Installing component speakers

After searching through many threads, I didn't find one thread with all the answers on how to install component speakers. I figured, why not compile all the information I found into one thread. Keep in mind, I am by far no professional and this is just the way I did this. I installed JL Audio C1-690 (front) and C1-650 speakers (rear) using stock wiring. Later on I will be adding an amp, subs, and aftermarket radio. These speakers are definitely an improvement over stock with much higher clarity as well as deeper bass. However, they are still underpowered and need an amplifier as well as the aftermarket headunit for their full potential to be reached. I will update this thread when I install everything else.

Tools needed-

• Phillips screw driver
• Plastic trim tool or flathead
• 10mm socket
• Ratchet
• Wire strippers
• Wire cutters
• 8 Wire crimp connectors

Accessories to make install easier-

Speaker brackets

• $17 Metra 82-8146 6" x 9" Front Speaker Adapter for Select Lexus and Toyota Vehicles, Black, Apple
  Metra 82-8146 for the front (6x9)
• $17 Metra 82-8148 6" to 6-3/4" Speaker Adapter for Select Toyota/Lexus/Scion 1998-Up Vehicles, Black
  Metra 82-8148 for the front (6.5)

Plug and play wire harness for speakers

• $15 Metra 72-8104 Speaker Wire Adapters for Select Toyota Vehicles - 4 Total Adapters
  Metra 72-8104

Wiring polarity-

• Driver side- Pink is Positive (+), Violet/purple is Negative (-)
• Passenger side- Green is Positive (+), Blue is negative (-)

My speakers came with tweeters for the front and rear doors. I opted out of using the stock location and mounted the front tweeters on the door sail. For the rear speakers, I just drilled them into the doors.


Step 1-
Disconnect the negative terminal of your battery

Step 2-
To begin install, you need to remove your door panel. There is one clip on the inward side of the door that you push in and it comes right out. Then there are 2 screws on the door, one in the door lever behind a plastic tab and another in the middle of the door behind the grab handle. Once removed, pull on the sides of the door and it will just pop out.



Step 3-
Once the door panel is off, remove the old speaker by removing the 4 10mm bolts and disconnecting the wire harness. Then unplug the tweeter.


Step 4-
From this point, go ahead and mount your tweeter in your desired location and connect the Crossover to the tweeter and run the wires where you please. I chose to run mine along the existing wire harness with zip ties. Specific Instructions will be included on how to install your tweeters and crossovers with your speaker package.





Step 5-
Now that your tweeter is installed and your crossover is mounted and plugged into the tweeter, you can now move on to installing the speaker. Simply screw the new speaker into your speaker brackets using the screws supplied with your new speakers. Now, you can plug your wiring harness adapter into the factory plug and connect the positive and negative terminals into the speaker. For the driver side, Pink is Positive (+) and Violet is Negative (-). Passenger side, Green is positive (+) and blue is negative (-). Now, connect your crossover to the speaker at the positive and negative terminals. Bolt in the speaker bracket and speaker into the door using the original screws.

Driver-


Passenger-



Step 6-
Now here comes the fun part. If you try and test out your speakers now, they won't work. At the original tweeter plug, notice there are 4 wires coming out while only 2 wires come out of the bottom door speakers. This is because the power goes into the tweeter then back out of the tweeter to the woofer. You have to cut off the original connector and splice together the positive wires to positive and negative to negative to complete the circuit. In other words, simply connect the colors.
Driver- Pink to pink, violet to violet.
Passenger- Green to green, blue to blue.
(you can also see where I mounted my crossovers)

Driver-


Passenger-



Step 7-
Now, you can reconnect your negative terminal of your batter and test out the speakers to check that everything is working. If they do not work, check your terminal connections and the splicing.


Step 8-
If all your speakers are working, you can begin to reinstall your door panels the same way you took them off. Be sure to "hook" the top of the door panel onto the window sill to make sure it goes on, then push on the sides of the panel until every clip goes into place. Then reinstall screws and the clip you took out earlier.


Here is the final product.


I did not show the rear install but it is the same process except for the door panel removal, which is just one pin and one screw then it all pulls off. You will still need to splice the wires just like you did on the front.

If you have any questions or comments let me know, and again I am no professional but this is how I did this based upon several threads of information.

 

Awsome write up but i can not find my 10mm socket.

 

@Matmo215 where did you wire the tweeters,I bought the same set up. Why do you run the crossover wires where the 6x9s are, what did you plug in the crossover to?

 

The crossover is meant to be in between the woofer and the tweeters. Thats just how the instructions were from JL. The crossover has 2 sets of wire coming out of the top and bottom. One goes to the tweeter, the other goes to the woofer. You need to cut and splice the OEM tweeter wires or else nothing will work.

 

So I have to cut the end of the crossover wires and wire it to the oem power cord and then plug it into the power. I don’t have an amp, I only have the 6x9 and the tweeters.

 

Nice job OP

 

No. You’re getting confused. Buy the plug and play adapters and speaker brackets I linked in the original post. The woofer will have 2 sets of terminals. One if bigger than the other. Plug the plug and play harness into the OEM harness. Plug the terminals from the plug and play harness into the woofer. Get your tweeter wires supplied from JL. Plug the JL wire harness into the woofer. Mount your tweeters and plug the other end of the wire harness into the tweeter. Find the OEM connector for the OEM tweeters. Cut the connector off and splice the wires together. This entire process is outlined in my original post. Follow it and you will have no issues.

 

Does the tweeter need separate power or is it just plug and play into the 6x9

 

It gets power from the 6x9

 

Thank you so much, you’ve been a huge help.

 

First of all, thank you for the thread. I just bought a set of component speakers and I’m still very confused on what hooks where. Looking at the diagram included with my speakers I don’t know where the Metra wire adapter plugs in? If it plugs into my woofer, how do I then connect the woofer to the crossover ?

 

Run new wires from the amp to the crossover to the speakers.

 

Are you running an amp or power off the headunit?

 

I appreciate the help, but 1. No amp and 2. Still don’t know where the Metra harness comes into the system.
I have a Kenwood 9902 and no separate amp.

Ive read a bunch if threads and they’ve confused me even more.
If I plug the Metra harness into the oem woofer connection do I then cut the connectors of the Metra and plug the wires of the Metra into the crossover?

 

Precisely. Then from the crossover the wires go to the woofer and the tweeter

 

Wow, that is easier than I was making it, thank you. And then for the Oem tweeter I just cut the wires before the white plug and directly connect the like-colors?

 

Yeah since you won’t be plugging the tweeters into the factory wiring

 

Ok, next question, if I didn’t want to cut the factory wires at all, could I just order a set of these and plug them into the crossover, leaving the oem woofer plug unused?
https://*********.com/shop/toyota-t...arnesses/tacoma-tweeter-wire-harness-adapter/

Ok, I didn’t realize that I couldn’t post links. It’s basically a Metra-like adapter but it plugs into the tweeter plug instead of the woofer plug. It has just a red and black wire leading out that would get plugged into the crossover.

 

Well, I ended up following most of these directions and didn’t use those adapters I asked about. Instead of cutting into the factory harness I just clipped the wires from the oem tweeter and then connected those to the crossover. The factory tweeter is definitely wired in reverse, red is neg. Other than that is was pretty easy and uncomplicated. If I ever end up selling my truck and need to reconnect things it’ll be easy.

 

Awesome Write up! Thanks for putting all of this time and effort in, as it helped me 4 years later. haha. I picked up the same speakers too!