AR-2A woofer repair?

[HopsAndSpokes]

Hey guys, first post on here and I'm new to the vintage speaker game, so hopefully I don't embarrass myself here.  Yesterday I picked up a set of AR-2A s from a consignment store in town, I apparently didn't give them a close enough listen at the shop because when I hooked them up at home there was a serious rattle from one of the speakers woofers (luckily the other speaker sounds really good). I immediately unhooked the speaker and pulled off the grill to find that I had the older Cloth surround woofers with the aluminum frame, I was happy to find that I wouldn't need to re-foam the woofer. Looking closer I noticed that the Masonite ring attaching the surround to the aluminum frame has become completely unglued. I've read enough about what I need to do to glue it back into place with either Goop or Alene's Tacky Glue, now here comes my question. 

Should I just glue the Surround ring back in place or should I pull the woofer to see if there is any visible damage? Is there any way that I could determine if there is additional damage without pulling the woofer completely? My thinking is just glue the ring back on, if there is any other additional damage I'll probably need to replace the whole woofer anyways. is that a correct assumption?

Then I also assume that the ring needs to be centered fairly well to avoid additional coil rub, is there any trick to getting this perfect?

 

[stupidhead]

Hello hopsandspokes and welcome. You will likely want to get in to work on the xover so taking out the woofer is necessary. Also, a visual inspection of spider is in order. Mark the orientation somehow and when re-installing spin 180 for new orientation. If there is any sag from half a century this will help overcome.

The trick to getting any of this stuff perfect is taking your time, asking many questions, and having the right tools as well. Above all have fun!

nice find by the way and those drivers look fabulous. How are the cabs?

[RoyC]

The spider ring often has the same issue (see attached photos). You will have to remove the woofer to deal with it.

Roy

[HopsAndSpokes]

Awesome, thanks for the input guys. Roy, I'm assuming the spider should be glued to the bottom portion of the aluminium frame. What are the common issues with the XOver? I know there are possible issues with the pots, is that what you're referring to? The cabs are in great shape, I'll post what I have for pictures now but they don't show the cabs that well. only 2 small scratches in the cabs other than that they're perfect.

[owlsplace]

Welcome and nice start to your AR collection

Roger

[HopsAndSpokes]

I pulled the driver last night and you were right Roy the spider came unglued as well. I also grabbed some better shots of the cab on the one I'm fixing, those scratches on the top are the only marks I could find on the pair. out of curiosity what type of wood veneer was used on the cabs?

 

 

 

 

[GD70]

Hey Hops,

Very nice pair of 2A's.

To repair the woofer, you'll need to carefully cut the dust cap, but leave a little still attached, and flip it open like a lid. Then shim the VC to ensure it is perfectly centered. The shims also aid in keeping the cone at the proper level while the glue dries. Now you can glue the loose rings. Aileen's Tacky glue, or Gorilla glue should work fine. Be careful gluing the spider ring and don't use too much glue as you don't want any squeezing out and going into the VC gap.

The cabs look like Walnut. 

Glenn