Double Din Install

ALegendNeverDies · Feb 11, 2016

Hey guys, this is my first official post and I'm going to provide tips and tricks and give my knowledge forth unto you. I am going to be doing a 6x9" speaker swap into the rear and a 6 3/4" in the front with a Pioneer AVH-X2600BT for the head unit. The speakers I am using are 2ohm speakers to make more use of the POWAH from the head unit, witches 50watts/channel. The tools to install this will work for most installs and I plan on completing this without modifying the plastic trim around the head unit. I am installing this on a 2000 Ford Ranger Base XLT. The tools I bought can be found on crutchfield.

Things you'll need to buy (I bought them from Crutchfield)
-Metra 70-1771 Receiver Wiring Harness $12.99
-Metra 72-5600 Speaker wiring harness (sold in pairs) $9.99
-Metra 95-5817 Dash Kit $14.99
-Scosche SA-68 Speaker mounting brackets $9.99
-Master sheet and installation instructions $0.00

Total cost: $47.96 after tax

Additional things I bought at Radio Shack
-butt connectors
-electrical tape
-3/8" split loom

Tools you'll need
-din removal tool
-panel pry tool (or wrap a flathead screw driver in electrical tape)
-Phillips head screwdriver
-pliers
-(if you have solder and solder gun you are welcome to try and solder the Metra wiring harness and the wiring harness that came with your head unit however, it is more difficult and I prefer butt connectors)

Currently I am holding out for my remaining items to be delivered so I will update you guys as it comes along. The estimated delivery date is February 13, 2016. I hope to start producing pictures and a play by play on the 16th. I will answer any questions you have

Sent by Sean C. Slocum, II from North West Arkansas. Junior wrencher and fruit expert at edible arrangements

ALegendNeverDies · Feb 11, 2016

Just a FYI I have done head unit swaps on several cars before including a 1998 Ford Contour and 1993 Acura Legend. I rewired all the speaker wire in my legend but when I did the swap, unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures. Ask me anything

Sent by Sean C. Slocum, II from North West Arkansas. Junior wrencher and fruit expert at edible arrangements

ALegendNeverDies · Feb 15, 2016

So, half my parts came in but whatever. Here is what came in the box.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1455540817.100420.jpg

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1455540844.761095.jpg

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1455540876.068111.jpg

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1455540893.659846.jpg

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1455540943.305264.jpg

(this woman looks like she needs some help) more pictures to come!! Hoping to see what I can do to prep for install today since not all the parts I bought are in

Sent by Sean C. Slocum, II from North West Arkansas. Junior wrencher and fruit expert at edible arrangements

ALegendNeverDies · Feb 15, 2016

View attachment 19974 this is e ginormous mess from my Acura legend that I am going to clean up now, I had used waterproof/heatshrink butt connectors for my Legend however, I'm not going to do that again because it was just added time and nothing else near that portion of the wires is waterproof.

There is a iPhone adapter, AUX cable, steering wheel control adapter, and all that stuff that pioneer and Crutchfield sends to you in here. I will be organizing all these wires as well.

View attachment 19975
This is the wiring that goes to your Pioneer AVH-X2600BT.

View attachment 19976
I'm organizing my wires and accessories real quick just so they don't get all tangled together again.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1455560203.929335.jpg

I have stripped all the wires for the wire harness to the Pioneer head unit. Time to connect the butts of these wires with my handy dandy crimp butt connector.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1455561342.207603.jpg

Most the colors will correspond with each other however, if you bought the bypass there's instructions that you use. Yellow to yellow and black to black.

I only hooked up the speakers, ground, power, 12v ignition, and the parking brake sensor wire to the bypass. I didn't need the steering wheel controls this time around so I left it on the side.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1455561650.859241.jpg

I wrapped the wires around each other to make it look nicer and fit better into the 3/8 inch tubing

More updates coming soon
Ask me anything

Sent by Sean C. Slocum, II from North West Arkansas. Junior wrencher and fruit expert at edible arrangements

ratdude747 · Feb 15, 2016

Looking nice. I used a Metra Turbokit for my double din install and aside from some modding to the border frame part of the kit, which I did instead of cutting my trim bezel, it was pretty much a plug and play mount.

ALegendNeverDies · Feb 15, 2016

Awesome, I'm sure had I seen that I might've gone that route. I had just wanted to do what someone who hasn't done is before would do. When I first installed a head unit for the first time I cut the trim wrong to the point where I just had electrical tape holding it in. I decided not to go that route again [emoji39]

Sent by Sean C. Slocum, II from North West Arkansas. Junior wrencher and fruit expert at edible arrangements

ALegendNeverDies · Feb 16, 2016

So I hit a bump, I see that the 2000 ford ranger does not come standard with a dimmer wire but instead with a illumination wire and I have no clue as to whether or not I can/should connect them together. I am emailing Crutchfield to see if they hold the answer I'm looking for. I would assume the two wires are for different systems but none the less I am curious.

Sent by Sean C. Slocum, II from North West Arkansas. Junior wrencher and fruit expert at edible arrangements

ALegendNeverDies · Feb 16, 2016

I should clarify, connecting the illumination wire in the car with the dimmer wire in the head unit.

Sent by Sean C. Slocum, II from North West Arkansas. Junior wrencher and fruit expert at edible arrangements

ALegendNeverDies · Feb 16, 2016

So, Crutchfield got back to me and told me I couldn't do it so I think I going to try and do a custom wiring and do it myself so the screen will dim automatically. I figured Crutchfield would tell me I wouldn't be able to do it though so there isn't much of a surprise

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

ALegendNeverDies · Feb 17, 2016

Don't forget to plan your project no matter how small! Remember every little thing you will need! I forgot to purchase some Iso screws. Oops

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

ALegendNeverDies · Feb 20, 2016

Good news!!

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1455981033.523920.jpg

I wrapped it in the 3/8" flex tubing with the exception of a few butt connectors and I zip tied the tubing to hold better and look nice and neat

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1455981166.535627.jpg

I have radio removal tools but I decided to remove the bezel with the radio attached to it then I put it on the back and food the clips in manually however the tools make it WAAAAAY easier because you just put the tools in with the prongs facing inward push it all the way in then pull them away from each other and pull.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1455981307.613435.jpg

I wanted to run the microphone to somewhere hidden so I pulled trim from the door off (if you don't have trim removal tools get a plastic or wooden ruler and push on the clips from the outside of the car)

Sent by Sean C. Slocum, II from North West Arkansas. Junior wrencher and fruit expert at edible arrangements

Skirbykat · Feb 20, 2016

In my experience, you can connect the illumination to the dimmer wire. Although the head unit won't vary it's illumination, at least it will illuminate when lights are turned on and off on truck.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

ALegendNeverDies · Feb 20, 2016

I noticed that a double din radio does not fit through the stock opening so...
I cut itView attachment 20112 trim the top and the bottom so they flush. I used a oscillating cutting tool and that worked pretty damn well but be very careful because it will vibrate the bezel and can cause damage to you or your precious bezel

View attachment 20113
Fits like a glove!!

Sent by Sean C. Slocum, II from North West Arkansas. Junior wrencher and fruit expert at edible arrangements

ALegendNeverDies · Feb 20, 2016

Thanks skirbykat I may try and do that and see how it handles the wire. since it's a touch screen head unit I'm eager to find out if it is smart enough to realize it can dim with the illumination wire. I have finished the install I'm just holding off on the rest of the write up until tomorrow since I ran out of daylight, very busy day working on the project on and off. I think the next thing I want to do is scrape the green coating off the back of the dials and everything and change it to a white/blue display when I find materials. Thanks for all the views guys!! More on this all tomorrow morning.

Sent by Sean C. Slocum, II from North West Arkansas. Junior wrencher and fruit expert at edible arrangements

ALegendNeverDies · Feb 25, 2016

Sorry for the delay, life calls and makes it hard to get stuff done sometimes.

It is fully installed and now that it's done I will write out some tips.

Paper clips, I can not tell you how useful they are when you need to thread something through a small opening or weight down a wire so it will go down a hole. P.S. You can also clip things to the headboard or trim.

Clamps, using the oscillating cutting tool sucks when you have no easy way to hold it in place, I almost lost a finger guys! (Insert sarcastic phrase).

Plastic Ruler, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that not everyone has trim removal tools so, a plastic ruler you can get from a bank or Walmart for something around 1.50 is severely useful for popping trim clips off without damaging your trim or clips.

Don't be afraid to ask for help and make sure you have everything before you start.

Now here is what I'm doing next
I am going to be installing 6x9" speakers in the rear and I'm not 100% how but love will find a way and I will be installing 6 3/4" speakers in the front. They are the JBL GTO series speakers and I liked the sound. I bought a 6 1/2" adapted from Crutchfield but something tells me that may not exactly work. Anyways, next weekend I should have it done! (If life/weather permits)

Sent by Sean C. Slocum, II from North West Arkansas. Junior wrencher and stoked for life

Double Din Install

New Member

New Member

New Member

New Member

Member

New Member

New Member

New Member

New Member

New Member

New Member

New Member

New Member

New Member

New Member

Sponsored Ad

Sponsored Ad

Today's birthdays

Member & Vendor Upgrades

Truck of The Month

Recently Featured

Follow TRS On Instagram

TRS Events

25th Anniversary Sponsors

Check Out The TRS Store

Sponsored Ad

Sponsored Ad

Sponsored Ad

Amazon Deals