My stereo setup (Kind of ugly, but works)

[Braunchitis]

I was getting tired of having nothing but wind noise to listen to, so I set this up.

I made the center console thing, and put the radio in that so I didn't have to cut up the dash. The radio's manual says not to exceed 30 degrees from horizontal, but it works fine. I just pulled out the ashtray and stuck a couple more wires in there, and ran it from under the dash down to the positive terminal on the radio. I ran the negative from a dash bolt where the cigarette lighter was wired and to the radio. The whole thing took about 10 minutes to wire up.

The speakers, as of right now, are just sitting in the back seat. I'll find somewhere permanent to put them soon.

The cigarette lighter gets constant power, so I have to turn the radio off myself after I turn the truck off. No big deal.

 

[DriverSideImpact1008]

I love your cigarette lighter ground! What ever gets the job done man!

 

[AJMBLAZER]

Someone on here did a post a while back about putting speakers in their '09. He had a pretty neat setup for hanging the rear speakers in the area where the civy trucks had theirs but attached to the interior panels the CUCV's don't get.

 

[Melvinitis]

The 30 degree thing, most likly was for the cd player, is that work still?

It works. If I remember right, the dash still has the holes for speakers, you plan using that area for front speakers?

 

[Braunchitis]

The CD player works, even at 90 degrees. There are spots for the speakers under the dash, just have to figure out how to get them in there.

For the back, I was thinking of making some little boxes to set on top of the wheel wells to keep crap in, and maybe mount the speakers to the front of those.

 

[CCATLETT1984]

fitting the speakers is easy, just pull the dashpad

 

[HardCorps79]

I'll have to add pics later, but I went super cheap for my "stereo" set-up:

-I found a couple of round iPod speakers with a battery-powered mini-amp at Target for $20.

-Then I found a couple 99-cent cup holders at the Flying-J.
-I cut the window clips off the cup-holders except for the inch of the tab that had a screw hole.
-Then I screwed the cup-holders to the sun-visors, popped the little round speakers into them and put the amp on a sticky pad on the dash along with my iPod.

End result: They're barely loud enough to hear with all the road noise on the highway (anything over 55 and it sounds like a hurricane- still need to do my door seals & window felts!), but for 90% of the driving I do, Johnny Cash and George Strait sound great.

Spring or Summer I'll probably install a proper stereo from LMC or americanclassics but for now, it gives me some tunes for $20, new AA batteries every month and about 5 minutes of work.

 

[kapnklug]

I'd like to put my new speakers in the stock location under the dash, but I can't see how to get the dash pad off. It's still in good shape (amazingly!) and I don't want to mess it up. Anyone know how to pull it off?

 

[86M10086.2L]

unscrew the bolts above the glove box (@3 or 4), remove the trim panel around the gauges maybe 6 screw or so and it should pop right out.

 

[Scarecrow1]

Looks great it should work fine . I how ever wonder about the anti-skip on the CD at that degree. I would put some rubber pads between the box and the floor for good measure. I like seeing guys build instead of buying the add on,s . Its a nice personal touch to any projects.

 

[lavarok]

unscrew the bolts above the glove box (@3 or 4), remove the trim panel around the gauges maybe 6 screw or so and it should pop right out.

Don't forget the screw on the side of the dash pad, on the passenger side of the vehicle. It is a Phillips head and you may need a shorty screw driver to extract it.

I think Crutchfield supplies the necessary brackets when you order speakers from them. I took my brackets out of a few old trucks. Speaker size is 3.5"

 

[Buckmaw]

$20 console off of craigslist and a heavy duty bracket...

 

[ssgtwright-usmc]

I'd like to put my new speakers in the stock location under the dash, but I can't see how to get the dash pad off. It's still in good shape (amazingly!) and I don't want to mess it up. Anyone know how to pull it off?

Its like 8 screws all along the front of the dash panel facing.
You need to lift up towards the windshield since it is held in place by clips.

 

[Braunchitis]

It was a while ago that I started this thread, and I think it's important to say that mounting the CD player like this is NOT a good idea. It worked for a while, but the motor that pushes the CD out can't push it out vertically, and now doesn't work very well.

If you're content with listening to the same CD over and over, though, I guess it's OK. This particular stereo has an auxillary input mode, I usually just hook my MP3 player up to that and don't bother with the CD player.

For the speakers, I put two in front of the transfer case shifter (not pictured). The magnets hold them there fine and while they don't have anything to protect the cone it's unlikely that they will get stepped on / otherwise torn there. For the back, I put two boxed speakers that look like they went to an old home stereo (from a dumpster ) on top of the rear wheelwells. I didn't want to drill anything to hold them down, so I stuck some magnets to the back of them, which hold them down.

Edit: One of these days, I will get around to pulling off the dashpad

 

[salafrae]

hey, as long as you can crank out the tunes- its all good!

 

[ssgtwright-usmc]

I would build a box that sits over the 4-wheel drive shift with enough opening so you can use it, Then build your box above it with a extra tray to store your cds,
It will have to straddle both sides of the hump, but if your good with a jigsaw, wont be a problem

 

[lavarok]

Or just cut a hole in your dash...

 

[ctmustang]

Hey turn up the tunes man. And don't forget the fire extinguisher.