Stereo Dash Kit

ok, I was planning on installing a single din Alpine deck into my tacoma. I was purchasing from Crutchfield because they give you the Dash kit and wires free with purchase.

Right before buying I decided to read the reviews on the dash kits, most felt they wern't sturdy and the radios didnt fit properly due to the plastic mounts.

I checked ebay, to me they all seem to have these same plastic mounts on the sides? Has anyone used these single dins from crutchfield? Or has anyone purchased a cheaper kit elswhere they are happy with?

I did check ********* out, their kits are 53.00 for the single din? To me it seems high, but are they that much better?

 

I used my stock metal brackets with the kit crutchfield shipped me. No issues with fit & I was a total newbie doing it. The single din deck & kit stays nice & tight.

 

What deck did you go with? I have a alpine CDA 9856 thats rather new, but I felt it look would goofy because the dash is orange and my deck is blue/green I dont want it to look like a Christmas tree inside.

Trying to match the orange up?

 

I went with a Kenwood KDC-MP345U, it had IPOD controls thru a USB plus an Aux port. Total price w/ a $20 online coupon was $109 shipped w/ metra kit & wiring harness. I put the discount coupon code in the deals section here so if you do buy with crutchfield save yourself twenty bucks.

As for the colors, I don't even notice it & like the deck a lot. I went with the black dash kit too and really like it. The whole setup is so much better over stock & for the price it was awesome, wish I had done it sooner. I didn't need HD radio for there are no stations up here that have it. The install even for me as a newbie was good. If you click on the camera icon pics are in my gallery.

 

I used a single din kit that I found on Amazon.com. It looks good and I like how it sits.

 

I actually just installed an Alpine CDA-9886 single din from crutchfield using the crutchfield provided harness and dash kit. yeah the, fit is no where near perfect, but it does hold it pretty well.

I am very interested in how you used the factory metal brackets though. Aren't they for a double din unit?

As far as the colors go, yeah, they are bright and clash a little bit, but it looks good, sounds good, and they do dim a little when you pop the lights on. I wish there was a little more control over the dimmer amount, though.

 

i have an alpine cda 9884 with a crutchfield kit. (metra kit actually) fits fine, looks fine, no issues with the stereo bounching around or anything else.

 

I attached the metal brackets to the single din headunit where the holes aligned and installed it first to the factory holes in the dash, then I put in the pocket & front face surround. Everything is solid & appears flush with no squeaks or movement. There are pics in my gallery of it finished, no pics of anything in between.

 

Looks like i will be ripping the dash apart again to get those metal brackets on there then! thankyou! it was driving me nuts that i had to have a $260 radio sitting on plastic in a truck that likes to go off road. did you use the alpine surround or the metra surround for around the face of the receiver?

 

Are these metal bracket on the factory din? Do i take them off?

 

Use the factory metal ISO mounts for your install, either single or double DIN, and you won't have to rely on the plastic dash kits for anything more than looks. Make sure to use all 4 bolts when securing the ISO mount back in to the dash. Also, Metra kits have the best texture/color match available (especially if you need silver). Hope this helps.

 

ummmm whats ISO? Where can I get the Metra kits from?

 

Love the black dash kit. Matches nicely instead of the other plastic.

I see you're retired army?

Thanks for your service. I'm more and more appreciative each day I have to be free from tyranny.

 

When you pull your factory deck out of the dash, there are 2 metal mounts that unscrew from the side of the deck on each side (1 per side). Those mounts bolt directly to the dash frame for stability so that the deck weight isn't being held up by the plastic dash. Remove the screws from the ISO mounts and the factory deck and screw them into the side of your aftermarket deck for install. Works best on a double din aftermarket deck because the holes should all line up. Not sure on a single din. I got my Metra kit from a local installer but you can find them online at quite a few retailers.

P.S. - when using the ISO mounts, you don't use the thin metal cage that comes with your aftermarket deck. The cage is only used when you do a non-ISO mount to the plastic dash kit and need to use the little bendable tabs to lock it in place. When you use this method, you will have to install some sort of metal support to the back of your aftermarket deck to stabilize it for 4x4 and hold the weight to keep it from sagging.

 

Thanks...Seabass.

 

x2 Looks good

 

I had to go with the silver colormatch on mine because my dash is grey and the A/C controls have the textured silver trim around them and it matches up better. Black would have stood out too much on mine, but everyone's is different.