Installing Subaru / Kicker tweeters -- Questions

First of all, let me explain I'm not very handy with mechanical & electrical repairs and upgrades. But I've looked at a few YouTube videos on installing the Subaru / Kicker tweeters in the dash of my 2017 TRD Sport and I think I can handle this! I've bought the speakers and a cheap set of trim tools and I'm ready to go.

A few questions before I start:
> Is it necessary to disconnect the battery? What will I lose or have to reset if I do? What's the worst that can happen if I don't disconnect (loss of life or disfigurement from an airbag blowing up in my face?)?
> Do you have to remove those pillar covers to remove the grills over the speakers?

Thanks for your responses!

Follow up question -- Would replacing the front door speakers be more complicated / difficult?

 

I didnt disconnect the battery. Just make sure the truck is turned off and you’ll be fine

I dont think i had to remove the A pillar, but its been quite a while since i did mine.

 

I didn't disconnect the battery, i did remove the A pillar

 

You do have to remove the A pillar covers to be able to remove the speaker covers.

 

There is no need to remove the a pillar, the speaker grills just pop off. 2 - 10mm bolts and a plug and your done

 

For the speakers, the battery is no worry. Disconnecting the HU or other similar work, I would disconnect.

Yes. You have to pull the pillar. The grille won't come out otherwise. Also, install the grille first or it will scratch the pillar trim.

 

The a pillars are not in the way. I've had 4 different sets of tweeters in there before I found what I like. It takes 2 minutes. And with the truck off is all you need. Been building systems for years and never had an issue replacing any speaker with the truck off

 

The only time i ever disconnected my battery is when it was in the way of other work i was doing

 

Or installing/removing an amp !

 

Angry pixies and I don't get along well, so I go a bit overboard. Smoked a radio that I was installing for a GF years ago, along with many other failures with moving electrons.

 

Agreed. I've even welded on stuff on the truck w the battery connected still

 

I didn't disconnect the battery but did remove the A Pillar Covers, the passenger side was slightly more difficult because of the automatic headlight sensor.

 

I did the subura tweeters any the highs were great but then I changed them out for a 2 way speaker/tweater. So much better than just a tweeter alone. Night and day difference, might want to consider them.

 

Yea. I think it's mainly old folks on here who like the straight Subaru/kicker swap (because it amplifies the hell out of higher frequencies they can't hear well). The dash speaker is a mid range driver not a tweeter, putting a tweeter there without adjusting crossover settings is going to distort the hell out of the mid range because the speaker is being sent sounds it can't accurately reproduce which is why the sound from doing this is super bright. It's why you see posts on here over time from people who do the swap and like it initially and then realize it doesn't sound right. I do think the truck needs a tweeter but swapping them in place of a mid range driver will just jack things up.

 

This job is most easily done at freeway speeds.

 

Agree!

 

AAAaaarrrggh! Got it about 90% complete and could not get that up-side bolt cover on the passenger side A pillar to snap into place. Right now it's held in place with electrical tape. I'm so pissed, because it was going pretty well up to that point.

But the sound is much improved. I hear what the last few posts are saying about the sound and mostly understand. Coincidentally I am nearly 71, so I plead guilty to being an "old folk". Not much I can do about that. My hearing is still pretty good, but no doubt diminished from what it once was. No hearing aids and no need for them, according to the audiologist a year or so ago.

Don't know what to do about the bolt cover.

 

Pic of what you're talking about?

 

I don't think a picture would tell you much. Everything looks like it did when I popped it off. Although one of the two fasteners that fit into the holes is about 2/3 the length of the other. Don't think you could see that in a photo. So it's possible, just possible, that the shorter one just won't seat in the hole. That's my best hypothesis for now.

 

Generally speaking it's not for old people who can't hear well. It works because the tweeter is playing the frequencies that are missing with the factory setup. It doesn't amplify the frequencies and the head unit is sending a full range signal to the front speaker no matter if it is the midrange that was there or the tweeter that was put in. They both have capacitors on them that block the frequencies that should not be played through it so that tweeter is not going to distort like you think. It is brighter because it is a tweeter vs a small mid. I don't know why Toyota would put a small mid in that location because it makes no sense and sounds like garbage.

Is it the best upgrade? Not at all, but for the average person looking to improve the muddy sound of the factory speakers it is not a bad idea because it does subjectively improve the sound and it is plug and play. You can definitely get better sound from a good component set with an external amp and set crossover points, but for most the Subaru tweeter will work just fine.