Yeah, not a bad idea. In my case I've got 35s, so I really needed the entire thing, not just the hinges.
ElectricWizards 2000 TJ Sport Build
- Thread starter ElectricWizard
- Start date
Yeah, not a bad idea. In my case I've got 35s, so I really needed the entire thing, not just the hinges.
OP
Once my31s are toast I only plan to go to 33s (I know, I know.. I say that now
) so I'm not positive I'll need the entire kit, but if I decide I do I'm happy it's available separately!
Once my31s are toast I only plan to go to 33s (I know, I know.. I say that now
Are the other parts available separately? I thought it was only the hinges that were?
OP
I haven't personally confirmed it, but have read from a couple people who have contact MORyde regarding purchasing parts separately and it sounds like they're more than happy to do it.
Makes sense. I don't know why they wouldn't want to sell them to you separately. It is money after all.
OP
I've made some progress on the stereo/speaker upgrade today! I painted my MTX Brackets, and also got my Polk DB652s installed into the sound bar. I will make a separate post detailing that when I'm all wrapped up, but for now here's a sneak peak:
With my PO head-unit still installed I can already notice a major difference, needless to say I'm excited
But that's for later, this post is about what I found under the Jeep today.
For a few months now I've been hearing a grinding/growling sound while turning sharp, and moreso at a low speed. At first I couldn't find any signs of tires rubbing anything, no issues with wheel bearings or ball-joints that I could find. I checked the axle u-joints and they seemed good; however, I think at the time I only checked them with my hand directly, trying to turn the axle shaft back and forth.
Today while I was headed to the hardware store I briefly heard that same sound while taking off from a red light, this time going straight, no turn of the wheel at all. I've also been hearing an occasional clunk that I couldn't really pinpoint where it was coming from. Well, I believe I've probably found the cause of both of my problems..
Yep, those u-joints are toasted. The driver-side u-joint is better, but also a bit sloppy. I guess 6 trips to Bennett Pass and a couple through Olallie this summer made for some pretty unhappy u-joints. I'm just glad they've stayed together, especially considering I was wheeling just this past weekend
Honestly I'm kinda surprised I haven't caught that sooner. Looks like I'm going to be picking up a pair of Spicer 5-760X u-joints very soon! Also, since I'm tearing it apart anyways I'm considering doing new unit-bearings. I see no reason to believe any of these parts have been changed before, so might as well at 152k.
With my PO head-unit still installed I can already notice a major difference, needless to say I'm excited
But that's for later, this post is about what I found under the Jeep today.
For a few months now I've been hearing a grinding/growling sound while turning sharp, and moreso at a low speed. At first I couldn't find any signs of tires rubbing anything, no issues with wheel bearings or ball-joints that I could find. I checked the axle u-joints and they seemed good; however, I think at the time I only checked them with my hand directly, trying to turn the axle shaft back and forth.
Today while I was headed to the hardware store I briefly heard that same sound while taking off from a red light, this time going straight, no turn of the wheel at all. I've also been hearing an occasional clunk that I couldn't really pinpoint where it was coming from. Well, I believe I've probably found the cause of both of my problems..
Yep, those u-joints are toasted. The driver-side u-joint is better, but also a bit sloppy. I guess 6 trips to Bennett Pass and a couple through Olallie this summer made for some pretty unhappy u-joints
. I'm just glad they've stayed together, especially considering I was wheeling just this past weekend Honestly I'm kinda surprised I haven't caught that sooner. Looks like I'm going to be picking up a pair of Spicer 5-760X u-joints very soon! Also, since I'm tearing it apart anyways I'm considering doing new unit-bearings. I see no reason to believe any of these parts have been changed before, so might as well at 152k.
OP
Stereo/Speaker Upgrade
Today I finished up my stereo and speaker upgrade! I'm very happy with how everything turned out so far. My goal wasn't to install anything extremely high end or powerful, I just wanted to improve the stock system to be the best it can be without adding external amps, etc. My model of TJ didn't have an option for factory subwoofer, and I didn't want to mount one out in the open and lose valuable space in the back. A sub that could mount under the drivers seat wasn't me preference, but I'd be willing to do it. Unfortunately in my case I've got fold and tumble seats, which leave little to no room underneath for a sub; so I've decided to figure that out down the road.
This is a list of everything I used for this project:
I first started off by fitting up the dash speakers. I knew I could run into issues here since some reviews for the MTX brackets mentioned issues with the headlight switch. On top of that, there is some metal that needs to be cut out too, but the brackets included some vague instructions regarding that.
Cutting out the offending metal bracing is pretty simple, I used some shears to nibble away at it and a Dremel to clean up the sharp edges:
That process was the same for both sides. It was a bit of a pain just because it was awkward to get either tool in there at the angle you want, but it's definitely not difficult.
Next I decided to test fit the speakers, and as expected, on the driver-side just fitting the bracket and speaker up, I knew I was going to have major issues with the headlight switch. The instructions included with the MTX brackets fail to mention anything regarding the headlight switch, and considering these are said to fit 1997-2006 TJs, I find that to be a bit annoying.
It's pretty tough to tell, but the main body of the headlight switch, and the metal ring have a gap just big enough to fit the bracket and mounting tab of the speaker, but no mounting hardware could fit whatsoever in that corner. My original plan included the use of some Boom Mat Speaker Baffles for the dash speakers, but due to this issue, I sadly had to scrap that idea.
Other than that problem, everything else regarding the dash speakers was smooth and painless. I painted the MTX brackets prior to assembling them for the final time. Probably not necessary, but that's just what I do. Since I couldn't use the 4th mount near the headlight switch I wrapped that corner of the MTX bracket with tape to prevent any rattle, and it seems effective enough!
I chose the MTX brackets because they angle the speakers up and towards you somewhat more-so than the factory angle. If I did it again I'd probably try some standard 5.25" adapter brackets. It sounds like those give some more room and I wouldn't have ran into as many issues with the headlight switch, and probably would've been able to use the speaker baffles as I had planned.
Next I tackled putting the DB652s into the sound-bar. I started by removing the factory speakers and attempted to fit the larger DB652s. They do fit the factory opening, they also have holes spaced the same pattern as the factory 5.25" speaker, but the factory speaker grill doesn't fit quite right; so I pretty much had to drill new holes and use the Polk grill.
To get the new holes drilled correctly I chose to mount the speaker using that 5.25" pattern and then drill the new holes while it was mounted to the sound-bar. I did this so I wouldn't have any issues with fitting the speaker into the opening. While they do fit, it is a bit tight near the speaker connections.
Once I had the holes drilled I stuffed some of my Polyfil into the sound-bar. I stuffed it lightly full, but not packed, and left a bit of air space behind the speaker itself. I bought a 12oz bag and used maybe about half of it. I then mounted up the speakers and their grills.
At this point I had to give the system a quick test, and so far was a big difference!
Next I tackled the head-unit. The GS820BT has a built in 160W amp and requires a 15A circuit to power it. The factory circuit being only 10A required me to run a power wire from the battery. I ran the wire through one of the empty rubber plugs on the firewall, soldered on my in-line fuse holder, and cleaned everything up with some 1/8" split loom.
I also needed to solder the GS820BT harness together with my Metra radio harness. I soldered them together and cleaned the harness up by using some friction tape. I used an insulated spade terminal to connect the 12V through the firewall, and connected the ground in a very non-photogenic location under the dash.
Since the previous owner of my TJ installed a Kenwood head-unit at some point, I already had a DIN adapter to fit my head-unit into and didn't need to purchase one. I just had to remove the old unit and install the new one, that's an easy task of bending some fins and sliding the units in/out.
A quick test to see if the head-unit and harness were good was needed at this point, and everything seemed good! I was eager to test it properly at this point, so I got everything buttoned up and put back together.
The GS820BT has a rear USB input, it's a cord attached to the back of the unit. I routed it up behind the glove box so I can easily get to the flash drive when I need to. I can even get to it without having to take the glovebox out!
After a nice test of the system, it certainly has my approval. The sound quality is vastly improved over the stock speakers, and the system as a whole is much louder. There is definitely some improved low-end sound from the sound-bar, which was certainly one of the goals of this project. I still have a lot of settings to play with on the head-unit, so that's bound to keep me occupied for a while .
The only real improvement I'd still like to make is a installing proper sub, but as mentioned earlier in the post my options are very limited. One option looks to be swapping the center console over to the later model design with sub, or a Tuffy unit with sub. I don't think under the steering wheel has enough room for any of the subs I've been looking at, and I'm not sure I'd want to mount something to the side of the footwell up front either. Oh well, I'll certainly ponder my options. At least the system is no longer disappointing.
Today I finished up my stereo and speaker upgrade! I'm very happy with how everything turned out so far. My goal wasn't to install anything extremely high end or powerful, I just wanted to improve the stock system to be the best it can be without adding external amps, etc. My model of TJ didn't have an option for factory subwoofer, and I didn't want to mount one out in the open and lose valuable space in the back. A sub that could mount under the drivers seat wasn't me preference, but I'd be willing to do it. Unfortunately in my case I've got fold and tumble seats, which leave little to no room underneath for a sub; so I've decided to figure that out down the road.
This is a list of everything I used for this project:
- Sony MEX-GS820BT Head-unit
- Polk DB652 Speakers (Sound-bar)
- Polk DB522 Speakers (Dash)
- MTX JTJ514B 5.25" Adapter Brackets
- Metra 70-1817 Radio Harness
- Metra 72-6512 Speaker Wiring Adapters
- Polyfil, for stuffing the sound-bar (not pictured)
- Flash drive, for on-board music storage
- In-line ATC fuse holder
- Wire, loom, zip-ties, tapes, etc.
I first started off by fitting up the dash speakers. I knew I could run into issues here since some reviews for the MTX brackets mentioned issues with the headlight switch. On top of that, there is some metal that needs to be cut out too, but the brackets included some vague instructions regarding that.
Cutting out the offending metal bracing is pretty simple, I used some shears to nibble away at it and a Dremel to clean up the sharp edges:
That process was the same for both sides. It was a bit of a pain just because it was awkward to get either tool in there at the angle you want, but it's definitely not difficult.
Next I decided to test fit the speakers, and as expected, on the driver-side just fitting the bracket and speaker up, I knew I was going to have major issues with the headlight switch. The instructions included with the MTX brackets fail to mention anything regarding the headlight switch, and considering these are said to fit 1997-2006 TJs, I find that to be a bit annoying.
It's pretty tough to tell, but the main body of the headlight switch, and the metal ring have a gap just big enough to fit the bracket and mounting tab of the speaker, but no mounting hardware could fit whatsoever in that corner. My original plan included the use of some Boom Mat Speaker Baffles for the dash speakers, but due to this issue, I sadly had to scrap that idea.
Other than that problem, everything else regarding the dash speakers was smooth and painless. I painted the MTX brackets prior to assembling them for the final time. Probably not necessary, but that's just what I do
. Since I couldn't use the 4th mount near the headlight switch I wrapped that corner of the MTX bracket with tape to prevent any rattle, and it seems effective enough!I chose the MTX brackets because they angle the speakers up and towards you somewhat more-so than the factory angle. If I did it again I'd probably try some standard 5.25" adapter brackets. It sounds like those give some more room and I wouldn't have ran into as many issues with the headlight switch, and probably would've been able to use the speaker baffles as I had planned.
Next I tackled putting the DB652s into the sound-bar. I started by removing the factory speakers and attempted to fit the larger DB652s. They do fit the factory opening, they also have holes spaced the same pattern as the factory 5.25" speaker, but the factory speaker grill doesn't fit quite right; so I pretty much had to drill new holes and use the Polk grill.
To get the new holes drilled correctly I chose to mount the speaker using that 5.25" pattern and then drill the new holes while it was mounted to the sound-bar. I did this so I wouldn't have any issues with fitting the speaker into the opening. While they do fit, it is a bit tight near the speaker connections.
Once I had the holes drilled I stuffed some of my Polyfil into the sound-bar. I stuffed it lightly full, but not packed, and left a bit of air space behind the speaker itself. I bought a 12oz bag and used maybe about half of it. I then mounted up the speakers and their grills.
At this point I had to give the system a quick test, and so far was a big difference!
Next I tackled the head-unit. The GS820BT has a built in 160W amp and requires a 15A circuit to power it. The factory circuit being only 10A required me to run a power wire from the battery. I ran the wire through one of the empty rubber plugs on the firewall, soldered on my in-line fuse holder, and cleaned everything up with some 1/8" split loom.
I also needed to solder the GS820BT harness together with my Metra radio harness. I soldered them together and cleaned the harness up by using some friction tape. I used an insulated spade terminal to connect the 12V through the firewall, and connected the ground in a very non-photogenic location under the dash.
Since the previous owner of my TJ installed a Kenwood head-unit at some point, I already had a DIN adapter to fit my head-unit into and didn't need to purchase one. I just had to remove the old unit and install the new one, that's an easy task of bending some fins and sliding the units in/out.
A quick test to see if the head-unit and harness were good was needed at this point, and everything seemed good! I was eager to test it properly at this point, so I got everything buttoned up and put back together.
The GS820BT has a rear USB input, it's a cord attached to the back of the unit. I routed it up behind the glove box so I can easily get to the flash drive when I need to. I can even get to it without having to take the glovebox out!
After a nice test of the system, it certainly has my approval
. The sound quality is vastly improved over the stock speakers, and the system as a whole is much louder. There is definitely some improved low-end sound from the sound-bar, which was certainly one of the goals of this project. I still have a lot of settings to play with on the head-unit, so that's bound to keep me occupied for a while .The only real improvement I'd still like to make is a installing proper sub, but as mentioned earlier in the post my options are very limited. One option looks to be swapping the center console over to the later model design with sub, or a Tuffy unit with sub. I don't think under the steering wheel has enough room for any of the subs I've been looking at, and I'm not sure I'd want to mount something to the side of the footwell up front either. Oh well, I'll certainly ponder my options. At least the system is no longer disappointing
.
You could do what I did and fabricate an enclosure out of your center console storage pocket.
OP
I've considered that too. I haven't disassembled it yet to see what kind of room I've got, I have the earlier model single piece center console, so that's going to be a bit of a pain. I don't know what kinda internal differences there are between the console designs, but it seemed like I'd lose most of my space when I checked previously. I'll probably just have to bite the bullet and tear it apart and find out
Why does your sound bar have material over it whereas mine is plastic? Is that something aftermarket?
OP
Honestly not sure
. Every TJ I've seen in person with the sound-bar (not the pods) has been setup similar to mine. It's faded about as much as the roll-bar padding so I'd imagine it to be factory.EDIT: Just a quick Googling seems just about all are padded too. Maybe yours is the unicorn?
I think all pre 2003 had that style of sound bar. 2003+ went to pods.
Was about to say this, looking on Quadra tech seems to confirm this if you’re looking for factory parts.
OP
Yep that's true. Though when I worked at the rack shop I have seen a later model TJ where somebody swapped in the sound-bar to mount more speakers.
Both of my 2005 TJs have a pods on each side, not a one piece sound bar. This must be one of the differences with the earlier model 97-02 TJs versus the 03-06 models. I hadn't seen the earlier style sound bars before.
OP
Yep, you're correct! I can see where the confusion would come from in that case
Yep, I thought I was looking at something aftermarket of some sort. Go figure!
@ElectricWizard I may be buying the Tuffy center console soon-ish. If I do that (and you don't mind waiting a bit), you are welcome to have my factory center console with the subwoofer space built in (mine is a 05).
OP
That sounds like a plan to me! I'm definitely in no rush. Keep me in the loop
I still don't have my Jeep back
but I think I will order the tuffy in the next couple weeks, been wanting that for a while. Now is as good a time as any to add to the "waiting parts" stack in the garage :risas3: In the summer time I have the soft top on and it's down quite a bit of the time, so the Tuffy is a good addition for me and I think it fits the Jeep motto better. Will certainly let you know once I have the factory console off.