Blurr

I bought my 4runner about 4 years ago and right away I put in a HU from a late 90s Camry (double-DIN cassette/CD/radio). I replaced the factory 4" speakers under the dash with some Kenwoods but couldn't get any volume out of them without severe distortion.

I wanted to upgrade my stereo system but keep the factory headunit to deter theft. My goal is to have a system that is loud and maintains clarity.

existing environment:
-late 90s Camry head unit
-Kenwood 4" speakers in dash
-factory 5 1/4" speakers in cargo area

upgraded equipment:
-Performance Teknique ICBM774 amp
-MB Quart RVF 216 6 1/2" component speakers
-Pioneer 6x9s

The HU does not have any preamp outputs so I got a Scosche Line Output Converter from Crutchfield. After I located the 4 pairs of speaker wire coming from the harness, I cut them and ran them into the LOC:





It sits perfectly behind the storage pocket below the lighter/ashtray. This LOC has individual gain adjustments so if I need to tweak them later on, all I have to do is remove the two pins on either side of the pocket and it comes right out. RCA cables go from the output of the LOC to the amp.

Amplifier. This step was the trickiest because the only place I could mount the amp while keeping it 'hidden' yet accessible for tweaking after the installation is underneath the passenger seat. The amp I got is pretty beefy, probably more powerful than I'll ever need but I'd rather be overpowered than underpowered. The installation issue was that the passenger seat did not clear the amp. So I had to make brackets that would lift the passenger seat about 1 1/2". Thankfully my wife is short so the boost in height is not a big deal.




I used square metal tubing to lift the rear mounts and 2" wide metal pieces for the front. Thanks True Value hardware! I mounted the amp with the gain/level controls facing outward and the speaker/power leads facing inward:




As you can see, I cut the carpet in a way that allows for a flap to conceal the edges of the amp from being seen when the door is open.

Speakers. As stated earlier, the Kenwood 4" speakers were not only poor quality but you couldn't hear anything because the factory locations aim the speakers downward. I bypassed these speakers and installed the MB Quart component speakers in the front doors.

12guage speaker wire from the amp through the conduit in the door jamb to the crossovers that I installed inside the door.



Here are pics of the finished installation of the component speakers:




There isn't a whole lot of depth behind the door panel so I used angled speaker spacers to move the speaker out to provide clearance so it wouldn't contact the window assembly. I also used foam speaker baffles to protect the speaker from moisture and to improve bass response. I'm impressed with how the pocket cutout turned out. At first I was worried that it would look cheap but it looks alright. Gotta love the Dremel tool.

Rear Speakers. Most people would probably put a sub box in the cargo area but I don't want to lose any storage space and I'm not a fan of rap so I put 6x9s on the panels instead. The boxes that the 6x9s are in are mounted above the panel doors with hinges so I can get into the panel storage areas if need be. I ran 12guage speaker cable to each of them from the amp.




These 6x9s provide enough low end for my needs (hardcore punk, grind, deathmetal etc) and really even out the sound inside the cabin. Overall I'm quite happy with this upgrade.

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93 4Runner - 3vz-e. bone stock, recent HG job.
62 Nova Wagon - the wife's grocery-getter.

spdman

did the kenwood speakers provide better sound quality than the crap stock speakers?

bigt

i had 4 inch kenwoods too and they sucked i put a infinity with a tweeter combo in the same location now it sounds better..

__________________
1991 HILUX SURF SSR-X
2-lte turbo diesel with upgraded head
tons of cool options you dont get in north America
RIGHT HAND DRIVE,auto,push button 4wd,turbo timer,31.1-.50.15 bfgs,factory fender flares,window flares.
CAR DOLLY
sirius TUNED TO HOWARD 100

trail ifs rig goldie
fate unknown

blue 93 srf 4runner NEW TRAIL RIG IN POGRESS
ifs welded rear few mods for now
rebuilding fj 60 series front axle for future s.a.s

spdman

but were the kenwoods at least better sound quality than the stock speakers?

Blurr

a little bit. if you don't want to go through the hassle of installing better speakers in the doors, by all means upgrade the 4" speakers in the dash but don't expect a massive improvement in sound quality. anything played at a slightly high volume level will distort.

__________________
93 4Runner - 3vz-e. bone stock, recent HG job.
62 Nova Wagon - the wife's grocery-getter.

mikes19984x4

dude, you would get so much better performance with a good aftermarket HU, like at least a pioneer 5900 or equivalent alpine model. and those 6x9s might sound even better facing the rear hatch, as right now they're probably canceling out a lot of each others sound...same reason no one faces two subs directly at each other...just a thought, but nice write up also

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1998 4Runner SR5 4x4
3.4 w/5-speed & E-Locker
Deckplate & ISR mod & K&N, 2.5-inch Exhaust w/40-Series Flowmaster
Bilstien Shocks, 265/75/16 Buckshot Mudders
Sylvania Silverstars, Hella 500s on front bumper (no longer), Orange Gauge Lights, JVC Arsenal Head Unit, Pioneer REV-Series Speakers
More mods to come...

Blurr

i'm quite pleased with the sound i'm getting from the factory HU in my current upgraded setup. an aftermarket HU would be nice but nobody would try to steal this factory HU

i'll try redirecting the 6x9s, good idea.

__________________
93 4Runner - 3vz-e. bone stock, recent HG job.
62 Nova Wagon - the wife's grocery-getter.