How To Install A Car Speaker

Don’t you love cruising along the highway with a road trip with your friends and belting out a 90’s boy band pop song at the top of your lungs? You can do this because of car speakers. Car speakers have been established since the early 1930s. A fun fact is that Motorola, Paul, and Joseph Galvin, who invented car speakers back in the day. 

Car speakers cost a lot back then – it was priced at a whopping $1500! Paul and Joseph used vacuum tubes that are powered by a single battery cell. Back then, it was only the AM radio station that you could connect to, and it was still based on your location and the number of radio towers available.

It was only 20 years later where the FM radio car speaker was invented and massively produced by a German company called Blaupunkt. This was the gold standard of car speakers. From then on, car speakers evolved with the music industry. Since the music industry innovative ways to document their music and songs, car manufacturers also had to adapt to changing times.

• Cassette tapes

Cars that can play tunes on their speakers using cassette tapes boomed from the 1970s to the 1980s. This also sparked the first-ever full car audio experience in most cars. Car manufacturers started selling speakers that car owners can install themselves so they can listen to cassette tapes. Eventually, this evolved, and car manufacturers installed a surround sound car speaker in strategic places in vehicles so car owners could experience a full audio experience.

• Compact Discs

During the early 1990s, the music industry slowly started to let go of cassette tapes and evolved by preserving music through compact discs. During this period, car manufacturers partnered with audio manufacturers like Philips and Sony to build car speakers suitable for compact disc systems inside automobiles.

• Digital Age

At the start of the 2000s, the music industry evolved again to transform music into digital music. This allowed users to listen through MP3s, iPod music, flash drives, and the cloud via the Bluetooth system. Car manufacturers had to adapt yet again to this change. Some even partnered with famous music streaming apps like Spotify and Pandora to provide a wide variety of music to car owners. 

Car speakers are a salient part of our car. And with the continuous and ever-changing music landscape powered by innovation, at one point in time, you would need to change or upgrade your car speaker into something that can handle whatever music format is currently supported today. replacing 

If you want to learn more about how you can install car speakers, continue reading the article below for precise instructions and practical tips!

How To Measure Car Speakers Size 

Measuring and installing car speakers can be complicated, especially if you are not familiar with tools and automobile specs and gadgets. However, with this guide on measuring car speakers’ size, you can be a pro in no time! 

If you think about how many car manufacturers there are and how many car speaker brands there are, you can understand why installing a new car speaker for your automobile is difficult. Let us take things one step at a time by learning how to measure your car speakers’ size first.

Tools Needed When Measuring Car Speakers:

You will need the following materials when measuring your car speakers:

• Tape measure
• Panel removing tools
• Screwdriver
• Notepad
• Pen or pencil

Measurements Taken In Speakers: 

First, you need to understand and be familiar with the types of measurements you need to take for your car speakers. These are the following:

• Diameter

Many car owners believe that the speaker is measured through the diameter of the car speaker. For you to be successful, you need to measure the diagonal length of the speaker frame. 

Specific for 4-hole speaker frames, your measurement should start from one hole to the next hole diagonally opposite from the hole you started. For speakers who do not have a 4-hole speaker frame, you can measure the speaker frame’s diameter.

• Mounting Depth

You can measure your car speaker’s mounting depth by measuring the area below the speaker’s mounting flange to the magnet’s base. This would give you a picture of how deep you would need to install your speaker in your car. 

The mounting depth is important to measure because speakers who do not fit perfectly with your car can do permanent damage to your speaker, your car, or both.

• Mounting Height

You can measure your speaker’s mounting height by measuring the mounting flange’s distance to your speaker’s highest point. To gauge if your speaker will fit, a rule of thumb is that the lower the mounting height, the flatter it will look when you have successfully mounted your car speaker.

Again, the mounting height is an important measurement to take. This is so your speaker will not bump into door panels or the grills. You should ensure that your speaker perfectly fits in the allotted space of your car.

• Cutout Diameter

The cutout diameter is straightforward to take. This is the largest diameter located at the back of your speaker. This directly corresponds to the size of the space needed for you to fit your speaker into flawlessly.

Steps On How To Measure Car Speakers Size:

Now that you are more familiar with the types of measurements you need to take to measure your speaker successfully, it is time to put theory into practice. Here are six easy steps on how you can measure your car speakers’ size.

1. It would be best if you unscrewed your speaker and put it on a flat surface. Make sure that there is plenty of space for you to work.

2. First, you must measure your speaker’s mounting depth. You can do this by measuring the space below the mounting plane to the speaker’s magnet. Once you have this measurement, please take note of it.

3. Next, you must measure your car speaker’s height. You can do so by measuring the mounting plane’s bottom area up to your speaker’s highest point. Once you have the numbers, jot them down.

4. Next, measure your car speaker’s diameter. You can do this by holding one end of the measuring tape to one side of your speaker and extend it to the other side. You must make sure that the measuring tape is at the center of your speaker.

This step is important because this will allow you to buy a speaker that correctly fits your car’s dimensions. Most car speakers are called through their diameter, so knowing this measurement is salient.

5. The last step for you to do is to measure the distance between the screw holes. This will save you the time and trouble of drilling holes later if you see that the screws need to be adjusted. Do note that if your plan is all along to use new types of screws other than what you currently have, you can skip this step.

How To Install Car Speakers

Tools Needed

After getting the needed measurements for your car speaker, the next step is replacing speakers. Again, if you have no experience installing your car speakers on your own, there are many learning resources out there. This guide tells you in simple steps the tools needed for the job and easy steps to follow if you want to install your new speakers.

Let us first start with gathering the tools needed for you to install your new aftermarket speakers successfully and remove your existing speakers. These are the following:

• Screwdrivers. This includes a Phillips screwdriver, Stubby Phillips, Flat-blade, magnetic, and offset types of screwdrivers.
• Torx drivers and bits
• Screwdriver and drill bits
• Allen wrench
• Socket wrench set
• Wirecutter or stripper tool
• Soldering iron and solder
• Crimping tool and connectors
• Panel Removal tool
• Retaining clip remover. If you do not have this, you can use a screwdriver covered with a shop rag.
• File
• Electrical Tape
• Small knife

Do note that the tools needed would significantly differ on what type of car speaker installation you would need to perform. If there are any special tools needed for a specific type of car speaker installation, this will be mentioned in the steps below.

Types of Installation

There are many types of car speaker installations because of the complexity of the different make and models of cars and speaker types and models. This section will talk about the most common types of car speaker installations.

Replacing Dash Speakers

Dash speakers are common types of speakers in any make or model of car. Here are the steps on which you can successfully replace and install car speakers:

1. Many dash speakers can easily be removed by removing the grills of your car. Screws or friction fittings hold down these grills. You need to get your 90-degree (offset) screwdriver to remove the screws near the windshield.

2. If screws or friction fittings hold the grille, you need to pry it open slowly and carefully. You can use a panel tool to help pry the grill open. This is also to avoid any sudden cracks or snaps that can damage your grills and your car.

3. If the grills do not budge, even if you used any of the two methods mentioned above, chances are your grills are held by screws or plastic studs located at the bottom of the grill. In this case, you would need to remove the whole dashboard panel.

4. Once the grills are removed, you can now remove your old speakers. Before doing so, you must take note of the polarity of each terminal. Usually, the positive terminal is the one that is marked with the “+” sign or a colored dot.

There are many ways for you to install your new speaker. But before installing component speakers, make sure you read the instructions from the manual so you know what method to choose. Here are the methods you can do to install your car speaker:

• You can use your wire harness to attach your new speaker. 
• You can also use solder or a crimp for the connections. 
• Another option is for you to use the Posi-products connectors. This method is easier and safer, and secure to use as compared to the two options above.

A safety tip you also must consider when installing car speakers is using electrical tape. This type is commonly used to wrap the soldered or crimped connection in place. Remember that even if you are using high-quality electrical tape, your car’s extreme temperature can deteriorate and loosen the electrical tape’s adhesive properties. It is recommended that you use cable ties with electrical tape to bind the soldered or crimped connections long-term.

Replacing Door Speakers

When replacing door speakers, here are the tools you need:

• Flat and angled pry tools
• Crosshead screwdrivers and drill bits
• Small sockets in metric and in inches
• Drill tool
• Crimp tools or a solder gun and heat shrink sleeve
• Craft knife
• Hole saw of the size needed to cut openings for tweeters. It is recommended for you to use the one with the finest tooth pitch.

The materials you need aside from the speaker itself are the following:

• A vehicle-specific wiring harness
• Speaker brackets or speaker adapters

Here are the steps on how you can replace door speakers:

1. Park your car in a space where you can open both car doors freely. Do not forget to disconnect your battery. Completely removing the door won’t be necessary . 

2. Check your car door trim and see if there are screws in place. Once you find out where they are, remove those that are visible to you. Do note that there may be screws that you need to rummage around. These screws may be hiding under the armrest.

3. Next, you must remove the window controls. This is usually located in the armrest of your vehicle. Carefully pop up the door panel, and make sure that you do not incur scratches. Disconnect the wiring of the window controls. If you think you might mix the wires up, you wrap them and mark them so you will not be confused later.

4. Remove the door trims by using your pry tool at the bottom corner. Once you find a retaining clip, you can pull the clip and pry the door trim open carefully. Do this with the next clip until the entirety of the door trim opens.

5. Now that the car door speakers are exposed, you can screw off the remaining screws. Once done, you can lift the door speakers out. Again, it would be best if you take note of the polarity of the wires.

6. You can try to check if your speakers fit the space. If it does not, this is when you use the speaker adapter.

7. Connect all the speaker wires by using the harness, crimp, or solder to heat-shrink the wires. You can test it out by connecting your phone and playing music. Once this is done, tuck the wires away and make sure it does not rattle.

8. Refit the door panel, reconnect the switch controls, and reinstall the screws you took out.

What To Do If I Must Remove The Door Panel?

Here are the steps you need to do if you need to remove your car’s door panel to install your new speakers.

1. Remove the control panel and door latch by removing the screws.
2. Get a pair of pliers and start slowly pulling the door latch off the panel. Do not forcefully yank or twist it as it may damage your car.
3. Using a screwdriver, wedge it in the lower portion of your control panel and start yanking it up slowly. Remember to this part slowly as the control panel has small connecting slips that can easily break. 
4. Disconnect the wires from the control panel by locating the plugs on the backside portion of the panel.
5. Remove the clip wire.
6. Using a screwdriver, take the trim pieces off. After which, you can try to pry off the cover starting at the edge of the window.
7. You can now remove the speaker cover, including its screws. 
8. Only now can you pull the door panel off by removing the screws with your screwdriver.
9. Grab the top and bottom portion of the door panel and give it a little wiggle. 
10. Pull out the door panel.

Installing Rear Speakers

It is important to remember that you also have your rear speakers. You can do the steps below to install the rear speakers of your car.

1. Start by disconnecting the battery of your car.
2. Start to disassemble your door by removing the window crank. To remove your window crank, look for the screws in the area and remove them using your screwdriver.
3. Remove the factory speaker using your Philipps screwdriver. Make sure you remove the factory harness and speaker.
4. Install the subwoofer using the speaker bracket and factory speaker screws.
5. Install the tweeters by using the angle-flush mount of the tweeters.

Conclusion

For a newbie, looking at the steps above may be overwhelming. But with a little practice, you can be a pro in no time! Hopefully, the article above can guide you on how you can successfully measure a car speaker size. The guide also teaches you about installing speakers in your car so you can go and enjoy music during your road trip with friends!