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

In this truck I actually removed the rear side plastic and there was a piece of metal at the bottom which allowed me to drill a hole so I could use a bolt/washer/nut to hold the wire lug securely. Wherever you decide to ground be sure to sand to bare metal so you can be assured a good contact.

 

I promise the rest will come later today after I have a few minutes to edit it again!

 

Hey all, there's one suggestion I would like to make about the wiring:

If you drill the hole and feed wire through like Marv did, you may run into problems down the road - what happens if that wire gets crimped? What if the wire develops a short? What if you cut the wire and it gets to short for your install?

Instead, I suggest the use of a terminal cup. Simply cut a length of wire as before, then use spade connectors (or solder) to connect to the inside of the cup (the backside, can't see it in the picture below). For the outside, just use more wire. If the wire ever goes bad, you just remove it from the cup and replace. No more holes or taking things apart.

To install the terminal cup, you need to use a hole saw (or a cutting tool if your cup is square) and perhaps some sandpaper. Measure to make sure your terminal cup will fit before cutting!

I recommend a terminal cup with banana clips (like the picture below), which can screw down onto the wire. You can use spade connectors, or there is usually a small eyelet in the bolt to thread your wire through. Banana plugs on the wires themselves aren't very ideal, though

The cup below sells for about $10, and you can find them most anywhere. I got mine at Radio Shack for... $6?

 

I have found that the procedure I described works very well based on actual experience as well as suggesting it to others countless times over the years without ever having one of those "what if's" happen and in any case.......

... if the wire gets crimped you did something wrong ie not properly routing/securing/protecting wires.

...if the wire develops a short you did something wrong ie not properly routing/securing/protecting wires.

... if you cut the wire to short again you did something wrong which has nothing to do with the procedure being flawed

On the other hand.....

What if the nut comes loose and you find you don't have the proper size nut driver/socket to tighten it?

What it you strip/break one of the plastic nuts and don't have banana plugs?

What if the terminal cup cracks from over tightening the mounting screws?

What if the terminal cup develops a leak and starts whistling?

What if the terminal nut comes loose on the inside?

What if your inside connection pops off or your solder joint comes loose?

What if you find the need to replace the terminal cup for one of these or other reasons however the only terminal cup you can get right now has a small square cutout yet the enclosure already has a 3" hole drilled in it?


BTW, I am not saying terminal cups can't be a viable solution for terminating the wires (I put them in for those who ask) however I am saying I have experienced all of the above at one time or another!

 

Mr. Marv,

Thanks for the updates on your tutorial. I am using
this thread as a base for my own install.

Appreciate the information and pictures.

I only wished you lived on the East Coast so I could
hassle you in person!

 

Hi Marv.
I cant wait to post up pix of the sub/deck your making for me now.
Thanks so much for the time in making sure I'm gonna get what I'm thinking of. I'l also be posting up some pix/tips for prepping for and applying damplifier type sound deadener. I've got 2 1/2 doors done.
Thanks for getting my baffles done.
Rich.

 

OK guys I know I promised a tuning tutorial based on procedures I have developed over the years in conjunction with tips I learned from some of the best tuners out there however after much debating with myself I have decided not to post them. Unfortunately numerous people and a certain website have been plagiarizing my posts for some time and although I don't care if they give me credit it does irritate me when they take credit for the information themselves! I will however still be available by phone on the weekends/evenings as I have always been to help those that would like to learn the tips in order to get the most from their system! (unfortunately they will NOT be available by email or PM as I have also found it works best when I can speak to the person while they do it!)

BTW, someone recently sent me a link to a tutorial article on one of the largest car audio sales websites (who's name I probably shouldn't/probably won't mention!) that was copied word for word from something I had written on another forum years ago!

 

Hey Marv I know alot of people have asked but i was wondering if you could hook me up with the dimensions of the side pieces of the box. Thanks

 

Marv,
Someone linked me to this thread (giving you credit) and I can see you put considerable effort and time into making this for everyone. Nice Job!

Your photos have convinced me I should quit being a tight wad and pry open my wallet to let some of that green purchase a set of speakers (4 mains + 2 tweeters) and a small digital Amp. I'm not looking for bone crushing audio, just maybe a third louder than the stock unit with a nice solid sound.

-Joe

 

Glad you found the tutorial useful Joe! Give me a call at the number below or drop me a PM/email and I'll help you find what works best for you!

 

Marv,

I looked and didn't see a reply, how does the tweeter stay in place? I'm pre-fitting my parts and can't see how these tweeter will hold in the mounting bracket... Also, in the pics of the midbass in the doors, the baffles looked doubled up, is it just an illusion? And lastly, the mounting bolts for the midbass bracket looked recessed, if I just get plain standard headed bolts will those work without interfering with the door panel? Thought I'd ask in this thread as it's a very complete tutorial! Thanks in advance!

Rob

 

I had the same question when installing mine. Others here clued me in: In some cases, the tweeter will have a collar that snaps together and holds the tweeter to the bracket. For those that don't have this, simply use silicone glue.
This worried me at first - I like to be able to take things back apart easily - but it's more likely that the speakers will go out or the truck will fall apart before I would want to mess with my tweeters again.

The MDF has a line through it. I'm not sure if they pressed two boards together at the lumber mill or what, but that's how they end up looking. Rest assured, use only 1 baffle per door.

I bought the bolts/washers/nuts Marv suggested on page 2.
I did not recess anything
I recommend removing the plastic inserts, and also recommend nylon threaded nuts to prevent anything from loosening.

 

Paying if forward! Thank you for the answers, I appreciate it.

Rob

 

Rob, some tweeters come with metal hardware to hold them however your particular tweeter gets pressed in and as Mike mentioned a little silicone or hot glue will hold it. On the midbass I did some experimenting with that one so it has a 1" baffle adapter made from 2 pieces of 1/2" MDF with the speaker recessed (didn't make any difference in sound). Also, the only reason the bolts are countersunk is because they were the only ones I could find in the shop that day that were the correct size.

 

Good point!

 

Mr. Marv, to the rescue AGAIN! Thanks! I'm going to try to work on as much as possible before seeing you. Take care!

Rob

 

See you in a couple of weeks!

 

Mr. Marv, could you give me an estimate on this box for the 13TW5 with 2 amps that also keeps the child seat hooks functional? I'm still a little while from purchasing but I think this is definitely the way I would like to go. Thanks so much!