jrussell

For you guys that have rewired the door speakers, how on earth did you run the wires through the door jam/boot? The boot has a bulkhead and plug that I can't get off, but if there's a plug there how do you run new wires through?

Pooter

I still have the stock headunit in mine, and just replaced the speakers in all four doors, all I did was cut off the stock connector, and wire on the spade type for the new speakers. As far as running new wires thru the door jams, couldnt tell you, I think other people had a hard time as well, same problem, trying to get them thru the rubber boot...

rock crawler

There is no reason to replace the speaker wire that is there. Just go to a stereo shop and get the adapters that plug into the factory connector that came off the factory speaker then connect the other end to the new speaker. No wire cutting required. The wire that is there is sufficient for aftermarket speakers even if you are running an amp.

jrussell

There is a reason you need to run new wires...

When you install an amp and speakers with a separate tweeter and crossover you cannot just use the existing wire. The crossover needs to be mounted inside the truck (not in the door) and you need two sets of wires to power the tweeter and mid/main speaker. That's why I had to run new wires through each door jam...two sets per door too.

I finally figured it out after a couple hours of wrestling with the plug/bulkhead thing. On the front doors, you pull the rubber boot back to expose the two plugs inside the bulkhead. The plug on the bottom has small gaps on each bottom corner and you can just barely fit the wires through those gaps. The rear Mega Cab doors were a little harder. When you pull the boot back on the rear doors there is a plug, but no room on the edges to run any wires. I had to break the little plastic retaining clips off each side and run one set of wires through each hole where the clip was. Bad part about this is the plugs no longer have retaining clips so they don't fit back in snugly. I'll probably put a dab of silicone adhesive on each one to help them seal to the door jam again.

phloop

Why can't you install the crossover's inside the door's? My last set of separates had the crossovers mounted in the doors. Unless you want your fancy crossovers mounted with the rest of the equipment for some one too OOOOO&AAAAAH over.

I will be installing a system in my truck as soon as I find a can-bus adaptor to go from the stock head unit to aftermarket stuff. Sure, my crossover's will be in the cab not the door's but I am planning on putting the woofer's in the door's and the tweeter's in the stock location in the dash. At least that is what I am thinking now, may change.

After I am done, you will not be able to tell what I have in my truck.

That is unless you hear it.

rockcrawler304

Since I have never looked at what you guys are talking about this suggestion may be way wrong, but here goes.

Couldn't you tape the new wires to the existing wires and just pull the old wire thru the boot which would inturn pull the new wires at the same time thru the original hole? I have done this in several other applications of pulling wire and it work great.

jrussell

It has nothing to do with looks. The crossovers are not supposed to be installed in the doors per the instructions and many people's recommendations. You can sometimes fit them between the door and interior door panel, but putting them inside the actual door is a big . Water gets in the doors through the window seal and if one tiny drop hits the crossover just right it will fry something. If you've had your door panels off you know there is no room to fit a large crossover in between the panel and door. Mine are mounted in the kick panels, not in the back for show.

The adapter you need is available from a few sources. Check Crutchfield, I think they have it. Having the crossover in the cab and separate tweeters in the dash will work fine...for the front anyway. No way to do that in the rear though. The JL Evolution mids/highs I used have the tweeter mounted on the speaker because I didn't want to have to mount the tweeters separately. There was no way to properly install them without running new wires through the door jam...hence my original post.

jrussell

I wish that would work!

It's kinda hard to explain without looking at it. The problem is the plug and bulkhead inside that boot where it meets the truck body. The wires don't just run through the boot like the old days. They run to that bulkhead fitting and then plug into it. The bulkhead has JUST BARELY enough room to squeeze a pair of speaker wires through each bottom corner.

If you ever have the joy of messing with it you'll know exactly what I mean.

phloop

Make sure you put them in an area that will stay the driest, and waterproof them. I agree with what you said about water damage but if you take precautions, that problem will not matter unless you flood the rig.



As I have not yet called them, I can not say for sure but looking online they do not carry what I am looking for. I am looking for a four channel adaptor, they only carry a two channel adaptor for my stock radio. Or so the web-site says.


True.
True again as the rear does not have a dash.

I do not remember where I saw them but I have seen some fancy add on doors jamb wiring thingies. I have seen some from Painless wiring and some in a Rod&Custom magazine. The ones I saw in the R&C mag were just contacts that will not work with the door open. The other ones I am thinking of were a real rubber fitting that mounted to the door jamb of both the door and the cab. Just drill a hole, mount the rubber elbow thingie and run your new wires through that instead of trying to fish them through the stock one.

rockcrawler304

Now I understand what you mean. It was worth a shot. Thanks for the explanation.

jrussell

I'm not sure you're supposed to waterproof them. The ones I had were vented and I assume would overheat if sealed.

What are the 4 channels you're referring to? Are you installing an amp and all new speakers?

I actually thought about the possibility of drilling a new hole and using another boot, but the doors would all have to be removed to drill the holes and there was no way I was going through all that!

I really curious to know how a professional shop/installer would do it. Don't we have some pro installers on this site??

dodgemaniac

when i spliced into the factory rear door speakers in my quad cab i just taped the wire on the outside of the boot and then under the molding from there. saved a lot of time and works good.

Strokedelky

I'm going through the exact same thing right now. A friend of mine owns 2 high-end audio shops and they usually try to wire through the molex connector in the door as you are doing. I haven't pulled my front doors apart yet as I've been too busy mounting amps and all the other wiring, but for my back doors I am going to make a small notch big enough for the wire at the top center above the molex that will still be hidden by the rubber boot. I'm hoping for the fronts that I can get through the molex easily without too much extra work. Also a good spot for crossovers is where the factory amp mounts under the dash. Make a bracket as needed and they are tucked up out the way yet still somewhat easily accessible.

Darren

btolenti

there is room for the crossovers between the door and the door panel. I have mine there....pretty much between the armrest and the door lock pin.

I have always installed them between the door panel and the door, and never had them short out.

For speaker wire, I used the existing wire in the truck. I have amps, but just ran them to the connector in the dash - using the stock wiring to get the power from there to the speakers in the door. Sounds good to me, and I am pushing 75wrms to each speaker.