Does anyone know of an install kit that will work in a 2004 lariat with the wood grain overlay? I ordered everything from crutch field and everything worked great but the stereo bracket. I trimmed the inner dash, no problem there, but the way it's designed with the side brackets that stick out wider won't let it clear the woodgrain overlay. I REALLY don't want to trim it and have it looking terrible. I know some may think the fake plastic woodgrain is hokey, but I like it and think it really makes the interior of my truck. Any ideas would be appreciated!

 

Which bracket did you get?
I installed a stereo/DVD/backup camera with their recommended bracket from Crutchfield in my 2006 Lariat and it looks like an OEM install, fits perfectly.

 

I Have a double din stereo in mine and used a metra, i think, install kit and you don't even see it. all I see is the radio no cutting or grinding ANYTHING needed when I did mine. took out factory radio and installed my double din. get the connector harnesses and had it all ready and "Loomed up" ready to just throw in (including Bypass when I did a Pioneer) aside from running any GPS, Mic, Brake/Back-Up wires. I didn't use crutchfield just went on ebay/ amazon and looked up stereo install kit and filtered for my truck. I also looked up the PAC audio steering wheel control retention modules too.

 

I'm not sure the kit I got, whatever crutch field reccended. But it won't clear my wood grain overlay, no way no how. What brands did you guys use. I saw the metra, it looks a lot like what I have with those goofy tabs that stick out that are causing the issues.

 

Also the 06 is a different setup, 99-04 pertains to my truck, thanks!

 

Since mine is a 2005 I don't have first-hand experience with your year of truck but the first video that came up on Youtube (by Provo beast audio) shows metra parts 70-1771 for the wire harness and 95-5817 for the dash kit. The finished product in his video looked, to me at least, like a good fit and didn't appear that it would cover any wood grain decals the truck would have had. again I don't have your year or know what you got, maybe check out some YT videos and compare the bracket you got to the ones on there?

Sorry I couldn't be more help. I do recall tabs on mine (I think I had to remove the top ones and the bottom ones stayed, I don't recall), and didn't see any tabs on the pre-mentioned YT video, Maybe crutchfield recommended you the newer year bracket??

 

What stereo did you get? I found with my 02 that the Metra kits are assuming that the stereo has some offset (for lack of a better term. Indention maybe?) around the front bezel that the tabs can hook and allow the bracket to lay flat against the side of the unit. The name brands like Sony, Pioneer, etc have this, but the cheaper ones do not. So, the units are technically the same width, but the front bezel on something like a Sony will be a little narrower and allow that Metra kit to work. On the cheaper units, or the units that are basically an Android tablet, the width carries through the bezel. When you put on the Metra kit, the brackets flare a little bit and then you can't get it into the dash. Crutchfield and Metra don't seem to realize this and list that kit as applicable based on the year of your truck and not really considering the model of stereo. In their defense, they are assuming that the manufacturers are following some kind of standard and can't account for the ones that do not.

I put in a cheap one off Amazon and, once I figured out the Metra bracket wouldn't work, just mounted the stereo from the rear of the dash. So, pop off the dash, trim the top and bottom of the opening like you are using the Metra kit. Then you use the metal brackets that usually come with the stereos and trim them up and manipulate them until you find an existing screw(s) you can use to mount. I ended up using the screws that are holding the air ducts in place. This way also allows you to control how far in or out you want your stereo. The Metra kit sinks the unit a little bit into the dash. Some like that. I like mine flush, so I just adjusted my brackets until it was where I wanted and locked it down.

I don't know if any of that made sense, but the bottom line is that those Metra kits are pretty convenient, but they don't work for all models of stereo.

 

That does make sense. I have a pioneer head unit. Not sure the tabs your talking about. I have have to just pull the dash.