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Tutorial: Door Panel Removal and Speaker Installation

286K views 295 replies 117 participants last post by  Natesroom 
#1 · (Edited)
Dissatisfied with the stock speakers, I decided to replace them. This tutorial will cover the removal of the door panels and installation of 6x9 speakers in the Jeep Renegade with 6 speaker system. The speakers are being powered from the stock head unit. If I feel the need to amplify them down the road, at least this part is out of the way.

You will need:
One Philips Head Screwdriver
One T30 Torx bit
One T20 Torx bit
Door panel removal tool (plastic)

On a side note, our Renegades are so new that they do not appear in current catalogs that sell aftermarket wiring harnesses or fit kits. I found that the 2014 Jeep Liberty speaker wiring harness kit worked perfectly. Just ask for one of those. I got mine at BestBuy along with the speakers. The harness will allow you to not have to cut the stock harness to connect your speakers. This is reversible with the wiring harness.


This is where we will be doing battle today. Find a cool spot, each door shouldn't take more than thirty minutes. Check around the perimeter of the door panel, and you will find two covers that are hiding one Philips head screw each. The very bottom of the panel has one as well, you will need to get on the ground to access it.



Pry out the plastic covers. Use your plastic tool so you don't wreck the covers.

Upper


Lower


Bottom screw does not have a cover.


Now, there are three more hidden bolts. You will need the T30 Torx bit to remove these. They are all the same size and length, so no worries getting them mixed up.

Pry out the small rubber cover in the door handles grab cup.


Be sure to use the plastic removal tool so that you don't scratch anything.

Peek-a-Boo! There's the first one.


Using your T30 bit, remove this bolt. You will then use the thin part of your plastic panel removal tool to pry the plastic control panel out of the door. Be very careful, as it is loosely hinged at the back portion, and may easily break if you're not careful. I'm clumsy, and I managed to keep it intact. You've been warned.

Now, disconnect the two wiring harnesses and set the plastic panel aside.


Now, there's a sneaky little bolt back up in there at the top of the open gap. Reach in there and get it out with your T30 Torx bit.



One more Torx bolt, and we'll be clear....

It's hiding under the cover under the door handle.



Use your plastic panel tool to gently pry this off.


Now, take a deep breath, because the next part is a little nerve wracking. All the bolts are out, but the door panel still is clinging close to the door frame with body clips. You will need to pry the panel away from the door. I started at the bottom rounded corner and pried it loose with the panel tool. Once I could get my fingers under it, I jerked it a little and worked my way around the edges. There are no clips in the center. Get the bottom and the sides free of the clips, then lift the door panel up off of the window sill.

DON'T GO TOO FAR WITH IT. The panel is still attached with one more wiring harness and also the linkage for the door lock and door handle. Remove the one wiring harness and either remove the linkages or set the panel on the ground leaning against the door. I didn't remove the linkages, as they didn't need to be.

The panel is now off, and you can remove the factory "speaker". I use the term loosely, as they are quite cheaply made.

You will need another smaller Torx bit, a T20 to remove the factory 6x9.

I had no problem installing my Kicker 6x9'S in the same space. I usedKicker 41KSC6934 6x9 three ways. The wiring harness for the Jeep Liberty worked perfectly.



Woo! Looks good. Sounds good. Now to do the other side. I may not do the rears, as they will be set for rear fill, but we'll see. I also need to replace the 3.5" speakers in the dash. It looks like those panels just pop out, but will confirm when I change them out.
 
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#2 ·
Nice. I was wondering why on crutchfield they list most 6x9s as not fitting. I assumed it was a case of we tried one and didn't bother.

Looking forward to the dash speakers. They seem to be the he harshest sounding bit, and I may replace them first.
 
#8 ·
The dash grill pops off. I ordered some Kicker 3.5" drivers to go in there. I was advised by Crutchfield that the speaker may rub on the grill some or may require some modifying. That's okay, once I get them in, I'll figure out a way to fab a new speaker grill, or modify the existing one.

You will need different harnesses for the 3.5" speaker. Use Metra part number 71-039C.
 
#12 ·
Nice work Gatorade! I was missed the bolt behind the plastic switch panel, and was trying to pop the body panels. Probably would have broke something if I didn't stop. Note: I tried to remove the door panel before reading your post here.


Can't wait to put speakers in my Renny.


Thanks
Nice write up! This was actually my plan for this weekend to figure out how to get to all the speakers in the car but my car has been at the dealership all weekend :(.
Glad that this was so helpful. I've relied on others pioneering work with tearing their cars apart in the past, so I'm glad to be able to give something back.
 
#14 ·
Gatorade, I was wondering something... Are the front door speakers and the 3 inch in the dash wired parallel or series? (I know this is a lazy question.) I want to order speakers that will match the ohm rating of my amp.


As a side note, what are the stock speakers, 4 ohm?


Also kicker 6x9s look perfect.
 
#34 ·
Back Door Panels?

I'm really looking forward to seeing the Back door panel removal and speaker install. I have all the tools and speakers on standby. Thanks again!
Has anyone done the back door panels yet? Are there any gotchas or things to be aware of?

I have the nine speaker system, so the back doors have the component speakers. I'm planning on only swapping out the 6x9s.

Thanks so much! You guys are awesome! Great pics and information.

Quark
 
#18 ·
Just wanted to add that, YES the front dash speaker covers DO just pop off. I used a swiss army knife to pry open the bottom corner (closest to the center of the vehicle) and the rest popped off using my fingers. My plastic trim pry tool was too thick to get in the crack between the dash and the cover, so I used a small knife. The speaker itself is a puny little speaker that doesn't even look big enough to be a 3 inch-er.
 
#19 ·
Awesome Info

Just got my Renegade yesterday, traded in the Jeep Commander, after 10 years. Sad day indeed. In anycase I have the 5.0 Radio with the subwoofer in the rear. Do you know if I could use a wire harness like that to go from the factory subwoofer to a secondary woofer, like an amplified Bazooka tube?
:ReneBlueWave:
 
#21 ·
My 3.5" dash speakers came in today. They fit perfectly, cost only $49 shipped, and included wiring harnesses. Tough to beat that.

Took about 45 minutes to do both of them.

Pop off cover with your PLASTIC pry tool.



She's an ugly sucker...




Wiring harness installed....




Perfect fit!



...And the grill cover fits perfectly too!



I now have much better, crisper highs. It sounds great and all off of the factory head unit.
 
#101 · (Edited)
My 3.5" dash speakers came in today. They fit perfectly, cost only $49 shipped, and included wiring harnesses. Tough to beat that.

Perfect fit!



...And the grill cover fits perfectly too!



I now have much better, crisper highs. It sounds great and all off of the factory head unit.
Thank you Gatorade for sharing which speakers and wire harness work for the dash speakers and also for the excellent pictures of the install! I just ordered them from Crutchfield, phoned it in and got the wire harness free. It's a nice bonus that they are on sale now for $30 for the pair as another poster noted. Shipping I think was about $6.
 
#229 ·
Hi, I am 100% not knowledgeable when it comes to car stereo system. But looking at your instructions I am confident I could change out my speakers. I clicked the links you provided and neither of those are available anymore. They both have newer versions and using their does this got my vehicle guide it states neither will fit. I've got a 2017 latitude. Do you by any chance know what would fit in the price range of the ones you posted? Or maybe you could explain to me what to look for to know if it will fit and I can search for myself to find suitable replacements. I'm really trying to learn about my vehicle and how to do as much as possible myself. I love the idea of putting in not only money but my time and effort into making my Jeep really mine. Thank you!
 
#33 ·
I have the 9 Speaker set up, and I knew that they didn't really have the clarity I wanted. But, with the 506 watt amplifier I was stoked I didn't have to run new wires and amp aftermarket.

Last night I pulled the dash speakers and they were rated at 4ohm, but when I pulled the door 6x9 it was rated at 2ohm... A little frustrating as the JL dash speakers I purchased were rated 4 ohm and will drop in, but the door speakers I bought are not rated at 4 ohm. When I plugged in the new 6x9 the clarity was much better (mainly because it is a more efficient 93 db rating) but I could tell the volume was lower.

After a lot of forum reading, some are saying its okay, some are saying to replace with 2 ohm with 2 ohm for the volume....I'm not looking for crazy loud...I just want a good sound.
 

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