just removed old package tray from 72 cutlass supreme, there are two speakers under this package tray, around each speaker is 4 sharp screws that are pointing up. these screws actually poked holes through the old package tray. I dont want to install the new tray and have the same thing happen. what are these screws? are they actually the screws that are olding the speakers in place? why are they installed with the pointy side up, this doesnt make sense.

 

It might sound like all you have to do is install the screws from the top but it might not be that simple.

I sometimes run across stuff like this and wonder what the assembly people were thinking when they came up with this sort of thing. It must have made sense on the assembly line since they were building 55 cars per hour and needed the one best way to do it.

Check your speakers and see if there is room on top of them for the heads of the screws. This could have been the reason the screws were driven in from the bottom. All GM wanted was for the speakers to stay in place.

Unless you are building a show car I would just install the speakers in a way that worked the best.

 

My money says they're aftermarket speakers and installed in a way to get them in and booming, especially if there's two. Most factory setups had only one rear speaker in the right side of the shelf. Some 8-track equipped cars had two.

The factory 6x9 speakers used a "T-bolt" and a machine nut to hold the speakers in. The mounting holes are keyhole shaped. The T-bolt slides in the round screw opening and then you push it into the slotted part. Mount the speakers from the bottom and tighten the nuts to hold the speakers to the package tray.

A very small carriage bolt will work if you don't have the T-bolts, or I have used machine screws with jam nuts to hold the screws in place, then put another set of nuts on the underside of the speaker frame.

Some years have a cardboard baffle that fits under the speaker to direct the sound into the car and not to the trunk.

And then some years have a spring clamp that hooks into the shelf, supports the speaker from underside, and latches into a retaining clip. These things have been known to buzz at high volume.

 

From what I have seen I would have to agree with RocketRaider. This sounds like an aftermarket set-up.

I can recommend the cardboard baffle he mentioned, and you can find these on a lot of GM cars from the 80's. The best way I have seen them attached is to get some heavy duty Velcro and stick one side on the inside of the baffle and the other side on the speaker magnet. You don't get the 'rattle' Rocket spoke of when using the spring clips some of the baffles came with.