2004-2008 Ford F-150 SuperCrew
How to upgrade the stereo system in your F-150 SuperCrew
In brief: This Crutchfield Research Garage article gives you an overview of your F-150's stock stereo system and your aftermarket upgrade options. We'll tell you all about:
- The factory stereo system
- Removing the factory radio
- Removing the factory speakers
- Adding more bass
- Other options for your F-150
Then, use our vehicle selector to find the gear that will fit your truck.
Overview of the Ford F-150 SuperCrew
The F-150 SuperCrew is a true “do-anything” truck. It can haul the kids to school and haul an old projection TV to the recycling center--on the same trip. The roomy interior gives you lots of space for entertainment upgrades and the modular construction makes it easier to turn your dreams into reality.
Detailed stereo and speaker removal instructions
The factory stereo system
This Ford F-150 SuperCrew came with several receiver options. An AM/FM/CD receiver came standard, but Ford offered three other options:
- an AM/FM/6-disc in-dash changer;
- AM/FM stereo/6-disc CD changer with Audiophile Sound System with mp3 (with factory sub);
- Rear Seat DVD Entertainment System
Note: You will lose the use of the rear seat DVD entertainment system if you replace the factory radio.
Each of the four doors houses a 6" x 8" speaker, and in some trucks you'll find an enclosure with an 8" sub and an amplifier under the left rear seat. It's really easy to get into the dash and speaker locations. You only have to remove one piece of trim to get to the radio, and the speaker grilles pry off in the front doors. You'll have to remove panels to replace the rear door speakers, but that's not difficult.
The F-150 SuperCrew's factory radio (Crutchfield Research Photo)
Removing the factory radio
There's plenty of room behind the dash, so you can install just about any car stereo in this truck, including single-DIN (2" tall) and double-DIN (4" tall) receivers.
Installation is pretty simple. You remove the center dash panel surrounding the stereo, then unbolt the stereo from the dash. You'll need a mounting kit to trim out the new radio, along with a wiring harness that allows you to connect your new radio without having to cut the factory wiring Crutchfield includes these installation parts at a very nice discount with receiver orders, along with our own MasterSheet™ step-by-step instructions for your F-150.
You'll have no problem fitting accessory items like satellite radio tuners, iPod adapters, navigation modules, or even small amps back behind your new stereo. Remove a couple of trim pieces, and you'll have all the access you need for the installation. You'll lose the factory Video Entertainment feature if you replace the Ford radio.
Tools needed: 7mm socket wrench, panel tool
Read our Car Stereo Buying Guide for shopping tips and advice.
Shop for car stereos that fit your Ford F 150
Steering wheel audio controls
In most cases, it's reasonably easy to retain your truck's steering wheel audio controls when you install a new stereo. When you enter your vehicle information, our database will choose the adapter you need to make your factory steering wheel controls work with a compatible aftermarket receiver.
The Ford's front door panel is reasonably simple to work with (Crutchfield Research Photo)
Removing the factory speakers
This truck will accept several speaker sizes: 6"x8" speakers drop right in, most 5"x7"s will also fit, and 5-1/4" speakers will fit in with mounting brackets. You'll find enough room in both locations that you can almost always buy matching speakers for front and back.
It's a good idea to get speaker harnesses for your new speakers. They'll allow you to attach the new speakers to the plugs that connect to the Ford factory speakers, and they make it easier to reinstall the factory speakers if you ever sell your truck The brackets and speaker wiring harnesses are available at a discount when you order your speakers from Crutchfield
Front doors
You don't have to pry off the entire door panel, as there's a pop-out panel that covers the speaker location. Since the SuperCrew offered advanced audio options, you should find factory tweeter openings in the front door panels in addition to the oval 6"x8" openings.
If you're handy with tools, you can fashion a plate to hold aftermarket tweeters in those openings. Since the speaker openings are high up in the front doors, you'll get great sound from a nice set of component speakers. You can also install kick panel enclosures that hold 6-1/2" speakers and tweeters in this truck if you prefer that option.
Tools needed: Panel tool, ratchet, 5.5mm, 8mm, 10mm, 1/4", and 7/32" sockets
The SuperCrew's rear door panel (Crutchfield Research Photo)
Rear doors
You will have to remove the rear door panels to access the speakers. Again, there's plenty of room for most 6"x8" speakers, or you can also use 5-1/4" speakers in brackets.
Tools needed: Panel tool, ratchet, 5.5mm, 8mm, 10mm, 1/4", and 7/32" sockets
Read our Car Speakers Buying Guide for more information
Shop for speakers that fit your Ford F 150
Factory sub enclosure under rear seat in SuperCrew (Crutchfield Research Photo)
Bass in your F-150 SuperCrew
Bringing some extra thump to your F-150 SuperCrew isn't hard, but the amount of effort involved depends on how your truck was equipped when it rolled out of the factory.
With factory sub
This Ford truck offered a factory sub as an option. If you've got the factory enclosure under the rear seat, you can replace the 8" DVC sub in with any aftermarket sub with a mounting depth less than 3.6 inches. If you pick a high-performance sub, you'll want to replace the factory amp too.
The factory stereo only sends 5 volts to the sub amp, which can cause a turn on/off pop from the subwoofer when an aftermarket stereo is installed. To avoid this, a 12V-to-5V regulator can be installed on the remote lead. This regulator produces a large amount of heat for its size and should be bolted or screwed to a clean metal surface that will act as a heat sink.
Tools needed: 10mm socket, Torx T20 driver
Factory subwoofer and amp opened up (Crutchfield Research Photo)
Without factory sub
If you don't have the Ford factory sub (or if you want to replace yours), you'll find a bunch of subwoofer options available. Your best bet would be vehicle-specific enclosures from manufacturers like JL Audio, Q-Logic, or MTX, available in unloaded, loaded, and amplified versions. They'll give you powerful bass without wasting much (if any) space. There's also room under the rear seat for a compact Class D amp that will deliver some serious bass power.
Learn more about building a bass system in our Car Subwoofer Buying Guide.
Shop for vehicle-specific subwoofers for your Ford F 150
This info also applies to the Lincoln Mark LT (Crutchfield Research Photo)
Other options for your F-150 SuperCrew
With a vehicle like the F-150 SuperCrew, there are lots of ways to upgrade your entertainment and security.
iPod® and video
iPod® users, you'll find a great spot for an iPod connection next to the 12-volt port that's situated low in your console, and the pocket just below that port is a great place to stash your player. Also, if you're thinking about installing an overhead video screen, the JCI rail system in your headliner contains power and ground leads that you can tap into, making that job much, much easier.
Navigation
You can still get aftermarket nav functionality without installing a touchscreen nav receiver in your car's dash. A portable GPS from Garmin, Magellan, or TomTom will mount on your dash and give you turn-by-turn directions, traffic updates, and everything you need to make your road trip go smoothly. Plus, when you get where you're going, you can put your GPS in your pocket and use it to find points of interest around town.
Security and remote start
If you want to add a remote start system to your F-150, you'll have ample room to mount the security system of your choice, and all models that we carry would be a great fit for this truck. All the connections you will need to make are in convenient locations, and you won't have to break your back in the process. If you have heated seats and you plan to add remote start, we can help you turn these on when you start your truck remotely. When you come out to your F-150 on a cold winter day, the seats will be nice and warm.
Installing a security system in your F-150 isn't that simple (security systems rarely are), but it's definitely a good idea. Our Crutchfield Advisors can help figure out what you need to get the job done, but we usually recommend taking your car and new gear to a professional installer.
Let's get started!
Ready to shop? Use our vehicle selector to find the gear that will fit your car or truck. If you have questions, give us a shout via phone, chat, or email
Comments (52)
Please share your thoughts below.
Braxton
Posted on 9/7/2023
What size tweeters are in the doors
Jon Paul from Crutchfield
on 9/8/2023
Mike from Little river
Posted on 9/23/2022
I just want To know how to beef up my aftermarket door speakers door speakers and replace the factory app with a different one to supplement the kicker I replaced the stock sub for.... I have a jimson touchscreen head unit boss door speakers factory Box factory Box factory app kicker compact 8 in the original Box but I want to amplify all my speakers
Jon Paul from Crutchfield
on 9/26/2022
Doug Rau from Defiance, OH.
Posted on 10/18/2020
After installing amp & sub, mu truck won't start, or crank. I replaced the battery, the installer reset the PATS, still nothing. Everything works as it should: radio, sub, amp, lights, everything. It just won't start. HELP!
Jon Paul from Crutchfield
on 10/19/2020
Nicholas Campbell from Dennis Mississippi
Posted on 10/18/2020
I was wondering what the two stock plug ins are on the speakers in the front and what to hook them to on aftermarket speakers
Jon Paul from Crutchfield
on 10/19/2020
Eric Thompson from Dallas
Posted on 10/1/2020
I have a 2005 f150 supercab 2wd without the amp under rear seat. My radio comes on but has no sound at all. What should I do first when trying to fix this issue. The radio comes on volume goes up an down stations turn. But got no sound at all. Need it fixed asap hate not having a radio lol
Jon Paul from Crutchfield
on 10/1/2020
Andre from Salem
Posted on 7/9/2020
2005 F150 - the head unit I purchased has a steering wheel wire (so I don't need to buy anything else). My question is: What wire do I connect from my F150 to the matching wire in my head unit? Thanks.
Jon Paul from Crutchfield
on 7/9/2020
JD from Anchorage
Posted on 6/29/2020
How hard is it to retain the factory Video Entertainment feature for the back seat? It looks like it stands alone but all the Pioneer systems seem to say you will loose it. I want to keep it.
Jon Paul from Crutchfield
on 7/1/2020
Alfredo Trevino from HOUSTON
Posted on 11/18/2019
I am thinking about buying a high powered Sony head unit that comes with a Class D amp integrated into the head unit. The manual recommends a dedicated power wire directly to the battery. I am also reading that it only pertains to system where the car or truck has a lower than a 15 amp fuse for the radio. I believe my 2007 f150 supercrew without the factory sub runs a 5 amp fuse. Where should I get "dedicated" power source to power my head unit with internal amp.
Jon Paul from Crutchfield
on 11/19/2019
Unisa Sesay from Minneapolis
Posted on 2/27/2019
Can i use Harmony Audio HA-R69 Car Stereo Rhythm Series 6x9 inches Replacement 450W Speakers on a 2008 Ford F150 XLT?
Alexander H. from Crutchfield
on 2/28/2019
HENRY from whittier,ca.90601
Posted on 2/4/2019
2004 f150 just upgraded to 2008 radio with sirius,xm ,what do i need to make it work.i have the factory module, that looks like 2008 f150, Some say i need tuner, but tuner looks looks the module. thank you Henry
Jon Paul from Crutchfield
on 2/5/2019