Snowden
New member
I decided to update my stereo head unit and speakers in Snowden. There are a few threads on this subject so rather than try to pick one and post with I'll start a new one simply to show a successful rear door 6.5" mod. Most of the threads out there just go back and forth about whether they would fit or not and the general consensus is to stay at 5.25" to keep it safe while only a handful of guys report 6.5", and even 6x9, but little to no detail on specifics.
For my upgrade the fronts are the same speaker (Kenwood KFC650 - 3Way) and those were literally plug & play so I'm not adding write-up about the fronts. For my head unit I went with a Sony Double Din WX900BT model. No need for me to post up regarding the HU there are plenty of threads about the HU swap. Any questions about it though pls feel free to ask.
So... For the rear door speakers. Did a ton of research on this before diving in and what became clear is that you need to get the right balance between how deep they mount, how wide they are, and how much they protrude. The Kenwood KFC650 had the shallowest mounting depth at under 2" in this size and competency range.
I did first try the JBL GX602 but while they did barely fit in the front doors they would have required metal trim in the rear doors in order to keep them low enough that the window didn't hit them when rolled down. I wanted to stay away from metal trimming. The other issue I discovered was that they are 2.3ohm and the HU calls for 4-8ohm so just as well anyway.
Once you decide on the speaker it is first necessary to mod up a spacer piece. It's possible to order them on-line but I found a cool suggestion; to simply Dremmel them out from cheap cutting boards (under $2. each !). Holding a steady Dremmel isn't easy with the material but I did manage to get it well enough for sealed fitment.
I mounted the spacers using the original factory mounting points in the door. Two of which I also used to pick up two of the mount locations on the speaker frame. The remaining two speaker mount locations didn't align with the factory position so I drilled and screwed those into the spacer. In addition I added Tacky Butyl Sealant tape to both the spacer to door contact and the speaker to spacer contact. This stuff is great and not only seals it tight but also has a holding power to it.
The final fit is perfect. The windows don't touch the speaker magnets and the door panels clear the fronts with room. The final product is amazing with quadraphonic sound in 6.5". In fact when I installed the HU I removed the factory amp with the intention of adding an aftermarket. But with 20RMS on this Sony and the 3Way 320w (max rated) Kenwood's, I don't think I even actually need to add an amp after all. The sound is so deep and rich and it completely fills the vehicle. By the way, if you are doing a stereo upgrade be sure to buy the Metra harnesses, it's the only way to fly...
Here is the original 4" next to the new Kenwood KFC 650.
This is the factory mount/spacer that the 4" comes out of. Remove this.
New spacer installed.
Final fitment 6.5" rear door.
For my upgrade the fronts are the same speaker (Kenwood KFC650 - 3Way) and those were literally plug & play so I'm not adding write-up about the fronts. For my head unit I went with a Sony Double Din WX900BT model. No need for me to post up regarding the HU there are plenty of threads about the HU swap. Any questions about it though pls feel free to ask.
So... For the rear door speakers. Did a ton of research on this before diving in and what became clear is that you need to get the right balance between how deep they mount, how wide they are, and how much they protrude. The Kenwood KFC650 had the shallowest mounting depth at under 2" in this size and competency range.
I did first try the JBL GX602 but while they did barely fit in the front doors they would have required metal trim in the rear doors in order to keep them low enough that the window didn't hit them when rolled down. I wanted to stay away from metal trimming. The other issue I discovered was that they are 2.3ohm and the HU calls for 4-8ohm so just as well anyway.
Once you decide on the speaker it is first necessary to mod up a spacer piece. It's possible to order them on-line but I found a cool suggestion; to simply Dremmel them out from cheap cutting boards (under $2. each !). Holding a steady Dremmel isn't easy with the material but I did manage to get it well enough for sealed fitment.
I mounted the spacers using the original factory mounting points in the door. Two of which I also used to pick up two of the mount locations on the speaker frame. The remaining two speaker mount locations didn't align with the factory position so I drilled and screwed those into the spacer. In addition I added Tacky Butyl Sealant tape to both the spacer to door contact and the speaker to spacer contact. This stuff is great and not only seals it tight but also has a holding power to it.
The final fit is perfect. The windows don't touch the speaker magnets and the door panels clear the fronts with room. The final product is amazing with quadraphonic sound in 6.5". In fact when I installed the HU I removed the factory amp with the intention of adding an aftermarket. But with 20RMS on this Sony and the 3Way 320w (max rated) Kenwood's, I don't think I even actually need to add an amp after all. The sound is so deep and rich and it completely fills the vehicle. By the way, if you are doing a stereo upgrade be sure to buy the Metra harnesses, it's the only way to fly...
Here is the original 4" next to the new Kenwood KFC 650.
This is the factory mount/spacer that the 4" comes out of. Remove this.
New spacer installed.
Final fitment 6.5" rear door.
