I posted a little about this in the audio section, but I thought I woul dput it here too. For all of you that have a non-sony stereo system and want better sound, it can be done for about $400 total. I like the factory synch and the display system, steering wheel controls, etc ... so I didn't want to lose anything by replacing the head unit. I simply replaced all 4 door speakers with Infinity Reference 6832's.They are high sensitivity speakers that I though the factory head unit would push okay. The door panels werent much of a problem, I did the fronts without pulling the panels using the screen and modding the plastic around the speaker. The rear doors come off real easy, basically 4 bolts, disconnect window switch connector, and a firm pull up, and shes out. You dont even have to mess with the door handle cable if you prop the door panel on a chair. Then comes the amp and sub. I simply pulled the left rear door panel, pulled out on the b-pillar wall panel and I confirmed the wire colors for the speakers. I stripped back some of the factory tape over the door wiring and tapped into the speaker wires there. I ran that speaker wire down the kick plate to the back side of the rear seats and tied that speaker wire into a Scosche Line output converter. From the LOC I ran RCA's to the JVC 200 w Amp (which by the way I got for free from Crutchfield when I bought the Inifinity speaker pairs), I ran my positive wire from the battery along the rear firewall , there were even clips up on the wiper motor cowel to attach the cable to. I ran it through the rubber grommet at the fire wall that all the interior wiring goes through (used the old wire hanger and electrical tape trick, but be careful your not stabbing wiring). Ran the power wire down the kick panels to the rear and hooked it up to the amp.I grounded the amp off a seat bolt on the rear seats. I also ran a REM turn in wire for the amp from the fuse box where I tied into the 4wpd tranny fuse which is only on when the truck is turned on. And since I dont have a4spd tranny figured it was a good spot. That was also run through the firewall and along the kick plate with the power wire. I hooked up the JL audio sub power wedge sub box and Lastly I made sure all the gains were turned down and everything was tight (power and grounds). The last thing I did was insert the fuse in the battery power wire I ran from the battery earlier, I turned it on an vooolah! The system has come to life. The JL Audio sub bumps.......really hard, and the highs are perfect from the Infinitys in the doors. I had to play with the adjustments and found that as little bass as possible through the Inifinitys with an ample amount of gain from the sub makes for a really nice sound combo. Anyway, it wasn't that hard and IMO it sounds better than any of the factory systems that I listened to while checking out new trucks on purchase day. And nonthing I drove or sat in had the bass my Screw does now! All for $400 and a little of my time!

 

lets see some pics?

 

A couple of questions for you...

- do you have any issues running the door speakers 'full range' along with the sub? Ex - having the door speakers distort from trying to handle the full bass range well before the sub begins to distort? Or are you able to tune the sub so it's loud enough with the head unit bass setting at a point where the door speakers don't have problems?

- I've read a few places that the rear speaker feeds on these stock head units restrict the bass frequencies and that you should tie into the front speaker feeds for amps and subs. Have you noticed that at all?

Thanks!

 

I tuned the amp by adjusting the speakers where I wanted them as far as highs and lows go, then I started adjusting the gain on the amp/sub till the bass mixture was just right. I dont have this thing cranked til it vibrates my mirrors or anything, just fills the cab with a healthy dose of lows and bass which makes the sound very full. The stock system not only has chit for highs, it had no fullness in the lows and bass dept either. Keep in mind that I am not a 1000w loud music listener, I just like a nice crisp sound with the fullness of properly applied Bass. To me and my family it sounds 10x better than the stock sound did, but I am no audiphile either.

Cant remark on the rear speaker feed question, theres plenty of boom, so much so that I have it turned down quite a bit.

 

Thanks for the time you spent posting this....very good info. I'm going to be doing the same thing this spring and I'm pretty sure I too will be using the same speakers. I like the way they sound and like you said they have a high sensitivity rating. I'd like to ask you if I'm getting this right.

The speaker grills on the front come off without removing the door panel?
Did you just tie the LOC into the left rear speaker?
How do you have the fade set on your HU...I have mine up quite a bit in the front, if I'm getting this right the sub would be affected by this.

Thanks
William