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replacing speakers in front doors?

Jeepin Jason

NAXJA Member #1100
Location
Lewisville, TX
I've got the factory Jensen upgraded sound system (1995), so I've got the square speaker grills on my front doors with tweeters in the dash... My front speakers are finally dying so it's time to replace them... but what I'm wondering is if it's possible to change out the speakers without pulling the entire door panel off, since I've got the square Jensen speaker grills on the door panels... Anyone know if it can be done?
 
If it's anything like my XJ's, you will want to pull the door panel - but my OEMR Jensen grilles hide a set of Sony Xplod (5.25 - 6x9) fore and aft. I had to do a fair bit of cutting for the rears, and the fibreglas is a little easier to work with than the metal when it's over your head. Rear mods took about a half-hour with a Dremel.

When you get the speakers back in, just put the door liners back up and yer G2G. I think you have a surface mounting clearance of 3/4" or so before you hit anything - the Xplods fit up just fine!

5-90
 
I dropped 5 1/4" Clarions all around in my '89. At elast then all four corners had 5 1/4's and I didn't want to trim that hatch to fit 6" x 9's.

Oh, and yes, had to pull the door panel, good time to lubricate your windows and locks.
 
I replaced my front one's with polk 51/4's. I removed the black square grill, and mounted mine on the door panel itself. Then with the new speaker mounted, you can see the 4 holes that mounted the square grill. I just messed with the carpet a little, and I can barely see them.
Raider XJ
 
I've rplaced the front Jenson speakers in both a 95 and 96 and there is no way around the door panel. They riveted this grill to the door at the factory.
 
Nick said:
I've rplaced the front Jenson speakers in both a 95 and 96 and there is no way around the door panel. They riveted this grill to the door at the factory.

Well crap. :( Thanks for the info!
 
Jason,

Just a thought... when I replaced my front speakers I bought 6.5" Kickers. I didn't have to do much cutting to make them fit and the added size of the speaker makes for a much better sound. I removed the factory square grill and cut the door panel to accomodate the Kicker grill. There are 2 small spots where the factory grill was larger than the Kicker grill, but so far none of my passengers have noticed this unless I pointed it out. Eventually I'll clean up the way it looks.

--Matt
 
If you have a 96 or older XJ you can fit 6x9s in the front doors. I have 6x9s in the doors up front and in the rear hatch with a 10" sub in the rear. The 6x9s fit real nice and sound great.
 
I installed a set of Kenwood 5-1/4" tri-axial speakers in my 88 XJ. What ever speakers you use make sure to get the adaptor harness so you don't have to modify the factory harness.

I also found at crutchfield these foam enclosures. You insert the enclosure into the door then attach the speaker. They make speaker box for your speaker, the sound then is projected better into the cabin. I used a utility knife to cut off the extra. I had my buddy over who into audio. I installed the front door speakers. The second one I installed the speaker without the enclosure. He sat in the XJ and listened. He told me there was no comparison so I installed the foam surround on the second speaker.

Since I did not change speaker size I decided to stay with the factory grills. They were the same color at my interior - cordivan - and were rectangle vs the square of the replacement. I don't need to advertise and make it easier for a thief.

I managed to keep the interior trim installed but I did remove the door handle and used a trim tool to remove the lower panel form the door. This way I still had the interior door latch handle installed and did not have to mess with reinstalling the trim.

To remove the door handle you need to remove the two large screws, then rotate the handle to the 6 o'clock position and then pull out the handle - that how it is on my 88 XJ.

If you want to pull the trim off you undo the door latch screws, then lift off the panel. Here is the trick I learned, you will have to turn the panel to get the lock handle out. If you leave the rods attached to the door handle life if much easier!!!

To install the panel you make sure the latch handle is through the trim panel, then place the panel on rubber part that supports the top. Then you will have to push the panel forward so it will pass under the rear view mirror and hook onto the metal hanger attached to the door. This is hard to understand untill you see the door apart.
 
Im running 2 Xplod 6.5"s in the front.
Getting the stock grille off is a HUGE PITA, if you dont have the torx bit that holds em on, or if in your case theire riveted. But they do come out eventually.

Ya, its easy to tell that I have nice speakers in there, but thats a chance ill live with, I like the look of them, and I done know how good they would have fit with the stock grilles.

For the rear I got 2 free Jensen 6.5"s with my head unit, so ill probably put those inm but as theyre ugly ass speakers, im going to try and leave the stock grills on, saves a lot of work.
 
Speakers

I have 5 1/4" cerwin vegas. i think they come with the biggest magnet that you can get. They sound great but don't fit in the back. I had to put in rubber spacers so that the magnets would not hit the back. I then took off the jesen covers and cut out a circular hole in the panel so that the grilles the come with the speakers would show. It was very easy and looks really cool.
 
I'm gonna be doing this project in the very near future. I've never attempted to get under my door panels before. I have a '94 XJ, and I'm gonna throw in some new Kenwood 5 1/2" door mounts. I'm hoping things go fairly smoothly.
 
I've got 6.5" Xplods up front....

Check the install out here

Easy to install, minor cutting to the door panel.

6x9's out back in the hatch.
f9d6b1db.jpg
 
I'm running 5 1/4" Infinity's all the way around. I have the soundbar type thing on mine (95) and I didn't really have a hard time putting mine in. I cut the wires for my horns in the dash as well. My speakers hit enough highs for my satisfaction and those stock tweeters or horns were junk anyway.
 
speakers

I have a 99 XJ and i had infinity ones installed in mine, because they fit the original holes, and they sound a whole lot better than the stock ones ever did. My deck is one of the alpine ones that is XM compatible. Anyone have that? I'm in iraq, and when i get back stateside i was gonna install that in my cherokee for those imminent long road trips. (biggest pet peeve is flippin thru the radio stations) also, anyone know if you can put a cd changer under the front seats?

Kris
 
ladywolf said:
I have a 99 XJ and i had infinity ones installed in mine, because they fit the original holes, and they sound a whole lot better than the stock ones ever did. My deck is one of the alpine ones that is XM compatible. Anyone have that? I'm in iraq, and when i get back stateside i was gonna install that in my cherokee for those imminent long road trips. (biggest pet peeve is flippin thru the radio stations) also, anyone know if you can put a cd changer under the front seats?

Kris

The SONY MP3 head unit I have, also has XM But I opt to create 5 hr CD's. :wow: Non stop favorites...
 
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