1994 4Rrunner. New speaker suggestions?

[grantman54]

Well I just got a 94 4runner. I already have a nice Blaupunkt stereo but the front speakers cant handle cranking it up. (I like bass)
What speakers will fit in there?
What about the back speakers?
What else do I need beside speakers?
Any suggestions on a subwoofer and placement?

I am totally new to this so any specific URLs would help.

Thanx

 

[wolfgang]

Go to Crutchfield.com - they have online tool to tell you what size fits. If its like my old '90 (and '85), the fronts (on either side of dash corners) were 4T. I replaced them with 2way Sony Xplode speakers. Ya won't get a lot of bass out of 4" speakers! I didn't have ones in rear but since I bought them from Crutchfield they came with a plastic adapter plate and pigtail wires that made installation a snap (think I used 6" round onws there - but looked like 6x9 would have fit too). If you have the rear amplified speakers - they require a much smaller size - maybe 5"? They also provide complete detailed instructions. Suspect you could perhaps get slightly better prices but they service and knowledge is super - and getting the free install kits is bonus.

 

[grantman54]

is it a good idea to have the front and rear speakers matching or does it matter?

 

[grantman54]

after looking around ive seen some speakers for under 20$. Are they going to be cruddy compared to say 50$ ones?

again forgive my ignorance. I just got a car a month ago.

 

[jdub24]

is it a good idea to have the front and rear speakers matching or does it matter?

I really don't think that matters, unless you're a serious audiophile or entering competitions......Even then, the front/rear speakers don't have to be made by the same speaker company, as long as they're close to the same "caliber" speaker in terms of quality. Just my opinion....

after looking around ive seen some speakers for under 20$. Are they going to be cruddy compared to say 50$ ones?

again forgive my ignorance. I just got a car a month ago.

99 out of 100 times, I'd say yes, they will sound worse than the more expensive ones.

 

[grantman54]

So Im thinking of also puttin in two subs in the back. Probably would build a custom case between the wheel wells and the seat.
Do I have to have an amp? in other words what do I need beside the sub? cables, amp, etc.
If im putting in new speakers would you cut the wall plastic or conceal them. (your opinion)?

 

[jdub24]

So Im thinking of also puttin in two subs in the back. Probably would build a custom case between the wheel wells and the seat.
Do I have to have an amp? in other words what do I need beside the sub? cables, amp, etc.
If im putting in new speakers would you cut the wall plastic or conceal them. (your opinion)?

Are you being serious? If you are, I apologize....

Yes, you need at least one amp if you plan to install 2 subs. You don't need to build a custom box, the beauty of an SUV is that most boxes will fit into the back. The size and style of the box all depends on 1.) your budget, 2.) how much storage space you are willing to sacrifice, 3.) the subs and amp used.

You can go down to any local stereo shop and buy a kit that will include everything you need to wire an amp.

You can also run a basic web search and find an article like this. That will show you some basics on wiring a car stereo.

Do some research, installing a car stereo system isn't hard at all, like everything else, it just takes some time to do it right. If after researching, you still don't feel like you can handle the installation yourself, pay a shop like Best Buy or Circuit City $50 or so, and call it a day. They can handle any basic stereo install for you.

I don't quite understand your last question. What do you mean with "...cut the wall plastic, or conceal them..."? If you're talking about cutting out part of the rear section to mount the amp inside the wall, I would personally stay away from that for two reasons. 1.) Amps need to "breathe", and that will restrict their air flow slightly. 2.) That's not as basic of an install at it would be to just mount the amps to the back of the seats, or on the floor somewhere in the back, or to the sub box itself. (all my opinion of course)

 

[grantman54]

sorry for not specifying. I meant cut out the little grate thing covering the speakers to replace new ones. In other words. Leave the new speakers exposed instead of hidden.

Where could I place the subs without a box?

AGAIN please forgive my ignorance. Im a very new driver and also new to car stereos

 

[jdub24]

sorry for not specifying. I meant cut out the little grate thing covering the speakers to replace new ones. In other words. Leave the new speakers exposed instead of hidden.

Where could I place the subs without a box?

AGAIN please forgive my ignorance. Im a very new driver and also new to car stereos

No, I wouldn't cut out the grill covering the speakers if I were you. The interference (if any at all) is way too minimal for the normal user to necessitate cutting the grills just to expose the new speakers.

Since you are new to car stereo, I would only consider putting a sub in the system if its in a box. To put a sub in a system without a box (a free-air application) would require specific subs, usually a more powerful amplifier, and still some custom work to mount the sub itself to some sort of board.

If you're not wanting a big box, but you still want some added "punch", you should probably consider something like a JL stealth box, or even a Bazooka tube. These will both take up less space than most other boxes, and they are already tuned specifically for the subs that will come in them. In your case, you should probably even consider the powered boxes or tubes. Powered subs come with the amp already built in. So, you wouldn't have the extra step of wiring an amp and a sub box. Once the powered sub is hooked up, you're ready to go. You won't get monster, competition-quality sound from these setups typically, but you will get something that is night and day from the stock stereo.

I don't know what your goals are (or budget) for your stereo upgrade. Keep in mind that to do it right, it takes time and money. I've been tooling around with car stereo for 14 years now, and I've always found that it pays off to put more time into the research/installation, and it also pays off to save a little longer to buy better components.

Ask any questions you may have, there's a good group of people here that have quite a bit of automotive experience/knowledge. Good luck with your research and buildup.

Here's my plug, just this one time (it's also in the for sale forum)

FYI - I don't know what size speakers you have, or amp you're looking for, or subs, etc....I do have some speakers, amps, and subs for sale though. I even have a 10" sub in a single box for sale right now too. I'm not a dealer, these are just some things I've purchased for various projects that I don't need anymore. I'm finished with my Supra project (which is now for sale), and I'm selling my '57 Chevy Bel Airs now, so they won't need the stereo stuff that I bought for them anymore either.

PM me if you're interested.

Speakers:
Kicker 6.5 coaxial speakers (used)
Focal 6.5 Polyglass coaxial (new)
Polk/Momo 6.5 Components (used)

Amps:
2 - Rockford Fosgate 75x4 (used)

Subs:
1 - JL 10w3 (used)
1 - Infinity Kappa Perfect (new)
2 - JL 12w3 (new)
1 - 10" single sub hatch box

 

[wolfgang]

after looking around ive seen some speakers for under 20$. Are they going to be cruddy compared to say 50$ ones?

Each or pair? Sure they are - cheap ones will be paper and 1 way speakers with limited response. You'll blow them if you turn volume up at all in first month. Spending less than $50 USD (for say $80 list speakers) is a waste $ and effort to install. Pull the front ones you have and you'll see an example of a $20 speaker - the paper cone around the edge will be long gone!

 

[grantman54]

ok so im finally ready to buy, maybe even tonight.
Crutfield only has these, Kenwood KFC-1061S for 50$
anyone have any objections.
From what I can tell they have just about everything that I can get out of a four inch speaker for under 70$