Liftgate Speakers

[Rysandro]

I'm a complete noob when it comes to audio.

But I'm thinking of upgrading my Liftgate speakers for tail gate parties and stuff like that.

Do I need to look for 6.5 Coaxial Speakers only? Component wont work? What can my stock head unit and amp (if I have one) handle? I have a 2012 Limited with 6.2" Navigation, I believe that means I don't have JBL Audio?


Would something like this work? Or would it draw too much power?

Mounting Depth too wide?
Mounting Diameter small enough.

Does the fact that it measures to 6.75 inches and not 6.5 inches matter?

 

[Rysandro]

What are the two extra pieces that come with these JL's? Some sort of mini amps or something... So confused. Do they help my stock system handle the speakers?

 

[H2O_Doc]

Not exactly what you were asking but I have, for example, mounted both Polk MM 6.5s and Infinity 652.9 Kappas in the tailgate. Those both took a little work, but changing what I can only describe as the fecal-like stock speakers is well worth the effort.

 

[H2O_Doc]

What are the two extra pieces that come with these JL's? Some sort of mini amps or something... So confused. Do they help my stock system handle the speakers?

You mean the crossovers?

 

[Rysandro]

You mean the crossovers?

Lol guess so.

Do they also come with the Focals they just aren't in the pic?

 

[Rysandro]

Not exactly what you were asking but I have, for example, mounted both Polk MM 6.5s and Infinity 652.9 Kappas in the tailgate. Those both took a little work, but changing what I can only describe as the fecal-like stock speakers is well worth the effort.

We have 4 speakers on the lift gate?

 

[H2O_Doc]

Sorry, no. Just 2. I have been through 2 different 5th gens.

 

[H2O_Doc]

Lol guess so.

Do they also come with the Focals they just aren't in the pic?

The Focals have an integrated 6db crossover; the JLs have a "2-way crossover network with 1st order low-pass and 2nd order high-pass circuit" (the acrylic boxed doo-dad C3PO looking thingy).

 

[Hawaiian4runner]

Both will work but you will need to make some mounting rings/brackets. Stock speakers have really funky mounting points. 5/8" or 3/4" MDF works well and will get the speaker close to the grill and add some clearance behind the speakers. Note that this is not the greatest upgrade for tailgate partying. Aftermarket speakers will sound a lot better but will play a lot softer than the originals. Truly them tailgate speakers should be the last thing you upgrade. Start with the dash and work your way back.

 

[H2O_Doc]

The above is spot on. Do the dash speakers first.

 

[Rysandro]

Both will work but you will need to make some mounting rings/brackets. Stock speakers have really funky mounting points. 5/8" or 3/4" MDF works well and will get the speaker close to the grill and add some clearance behind the speakers. Note that this is not the greatest upgrade for tailgate partying. Aftermarket speakers will sound a lot better but will play a lot softer than the originals. Truly them tailgate speakers should be the last thing you upgrade. Start with the dash and work your way back.

3/8 5/8 MDF? No idea what ur talking about.

And why will they play softer? Simply turning up the volume more
Won't fix that?

 

[H2O_Doc]

Medium density fiberboard. MDF.

Is it safe to assume you will have a professional do the install, or do you plan to do it yourself?

The speakers you are looking at will do best with an added amplifier; else you won't be getting near the full benefit out of them. You might want to consult a local installer or get on the phone with Crutchfield.

 

[Hawaiian4runner]

Need to make mounting rings out of wood, metal or similar. I don't think anyone sells them as they are an odd size and the stock speakers have built in mounting brackets. Yes you can adjust fader and play louder but then you have your best sound coming from the back. What's the sense in that? Don't you listen to your stereo while driving most of the time and tailgate once in awhile? From your questions etc, you are probably be best off having someone install them for you. Making mounting rings is not that difficult but it requires some tools and a little bit of skill.

 

[-JD-]

I'm not sure, but i dont think the stock headunit sends all audio to the liftgate speakers, aren't they filtered to be bass heavy? Like someone said above, probably have to add a separate amp

 

[Rysandro]

Yah I'll get it done professionally. And I listed to ESPN Radio most of the time, but my wife does listen to music

If I get an amp I might as well leave myself some upgrade room for other speakers and get a multi channel amp.

How many channels do our trucks consist of? 3? 4?

 

[H2O_Doc]

I got a KappaFour amp and did all the speakers. As I said earlier, talk to a local audio professional or have Crutchfield walk you through a build.

Crutchfield will show a narrow selection of what works for our 4Runner, if you talk to one of their experts they can tell you what can be installed with a little bit of additional work.

There are folks MUCH MUCH more knowledgable about 5th Gen installs and stereos in general on this forum. Perhaps they'll chime in.

 

[Rysandro]

Looking into it further, looks like I'll also need a processor to keep some of the OEM functionality like "Party Mode" if I want to add an amp..

 

[Hawaiian4runner]

If your LTD has the premium JBL it has a 10 channel amp which makes it kind of expensive to add amps. My trail has the premium system and I wanted to keep the head unit. Consulted numerous experts personally and online and in the end, no one could figure out the system so I had to use the speaker outs on the stock JBL amp. Got a Helix DSP and 2 helix amps (5 and 4 channel). Helix is A German company that specializes in high end car audio. I buy the entry level stuff and the sound and build quality is outstanding. Ironically, Helix is distributed by Rockford Fosgate in America. Helix DSP is only $650 and worth every penny. I use only Infinity Kappas which are good but nowhere near audiophile sound quality and even the pros freak out when they hear my stereo. Up there with pros running Focals, Rainbows, Dynaudios , etc. I did have a pro tune the DSP and it was well worth the money. It's not so much the components as it is installation and tuning. I retuned my system a little. I think I improved it a bit but could be just me. Spent 20 or so hours getting it right but I enjoyed it.

 

[Rysandro]

If your LTD has the premium JBL it has a 10 channel amp which makes it kind of expensive to add amps. My trail has the premium system and I wanted to keep the head unit. Consulted numerous experts personally and online and in the end, no one could figure out the system so I had to use the speaker outs on the stock JBL amp. Got a Helix DSP and 2 helix amps (5 and 4 channel). Helix is A German company that specializes in high end car audio. I buy the entry level stuff and the sound and build quality is outstanding. Ironically, Helix is distributed by Rockford Fosgate in America. Helix DSP is only $650 and worth every penny. I use only Infinity Kappas which are good but nowhere near audiophile sound quality and even the pros freak out when they hear my stereo. Up there with pros running Focals, Rainbows, Dynaudios , etc. I did have a pro tune the DSP and it was well worth the money. It's not so much the components as it is installation and tuning. I retuned my system a little. I think I improved it a bit but could be just me. Spent 20 or so hours getting it right but I enjoyed it.

It's not The "15 speaker" JBL.

Anyways thanks for all the help guys.

Ended up going with Hertz HCX 165 for the tail gates.

I'll get an AMP when I purchase the HCX 6x9's for the front doors. The frequency/response curve on those 6x9's is pretty impressive and they're rated as low as 32Hz, should give some nice bass. Even without a dedicated subwoofer.

 

[rigtec]

Hi Rysandro,

Have you ever considered "High-end" subs???

They are not to be compared to "built-in" , rear door panel, low/mid speakers; they're in a class all by themselves. So if you're a bass head like me, give it some thought before you drop your hard earned cash.

JL Audio is at the top of the league, wrt high-end mobile audio. Here's a few pics of my own investment. If you'd like to see more, just click on my avatar, or my name and see a written description of all my JL Audio equipment.