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I don't know if my dash kit sucks, or I do. Help!

Discussion in 'Audio & Video' started by TuFerLife, May 18, 2012.

  1. May 18, 2012 at 10:39 AM
    #1
    TuFerLife

    TuFerLife [OP] 2 4 LIFE!!!

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    So,

    I purchased a Kenwood DDX719 from Crutchfield and got their dash kit. After a long day yesterday of rewiring (thanks JBL system) and everything I was finally ready to start putting the truck back together. Well I used the factory brackets just like they told me, and lined them up with the 4 holes that I previously unscrewed to remove the system, and this is what I ended up with...

    photo2_32a22e61a44359345225c84c30a52fa1ebed9034.jpg

    photo1_7eeec5940aa0e8c47d6136e84280690b070c3c2f.jpg

    photo3_256b25dd4a3e823c8096fd1b3fb9c983695143f6.jpg

    I don't know what the EFFFFFF I did wrong. But the dash kit is extremely tight, and I am afraid to hit the eject button because it rubs HORRIBLY on the bottom of the headunit, and I don't want to mess up the motor.

    Has anybody had this problem? And if so, do you have any insight?

    Thanks so much...
     
  2. May 18, 2012 at 11:01 AM
    #2
    YoungGunz23

    YoungGunz23 Well-Known Member

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    http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_13042_Metra-99-8214TG-Textured-Gray.html


    - this is the link to the dash kit that you need to install that exact radio man, i just looked it up by the description in the thread. I hope this helps you man, and by the way ive ordered three complete sound systems through this website and they are great! If you need anything else let me know!
     
  3. May 18, 2012 at 11:05 AM
    #3
    Casey05Taco

    Casey05Taco Well-Known Member

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    trd seat covers, bed mat, tinted windows, debadged, mud flaps removed, tinted tails, blacked out center console, Black Rims, 6000k HID in highs and fogs, blacked out front emblem, Pioneer AVH-4300DVD, Gauge Cluster, lower valence, retrofitted, audio system, Maxtrac Spindles, Billies
    pretty much to get it flush you need to unscrew the brackets from the unit and slide them back more to make them look flat. not sure if this will help you at all
     
  4. May 18, 2012 at 11:14 AM
    #4
    MTL Tacoma

    MTL Tacoma Well-Known Member

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    I had similar issues when installing my Kenwood DNX8120 with that very same dash kit (Metra). Never fit properly - not to mention i had it installed by professionals.

    I changed the dash kit for a Scosche and it fits like a glove!!
     
  5. May 18, 2012 at 11:28 AM
    #5
    rexel

    rexel Well-Known Member

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    If you loosen the four bold that hold the brackets in the dash, you can move it around a little but you'll have to hold it in place as you tighten the bolts. I had also drilled out new holes in the mounting bracket so that I could recess the deck further into the dash. Hope this helps....
     
  6. May 18, 2012 at 1:37 PM
    #6
    TuFerLife

    TuFerLife [OP] 2 4 LIFE!!!

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    This is the kit I do have, and I'm really starting to doubt it. Haha
     
  7. May 18, 2012 at 1:42 PM
    #7
    TuFerLife

    TuFerLife [OP] 2 4 LIFE!!!

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    Perfect, I guess I'll try and get the Scosche and hope for the best.

    I think this is my problem. I mean I didn't use the mounting bracket (the silver sleeve, right?). I just put the factory metal brackets in to the aftermarket radio, and it looks like it's sticking out way too far! Guess I'm just gonna have to get back to it, use a little patience, and continue to work on it...
     
  8. May 19, 2012 at 1:37 PM
    #8
    rexel

    rexel Well-Known Member

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    With the Tacoma you don't use the sleeve, you have to use the factory brackets like you did....like I said, I drilled new screw holes in the brackets to recess the deck further back into the dash. When you tighten the other bolts (not the ones that screw into the deck) you can push up or down on the deck as you tighten them and you'll get a little bit of movement (not that much) in the direction you want.
     
  9. May 19, 2012 at 1:50 PM
    #9
    TuFerLife

    TuFerLife [OP] 2 4 LIFE!!!

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    Alright, I'll try to give that a go. I think it is jacked up because it is not recessed enough. I mean when I was putting the dash kit on it started to force the headunit towards the passenger side like it was hitting something. You can see how terrible it looks from the above pictures. Haha, guess I'll have to stop by and get a 6 pack and take my time with it.

    Wish me luck...
     
  10. May 19, 2012 at 1:57 PM
    #10
    VanCity4x

    VanCity4x Well-Known Member

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    I have the same not a good dash kit. A epoxied the back trim (black piece) to the front trim (silver) The screws attacing the kit are out of line and the plastic piece gets pushed back.

    @rexel is right but the only way I could fix mine was by glueing it in place and ajusting the unit a slight bit to stop the rubbing.
     
  11. May 19, 2012 at 5:13 PM
    #11
    rexel

    rexel Well-Known Member

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    I didn't have to epoxy the black trim piece to the silver face plate but I did have to use a couple pieces of electrical tape to keep them flush together.
     
  12. May 19, 2012 at 7:11 PM
    #12
    CrutchfieldDarren

    CrutchfieldDarren Well-Known Member Vendor

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    Hey tuferlife,

    The side bracket mounting seems to be the issue. This kit looks nice once installed properly. Just take the kit face with the clock back off, and re-mount the brackets onto the radio moving them forward, which in turn allows the radio to mount in deeper behind the kit face. Then to get the best fit once the brackets are on right follow this info I shared earlier below. Also let me know how it works out. I will PM you my contact info. I will be back in the office in Sunday.

    Hey Everyone!

    Darren here from Crutchfield. Wanted to pop in and lend you guys a few suggestions from my experiences with the Metra Tacoma kits. I had an 08 Tacoma with the Black kit, but we have customers all the time using the gray Metra kit.

    Here is the best tip I can give on this install. It’s important when installing the radio/bracket assembly to make sure that you leave the 4-10mm bolts loose, just gently snug them down. Next, install the kit with the clock/hazard switch installed. Make sure to snap the top in first, seating a good as it can. Next, reaching through the climate control opening, adjust/center the new radio/bracket assembly in the kit opening, snap the bottom portion of the kit into the dash. Next, adjust and center the radio/bracket one last time, and tighten all 4 - 10mm bolts down. Lastly, re-install the climate control panel.

    This should help get the best fit of the kit into the dash. By centering the radio/bracket assembly in the dash, this allows the kit to seat properly, and all the clips to properly engage.

    Hope this helps! Feel free to comment back and let me know!
     
  13. May 20, 2012 at 10:42 AM
    #13
    josef

    josef Well-Known Member

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    good advice. yeah i left my 4 10mm bolts loose and held the radio where i wanted it when i tightened it and it looks great. the only issue with these Metra units is the top part of the kits sticks up a bit (not flush with dash) but that's not the end of the world.
     
  14. May 20, 2012 at 11:15 AM
    #14
    TuFerLife

    TuFerLife [OP] 2 4 LIFE!!!

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    Now that's some good customer service if I have ever seen any!

    Thanks for the PM, will try to work on this unit this evening, but if I am still having problems I'll reach out to you later tonight.

    Thank ya sir!
     
  15. May 20, 2012 at 6:49 PM
    #15
    TuFerLife

    TuFerLife [OP] 2 4 LIFE!!!

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    Still can't get this fixed...

    photo1-1_ea4b7d4f4dd5350ffa70df1bf13fdb05b329ba4f.jpg

    photo2-1_5f8482c09b7a19d98134ad45d76a921fcd31886c.jpg

    I don't understand gentleman... Darren was nice enough to reach out to me, and we are doing what we can to get this fixed, but this is turning into a nightmare.

    The first picture shows how low the headunit sits. You can see that it like sits with the 2nd grate on the air conditioner and everyone else's I have looked at sits much higher.

    2nd picture shows the position of the bracket right now. Darren told me to file down the points so I can move the bracket, in which I did have a little bit of luck doing. But this still doesn't fix my problem that the headunit doesn't sit high enough to fit the dash kit around. I understand everyone is saying you have to push up on it, but I can't even get enough pressure to push it up and get the dash kit around it. And as you can see from the pictures, there are no other holes that is going to reposition the bracket to lift the headunit up any further...

    :frusty::frusty::frusty:
     
  16. May 20, 2012 at 8:03 PM
    #16
    CrutchfieldDarren

    CrutchfieldDarren Well-Known Member Vendor

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    Hey Taylor,

    The brackets look right from what I can tell. I don't think you could mount them any other way like you mention. It seems to me that the left side of the radio is not sitting as far back as the right. This seems to be because of the PAC TATO interface, or other wiring from the Kenwood getting in the way. This is also not allowing the back of the unit to sit down enough which is why the front of the face is rubbing the kit like that.

    At this point, I would suggest to dry fit the radio into the dash with nothing connected or in the way of the radio. I know, this may seem pointless, but at least we will know for sure if this is a bracket issue, or simply wiring getting in the way of the unit fitting properly.

    So get the wiring disconnected and the PAC TATO box out of the way, then mount the radio into the dash, make sure to leave the bolts holding the brackets to the sub dash a little loose. This will allow you to slightly adjust the radio when you are putting it in.

    Also, make sure you have the Double Din Trim ring attached to the back of the Metra kit correctly. Two of the screw points at the bottom of the DD trim are supposed to attach to two of the top screws that hold the Clock/Hazard bracket on. Make sure you have that correct also. There should be a diagram in the Metra instructions on that.

    If it mounts correctly like this, then we need to figure out how to best position the wiring to allow the unit to fit properly.

    Let me know how this works out for sure. I want to be sure we make this right!!!
     
  17. May 21, 2012 at 10:32 AM
    #17
    TuFerLife

    TuFerLife [OP] 2 4 LIFE!!!

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    Thanks again for the reply. I guess I'll try to give that a go this evening and see how it's looking. I mean I still don't think that will help my problem with the headunit not being recessed far enough into the dash.

    But I do know the dash kit is assembled correctly. And I don't think the wiring is in the way because I tried to hold that PAC TATO up over top of the headunit when positioning the radio in the dash, but I am more than happy to try anything once.

    I'll try to get to it this evening, if not I'm off tomorrow and see what I can figure out. I'll reach out to you via e-mail or phone and let you know if/when I have any luck.

    Thanks again,
     
  18. May 21, 2012 at 7:43 PM
    #18
    the4cecop

    the4cecop Well-Known Member

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    Thanks for the advice Darren, here's how mine ended up on the dash of a 2012. It's a 99-8214TG Kit. Thankfully I used the old yellow clips off my stock stereo.....They work pretty good. If anybody knows where to buy these let me know, could use some more. Isn't a great fit, but works for now.

    photo (9).jpg
    photo (8).jpg
    photo (10).jpg
     
  19. May 21, 2012 at 8:21 PM
    #19
    CrutchfieldDarren

    CrutchfieldDarren Well-Known Member Vendor

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    the4cecop,

    Glad that helped!! That actually came out quite well IMO, not bad at all. As soon as I hear anything on the 2012 kit, I will let everyone know.

    And i'm pretty sure you will have to get those from the dealer, likely in packs of 5 or 10 from what I've seen in the past.
     
  20. May 22, 2012 at 12:04 PM
    #20
    YoungGunz23

    YoungGunz23 Well-Known Member

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    oh sorry buddy i didnt know you were installing it in a 2012! i gave you the link for the 2nd gen dash kit
     

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