When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I'm installing a radio in my 74 F-100 soon and was wondering how you guys ran your wires from the cab to the door?
I don't want to just have them dangle, but not sure where I could drill holes and easily get to them either. Pictures or suggestions would help.
The last few trucks I've had I just ran wire under the floormat to some boxes behind the seat, but I want 4 speakers this time and my truck originally just had a dash speaker I'm assuming as there is no wire ran from the cab to the doors.
There are two dimples where the wires were run from the factory. One towards the top of the door in the jam area and one across from it on the cab structure. Unfortunately, I do not have any photos, but if you look you will easily find them. In the past, I was able to drill the holes with a short unibit and a right angle drill. The factory wiring used a very large plug with the speaker wires molded in. I have used smaller grommets and some wire loom. Others have had to remove the doors to drill the holes. Good Luck!
Thanks... I think I recall seeing those. Does the wire come out into the cab where you can easily access it or do you need to have a double jointed arm to get it?
There is a rubber plug about 1 1/2" diameter that is up high on the kick panels behind the dash that should be able to be used for acess. Its where the wires for the domelight door switches go thru so I'm pretty sure it will work. I am about to try this myself. I know that the plug on the passenger side allows acess up the A pillar to run wiring. I just installed my XM satellite receiver up there between the sunvisors the other day. It took some "creative fishing" to get the wiring up there but it did work. Ill let you know what I find out or if you beat me to it........please do the same.
I don't have domelight switches in my truck... never had any but the plug should still be there.
It's pretty cold here today and I have other things I want to work on before the radio, but if I get to it first I'll let you know.
Thanks for the info
Wow ........thats odd.......dont know Ive ever seen one without the door switches. Even if the wiring isnt there the 1 1/2" plugs should be. Are your door jambs drilled for the switches? Just curious.
There is a nut with something in on each door jam... where I would assume the dome light switch would be but it's not a switch. I cant get the inside where the switch would be to move at all and the drivers side actually looks like there is a screw head inside the nut lol
Don't mind the mess, the truck sat for about 13 years in a barn before I bought it so it needs some attention.
(do you have to link pics here? I thought you could upload directly)
Yeah the nuts in the pics are your switches. They are probably rusted up and stuck in the "off" position. I had the same issue on mine. They just screw out of the holes in the body. I got one of mine to work but it was badly corroded. Never did get the other one to work. Put the working one on the drivers side for now. Something else to go on my want list. They arent all that expensive thru the normal aftermarket places. It is definitely nice to have a dome light that comes on when you open the doors though.....LOL