Great write-up! The trackpad is why you're losing your posts -- turn it off and plug in a mouse.
4 Speaker Installation - Factory Grills
- Thread starter MrOffshore
- Start date
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.
Thank you so much for taking the time to post this info and photos . I am installing speakers this week. Not looking forward to it but your post has made it clear what has to be done to get it completed.
Still undecided on speakers (I am replacing all of them), and after replacing the drivers mirror with a Kool Vue one and using the Dupli color fact match paint and clear coat, I am thinking of painting the grills to match the interior and avoid the factory ones.
Still undecided on speakers (I am replacing all of them), and after replacing the drivers mirror with a Kool Vue one and using the Dupli color fact match paint and clear coat, I am thinking of painting the grills to match the interior and avoid the factory ones.
Great write up thanks for taking the time to do this. This is on my list of things to do!
Great Writeup - The spacer approach.
MrOffshore - Great writeup.
I made the mistake of starting a project without checking with IH8MUD first. So I bought the speakers, and I had the door completely apart before I discovered the problem with the window rail.
Your writeup gave a lot of good info. Fortunately, I discovered that I had purchased the 5.1/4 size speaker. Other than that, it was the exact same speaker. With the smaller size/circumference, I had some worries that the tabs might not be long enough if I cut them in the same manner. I also noticed that I would not need to remove any of the interior door panel just inside the speaker cover. (I too was determined to retain the factory grills.)
So I decided to go with the spacer approach. I thought it worked out quite nicely. The speakers were safely secured to the door, they did not touch the window rail and I didn't have to modify the metal, interior door panel, or factory grill. Here are some pictures and details. FYI - this is for the front speakers only.
Picture #1 - This is the Pioneer speaker readily accessible at Best Buy
Picture #2 - These are the longer screws and nylon spacers I used. The spacers are a snug fit but I wanted them that way. The stock screws were too short...
Picture #3 - Closeup of the screw installation.
Picture #4 - Another view once I had two screws holding it in place.
MrOffshore - Great writeup.
I made the mistake of starting a project without checking with IH8MUD first. So I bought the speakers, and I had the door completely apart before I discovered the problem with the window rail.
Your writeup gave a lot of good info. Fortunately, I discovered that I had purchased the 5.1/4 size speaker. Other than that, it was the exact same speaker. With the smaller size/circumference, I had some worries that the tabs might not be long enough if I cut them in the same manner. I also noticed that I would not need to remove any of the interior door panel just inside the speaker cover. (I too was determined to retain the factory grills.)
So I decided to go with the spacer approach. I thought it worked out quite nicely. The speakers were safely secured to the door, they did not touch the window rail and I didn't have to modify the metal, interior door panel, or factory grill. Here are some pictures and details. FYI - this is for the front speakers only.
Picture #1 - This is the Pioneer speaker readily accessible at Best Buy
Picture #2 - These are the longer screws and nylon spacers I used. The spacers are a snug fit but I wanted them that way. The stock screws were too short...
Picture #3 - Closeup of the screw installation.
Picture #4 - Another view once I had two screws holding it in place.
Last edited:
Looks good, where did you get the spacers? Also, did you do anything to seal the front of the speaker form the back?
Aggiesdm
***** Regular
I did the exact same thing, but used rubber water valve washers for spacers. Worked great, then I used a foam rubber weather stripping to creat a "seal" between the gasket and the door. Bought it all at Home Depot.
Great job
Great job
Why did you go to all the effort to cut the factory door skins? Just make a spacer out of MDF and paint it to match the door. Then paint the Pioneer grills to match your interior. That is what I did and it allowed me to install 6.5in speakers in the front and back doors. Plus it doesn't look obnoxious. I will get a couple of pics later.
I thought they were 6.5's in the doors. At least that's what Crutchfield said.
great idea, i was thinking some aluminum type tape maybe. Haven't gotten the speakers yet, should be interesting. Glad to know there is a way to do it though.
Crutchfield is wrong about the rear speakers… You can install 6.5's, as shown in this forum, but you won't retain the factory grills. If you want to keep the factory look, you'll want 4" speakers in the rear. I bought a pair of Pioneer TS-G1044R's.
Correct, you won't be able to fit 6.5s unless you make some mods for the rear doors. I just made some spacers to pull the magnet out a little further so I didn't have to cut the door skin. Painted them to match the panel and painted the aftermarket grills to match. Someone had installed the smaller Pioneer 4.0in speakers in the factory mounts on my truck.
LFD2037
TEXAS LEXUS!
I installed those front speakers w/out ANY mods. Screwed right in. IDK why y'all are making spacers, cutting metal, etc. UNLESS the LX450 is different, but I doubt it.
Did you use Pioneer TS-G1644Rs or TS-1344Rs up front?
Did you replace your rears as well?
Our LX450 is in dire need of some new speakers.
LFD2037
TEXAS LEXUS!
The Pioneer 6.5" TR-G1644R. Got Best Buy to match Amazon & got them for $28 about 3 weeks ago!
LFD2037
TEXAS LEXUS!
Correct. Mine hit the window mech. but I just screwed them in w/it touching anyways. No problems!
You could always do it the easy way and ditch the factory grills, install them on the outside of the door panel with zero permanent mods, took me all of about 20 minutes, looks good.
most car audio places carry them - even Beast Buy usually has a few generics hanging off some rack in the car audio section
Just did my fronts today. I used rubber grommets as spacers. A little super glue/extra hands to hold them in place for install. Self tapping screws and new holes. Soldered on OEM harness. Worked great. Sounds AMAZING compared to stock. My stocks ones where is MINT condition.....but they still went in the garbage.
