70 Series speaker replacement

[Doug21]

First time creating a thread so bear with me as I break half the rules.

I recently picked up an 1999 HZJ77 and the trunk speakers are rotted out. They are roughly 6.5 inches. Before pulling the trigger on a replacement, I wanted to see if anyone here on the forum has done this before.

Any issues with the 24v system? I know some of the electrical system is wired for 24 volts. (Learned this the hard way when replacing headlights) But my wiring diagram is in Japanese so it is difficult to read.

Is there an aftermarket equivalent to the speaker that fits correctly? It seems most aftermarket speakers have three or four holes for bolts, whereas the OEM has two. Not opposed to doing a little modding to get it to fit but just wanted to check.

Thanks in advance!

 

[prwillard2]

I replaced mine, they're in my build thread. But my system is 12V not 24.

Requires use of the tabs on the ring of the old speakers - at least the ones I used did.

 

[HZJ75 FARMER]

Are the OEM ones no longer available?

 

[Doug21]

Are the OEM ones no longer available?

I'm sure I could order them from Japan... That adds both time and money though.

 

[kgrove]

12v vs 24v will make no difference WRT the speakers. They are passive and powered only by the head unit, not the battery / alternator. You'd only need to be concerned about the car's voltage if you're replacing the head unit or an aftermarket amplifier or powered subwoofer.

 

[Doug21]

12v vs 24v should make no difference WRT the speakers. They are passive and powered only by the head unit, not the battery / alternator. You'd only need to be concerned about the car's voltage if you're replacing the head unit or an aftermarket amplifier or powered subwoofer.

Got it! So they are wired directly to the head unit. Goes to show how much I know about the electrical system... Thanks!

 

[Gun Runner 5]

@Doug21 …. “First time creating a thread so bear with me as I break half the rules”.
————————————————————————
I’m still trying to come to grips with the fact we have rules.

 

[Federsjc]

Any resources on how ta access the two measly speakers in the kzj70? I feel like it is enclosed in a metal cage and i would need to remove the entire dash

 

[Redline70]

Any resources on how ta access the two measly speakers in the kzj70? I feel like it is enclosed in a metal cage and i would need to remove the entire dash

What did you do on your 70 series today? - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/what-did-you-do-on-your-70-series-today.804784/post-15745958

 

[Redline70]

4 ohm, 6.5” speakers are fairly common aftermarket, though you might try to find some on the lower end of the wattage needs, so you aren’t trying to drive a more high powered speaker (thats designed to receive 100watts or more) with the relatively small internal amp of your headunit.

If you want to avoid distortion at higher volume, you may want to consider adding an aftermarket amplifier and possibly a new headunit. They do sell 24v headunits, but you would have more variety if you used a 24v to 12v stepdown converter.

That said, plenty of folks on here are happy with the results by simply changing out their speakers for ones that aren’t made of 30 year old paper cones!

 

[Federsjc]

What did you do on your 70 series today? - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/what-did-you-do-on-your-70-series-today.804784/post-15745958

Thanks Redline, not sure how you found this. I was looking on the forum for hours.

 

[kgrove]

Thanks Redline, not sure how you found this. I was looking on the forum for hours.

Don't go with just any speakers in that location. One, those two front speakers are the only ones the driver can really hear. Two, they're enough a pain in the a$$ to reach that you only want to replace them once. My first shot was a set of really cheap Boss speakers as I figured they were so small a good quality speaker might not make much difference anyway. They were actually even worse than the near 30 yr old paper speakers I was replacing. I had to re-do the whole speaker replacement and went with a little higher quality speaker... I think it was a Kicker 4" but I don''t recall for sure. It might be worth testing them before you install... hook them up to temporary speaker wires and make sure you like the sound before you install or at least button everything back up.

 

[Federsjc]

Don't go with just any speakers in that location. One, those two front speakers are the only ones the driver can really hear. Two, they're enough a pain in the a$$ to reach that you only want to replace them once. My first shot was a set of really cheap Boss speakers as I figured they were so small a good quality speaker might not make much difference anyway. They were actually even worse than the near 30 yr old paper speakers I was replacing. I had to re-do the whole speaker replacement and went with a little higher quality speaker... I think it was a Kicker 4" but I don''t recall for sure. It might be worth testing them before you install... hook them up to temporary speaker wires and make sure you like the sound before you install or at least button everything back up.

Yes considering my LC only has the two 4” speakers in the whole truck, I was planning on getting a higher quality pair. Appreciate the input as you really wouldn’t think that there could be that much difference between a 4” speaker. I was planning on also doing a double din receiver with wireless CarPlay..mainly for google maps and then swap out the cigarette lighter for usb charging socket. Then that’s really it for me in regard to electrical and audio.

 

[kgrove]

Yes considering my LC only has the two 4” speakers in the whole truck, I was planning on getting a higher quality pair. Appreciate the input as you really wouldn’t think that there could be that much difference between a 4” speaker. I was planning on also doing a double din receiver with wireless CarPlay..mainly for google maps and then swap out the cigarette lighter for usb charging socket. Then that’s really it for me in regard to electrical and audio.

Highly recommend a CarPlay or Android capable solution. I've used a few brands over the past few years. Generally I prefer the Alpine units, but they are pricier. You can get wired CarPlay units for maybe $300-350 and wireless for more like $450.

I used a 10" Boss unit once and it was decent. Upsides - WAY cheaper than oversized screen on big brands and the extra screen size was great. Many Boss units also have a dedicated volume knob which is great for quickly changing volume (e.g., drive through window). Downside - the larger screen is sort of cantilevered out from the double din chassis, so it bounces around on bumps and might create some squeaks and noises as the cantilevered section moves against the base. If I were setting this up for heavy offroad use, maybe that "floating" screen idea isn't good and stick with a 7" screen that's integrated in the double din chassis. The Boss radio didn't seem to have as good of radio reception at long distance as the Alpine either. The chassis for the oversized units still fit in the double din opening and the screen extends out past the dash, so you'd need to check the bigger screen doesn't block ac vents, buttons, indicators, etc to make it awkward. I can't speak to the long term reliably on the Boss as I only had it for maybe a year where I've owned a couple Alpine units for 8-10 yrs and had zero problems.

I'm somewhat neutral on wired vs wireless for CarPlay. Wireless is great for around town driving as it automatically connects. For long distance driving, it drains your battery, so you might be plugging in to get a charge anyway and the wired units are less expensive. You can aim down the middle and get a wired CarPlay unit and you can buy wireless dongles for as little as $30-40. I'm experimenting with a wireless CarPlay dongle right now and it's working ok. Most of time it works perfectly - connects to CarPlay with phone still in my pocket exactly like the wireless systems work - but every once in a while it will break its connection and give me a blank screen. My dongle was one of the really cheap ones.

I'm sure Pioneer, Kenwood, JVC, etc all make good quality units too, so I don't mean to bash them. I just have experience with Alpine and experimented with Boss once because it was way cheaper than Alpine for an oversized screen, so I thought it worth taking a shot.

 

[Federsjc]

Highly recommend a CarPlay or Android capable solution. I've used a few brands over the past few years. Generally I prefer the Alpine units, but they are pricier. You can get wired CarPlay units for maybe $300-350 and wireless for more like $450.

I used a 10" Boss unit once and it was decent. Upsides - WAY cheaper than oversized screen on big brands and the extra screen size was great. Many Boss units also have a dedicated volume knob which is great for quickly changing volume (e.g., drive through window). Downside - the larger screen is sort of cantilevered out from the double din chassis, so it bounces around on bumps and might create some squeaks and noises as the cantilevered section moves against the base. If I were setting this up for heavy offroad use, maybe that "floating" screen idea isn't good and stick with a 7" screen that's integrated in the double din chassis. The Boss radio didn't seem to have as good of radio reception at long distance as the Alpine either. The chassis for the oversized units still fit in the double din opening and the screen extends out past the dash, so you'd need to check the bigger screen doesn't block ac vents, buttons, indicators, etc to make it awkward. I can't speak to the long term reliably on the Boss as I only had it for maybe a year where I've owned a couple Alpine units for 8-10 yrs and had zero problems.

I'm somewhat neutral on wired vs wireless for CarPlay. Wireless is great for around town driving as it automatically connects. For long distance driving, it drains your battery, so you might be plugging in to get a charge anyway and the wired units are less expensive. You can aim down the middle and get a wired CarPlay unit and you can buy wireless dongles for as little as $30-40. I'm experimenting with a wireless CarPlay dongle right now and it's working ok. Most of time it works perfectly - connects to CarPlay with phone still in my pocket exactly like the wireless systems work - but every once in a while it will break its connection and give me a blank screen. My dongle was one of the really cheap ones.

I'm sure Pioneer, Kenwood, JVC, etc all make good quality units too, so I don't mean to bash them. I just have experience with Alpine and experimented with Boss once because it was way cheaper than Alpine for an oversized screen, so I thought it worth taking a shot.

I dont know if I will be using it for longer road trip distances but you make a good point about being able to plug in. I only live about 7 minutes from work so something that wirelessly connects would be better suited for me. We have a dongle in our Rav4 and it works pretty well as long as both myself and wife arent sitting in the car at the same time. Then it gets a little squirrely.
Do you have any type of cell phone holder that you particularly like. I typically don't like to suction cup to the windshield but i feel like it is soo close in the 70 that you wouldnt need a very long extension on it. I always thought the long suction cup cell phone holders looked a little odd.

 

[jblueridge]

I put in a dual usb charger made to fit in a dash switch hole.
I modified the single DIN dash “pocket” to accept the arm of a 67 Design phone mount.
pics at post 2,749