Audio Upgrade - 98 TJ

[Mike Jolley]

I like round speakers better, what did you use in the dash? 4 x 6 or round 5.25"

I used Polk 5.25s in dash. Initially installed some sound ordinance house brand 5.25 in dash, horribly inefficient and dull so I replaced them with the Polks so I had the db series speakers all around. Baffles and polyfill are key for the dash.

Note, my original factory dash speakers were a two way tweeter/3.5 mid. Not a standard 4x6 but they still mounted in the 4x6 layout.

 

[Cole]

Lots of good info here but I have a little more to share. My Jeep is a 2006 with the premium sound that was not so premium when I bought the Jeep. No aux inputs in the stock deck just a horrible FM modulator and a non op CD and non op Sirius.

I do lots of boat stereos with similar challenges as a Jeep. I didn’t want an amp even though I know it really needs one. Instead I opted for the highest power in-dash unit I could find, Sony MEX XB100BT. For the dash I went with the Polks and replaced the speakers in the factory roll bar with 6.5” Polk db651. The factory sub still works but really just adds lots of distortion so I have to do some work on it next. The factory sub amp needs to go. I will probably replace the factory sub speaker with an aftermarket speaker and wire it to a dedicated external mini sub amp. The ARC KS500.1 sub amp should fit under the driver seat or under the steering column. If you don’t have a sub in the console I’d recommend a small powered sub like the MTX RT8PT to toss behind the driver seat.

I am also planning to add the tweeters but I will probably mount them facing straight up close to the glass. Glass reflects high frequency sound very well this is why most car companies mount speakers facing up on the dash.

This will probably get your Jeep sounding as good as it can sound without adding big wakeboard tower speakers, big sub boxes, and big amps. Those things gobble lots of power and space, neither are available in abundance with a Jeep...

Nice. Lots of good info. Thanks!! My next purchases will be a more powerful HU and some tweeters. Great thought on mounting them up towards the glass.

 

[mde8965]

I just put Polk DB 522s in the dash and sound bar. Nice sale at Crutchfield. Way superior to the anemic stock speakers. Clean and crisp sound. I'd like to add a decent but relatively inexpensive powered sub if anyone has recommendations. I run the soft top year round, so I don't expect great acoustics, just audible in the wind.
OP: not trying to hijack the thread, a powered sub may be a good idea for your situation too.

I just ordered me a couple sets of these...Going to see how these sound before I decide what I want to do about upgrading my stock sub and amp

 

[cliffish]

so the 5.25 round fit in the dash?....maybe I will get the polk 5.25 ones with the cross over and tweeters? $119 at crutchfield

 

[Kathy]

so the 5.25 round fit in the dash?....maybe I will get the polk 5.25 ones with the cross over and tweeters? $119 at crutchfield

They fit in the dash if you buy brackets and trim a small piece of metal. Someone earlier in this post mentioned it and I think posted a pic.

 

[Rob5589]

Did you attach them there with double sided tape or something, or did you drill a hole for them?

Both, kind of. The heat from sitting in the sun kept popping the right one off so I ended up putting a small screw to keep it in place. No drilling needed, the plastic is easy to drive a screw in to.

 

[Cole]

so the 5.25 round fit in the dash?....maybe I will get the polk 5.25 ones with the cross over and tweeters? $119 at crutchfield

I just bought 2 pairs of these for the dash and roll bar from crutchfield. Good sale right now!! Also if you select what area you’re mounting them in then they should send you the appropriate bracket for the dash. Small modification needed but there’s a good video on YouTube

 

[Skor2003]

Not trying to hijack the thread however I do have a question. I find the single DIN adapter is fairly loose. Is there a better way to mount besides the two attachment points in the top right and bottom left? The whole assembly can be bent a bit around those two attachment points so I'm trying to shore it up or see what I'm doing wrong. Thanks!

 

[cliffish]

Not trying to hijack the thread however I do have a question. I find the single DIN adapter is fairly loose. Is there a better way to mount besides the two attachment points in the top right and bottom left? The whole assembly can be bent a bit around those two attachment points so I'm trying to shore it up or see what I'm doing wrong. Thanks!

is that all that year has to attach it to the dash? my 05 has each corner and the plate mounts up perfect to the dash - solid as a rock. Make sure that is the correct plate for the year.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

Just a little side note... be aware that some head units require a better brain than I have to be able to figure out all the settings. My previous Sony was only somewhat difficult but my present Kenwood's user interface is downright brain-surgeon level. And its owners manual doesn't cover everything, it doesn't even mention what all the display indications mean or how to control them. I had a couple questions I couldn't figure out so I called Crutchfield and the tech guy agreed some are so difficult they can't figure out everything. It took a couple hours of emailing back & forth while we both tried several things to figure out answers to my questions.

So if you can, read or download the owner's manual before making a decision. If you saw the Kenwood owner's manual I have, you'd understand... it leaves out way too much information. It seemed nice and thick when I first picked it up but that's only because it has about five languages inside. The English section was pretty thin.

 

[cliffish]

I just went through this with my Sony after I added a sub amp and replacement 6.5" sub. The amount of aspects just for the sub was crazy....

 

[bobthetj03]

Just a little side note... be aware that some head units require a better brain than I have to be able to figure out all the settings. My previous Sony was only somewhat difficult but my present Kenwood's user interface is downright brain-surgeon level. And its owners manual doesn't cover everything, it doesn't even mention what all the display indications mean or how to control them. I had a couple questions I couldn't figure out so I called Crutchfield and the tech guy agreed some are so difficult they can't figure out everything. It took a couple hours of emailing back & forth while we both tried several things to figure out answers to my questions.

So if you can, read or download the owner's manual before making a decision. If you saw the Kenwood owner's manual I have, you'd understand... it leaves out way too much information. It seemed nice and thick when I first picked it up but that's only because it has about five languages inside. The English section was pretty thin.

My Kenwood is the same way. Some of the equalizer functions don't tell you exactly what they are doing to sound quality.

 

[Skully]

is that all that year has to attach it to the dash? my 05 has each corner and the plate mounts up perfect to the dash - solid as a rock. Make sure that is the correct plate for the year.

That's the old Chrysler style of mounting. I think they switched off that in 2003, possibly 2004. My 97 is like that. ​

Not trying to hijack the thread however I do have a question. I find the single DIN adapter is fairly loose. Is there a better way to mount besides the two attachment points in the top right and bottom left? The whole assembly can be bent a bit around those two attachment points so I'm trying to shore it up or see what I'm doing wrong. Thanks!

I always used the metal strapping that screws to the back of the unit to add some support to the rear of the head unit. Another option is to fabricate some brackets that you rivet into the dash cavity that will give you a surface to screw one of the newer (2 screws on each side) adapter bracket. I had to do that for my double-din install, but you could use it just the same to secure the 1.5 din size.

 

[Randy_K]

sealed pods for the dash.

 

[Skor2003]

is that all that year has to attach it to the dash? my 05 has each corner and the plate mounts up perfect to the dash - solid as a rock. Make sure that is the correct plate for the year.

That is correct - I believe it's up to 2002 that have that type of dash which is the worst for single din. I may have to fashion a bracket. Is polyfil just for bass?

 

[Cole]

May be a silly question.. but after I install my new 5.25 Polk speakers in the dash.. Do I put the baffles back in front of it?

 

[cliffish]

baffles go behind the speaker to close them from the back....the dash is very open behind the speaker so more sound goes back than forward.

 

[Cole]

I plan on polyfilling behind the speakers, haven't ordered baffles yet. But the stock speakers have baffles in front of the speaker, as shown above. Which I found odd....

 

[cliffish]

should look like this:

 

[cliffish]

I plan on polyfilling behind the speakers, haven't ordered baffles yet. But the stock speakers have baffles in front of the speaker, as shown above. Which I found odd....

maybe different for older TJ, my 05 had no baffles in front of the speaker and polyfill can't fill in all the open space behind the dash speakers as it is open to the floor, baffles made a huge difference.e