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2004-2008 Ford F-150 Regular Cab

How to upgrade the stereo system in your F-150

2004 Ford F-150 Regular Cab

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:

Then, use our vehicle selector to find the gear that will fit your truck.

Overview of the Ford F-150

Ford must have had car audio fans in mind when they built this truck. The roomy interior offers plenty of space for new speakers, a stereo, and much more. The F-150’s remarkable popularity ensures that you’ll have plenty of options to choose from, and the modular design makes installation surprisingly easy.

Detailed stereo and speaker removal instructions

MasterSheet image
With step-by-step disassembly instructions and plenty of up-close, detailed photos, our exclusive Crutchfield MasterSheet™ takes the guesswork out of removing the factory stereo and speakers. It's free with your Crutchfield order, or you can purchase one separately for just $9.99.

The factory stereo system

This Ford F-150 regular cab truck offered several stereo options, ranging from the standard AM/FM receiver to upgrades like a 6-disc in-dash changer and a factory sub.

Ford f-150 factory 6"x8" speaker

A close-up of a factory 6"x8" speaker (Crutchfield Research Photo)

Each of the four doors houses a 6"x8" speaker, and in some trucks you'll find an enclosure with a subwoofer and an amplifier behind the driver's side seat. It's really easy to get into the dash and speaker locations.

You only have to remove one piece of trim to access the factory radio, and the speaker grilles pry off in the front doors. You'll have to remove the door panels to replace the rear door speakers, but it's not difficult.

Ford f-150 factory radio

The Ford F-150's rather basic factory AM/FM radio (Crutchfield Research Photo)

Replacing your 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. 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 stereo orders, along with our step-by-step instructions for your F-150.

ford f-150 radio kit

This kit lets you install a single-DIN radio in your F-150. (Crutchfield Research Photo)

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.

Tools needed: 7mm socket wrench and a 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.

Replacing your 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. It's a good idea to get speaker harnesses along with 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. Crutchfield includes these brackets and speaker wiring harnesses at a discount with every speaker order.

Ford f-150 front door panel

A close-up look at the Ford's front door panel (Crutchfield Research Photo)

Front doors

You don't have to pry off the entire door panel, because there's a pop-out panel that covers the speaker location. A wide selection of 6"x8" or 5-1/4" speakers will fit in this location. You can also install kick panel enclosures that hold 6-1/2" speakers and tweeters in this truck if you prefer that option.

You'll find all the step-by-step disassembly instructions in your Crutchfield MasterSheet.

Ford F-150 rear door panel

The rear door panel also houses a speaker (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, socket wrench, 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

mtx thunderform subwoofer enclosure

A custom subwoofer enclosure will really boost the sound in your truck (Courtesy of MTX Audio)

Bass in your F-150

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 a vehicle-specific enclosure from MTX, available in unloaded, loaded, and amplified versions. They'll give you powerful bass without wasting much (if any) space. There's also room behind the 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

weathertech custom floor liners

Protect your truck's carpeting with a set of custom-fit WeatherTech FloorLiners

Other options for your F-150

With a vehicle as popular as the F-150, there are lots of aftermarket improvements available.

Add an amp (or two)

A new 4-channel amplifier will help you get the most out of your new speakers. You'll get cleaner power (and a lot more of it), which will result in much, much better sound. A mono amp can provide the juice you need for your new rear deck subwoofer, too. Learn more about adding amps to your system in our Car Amplifier Buying Guide.

Protect your interior with floor liners

No matter how much you pamper your truck, you're eventually going to get involved in some sort of truck-like activity that gets you and/or it dirty. When that happens, it's a good idea to have a set of WeatherTech floor liners in your truck. These incredibly durable mats trap moisture, contain dirt, and keep your factory carpets looking good.

Step up your security

Installing a security system in your F-150 isn't easy (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

Please share your thoughts below.

  • Commenter image

    Jon Paulette from Crutchfield

    Posted on 6/14/2016

    Glenn, Not without a lot of work. For this truck, you'll need 6"x8" speakers, or 5-1/4" speakers and mounting brackets.

  • Glenn from Metairie

    Posted on 6/13/2016

    I have diamond 6 1/2 and 6x9 speakers that I want to put in my f150. Could I make them fit?

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