Installing a Car Stereo.

Ok , I want to get a car stereo for my jeep cherokee. I bought it from another teenager so he has some wiring already done from the battery underneath the carpet to underneath the back seat. But what I want to know is if there is a how to guide for installing a stereo.

I want to put in a new deck, new speakers, amp, and subs.

for 349 i could get 2 12" subs
Box
Amp

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=999950300050003&type=product&id=pcmprd50500050003


how do you remove the stock radio?

where can the amp be mounted? can it go underneath the back seats?

is it possible to disconnect the subs and take the whole box out of the back incase i want to throw alot of stuff in the back?

First off, a dual sub box is way to big for the back and there is going to be way too much bass for the back hatch to handle I have 1 12" Sub in a 12" 1.75 cubic foot slot vented box and even that is way too much for the back. Even in my Explorer the sub would rattle everything on the outside of the back hatch. Inside it sounded wicked. It would make your hair stand on end. But to get the stock stereo out it depends on when year Cherokee you have. If you have an model then the whole black dash covering has to be taken off(4 philips head screws) then the stock headunit should be held in with just 2 philips head screws that you unscrew and the unit should just pull out and you disconnect everything from the back of it. If you have 96-01 then the only thing you should have to pull off is the covering over the stereo, and heater control knobs. As for the amp, you should not mount it underneathe the rear seats. Amps create heat and they should be out in the open for the proper circulation to cool them(air cooled). Ive had mine so hot you could not touch it w/o getting burned. Just mount the amp in top of the box and run the wiring to it so if you need to take the box out you can just unscrew the wires to the amp and everything will come out. Simple. As for getting a headunit and speakers and the amp, box, and sub combo, you should go to www.crutchfield.com where they have great deals, free shipping, DETAILED instructions, free mounting brackets, and free wiring harnesses for the speakers and headunit. Have fun!!!

Ok first there's no such thing as to much bass it just needs to be installed right. Second for the setup that you're looking at from Bestbuy for $349 for that Sony setup you are paying $348 to much. In the car stereo world sony xplod bites as the subs are way over rated and the amps push no where near what they say they do. You can go to crutchfield and get the stuff but the only things I get from crutchfield is the installation components. If you are looking for a WIDE variety of components and all cheaper than most local stores go to www.onlinecarstereo.com that's where I buy all of my and all of my friends car stereo equipment. If you want suggestions on what to get let me know how much you have to spend on the entire setup and how much of the rear space you are willing to sacrifice for subs and box. I've currently got on order a 15" square kicker solo baric, 2000w mono amp, 3 farad lightning cap, alpine cd player, pioneer premier 3 way 5 1/4 replacement speakers and will custom build the box for the sub myself. So just let us know how much you're willing to spend, how much space you want to sacrifice, what kind of music you will be listening to, and how loud you want to be.

can you installing new speakers in the drivers side door and in the rear hatch? I was looking at it today and it seemed either 5-1/4 " wont fit or they cant be removed. Can they? Is it hard??

I am willing to spend 4-500 dollars on a stereo. The music I listen to is generally rock and heavy music, no rap or country. I like bass alot but I dont want so much that shit rattles and sets of car alarms when I drive by.

Ok first there's no such thing as to much bass it just needs to be installed right. Second for the setup that you're looking at from Bestbuy for $349 for that Sony setup you are paying $348 to much. In the car stereo world sony xplod bites as the subs are way over rated and the amps push no where near what they say they do. You can go to crutchfield and get the stuff but the only things I get from crutchfield is the installation components. If you are looking for a WIDE variety of components and all cheaper than most local stores go to www.onlinecarstereo.com that's where I buy all of my and all of my friends car stereo equipment. If you want suggestions on what to get let me know how much you have to spend on the entire setup and how much of the rear space you are willing to sacrifice for subs and box. I've currently got on order a 15" square kicker solo baric, 2000w mono amp, 3 farad lightning cap, alpine cd player, pioneer premier 3 way 5 1/4 replacement speakers and will custom build the box for the sub myself. So just let us know how much you're willing to spend, how much space you want to sacrifice, what kind of music you will be listening to, and how loud you want to be.

Holy sh*t! Thats insane! Okay.....your right about "You can't have too much bass, you just have to install it right." I wasn't thinking about that. Your gunna have to Dynamat the shit out of everything?:22yikes: No? What model Alpine headunit do you have? Good luck with everything!!!

For my 98 I have a 300 watt mono amp mounted on the back seat and a small 10" Lighting audio sub just enough bass for my taste nott too bad for les than 100 bucks, I have had sony before they do Suck with a capitol S. I have a sony xplod head unit right now, mark my words it is the first and the last sony cd player that I will buy, It cost me close to 200 the damn thing skips, overheats, and dosn't eject the cd half the time, until I reset it, but then I have to reset my clock and my presets... I had an old Pioneer Deh-1000 never gave me any problems, starting to wish I kept it...

Depending on what year your cherokee is it should have spots for 5 1/4" speakers in the 2 front doors and in the rear liftgate. Are you looking to spend 4-500 for everything (i.e. head unit, replacement speakers, amp, and subs) if so then you will have to go with the lower end products which have very low reliability. If you're looking for a decent system for a fair price then I recommend Pioneer. They have moderately priced cd players, speakers, subs, and ok amps.

XJace right now I have a alpine cde9845 cd player but will be upgrading that soon to a dva9860. Dynamat is good for flat areas and cars but when you have a suv it's best to get either the dynaliner that sprays on or use the spray on truck bed liner. They provide a more uniform coating and contour ALOT easier than rolls of Dynamat. Eventually once I save up enough money I'm going to line the entire inside of the cherokee with dynamat and dynaliner, replace all weather seals, replace the 3 big back windows with plexiglass and further mods as it has the perfect space to go with big systems.

what size speakers are in the doors and rear hatch

5 1/4" ? or 6x4

If it's the same as my 92 then it's 5 1/4 in the front doors and rear hatch. But with a jigsaw and a cutout the back can be changed to 6x9 all you have to do is have a template for the size of the 6x9 and mark it on the back of the plastic panel centered on the exisiting hole and expand on the existing hole then use metal clips on the plastic panel to hold the screws for the speaker in place. Using 6x9's in the back will give the normal speakers a little more umph and provide more clarity for the highs.

If you have an model then the whole black dash covering has to be taken off(4 philips head screws) then the stock headunit should be held in with just 2 philips head screws that you unscrew and the unit should just pull out and you disconnect everything from the back of it.

Yeah, have fun getting the top clip to let go. You might think you were asking it to give up its baby. I did not just "slide" out. I have a 91 Cherokee, and I had a crap of a time getting the old unit out. That clip must be hurricane rated. :banghead: I did finally get it out. :grinyes: Thanks for the info though. It did save me from doing anything too stupid.

well, everbody is right about the sony products...there horrible to say the least...go with a component setup in the front and 6x9s or 5 1/4 coaxel speeakers in the rear...and get a nice headunit...the new 07 pioneer 4900 is a great unit and is also cheap as for install crutchfield is a great website and great period...but go to circuit city to get the harnesses for the radio...there just plug and play NO HARDWIRING.....you will need 2 of them there about 40$ for both but its well spent...for 500$ your not going to get a full system and have it sound good....the two just dont mix...once you get your indoors and your HU then save for a nice sub and amp...when i only had 1 12 i was pushing 134 DB on a termlab meter(which is the best meter out) if you want the best bass for rock i suggest a sealed box or an L port box because it is going to give you a tighter bass than just a regular ported box.....as far a dynamat goes...do the back hatch with 4 sq ft its works great its also 45$ at circuit city....as far a using a spray on liner....well usually its to thin and if you are using the REAL dynamat not that shiny crap that everybody sells....im talkin the one you have to heat up to get to stick...its really easy to get into a cherokee....i have the whole cherokee dynamated witharound 50 or so sq ft.....its alot of work but you get it done easy....i have 6 mtx sledghammer 12s 2200 RMS all kicker mids and highs mtx amps kicker 0 gauge wiring 2 5 farad caps....it takes alot of time and money to get to where im at but it has to be dont smart...i think you will enjoy it alot better if you do it peice by peice instead of setting a budget to meet cause quick example
an average headunit cost 200$ + wiring average 30$( that price is just peices NO INSTALL) door speakers for 5 1/4s average fronts if you go with kicker or polk components ther 189.99 for the set....rears 5 1/4 coax are 90 for kicker or polk and 150 for 6x9s and still no speaker harnesses or install your basically lookin at atleast 550 NOT INSTALLED thats for kicker mids and highs and a pioneer 4900 HU...and still no sub or amp...and for a true power amp you going to spent quite a bit.... the amp price is going to kill your pocket..... anyways....i work as a car stereo installer so just ask me anything you want....the prices are based off local shops not the internet because most people go local....

Rob