Premium Audio Upgrade for less than $250

I think you'd be better off just taking it all off and getting it out of your way. But if you can make it work, more power to you.

It will stick back, I didn't have any issues.

 

I'm just afraid of not being able to figure out how to put it all back in exactly how it's supposed to go after taking it completely out

 

I found it very helpful to take pictures before and during taking things off, especially the door panel. I was so paranoid that I was going to break the door mechanism, but things are actually pretty easy, so don't sweat it.

 

Definitely sounds like a good idea! I'm pretty OCD and I've only had this truck since Aug. 22nd so I'm gonna try to be super careful and do as perfect of a job as I can with it. I'm glad a lot of ppl have said it's not too difficult tho

 

You'll see when you take the plastic panel off that the plastic sheeting is screwed down under the metal angle piece that connects to the door handle. When you take that piece off there are 2 screw holes in the plastic sheeting. I used that to line the sheeting back up when I reapplied it. Easy pease.

 

That makes it sound even better! A good reference point. Do you guys fit the sheets up against the door without actually sticking it, then make the needed cuts like to get the door handle cables through? I feel like I'm asking too many questions haha

 

No, I applied each sheet and then made the necessary cuts as I went. The nice thing about the doors is that you can look at the door on the opposite side as a reference. I carefully bent the door handle cables so that they were inside the door cavity. Same thing with the wiring harness. Cut holes, fed them back through then patched over the cuts with another piece of matting. I understand your trepidation, I was nervous when I did it since I've never applied sound deadening before.

 

Ordered Subaru Kicker tweeters and Kicker front & rear speakers per OP recommendation. Received tweeters this evening and installed in 20 minutes without removing the A-pillars. Be VERY careful if you install without removing the A-pillars or you will snap a piece of the speaker dash cover mounting bracket like I did on the driver's side. Luckily it made no difference and is invisible after reinstall.

Since I haven't received the door speakers yet, I can't comment yet on those. But after hearing some of my favorite songs with the new tweeters, I heard high-hat taps and tambourine shakes that I've never heard before because they blended with the rest of the audio. These tweeters are worth the price so far.

 

Thanks bshammer0 for your post. This is just what I was looking for.

I installed the Crutchfield speakers and Subruru tweeters today. I had already installed Dynamat previously so it was easy to do since I knew how to remove the door panels.

Much improved sound. Everyone's comments here were very helpful. Like others that have done this, I found the Crutchfield 6x9 brackets didn't fit the speakers. It was an easy fix.

 

Very cool.


I have a set of those tweeters sitting on the counter waiting on me to get a day off to install them.

I'd love to be able to do so without taking the A-Pillar cover off. Did you use a reference video or read up on the method somewhere ?

I also ordered a set of cover removal "picks" when I ordered the tweeters.

I'm encouraged as to the sound quality improvement that you and other are reporting.....I just need to get them installed.

 

I just watched the OPs video. All you need is a 10mm fixed wrench, a piece of thick paper or business card to keep the dash unscathed while you're using it as a fulcrum to gently pry up the speaker covers with the plastic body panel tool. The key is to make all movements painfully slow so that you can peek under the panel and identify where the brackets mate. Each mating point should be prodded and gently bent as the panel cover safely curves without snapping to allow significant movement. Keep a flashlight handy (I did this in the driveway at night)

 

I guess I will just have to see what it all looks like when I get the first door taken apart to see exactly what you mean. I'll probably look up some videos on youtube as well and see what people do with this stuff. I just got my order today of the 36 sq feet of 80 mil. That shit is a lot heavier than I thought! I may not use as much as I originally thought I would. Maybe I'll have some leftover and I can upgrade my 99 single cab as well

 

I've been seriously considering the OEM plus system, but felt that coughing over 2k, (2 sub) setup is overboard. I'm an audiophile, but also just want a better sound, not a killer sound system. Thank you for your write up, I will probably go this route. Any other thoughts or updates, since installing your setup?

 

Not really, still loving it as much as I did when I installed it. Everytime I hear a crisp guitar lick followed by a clear bass I literally smile like a complete dork. ha. Everything on the post works great, the mounts can be a pain in the ass but they do fit just do some angling on the screws and break the tabs off the mounts for the rears. That's really the only thing that's gotten some folks hung up but once you get it all installed folks are generally "Wow" about the quality they got for so little money. I was considering a more expensive system as well but after trying this, I'm all set.

 

Cool, just ordered everything, had it sent to my son in SC, as I'm driving up to visit him this weekend, as he hasn't seen my truck yet.... and he likes doing things like this, and to me 4 hands and more eyes and brains, is always a plus. Looking forward to hearing better quality sound.

 

More people need a dad like you. My dad likes to stand around and drink coffee while I work on projects. He rarely ever gets involved. Hence I learn from doing things on my own.

 

Anybody in this thread that has done this upgrade considered adding some type of amp setup without a sub to see if they can make the door speakers sound even better and push them to their true potential? I've been wondering if I will feel this way after I swap out all tweeters and speakers and add sound deadening. If I did, I don't really know what the options would be because I really don't want to have to run a ton of wiring and take too much else apart.

Is there something that just plugs into the back of the head unit that acts as an amp, or am I just imagining that?

 

If you run an amp, new wiring is a good idea.

 

Someone in here used the speaker baffles. Which ones are used in this installation. Note that I have a 2nd gen and not 3rd gen if that matters. I'm still planning to use the Kicker 6x9's in the front even though Crutchfield says they won't fit. There seems to be multiple depth baffles available for the 6x9 with different depths.

 

Aftermarket head unit may output more power. That might be the simplest option. Though not the cheapest!

It would also allow you to tune things (custom EQ settings).