Removing Front Door Panels

[DHuffman]

How hard is it to get the front door panels off? The factory speakers in my truck are terrible, and I would like to stick in a set of aftermarket speakers.



Thanks

 

[CPersing]

On the '06 its pretty easy( I would think the '07 is the same). There is one bolt holding the door handle on (you have to pull up on the door handle to access it)that needs to come off(With the door handle) than 1 screw visible by the door handle, than 2 screws at the bottom of the door panel under the pocket that are easily visible. After that the door panel slides up towards the top of the door. Than you will have to remove the wiring connectors for the power windows, locks, mirrors etc.

 

[DHuffman]

Thanks for the info - I'll pull one off tonight and take a look.



Later

 

[JEstes]

I pulled them off my '03 for new speakers. You might want to try unhooking the power windows first. Mine hardly had enough slack to do that... Removing the knob for the door lock helped a little too.

 

[Tinman]

The stock speakers are crap. Small magnets, cheaply made. Big suprise. Put some Sonys 6 1/2 in mine. 2 in front, 2 in back, amp under the passenger seat, and a 6 inch self amped sub under the back seat. Sounds nice.

 

[CPersing]

I don't know about the older trucks but on the '06 the power window control panel is bolted to the door panel, so you can't pop it out to remove the connectors before the panel is off.

 

[DHuffman]

Thanks for the tips... I installed a pair of Pioneer 6x9s today - pretty easy.

On my '07 the bolt that holds the door handles on is a Torx head, size T40 - make sure you have one of these before you get started.



I went with 6x9s for ease of installtion - they were a direct replacement.



Here is what they look like:

/webdata/photopost/data/502/medium/6x9-3.JPG#ad

 

[DHuffman]

Put some Sonys 6 1/2 in mine. 2 in front, 2 in back, amp under the passenger seat, and a 6 inch self amped sub under the back seat. Sounds nice.

How hard was it to mount the 6. 5s in the rear? How did you wire in the amp to the stock system?



Thanks

 

[DeezelDood]

Crutchfield.com has some nice speakers to meet any budget, and tech support.

 

[schv]

On my '07 the bolt that holds the door handles on is a Torx head, size T40 - make sure you have one of these before you get started.

On my `07 the handle bolts are 10mm 6pt bolts, not torx.

 

[DHuffman]

On my `07 the handle bolts are 10mm 6pt bolts, not torx.

Go figure - mine was made in Mexico - was yours? I can't see why these would be different... ?

 

[Pawpaw]

On all of the 3rd Gens, the only way to know whether that bolt is hex or Torx is to look at it. Apparently it just depends on what they had on hand when they built your door.



Bob

 

[Tinman]

How hard was it to mount the 6. 5s in the rear? How did you wire in the amp to the stock system?



Thanks

61/2s are what was in my rear doors stock, so the Sony's fit right in.



I used a four channel amp. The radio (Sony XM) had reamp outs so a RCA cord from the radio to amp under the carpet. I ran speak wire for the amp line-out to the stock radio harness and spliced into the stock speaker wires (they are labeled). I would have liked to have run larger gauge speaker wires from the amp straight to the speakers but that was going to be a big hassel. So I just used the stock speaker wire. Amp is powered straight from passenger side battery.



I thought about using 6X9s in the front but I usually use a low pass cross over on the fronts since they are so close to the listener and run more base from the back. (The amp has active crossovers in all four channels). With that in mind I didn't think the 6X9s in front would be worth the extra cost. The sub takes care of the base.

 

[CStraface]

I thought about using 6X9s in the front but I usually use a low pass cross over on the fronts since they are so close to the listener and run more base from the back. (The amp has active crossovers in all four channels). With that in mind I didn't think the 6X9s in front would be worth the extra cost. The sub takes care of the base.

I do the same as far as running lower frequencies from the back of the cab (single cab). I've made the mistake in the past of cutting costs in the mid-range frequency area while spending more in the low/high range area, but I realized with my current system that you need really good mid-range to balance out your awsome hi's with your crazy low's. Obviously this makes perfect since, but it's an easy corner to cut when trying to save money.



And now that I got the amp to my sub stolen, I am sure glad I spent extra money in all the speakers.

 

[JJoiner]

DHUFFMAN, do you by chance have a part# for the Pioneer 6 x 9's you installed? Sound wise, how did they turn out and do you like them? (I guess anything is better than stock) Thanks, John

 

[CPersing]

There is also the Dodge Ram Kicker front speaker upgrade kit.

Kicker Dodge Ram Front Speakers Upgrade Kit - AutoTruckToys.com

 

[Tinman]

I have to admit, I do struggle some with finding enough mid range. I'm still adjusting the crossovers and equalizer to get the desired sound. Overall it's pretty good, but I may end up with some 6x9s if I can't get satisfied. What I really wanted to do was what I did in the '01, put 5 1/2 Bazookas under the seats at full range, no cross overs. They sound really good. But there is just no place to put those on the 3rd gen. That'a why I went with the sub. If I wasn't going to put in some type of larger woofer, I'd definitely go with the 6x9s in front.