**2005+ Tacoma Double Cab Complete Audio Install Tutorial**

[Mr Marv]

Sorry for the delay again guys but it has been unbelievably busy around here lately!

We'll start here with a basic on removing the door panels, kick panels, sill plates and other trim. The nice thing is most of these pieces can be removed with no tools. BTW, I was unable to get pictures of every procedure but hopefully you will be able to understand from the descriptions.

Remove the pin at the top front corner by pushing the center in first and lifting the flange with your fingernail.



Remove the sail panel by just carefully prying it off with your fingers.



Pop open these 2 tabs with a small screwdriver and remove the screws behind them noting that there are 2 different sizes so you can put them back in the correct places.






To remove the window/lock switch panel just pry up at the front and slide it forward


Remove the wiring harness by pushing in the small ribbed tab, slide the collar it is attached to outward and then remove the plug


To remove the door panel just pull it towards you starting at the bottom front until all of the mounting pins have popped loose and then slide it upwards and out.

Unfortunately I was unable to get pictures of the sill plate and trim removal however it is fairly easy. First remove all of the sill plates and foot rest by just prying up on them with your fingers. Next the kick panels will pop off after removing the plastic thumb screw up towards the firewall. To remove the center pillar lower trim you will first need to remove the seat belt at the bottom (pop the plastic cover off and use a 14mm socket), then peel up the rubber door seal as there are a couple of tabs under it and pry the trim off with your fingers.

If this is not clear please feel free to ask questions and if anybody has pictures of the areas I was unable to show please send them to me so I can edit them into the thread.

I'm going to proof read the next stage again and will post it as soon as I get done answering all the emails from the weekend (anybody who has emailed/PM'ed and not heard back for me will shortly).

[Mr Marv]

As I mentioned previously proper installation of your new speakers is the key to getting the most from them. Start with the proper set of baffles/adapters made for your specific speakers. If the speaker cutout hole is too big and there are gaps the back wave can cause destructive interference with the front wave which will be detrimental to the sound (speakers emit sound from both sides of the cone). If you try to force the speaker into a hole that is too small you can bend the frame causing internal misalignment which will be detrimental to the sound as well as cause a shortening of life for the speaker.
I use a high grade of MDF and seal it with Rustoleum textured exterior paint since it drys quickly however any paint/sealer will work fine (seal them before starting to be sure they are dry by the time you are ready to install them)



After you get done laughing at the stock speakers, disconnect and remove them along with the plastic vapor barrier if you plan to deaden the entire door. On the front speakers only the screw inserts have a flange that stands "proud" of the door metal causing a gap when the new baffles are installed. You could use a thicker gasket to fill the gap however I prefer to remove the inserts and use bolts/washers with nylon insert self locking nuts to make sure the baffle is attached solidly. If you don't want to do this you will need M6x30mm bolts for a 3/4" baffle and a bit longer for a 1" baffle (on the rear doors the inserts are recessed so they are on the same plane as the speaker opening)



I get asked a lot if I think sound deadening is worth the cost. IMO it is however everybody has a point of "diminishing returns" so you'll have to decide how much it is worth to you. At bare minimum I would suggest getting a "door kit" and deadening around the speaker opening. After applying the mat around the baffle mounting area, cut slits starting from the center and fold it over inside the opening thereby effectively creating 2 layers of deadening. Install the baffle to the door with a gasket made of weatherstripping (some use caulk but that can be pretty messy). You will notice that the factory speaker has a gasket around it that aligns with the opening on the inside of the door panel. If you are going the "simple route" with just the door kits and not removing the vapor barrier/sealing the large holes I would suggest a gasket around the front of the baffle to align with the door panel to block any chance of rear wave interference. BTW, the door kit will cover a bit more of the area than this picture shows (we did the entire door so I just took a picture at the beginning so you could get the idea)



To get the absolute most out of your new speakers I would suggest deadening the inside of the outer door skin as well as the inner metal frame and applying the foam noise barrier over that. There are many types of deadening materials out there however I prefer products from RAAMAUDIO as I believe they are a great value (if you do happen to order from there mention I sent you from here and Rick will give you an even better deal ). I didn't get many pictures of this procedure however if you check the "How to Install" page HERE you will find more detailed instructions.



As soon as I have a little more time I'll proof read the next stage which will be running the wires and mounting the baffle adapters.

[Mr Marv]

Originally Posted by USMCBulldog

Great post!

Thanks and hope it helps!

BTW, I forgot to mention that for those waiting on their enclosures I am getting them packed for shipping as quick as I can but of course I ran out of tape and don't have the right size boxes so I may not get them all weighed until later today!

[Addicted]

[Mr Marv]

First thing you want to do before working on ANYTHING electrical is to remove the negative battery terminal and place it in a spot where it won't accidentally touch the battery post!

In this case we swapped to an Optima battery with dual posts so the factory terminals were moved to the side with adapters and aftermarket terminals were used on top for the system. If you use the factory battery/terminals it is very easy to attach the wire by removing the nut on top of the positive and installing the new wire under that with a ring terminal.
The wire size you use must be able to handle at least the amount of current of everything connected to it and the positive wire MUST be fused within a foot or so of the battery before it passes through ANY metal (the fuse size is determined by the capacity of the wire and you can find more info on wiring/fusing etc on the GENERAL CAR AUDIO FAQ THREAD.) Also, you will note I used a circuit breaker which is what I prefer although a fuse holder with the appropriate fuse is fine. BTW, the picture only shows the positive terminal however we added the negative as well with a 4AWG ground wire to the chassis.



Getting the wire into the cab couldn't be any easier in these trucks. In the following picture you can see the large grommet under the brake booster that routes the under hood wires into the cab. All you have to do is carefully cut a tiny slit in the flange to the side and feed the power wire through (BTW, you did disconnect the negative wire from the battery before you started this didn't you?! ).



Once the wire is inside the truck again it could not be any easier as all you do is route it behind the kickpanel and down into the channel under the door sill plates.

When upgrading to a higher power system I also recommend upgrading the speaker wire (appropriate gauges can be found at the wire chart link in the FAQ thread above). Here is a little trick I use to fish the wire through the "accordion" boot between the door jamb. Take a long zip tie and feed it through from the outside into the cab (I find this is easier than going from the inside out)



Next tape the wire to the end of the zip tie and pull it trough the door jamb.





Unfortunately I did not get a picture of the next step so I'll have to explain it the best I can and when I can get a picture of the procedure I'll post it.

Pull some extra wire through the door jamb so you have some "play". Scrunch the boot together and stick something like a small wooden dowel or a plastic rod with the ends rounded over into the boot so it sticks out a little at the top/bottom (do NOT use something like a screwdriver or metal object that could poke a hole in the boot or accidentally cut the wires!!). Use a little dishwashing soap, Carnauba wax, candle wax etc on the zip tie to make it easier to slide through (do NOT use WD40 or any other kind of petroleum based lubricant as they will not dry up and will attract dirt) and feed it down along the side of the dowel etc (the dowel will stretch the boot and leave a little gap alongside it).



Some guys like to run the RCA's down the center along the console however I prefer to route them under the dash and into the channel along with the other wires since there is plenty of room (before anybody says anything I will mention it is a "myth" that you should not run all of the wires together and more info can be found on FAQ thread I linked above ). When routing under the dash be sure to keep clear of moving parts like the brake pedal etc and use plenty of zip ties to keep them in place.





There are several ways to route the RCA's at the back and which route will work best for you depends on where the connections are made on the amp. In this case we removed the rear storage bin and ran them into the cavity underneath and out under the lip (you may need to file a little notch depending on how thick your wires are). Also note that there are sharp edges so be sure to protect the wire with wire loom etc as seen in the second picture.





It's about bedtime now so I'll try to come back tomorrow with the next stage which will be installing the baffle/adapters.

BTW, I didn't quite get everything packed up yet so anybody that hasn't received their shipping invoice or tracking info yet will receive it soon.

[lsocoee]

another great installment! Thanks.

[Chickenmunga]

You may also want to mention that installers should keep wire out of footwells. People rubbing their feet on areas where wire sits under carpet can cause damage to the wire.


if you are looking for a good tool to pull wire (such as through the door jamb boot, etc) you may try a plastic quilting needle at a craft store (should be very cheap).
Even though Marv suggests against it here, I had used a coat hangar that I always keep in my toolbox for these occasions. It does require a bit more of being careful.
I have fishtape, but it was too thick.

If you don't want to remove the storage bin, you can route the wire along the door channel and then up behind the trim panel in the rear corners. I didn't notice any sharp edges and it causes less interference with the storage bins.

[Ken Dawg]

Marv...you turd...happy birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Mr Marv]

Originally Posted by Ken Dawg

Marv...you turd...happy birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks Ken and check out a couple of goodies I received! (actually I bought the router kit for myself )

[craigFLA]

Originally Posted by Mr Marv

Thanks Ken and check out a couple of goodies I received! (actually I bought the router kit for myself )

Very nice ... Happy B-day ol'timer.

[Ken Dawg]

I love porter cable.........

me likes!!!

[lsocoee]

hey Marv, I never knew! Happy Belated Birthday.

For your birthday, I'd like to let you build me an enclosure for no charge.

Oh yeah, nice router and tool chest. I would have figured a cabinet maker would already have those items though.

[Ken Dawg]

Originally Posted by lsocoee

hey Marv, I never knew! Happy Belated Birthday.

For your birthday, I'd like to let you build me an enclosure for no charge.

Oh yeah, nice router and tool chest. I would have figured a cabinet maker would already have those items though.

yeah things were out when you use them and ya have to replace them.... like my aching back!

[Mr Marv]

Originally Posted by craigFLA

Very nice ... Happy B-day ol'timer.

Thanks buddy!

Originally Posted by Ken Dawg

I love porter cable.........

me likes!!!

me too!

Originally Posted by lsocoee

hey Marv, I never knew! Happy Belated Birthday.

For your birthday, I'd like to let you build me an enclosure for no charge.

Oh yeah, nice router and tool chest. I would have figured a cabinet maker would already have those items though.

Thanks! I actually already have 3 other tool chests but this one happened to go on sale at just the right time/price (50% off $1400.00 ) to convince my wife I needed to have it and even though I already have several other PC routers I figure you can"t have too many! (plus you don't have to change bits as often! )

[Ken Dawg]

Marv... a man can never have toooo many tools

[Mr Marv]

Originally Posted by Ken Dawg

Marv... a man can never have toooo many tools

I keep trying to explain that to my wife!

I'm still a bit behind so the next installment will be delayed just a little longer!

[Mr Marv]

OK guys I'm going to see if I can finish this up today!

Remove the so called factory tweeter (it's more like a "mini-midrange") from the bracket with a 10mm wrench/socket. To remove the connector from the bracket just push in the little tab with a small screwdriver and slide it off.



Some aftermarket tweeters have larger/thicker flanges or have a grill that sticks out pretty far. If you just mount the adapter on the outside of the bracket the assembly will protrude too far and not allow the door panel to go back on properly. You will notice I make a notch in the adapter that will allow you to mount it on the back side of the original bracket using the original bolts. This will give you plenty of clearance for just about any aftermarket tweeter. Assemble the new tweeter to the adapter with the included hardware, re-install the bracket (be sure not to over tighten the bolts since the plastic inserts strip easily) and connect the wires. Also, be sure to zip tie the original wire connectors out of the way to keep them from rattling inside the door panel.







For the front mid baffle you will remember that earlier I mentioned I preferred to remove the plastic inserts and install the baffles with bolts along with washers and nylon insert self locking nuts. If you choose to go this route all you have to do is snip the plastic from the inside and carefully pop the insert out being sure not to bend the metal.





Before mounting the baffles drill appropriate sized pilot holes for the speaker and attach the appropriate terminals to the wire if needed for your specific speakers . Also, be sure to route the new wires inside the door so they don't interfere with the window rolling up/down (I zip tie them to the original wires inside the door).

As mention I recommend deadening the entire door to get the most from your new speakers and then apply a noise barrier such as Ensolite foam over the top. I use this as the gasket for the baffle however if you do not use it I prefer to use self adhesive foam weatherstripping (some use caulk but I find it can be a bit messy). Once you mount the baffle install the speaker with the gasket provided or make one from Ensolite or foam weatherstripping (some use caulk here as well but this is one place I surely would not use it as the squeeze out on the inside may get inside the speaker and in any case it's just plain messy).





I didn't get pictures of the rear however the procedure is the same. BTW, I wait to re-install the door panels until after everything else has been wired up and the system has been played for a while.

Let me know if you have any questions or if I missed something! Sub enclosure/amp rack installation and wiring coming up soon!

[Chickenmunga]

For the front mid baffle you will remember that earlier I mentioned I preferred to remove the plastic inserts and install the baffles with bolts along with washers and nylon insert self locking nuts

Got sizes on all that? Worst thing for me is the many trips I make back and forth to Home Depot to find the right bolt, a different wingnut, etc!

[Mr Marv]

Originally Posted by Chickenmunga

Got sizes on all that? Worst thing for me is the many trips I make back and forth to Home Depot to find the right bolt, a different wingnut, etc!

1/4" x 1 1/2" bolts with washers/nuts work great and M6 x 30mm work great if you do not remove the plastic inserts!

More coming just as soon as I can spare a few more minutes!

[Mr Marv]

Sorry again for the delay guys! (I seem to be saying that a lot lately! ) I finally hired a good helper who has been putting in 10-12 hour days this week along with me and we are finally caught up so I can take some time later to finish this up!
BTW, my helper dropped everybody's gear at FEDEX (except for Mikes and please call me!) and I'll be sending shipping invoices/tracking numbers today or Monday when I get the bill. Also, I have not been able to get into my gmail for almost a week so if anyone has emailed me there recently without a reply please resend it to mrmarvsplace *at* yahoo *dot* com. Be back soon with the rest of the installation!