Speakers in first gen doors, total soundsystem overhaul

[hilbile]

After being at a pretty sweet bonfire this weekend, I had my truck as the stereo system, well upon cranking it up like drunks do, I noticed my speakers are about shot. I searched the forums to answer my questions but with no luck. I want add anther set of speakers to my truck in the door panels where the vents are. I would go for a speaker box in the extended cab part but i haul people regularly and that would be an inconvenience to whoever I put there, but when we get where we are going I want to be heard. If i put speakers in the vents I would have to make it like a "box" seal it off from the rest of the airspace in the door correct? I was looking at either a 5x7, 6x8 or 6.5" round to go in that space. I don't plan on running an amp, would it be a good idea? The door speakers I would put on the back power in the deck, Sony Xplod forget model. I was looking at either pioneer speakers all round or vr3 brand by roadmaster. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Combs Customs]

2nd gen doors came with door speakers. Maybe pull a doorpanel off at the junkyard and see what the differences are.

 

[rjppunk]

Not sure you'll have clearance at the vent. If you had room you would need to make a bracket out of something like mdf and use a router to cut a speaker hole. Then figure out how to run wires to the doors which shouldnt be too hard. Followed by sealing up the door tight with your matting material of choice. From there use some self tapping screws to hook the adapter you made to the vent or drill holes and bolt it in. Then wire it up, mount it, put the door panel back on, and go to town.

As a foot note I've never done work on your gen ranger so I have no clue what the door looks like when you take the panel off, also should what I say work, be sure of the clearance between the speaker and the door panel. If it doesnt clear you might have to trim the panel to the size of the adapter hole and mount it through the panel. If thats the case make sure the speakers you pick come with some decent grill covers so you dont kick the cones.

 

[Original_Ranger84]

Also make sure you have the window clearance as well, wouldn't be no fun if all the good sound was trapped inside cause you couldn't roll down your windows.

 

[hilbile]

Also make sure you have the window clearance as well, wouldn't be no fun if all the good sound was trapped inside cause you couldn't roll down your windows.

That would be very unfortunate, especially because thats my form of cooling come summer. Thanks for all the responses so far. It seems like it will be a fairly easy project to do. Considering some of the other things I have done to my truck this should be cake. lol

 

[Original_Ranger84]

Actually what I ended up doing that was really simple in my 84, even though it was stick shift. I made a box that fit between the firewall and shifter that had 2 6x9's in it pointing either direction (I also had made another one for 5x7's as well). Then I ended up getting some 4" speakers for the dash and got 2 sets of components for the back which I made little boxes for and I could literally take them out and set them on the bed rails and crank the music.

 

[hilbile]

Actually what I ended up doing that was really simple in my 84, even though it was stick shift. I made a box that fit between the firewall and shifter that had 2 6x9's in it pointing either direction (I also had made another one for 5x7's as well). Then I ended up getting some 4" speakers for the dash and got 2 sets of components for the back which I made little boxes for and I could literally take them out and set them on the bed rails and crank the music.

thats a really good idea actually. I have my cb mounted there but it can be moved. mines a 5spd too. I am going to look into this idea now as well.

 

[RangerFabWorks]

Speakers dont fit in that vent. the window hits em.

i put 6x9s in the doors under the window crank handles, and 4''s in the dash. i liked it alot.

next time ill prob put 6 1/2's there. but well see.

 

[hilbile]

Well since word is they won't fit back there in the vents and I don't want to butcher my doors up to fit a speaker up to the front. My friend did this on an 83 scottsdale regular cab, I'm going to modify it for a RBV. He made a wooden center console and put some little speakers in since his truck don't have working ones in the dash for him. I would make it so there is one 6x9 on top of the box in the rear and one facing the rear of the truck. and have it divided off with the rest of the console be a console. Can i get away with having those powered off my sub output on my radio deck? so they turn on when I want them to be? With speakers there it could get a touch loud when I'm driving around by myself.

 

[rjppunk]

Why would you have them powered off the sub output? Head units have their own rca outputs for speakers...

 

[hilbile]

Why would you have them powered off the sub output? Head units have their own rca outputs for speakers...

For extra speakers? not just the front and rear sets. I have the four outputs for each corner and none more that I saw, I will have to reference the wiring schmatics again. I'm not overly crazy about tying into any of those too bad because I'm pretty much sold on the center counsule idea, mainly because my current plastic one is shot and too small for what I stick in there, I can be a pack rat. lol

 

[rjppunk]

Well maybe I'm confusing what you said, the head units I deal with have pre amp outputs usually one for sub and one for surrounding speakers. There can be more but basically they are usually a 2 channel output for the rest of your speakers.... so why not use that one? Or are you just talking about the regular wiring of front l/r rear l/r because you can just tap into those wires too but I dont really mess with no amp systems.

 

[hilbile]

Well maybe I'm confusing what you said, the head units I deal with have pre amp outputs usually one for sub and one for surrounding speakers. There can be more but basically they are usually a 2 channel output for the rest of your speakers.... so why not use that one? QUOTE] I believe I have that one.. I forgot about that. thatll be the way to go then, thanks for that little pointer