Speakers in the dash, for going doorless.

Put some speakers in the dash, wrote a little write up on it. Not really difficult enough to justify a write up, but hell figured i might as well do it for shits and giggles.



Before i get into this, my photos arent the best quality as they were took with my phone, which happens to have a busted camera screen. I dont own a camera so get over it, im poor

Ok, so here in the last month or so i've found that it is absolutely terrible driving my jeep with only the completely blown speakers in the soundbar to listen to when im going doorless. So last night I decided i would go ahead and try to solve the problem.

This was what i intended to do, i actually had the jigsaw out and everything when i had a sudden idea, "wonder if i can fit em in the stock spot for the tweeters?" And after a little more thought and measuring, I found my foot would hit the speakers here every day should i put them in the kick panels.. So that only leaves mounting them in the dash!

Kick panel speakers





Where im putting my speakers.








So to start. These are the only tools you'll need! Besides wire and tape of course





This all started for me by robbing my recently remade radio cooler of its speakers.. Second time this has happened, but at least its to serve a better purpose! lol





STEP 1.

Remove the top screw in the plastic cover that makes things look pretty so it'll hang down. If not, you'll go insane hitting it while you're trying to put the speakers in.






STEP 2.

Remove both kick panels. There should be 2 screws and a bolt per side, but be careful to not break the panel that overlaps it when removing the kick panel.





STEP 3.

Now its time to run the wiring for the speaker, as its alot easier to do it now then later. I actually found a stock speaker connect for the optional premium sound system, which just happened to already be ran and ready to go. This particular plug i used was ran behind the grill, right where the speakers were installed. There was also a second plug that was labeled as a speaker plug as well, however it was not connected. In my application I just clipped the end on the stock wiring and extended them out about a foot for good measure, then put a quick disconnect in just in case.

Here is the plug i wired in for the speaker.





If you would rather, you can also splice into the wire for the door speakers, which you will be able to find easily with the kick panel off. Just look for the other side of this grommit and splice in anywhere, however if you do this i recommend you put in a quick connect so you can disconnect the speaker when you put the doors back on. Should you want to just run new wires the easiest way is to just follow the harness, also using a coat hangar to push the wire through will really help.

STEP 4.

Test fit your speakers to see if their overall size will allow you to use them. I actually used new stock 5 1/4 speakers as they were the only things i had at the time. I didnt measure the thickness of the stock speakers (which is the deciding factor on whether they fit) but the stock speaker thickness seems to be the thickest you can use, as the passenger side is a very tight squeeze.

For example the 6" kickers i had in the doors were just slightly too thick to fit, so they'll be staying in the doors.






The speaker was much easier to put in on the driver side, as theres not really anything to get in the way. The only thing you gotta do on the drivers side is move a little box over that is velcroed down, i merely pushed mine over out of the way.





It takes some wiggling and pushing to get the speakers in, but once you get the angle right your good to go. I chose to use zip ties to secure the speakers in, as the speakers seemed to stay in decently well on their own.. and to be honest i was too lazy to fab up some kind of mounting system when i already have zip ties laying around I ran a connection from the speaker to the support bar in the dash, and then another from the other side of the speaker to a hook thats meant to hold down the harness behind the kick panel. You could also just zip tie onto the harness in a few spots if you would rather.


Here is the best under side pic of the drivers side I could get with my sucky phone.





Now time for the left side.

To install the speaker on the left side I had to pull out on the dash and slide (more like shove) the speaker in. Once its in there (may take a few minutes), more then likely you wont be able to easily get it back out, so preconnecting up the speaker wires to the speakers would be very benefitual here. Once the speaker was in, I zip tied from the speaker to the harness, and then on the other side i went from the speaker to another part of the harness. The speaker really didnt require all that much support, the zip ties were mostly to keep the speaker from rattling around really.





Also here are some under dash shots, these are the best i could get.











All in all I found the speakers work great, and actually sound great in the location they are in. The speakers are completely unseen, and arent hanging down in any way. They are covered nicely by the grill, and they are clear of any mud/ dirt that may get slung into the vehicle with the doors off, along with being covered from the rain and weather.

pics no workie

they look fine on mine, ill see if i can change something around

Works for me.I used a sound bar when i went with tubes doors, now i have half doors so i run them in the doors again

Dumb question- why not just fix the speakers in the soundbar?

I had actually been planning on making some half doors, ive just yet to find the time or doors to do so lol

You still did a nice job.It took me some time to make them, so don't hurry.

And yeah.. lol i plan on replacing them soon too, just with the amount of bass i listen to regularly with my system it kinda drowns out the sound in the back compared to if i put them in the front. I actually was going to just replace the aftermarket speakers in the soundbar with the stock replacements, but i just happend to have broken the stock grills taking them off.. lol

and i figure it'll take me at least 4-5 years to make my half doors anyways with my horrible welding skills!! lol So im in no hurry really.. that and money is short these days, little free mods like this are about what im limited to these days

Ive got an old speaker mounted to my harness bar. :gee:

souske said:

Dumb question- why not just fix the speakers in the soundbar?

Click to expand...

even with the stereo faded all the way to the back... they dont provide a lot tunes. i plan to add a second sound bar right behind the drivers seat, this will also give the rear passengers map lights. 2 door speakers, and 4 roof speakers wired into a multichannel amp. still have 4 speakers for offroad.

i have all the parts, unfortunately i am electronically illiterate.

lol the only thing i dont like about the second soundbar is that i feel like the speakers will just be too close to my head, and with how loud i listen to music it might just deafen me bein that close.. LOL

ive thought of that as well. i figured id find the right amount of fade between the back and front.

but sound quality can make up for volume IMO.

thats true, the clear-er the sound is the less it really has to be turned up. Alot less distortion for it to play over.

Cool Idea. I need to do this to my MJ so I can jam when the doors are off.


Oh btw SPEAKER COOLERS FTW!!!!


Here are mine. The blue one was my first attempt that when bad haha. and theat the only picture of the inside of my new one. But the amp inst in there or the fans wired up to the amp self either. Oh and it has a Bad Ass Battery now. It can go 48 hours full blast, pushing the 2 8inch subs in the back the whole time too without dieing.

WOW the subs are a nice touch! Ive been planning on making a new one with one of those big two man coolers they sell at walmart, with a 12 in the back and 4 6x9s. I've actually got my battery in a second shoulder carry cooler that sits behind the cooler when its playing, and the inside of the cooler is sealed so you can fill it up with some beer! Last summer it held 2 24 packs on the beach with 2 bags of ice! really surprised me how much it could hold. The first speakers in it were a set of kicker marine speakers and they held up good for about 2-3 years, but the sand eventually got into the tweeters and ruined them. They're actually the speakers in my sound bar right now... LOL

After having the doorless option for a while, I finally broke down and mounted my speakers in the center console.

how did you get those grills in the dash?

Edit: I just googled it and I guess 96- have them there already?

I thought of doing this. but planed on doing it like the wranglers have them in the outer corners of the dash.

like this


but I never got around to it

This works well too, as an alternative:



and you can still roll the back window down. Just had to trim some of the inner door skin.

Lol i would take off all the doors if i had a 4 door!! That would be some serious breeze..