So I did a search here on the forums and it looks like both the front and rear speaker size in 1st gen Expys 6x8 while the smaller 5 1/4 also fit as well.

I went to Crutchfield, entered my info 97 Expy, No Mach Audio, etc and it wants me to use 6x8s for the front doors and 5 1/4 for the rear doors. Any clue why? Are depths different? I'd rather match the speakers evenly, and use 6x8s in all doors.

Overall, I'm looking at the Infinity reference series. I know a lot of guys have had luck with cheaper speakers but I've had them before in other applications and I love them. I'm thinking by running a bigger speaker, I might be able to have decent bass and be able to avoid installing subs.

Infinity Reference 6832cf 2-way car speakers for 5"x7" and 6"x8" openings at Crutchfield.com

 

My 99 took the 6x8's in both the front and rear. There are slight differences in mounting depth of different brands which is probably what they're looking at with the speakers you're considering. I put Pioneers in mine and they fit fine, and if I remember right the rear was a bit tighter of a fit than the front was. So compare the mounting depth of the different ones.

 

yep, same here. ive had some pro logics, volfenhags, and am now looking at boston acoustic. all 6x8 though front and rear.

 

I have been looking at the Infinity's for my truck as well. For the 99 it calls for 6x8s front and rear. I can't imagine why yours would be any different.

I ran 6x8s front and rear in my Dodge truck with a 40wx4 amp and while it was a huge improvement, it still really could have used a sub. The interior volume of the Expy is going to be even worse. You would be amazed at how much better it will sound with a sub.

My plan, in case you care, is the Infinity's in the doors run by a four channel amp that had a pre-amp RCA output. Then I am going to add the Infinity powered Basslink sub in the cargo area. The nice part is I can add the sub later very easily as $$ allows.

Good Luck

 

Good thinking. Did not dawn on me last night that the actual speaker has different depths and maybe the reason it won't work. Also, glad to know the rear is a bit tighter area to work with. I guess I'll have to pull the panel and take some measurements for myself.

Again, thanks for your input. I'd love to run an amp to power the four speakers, but with that built in factory amp, I'm not exactly wanting to undergo rewiring my entire Expy. Maybe I'll change my mind, but at this moment I know I want to avoid that.

However,
I agree that a sub is perfect as it will smooth out the lows. My Alpine unit apparently has an integrated crossover that I could utilize which, if used, I believe I can keep all the low frequencies away from the main speakers so they won't distort, while subs could take all the bass instead.

The good news is that I have two Infinity Kappa Perfect 10" subs sitting in a box in my room with an amp that I used years ago. So I do have the subs. The only problem is wiring them. I'm not sure of where I could run the wires to effectively hide them. I'm hoping there is a big enough "trench" under the sill plates that I could run the power cable along with the audio cables from the head unit.

But, if I do decide to install the subs, I will need to find a guide for pulling all those interior panels. I really hate doing that blind.

Thanks for the help guys,
Tom

 

If you dont have the Mach audio, is there a factory amp? Even if there is, I am sure it is quite weak.

Just FYI, what I found to work well was an amp with speaker level inputs. It would probably fit under the seat. Then you simply run wires from the head unit to the amp and back to the speaker wires making all of the connections behind the dash. This puts the amp in line with all of your current wires eliminating the need to re-wire all the way to the speakers.

Just replacing speakers is only going to give you a marginal gain, as they need some decent power to work well. I guess it all depends on how you want it to sound. I dont like doing it twice and know that I wouldnt be happy with factory level amplification. But thats just me.

 

the rewire is simple and you can reach the output plug on the factory amp easily. buy the aftermarket plug that plugs into the out which even has a 12v connection and a ground connection.

f.y.i. that plug can be reached on the driver side in front of the floor console. the small trim piece by your leg comes off and you can reach up there to get it. you have 2 and one is much smaller so you cant mistake it.

 

OK, I think I'm following what you are saying. Now that I know I can use an aftermarket amp without having to rewire the doors, I am interested. However, how do I wire around the amp. This is what I can't picture mentally as the factory harness runs to it. Oh, and to answer your question, my speaker grills say "Premium" on them and I have two plugs - one for power, ground, etc, while the wires for the speakers were on the other plug. This is why I figure I have the amp.


Thanks for the good info. However, I have been out of the car audio loop for some time and I'm missing the point tying into the "output" plug. Could you please explain why I need to reach this? Is it so I can tie in an aftermarket amp like Big Greenie suggested without having to rewire the doors? Thanks!

 

Mine says Premuim as well, though I have no idea what that means.

If you use Crutchfield, they very often have come up with wiring harness parts that allow you to tap into factory configured systems without a lot of (or any) cutting and splicing.

I will also admit, I havent done this project on this truck yet. I did it on my '06 Dodge, and have wired lots of my previous cars for sound, so I know it can be done. The Crutchfeild tech line would be a huge resource for you, they will know what is there, and what you need to do.

I do know you can run an aftermarket amp in line with the speaker wires. You should also be able to easily go around the factory amp if one exists and run a much better aftermarket one. Either way you wouldn't have to re-run all of the speaker wires to the doors. Granted, if going for a really good sound, better wires play a part.

I sense your goals are similar to mine, make it sound better with minimum hassle and expense. Then enjoy it without worrying about the audio competition set.

 

exactly right. the plug im referring to is for the output to the speakers, so you can hook up an aftermarket amp w/o having to rewire.



as big greenie said, if you want better quality sound re-wireing definitely helps.

 

Hey Bigg,where can I buy the plug for the amp,is that something crutchfield will have?

 

they should ill go look at mine and see if theres a part# on it.

 

the plug didn't have a part# but this plug looks like mine, but the wire colors are different if those are the actual colors. i also only had one plug, i would assume you could cut the other plug.

METRA 70-5513 Amplifier bypass harness 4 new stereo To be used as a jumper bypassing the factory amplifer, plugs into Pre-Amp Harness and into Speaker Harness at amp Ford Premium Sound System Amplifier ByPass Plug; HARNESS;