New Stereo and Speaker Installation

[Jpayne]

So I got a stereo and speakers and an amp for Xmas and I am wondering if anyone has an opinion about locations for everything. I have ordered the MUD Console that will house the stereo and two 12 volt sockets and that's about all I know for sure. I have also purchased sheets of aluminum for door panel speakers and boxes for 6x9s. Perhaps someone has regrets or is thrilled about where they have placed there electronics and sound equipment. My main concerns are keeping everything dry and theft prevention, and of course decent sound (if that's possible in these vehicles)

So far I have come up with:

Amp under the right side seat
Speakers in doors, possibly towards top of panel to keep water away
6x9 boxes in rear, right behind seats facing inward

Would it be better to put the front speakers in the dash? Would it be better to put the rear boxes all the way in the back and have them face forward? Is the amp safe under the seat or is it potentially going to get wet there?

Any help is appreciated from those who have opinions on this matter. I think my MUD Console is at the Post Office waiting for pick-up and I need some tunes in my ride!

[huck1974]

I built tool boxes 30" long with a front compartment for the 6.5" speaker that angles the speaker toward the center. A box for each wheel well.

I am not using door panels. I made front speaker boxes out of steel and welded them to the doors in a similar location that the factory ones were in. All boxes and the entire interior are bed lined. Stereo is in the 12" Tuffy box. Speakers are marine grade.

No amp and nothing that can get ruined by a pressure washer or a really deep water crossing.

The sound is loud and clear enough to be to loud.

The head unit is a cheap kenwood cd player. It has a knob for volume. The knob is important to me. I hate things that you actually have to look at while driving.

[JRW]

I have the tuffy center console and the rear wheel well speaker/storage boxes. Redid the stereo last year and ended up putting the amp in the bottom of the tuffy console. Even in TX heat wasn't an issue. YMMV

[aosias]

I've used a similar set up- Tuffy center console with stereo, two rear Tuffy boxes on the tire wells with the speaker grills. Ran it in a soft top that never seemed to have the top on and it all did great. I actually mounted the amp and Sat radio in one of the rear boxes on the side wall so I still had some storage. Even had it all keyed the same so I just had 3 keys for the truck.


I have the tuffy center console and the rear wheel well speaker/storage boxes. Redid the stereo last year and ended up putting the amp in the bottom of the tuffy console. Even in TX heat wasn't an issue. YMMV

[Jpayne]

So I think I like the tuffy boxes in back now too. Should I drill a hole in the wheel well for the wires to pass through or just fish them in through the side? I'm a bit nervous putting so many holes in the body.

[aosias]

Run them along the side like the speaker wire is to the back- if you have speakers in the way back. We removed the rear speaker houseing and put the boxes up against the rear seat belt, this was in a 90. The only holes in your truck should be for the box bolts. Then a hole in the box for the wires to come in. There may be another way to run the speaker wire into the box but I don't remember.

[JRW]

My wires were run under the load mat and up into the box. I used the stock wiring to the rear speaker boxes in the back of my 94 ST and spliced a longer wire to the Tuffys.

[Jpayne]

There has never been a stereo or speakers at all in this truck so I have no existing route to follow. In this 110 3 door I don't have a path through the rear wall of the cabin area, but I can go over the top I guess. I'm sure I'm making a bigger deal out of it than I need to, but I want it to look clean and at least kinda hidden too.

[MUDSUX]

I totally understand. It gutted me to drill holes in my FJ40. Jeff did you ever work at Siemens?

[aosias]

How do your brake light wires run? Can you follow those to get to the back? Just a thought. I know in the ST you can run wires under the capping (not literally) along the tube wall. I'll look in mine today and see if I can't snap some photos that show how to run the wires. This truck doesn't have any boxes to help with that.