Full-Range Speakers Installation Guide

Ken Nail — Oct 26, 2004

Article contents
Page 1.   Tools
Page 2.   Types of speaker installs
Page 3.   Dash speakers
Page 4.   Door speakers
Page 5.   Rear deck speakers

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Replacing Door Speakers
Doors are the most common location for car speakers and, in many cars, the speakers found there are fairly easy to replace. Most late model cars have a notch at the bottom of the speaker grille. Simply insert a screwdriver into this slot, pop out the grille, and unmount the factory speaker. In some cars you may only need to remove a few screws to get the grille out of the way.

Removing a speaker grille from the door.

Once you have removed the grille, most factory door speakers can be removed with a phillips screw driver.

In still others, though, you'll have to remove the entire door panel to get the factory speaker out. Your Crutchfield MasterSheet will walk you through the specific procedure for your vehicle, but it's generally a pretty straightforward process.

Start by removing the window crank handles. Some are secured with a screw at the pivot point — usually hidden by a piece of snap-on trim — while others are held in place with a spring clip around the base. Crutchfield carries an inexpensive tool to help remove this clip, but it can be done with a small flat-blade screwdriver (use a shop rag to prevent scratching the crank). Just depress the surrounding door panel, look behind the window crank, and rotate the handle until you can see the ends of the spring clip. Then, just gently push it off with the screwdriver or tool. (The clip will pop off, so keep a close eye on it.) After removing the crank, take off the armrest (usually held on by a few screws), and the trim that fits around the handle. The only thing holding the door at this point should be the friction fittings around the edge of the panel and a few more screws.

With the screws removed, start at a bottom corner and pull the panel corner straight out. Use a panel tool around the fittings to pry out the panel. Try not to pull so hard as to break one of the friction clips. Once a corner is loose, work across the bottom and up both sides. The panel should now be hanging by the trim that hangs off of the window well. Lift straight up and it should come free.