DIY: Install 6" speakers with tweeters. 2012 Ram 1500 SLT

[OTSS]

Edit: should be 6.5" speakers in subject line. The speakers I got are listed at 6" but fit 6.5" so I don't know why they are listed at 6"

Alright so I just did my install on my new head unit and there is the DIY posted here as well http://www.ramforum.com/f75/diy_replace_factory_radio_double_din_aftermarket_stereo_2012_ram_1500_slt-43170/
Now I am installing my speakers. I am missing a couple pictures but I will do the write up as best as I could with a few things I might have done differently. Again this is the first time I installed anything in any vehicle before so this is coming from a 100% beginner.
First here are some things you might need
These are adapters that fit nicely for fitting a 6.5" speaker into the 6x9 hole. If you have 6x9 speakers don't bother getting these. Amazon.com: Scosche SA69 Convertible 6x9-Inch Speaker Adapter - Pair: Car Electronics
Now these are plugs that are plug and play into your factory speaker wires and connect to the speakers. Amazon.com: Metra 72-6514 Speaker Harness for Select Chrysler/Dodge Vehicles: Electronics
Also you can get whatever speakers you want but these are the ones I got Amazon.com: Pair of Brand New Jl Audio C2-600 6" Component Speakers with Adjustable Crossovers: Car Electronics
You will also need speaker wire. I got mine from my local electronics store but you can use whatever speaker wire you choose.

Well now that we have everything we need lets get those doors off. First you take off the sail panel by just pulling from the top and it pops off

Now you pop the cap behind the door handle with a small flat head

Now take that screw out and save it then use a flat head again on the left side to pry the panel behind the handle out and slide it off the handle.

Now take out the 6 screws and plugs from around door using a Torx T20 or Torx 25 bit (I forgot which one. I might edit this when I jog my memory) and use a flat head to pull the plugs out when you get the screws out. Save all the pieces.

Now pull the door off by sliding up and out. Now hold it with your thigh and push up from underneath on the power window button box and it pops out. Then unplug it by pushing the button underneath the plug and pulling them apart. Now take the door off and set aside

Now that the door is off, take the old speaker out by using a 5mm socket on the 4 screws.

This is the hole left after you pull out the speaker and unplug it from factory plug in.

Now I pulled out the factory cable holding the plug by squeezing on the back end of the screw and pulling. The picture is of the back door but in the front the plug is in the other way but you just squeeze the screw and it slides through the hole.

Now connect the factory plug in adapters I bought separately.

At this point if you just have 6x9's and no tweeters you can just connect this to your speaker and screw it in and put the door back on but I have 6.5" components and tweeters so I use my crossover box and adapter to fit my 6.5" speakers into a 6x9 hole. I just screw my speaker into the adapter

Now I set up my crossover box by cutting 6 speaker wires to length(make them a little longer as you can cut them to length later) and stripping the ends and connecting them all to the crossover box making sure I know which is positive and which is negative(first one on left is positive and then alternates positive negative positive from left to right)

Now I mount the crossover box inside the door(you can mount wherever you want and the manufacturer actually tells you not to mount them in door but this is where I chose and you can choose differently) I pre-drilled the holes first then screwed it in. The holes are actually just above the rubber in the picture

 

[OTSS]

Now for me I ended up just cutting off the ends of my adapter for factory plugs and stripping them and using twist caps to connect them to the 1st and 2nd stereo wires on the left coming from the crossover box(be sure to know which is positive and which is negative. Black is negative on the adapter) Also side note I would use solder and heat shielding to do this but this was my first time

Then I use my wire strippers to strip the stereo wire from the 3rd and 4th wires on my crossover box from the left and crimp on some connectors that came with my speakers. Make sure you know which is positive and which is negative and look ahead to make sure your connecting positive to positive and negative to negative.

Now put the speaker in place and use the gap to put the wire in then screw the speaker in place.

Now take the 5th and 6th wires from crossover and wire it to where you want your tweeter. I put mine in the sail panel we pulled off before removing the door. Again you can put it anywhere you want but this is where I chose. I wired it first and zip tied all my wires so they don't dangle and put the door on before putting the tweeter in. Also this is the point you would want to rattle proof anything loose so you don't hear it when music is playing(which I didn't do)

Now I didn't take pictures of installing the tweeter in the sail panel but here is the pictures of doing it in the rear door. First I used a hole saw to cut my
hole where I wanted to put my tweeter.

Then I put in the flush mount and screwed it down.

Then trimmed the screw back so it fit and then put the door back on but I forgot to take a picture of it.

Then I put the tweeter in place by putting the wires through and twisting the tweeter into place.

Then I did the same thing and cut the connectors off and stripped them and put twist caps on and connected it to the 5th and 6th spots on my crossover box

Now I reassembled everything.

A few things I might have forgot is to test your speakers as you install them to make sure they work. Another thing I noticed is I don't know what the ruling is on speaker break in periods or if they even exist but I can say with 100% certainty that these specific speakers had a break in time of about 80 hours. The difference being night and day. The day I installed them I thought they didn't sound that great and had great mids and highs but had no thump at all. The bass was almost non existent. Then I drove around for a couple weeks and now the sound is amazing. I get loud bass from these speakers, not as good as dedicated sub woofers obviously but they sound 100% better than when I first installed them.

 

[Jmhm17]

Nice write up!!

 

[Bob2013Ram1500]

Nice tutorial on component speaker install

I am planning on doing the same, I am going to put in 6.5 Pioneer TS-D1720C's in the front and 6x9's in the back doors of my crew cab. Are you still using your dash speakers? If so are they factory or aftermarket? Again very good........

 

[WhiteExpress]

Great in depth write up!

Please note, twist caps are designed for a solid core wire.

 

[PX8]

Are you running those to an amp or did you just tap into the factory speaker wires? Reason I ask is I'm wondering how in the world do you run speaker wire back into the cab of the truck from the doors.

 

[OTSS]

Yes I am using my factory amp, possibly my head unit built in amp as well I don't know how my wiring worked out(I think it is all through factory) I do have a write up of the head unit I installed on here as well which was a double din and needed some cutting to fit. If you wanted to not run new wire I think you can extend the wiring from the back of your head unit to an amp and connect from the amp to the wiring harness from there if you want to avoid the head ache but still use an amp.

Also I am still using my dash speakers. They do have noticeably crappier sound but the tweeters over power them for the most part. I will install some later.

White Express thanks for the info, so the caps you don't need to strip the wire? is that what that means?