How to - Installing new Speakers in your 3rd Gen

This. It took me a few times to try and figure out how to get it set in. Once you get that front lip all in place and lined up it should all fit well.

 

So, if I understand correctly, the trick is to start at the top, slide it down till it catches, and then pop the top clips in 1st working my way down the sides popping them in so that I pop the bottom clips in last - sound correct?

I’ve got a double cab, so follow that procedure for all 4 doors?

 

In case no one knows...I was informed by a very knowledgeable member on this forum that on the 2020s...the metra harnesses do not fit on the rear speakers.

If you knew this and found a way to make it work, please share...

 

Thank you for the tip!!!! It worked like a charm. Really appreciate.

Finally got around to finishing up my speaker upgrade yesterday. Wanted to pass along a few observations:
1) On my 2018 double cab, the front door panels were a lot easier to remove than the rears.
2) The only thing I did differently was put Kenwood 6 3/4" speakers in the rear doors. After listening to the Kicker 6 3/4" in a Best Buy display, they sounded muddy to me. They just weren't clear.
3) I listened to a number of different brands (JBL, Polk, Memphis Audio, Alpine) of 6x9s before purchase. Kickers were the best of the lot in terms of clarity, midrange, and bass. Don't even think about JBLs if you want bass. Bass is non-existent with them. Treble and overall clarity of sound is great but no bass.
4) If you do this upgrade thinking the truck will now sound like a studio, you will be disappointed. Don't get me wrong, the sound will be MUCH improved over stock, you'll be glad you did it, but it won't sound like a set of Bose headphones.
5) If you do the sound deadening and do it right, it is at least a full day job - don't expect to be rockin' in 2 or 3 hours.

Once again, really appreciate the door panel re-install tip. Made it a lot easier. Am glad I did the upgrade - truck sounds much better.

 

Installed the tweeters and all 4 door speakers a few days ago. It’s crazy how big of a difference it has made. One thing I will recommend is paying attention to the molding clips. I didn’t and I had to rob each door to make up for the first door. Bought some more and they should be in today. Awesome upgrade if you spend more than a couple hours a day in your truck. Ordered from Crutchfield and tweeters from Amazon like recommended.

 

Crutchfield told me the tears needed to be spliced in.

 

JWRThieves Where did you order the new clips from?

 

Amazon. There's a link at the bottom of the page or just type in Toyota Tacoma door and garnish molding clip and they will pop up.

 

I lost a few during my speaker swap. Now I have enough door garnish for 10 trucks

 

First off, this is a serious upgrade to the clarity and imaging of my truck's system - thanks for the tip and the writeup!

Some people have asked about frequency response improvements, so I did some rough before & after measurements.
Using the Speccy app on an LG G7 Thinq phone, I played Lindsey Stirling's "Crystallize" through the system and measured the output.
While I can't really speak to the scientific accuracy of this method, my (fairly practiced) ears agreed with what I saw.
This is with both the Subaru dash tweeter upgrade and the Kicker door speakers.
Looking at the results of this, I think the overall reach at the high end was limited by the phone's microphone at around 17Khz, which is near the upper limit of most human ears anyway, but the new speakers definitely fill in this area and while the factory speakers were already sloping off by around 13Khz, the new ones stayed flat up to the mic limit. I THINK the dash tweeters have crossovers in them (hence the 4-wire plug) and are keeping some of the highest notes from reaching the front doors, but they do a good job with those notes.
At the low end, the overall levels didn't change much, but the difference in movement was profound. The new speakers are dramatically more precise than the factory, delivering genuine separation of the bass notes.
The midrange was maybe the most shocking of the improvements when looking at the analysis - it was both louder and more precise. This comes as no surprise since the new 6x9 door speakers have a separate driver for midrange. This driver was lacking before, and so was a LOT of detail.

The overall effect is (both objectively and subjectively) a measured improvement in the sound of the system.

 

hey guys, not to sound like a total idiot, but following along here and wanting to order all the new speakers etc. Does anyone have the part number for the suburu tweeters? Or if there are a set they are fond of that are a direct fit(plug n play) with no modifications. Thanks

 

Part number for the Subaru tweeters are in the first post of this thread:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/premium-audio-upgrade-for-less-than-250.510424/

 

Thank you I totally missed that

 

At some point after I have my truck I can see this being a MOD I have to get done. However I have a Sound Ordnance powered 8" that I am planning to remove from my Liberty before I sell it. Id like to add that to the system. Has anyone done something like that? Where is the best Place to mount it? I was thinking in behind a rear seat or under the passenger seat. I'd need something like a line out converter too.

 

I have done this upgrade, and hands down is one of the best things I have done. However, I have run into the issue of water leaking into the door and coming out of the speaker grille (not related to this mod, just the usual 3rd gen flaws). Has anyone done the speaker baffles (https://www.crutchfield.com/p_237XT60/XTC-6-3-4-Speaker-Baffles-4-1-2-depth.html) on the Tacoma, and if you have, what depth? That's the only thing I have seen that will protect the speakers.

 

How do you add a amp with the t harness? This is the amp I have

 

The speakers linked in the OP look to be discontinued now. Is there a new model of them? Thinking about doing this in my 2021, guessing it'll make a big difference?

 

Just a comment that the Crutchfield supplied templates did not fit the factory speaker holes in my 2019 Sport access cab doors so I had to drill extra holes in the plastic template "wings" to put more than two screws in to hold them tight against the door. Tried with just two but they rattled with any heavy bass.

Moral: pull a speaker and see if your templates fit properly before going further.

Not sure if I got the wrong templates since they were part of the kit that supposedly fit my truck, but looking elsewhere it showed the same part numbers so either Toyota changed the screw hole positions in my truck (or year or cab or ??) or Crutchfield (and everyone else) got it wrong.

 

Getting the rear access cab door panels back on was the hardest part for me. It takes a very specific series of moves:

• "hang" the window part first to get in the general location
• move it up slightly and pull through the handle connector
• work your way along both sides from top down pushing in gently
• the bottom one needs a solid smack to seat but don't do that until all others are correct

I had to redo the access doors so many times before they were correct (so pissed LOL)
Also, ensure that every clip is positioned properly in the panel first and replace any that are even slightly bent, they're cheap. ama zon has them in a big bag of orange and blue, money well spent.

 

How did you add a amp to the kicker key t harness?