I decided i just want to replace my 4runners front speakers with a nice set of components.

Any ideas on mounting? Is it ok to mount components on the door? where would you guys suggest mounting for optimal sound quality and little driver\passenger interference?

I have no idea on speakers or an amp yet..just worried about how i am going to fit them in the runner..

thanks in advance

 

bump...nobody has any ideas?

...this isnt really a first gen specific question..i just want to know if im going to have sound quality issues by mounting components in the doors

 

I have a 1st Gen 4Runner too and am currently installing a new stereo. I have questions about the install myself.

But to try and answer your question, putting the speakers in the doors won't be a problem. I've seen more than a few 1st gen 4Runners with the speakers there. I'd check out CarDomain for ideas on where to put the speakers. Enter in the year 4Runner you have to see what others have done and how they have done it...come to think of it I am going to do this.

Good luck on the install.

 

i know putting coaxial speakers in the door isnt a problem but thats not my question aaronw. Component speakers are named because they contain two or more components..a woofer and a tweeter usually. Imaging is the problem a person runs into with components. If the speakers are not placed properly you will only hear the tweeter or the woofer..not both like you are suposed to. Without having stock component speakers it makes it a little more difficult to install them without putting them in a kick pannel or a pillar...

 

I have some speakers mounted in the panels that are blown and I plan to replace them with components. I figure it will be ok with the woofers in the panels and the tweeters on the dash. That's how I see most components set up.

 

Here's how I did mine. I don't know if you can use this idea or what because your dash might be a little too rounded in this spot. (somehow I remember a post about this on this forum-long pocket versus short pocket etc.) I aimed both at the windshield in a way where they are sort of pointed at the front fenders. (opposite fender from the tweeter) They are part of Kappa perfect 6.1 set. I picked them because they swivel like an eyeball. Not at all tough to do as long as you take out the dash pad. Drivers side is even easier as there is no metal there from what I remember. (don't quote me on that, this was a long time ago when I put these in)

It images fine to my liking. (but ask the wife and she says I'm deaf anyway) Maybe a 4" component set would work for you. I dont have to tell you how narrow these doors are and mounting depth is an issue on bigger drivers unless you want to build something to bring it out further as others have done. Vent windows give some more room too if you have them.

Most schools of thought regarding imaging say put it in the kick panel from what I have read-but I'm not into people kicking my speakers, so down low was a no-no.

 

sigh...i definitely dont want to cut into my dashboard...its in PERFECT shape.

looks like ill be settling for some coaxes....atleast they are cheap as dirt.

 

I hear ya. Mine was by no means perfect. I can see why you wouldn't mess with something nice. Years ago I had MB quart coaxial and was very happy with them. I don't know much about today's stuff unfortunately.

On a side note- please ignore the EFI badge-it's history. There's no accounting for some of the stuff I've done in my younger days...

 

my approach is to leave all the stock speakers in there, add a subwoofer, like a SAS bazooka powered tube, then set the crossover in the tube so it handles all the bass below about 200hz, then there is very little bass going to the stock speakers. if you do that, the stereo doesnt have to work very hard at all, and it sounds great, minimum investment and minimum HACKING.

 

I got bumpinyota to make some custom kickpanels for my 1st gen, havent installed them yet.
Right now i've just got 4's in the dash (infinitys) and they sound ok.
have 6.5" infinity components in the rear.
12" image dynamics sub.... set up sounds great.... cant wait till i get the front components in!

 

those tube sound TERRIBLE...i do a lot of recording work and have a very good ear..those subs sound like farts. Also, setting the crossover in a little subwoofer like that to 200hz is going to sound even worse. When you change the crossover for that sub it has no effect what your head unit or amps are putting out to your speakers..it only has to do with the sub.

No stereo part in my truck is stock...i removed the oem wiring awhile ago.

this is probably what my setup is going to turn into...

Infinity kappa perfect 63.7i 6.5in 3 way coax Speakers..
Alpine Roadmaster 6x9's for the back..circa 1985 but sound nice

I will probably pick up a 50w x 4 amp to power all the speakers.

Infinity basslink I subwoofer

 

Hey, I just found an older pic - before I mounted the tweeter up high. This idea might help you if you want to get a component set in the factory location with minimal modification. (the tweeter did not block the grill cover-I just took it off to get a better pic)

I can't say if this setup is leaps and bounds better than a good coaxial but just thought I'd throw out a couple of ideas.

Just a note that it's not the Kappa tweeter which is probably bigger. The tweeter in this pic was from a kicker 4" component set from way back. Might be hard to tell from that old pic.

 

In older trucks, its true that you probably don't want to keep the "stock" stereo itself, they're shot by now anyhow.
What one does is cut the bass down from the stereo output, by adjusting the tone control, to unload the regular speakers, and let the sub woofer do the hard part (making lots of bass) Its a poor-man's "bi-amp" setup. Go look up biamp, read all about it, then you'll understand what I'm talking about. Now you can turn it up twice as loud as before without distortion from your speakers or amp.
I chose to spend a couple hundred bux on a powered Bazooka, and keep a decent stock speaker setup, and got GREAT results in more than one vehicle in my fleet over the last 10 years. They can be a good solution, and anything can sound like a FART if you don't use it right.
And i have been in the music/radio/tv biz as a musician, dj, engineer since '72, and still have a very good ear. :-)

 

I really disagree with you on this setup....If you have ever heard a REALLY good modern subwoofer you should understand this..

In my bedroom which is where I do all of my mixing i run M-Audio..cant remeber which model..powered monitors. I have a Velodyne 12" 250 watt sub for bass. Coming from my M-audio soundcard this is the most accurate sounding setup I have ever heard.

Stock speakers and a 8" or 10" tube subwoofer dont cut it for me. Especially if they have a low pass set at 200hz...

I have been studying music for almost half of my life and have perfect pitch...even the cheapest speakers put out proper intonation..but I hear subwoofers that put out notes that are maybe a quarter step flat or sharp depending on the subwoofer. Bose "acoustimass" subwoofers do this all the time and it drives me insane.

Perfect pitch is a curse and any of you guys that have it will understand what I'm talking about.

I appriciate everyone's input in this matter but the setup i posted above is what is most likely will be going in my vehicle..I would like to put a better system in it but I'm leaving for college and for the next year or two my truck will be sitting in storage 9 months out of the year

 

I'd love to see your system even compare to my IDMAX sub in SPL and SQ. I'd also like to see your speakers even compare to my components front and rear, with the fronts, rears and sub all running off seperate amps.

Also, i bet your THD is huge, a deck is usually 5%, and everything you add on just adds more...LOC, etc....my system is running under .1% THD.....

Your set-up MAY sound OK, but there is no way it wold outperform an aftermarket deck, a sub running 1-200w rms and 4 speaks running off a small 4 channel amp... and those regular speakers will play down to 50hz, so why make your sub play hgiher than 100hz? you dont want any vocal freq. going through there anyways.... and i'd rather have punchier mid-bass coming from smaller speakers.... just my 2 cents...

 

my car system is terrible and im aware of that. I would rather spend my money on things more worthy than car audio...like my education.

you are so cool man. im so glad your car system sounds sweet. congratulations! but i dont care!

I dont know who you are talking to in this thread but maybe you should try quoting!

Just so you know I have aftermarket everything in my car..yahoo it still sounds like pretty bad

just FYI anything over 120dB causes damage to the human ear. If you like to listen to your music that loud than have fun when you are no longer able to hear anything! sure its cool to drive down the road with ur IDMAX sub blasting and everyone can hear it go boom boom boom...its like saying "Yea man im so cool because my stereo is loud. I'm so glad everyone knows im causing damage to my delicate hearing!"

Why do you care if your stereo is better than someone elses? its not a competition. If that sounds good to him that yahoo good for him. But theres no reason to tell him how cool you are because you spend more money on your speakers than your car is worth.

I dont really care how old you are, what your education level is, or how much money you make, but that just makes me nuts. This is my thread and i dont appreciate you demeaning someone like that.

BTW..if you would like to hear what real amazing stereo sounds like try listening to something that runs at 8 or 16 ohms..that will blow your mind...not only in SQ but loud enough to blow your brains at as well.

If you have been to a well produced rock show you will have heard this before.

 

Uhhh... i was agreeing with you.... what are you getting so mad for?
I spend money on the sound system for my car because i'm a partial-audiophile and i spend alot of time driving (usually atleast an hour a day) and it's the only time i can just relax and dont have to listen to anyone else except the music. I didnt mean to brag so much about what i have, just trying to say that some people like more than a stock stereo with a bass tube....

Oh, and i dont have my sub cranked to where people can hear it, except for, like, once a week... for one or 2 songs, max?

BTW, the IDMAX is a SQ sub that can play loud, the way it reproduces bass is fantastic....

And btw, i'm not dissing your system, i was just agreeing with you that a tube sub will sound bad... sorry i didnt quote misterzee, because i believe any half-ok aftermarkets speaks with a small amp can be set up to sound very good. i am NOT dissing your set up! Sorry if i made it sound that way.... i've been upgrading my system slowly to where it is now (from deck+ speakers, to deck+speakers+sub, to deck+components+amps+sub where it is now over the past few years) and my system may be worth at much as my truck at MSRP prices... but i've searched for great prices on everything (i dont make huge money) and i've bought a lot of things used.... you just have to make sure you buy from a good seller....

And good luck with your system! sorry again for the misunderstanding

 

Not sure if you settled on your setup, but here are some of my pics. My truck was totalled the other week but I managed to get all of the custom speaker stuff out so that I can sell it.

Anyways, I had Focal's up front, some 6x9 Infinities in the rear, and the sub. 2 amps, 1 under each of the front seats. Sounded freakin' awesome! Where the 4" in dash speakers were... thats where the crossovers are/were.

On the door, they removed the map pockets and built a custom holder:


Rear panels replaced by wood and the sub sat in a fiber-glass enclosure:

 

Nice set up dude sorry to hear about the truck.

 

Thanks Greg. I could of bought it back and fixed it for about $4k, but it was my daily driver and just couldn't trust it to react the same in certain situations. I decided to take my settlement and buy a new 2002 Sport Edition, which is supposed to be here on Tuesday.

I checked out your pics on cardomain - very nice setup! I miss my first gen already :\