grille cover to have the same effect.

 

[whip383]

yea i do have one vent left, ill try to do some measurements for the 10" again. what 8" did u go with?

thanks,
chan

 

[Dixter]

Not sure it has anything to do or not with the air bag, but I guess thats a good
enough reason to have vents... but I was allways told it allows the air a place
to leave so the back window does not pop out when your going 150mph with the
windows down...

 

[Lee00blacksilverGTS]

I second what Dixter said, I've read many times here about the rear window popping out, but never heard the air bag theory, and with all due respect to the poster I kinda doubt it, having been through a "significant airbag experience" in an LS400 I can tell you that the danger to your ears is from noise, a shotgun shell type of noise that inflates the airbag, the airbag itself does not displace any significant amount of air, only about the size of a small pillow and it instantly deflates again, and of course it does not explode, so there is no sudden explosion of air in the cockpit, only noise.

 

[snakebitdave]

The airbag theory comes straight from a Dodge engineer while touring the plant while picking up my Viper. I suppose he could have been pulling our legs but that is what we were told

 

[Ron]

The vents are for the airbag. They have a light adhesive on the flaps, so they release only when the airbag pops or in another overpressure situation, such as the high speed run mentioned above. In fact, early GTS's had adhesive that was too agressive causing the side or rear window to blow out at speed. Nice test of your concentration.

Two full sized airbags going off simultaniously and quickly in an enclosed cockpit as small as the Viper's is will cause pain if there isn't any venting.