Hi all,

New the forum. Seeking advice on changing out the stock sound system in my boyfriends (new to us) 2002 Dakota SLT quad cab. His birthday is coming up and I thought it would be a nice gift. However, he travels for work and the truck is not here for me to snoop and measure.

I am hoping to replace all (4?) speakers and the stock deck. From what the internet tells me the speakers are 6.5 all the way around. Can someone confirm this? As far as the deck goes, I would like to get an LCD touchscreen deck that will fit right in place of the stock part without have a gaping hole. Can someone tell me what the specs on this deck need to be?

Current he has no reception on the radio, I'm thinking an after market antenna may be another thing to purchase. suggestions?

Also, was thinking about getting seat/steering wheel covers. The truck is burgundy with grey trim and grey interior. Looking for a vote. If it was YOUR truck would you want grey/black, black/red, or straight black covers? I did find some awesome red speakers that I was thinking would look badass with red/black covers. But the truck isn't "red". Input is much appreciated.

Thank you in advance.

 

I'm in the middle of an install, myself. Almost went with an LCD but chose another option.

The speakers are 6.75, but 6.5" will fit in the factory spacer or have adapters to facilitate it. Any single din radio should fit. If you're getting one with an motorized LCD, be sure it's one that flips UP and not down. If you buy from Crutchfield.com, they will include the necessary hardware. That includes dash adapter, wire harness adapter and antenna adapter.

 

Thanks for the info. Can I ask why you opted out on the LCD?

Is anybody familiar with BOSS brand? The speakers I mentioned earlier that I am looking at are Boss, and I see that Crutchfield has Boss decks. I've never really heard much about the brand before and wonder if they are worth getting. I know you generally get what you pay for and they are quite inexpensive.

 

stick with name brand decks [alpine, clarion, JVC, Kenwood, Pioneer]. They aren't something to skimp on. The bad reception may be just a loose connection on the plug in back, or maybe the antenna cable is pinched somewhere.

Depending on what music you listen to, do yourself a favor ahead of time, and get some 600hz bass blockers with the speakers.

If you order from crutchfield, the deck will come with a fitmet and wiring adapters, as will the speakers. Just make sure you select the options under the "what fits my car" system.

some people like infinity speakers and some dont. But i think they have some cheap decent ones, I put them in my front doors and like them. I have some second hand infinities in the back. The bass blockers make a big difference in keeping the audio from getting distorted.

 

no, our openings are technically 1.5 din but only a single din fits due to the rounded corners. Like dodgevity said, get one with a screen that goes up, else the HVAC controls will be blocked.

http://www.crutchfield.com/app/car/carselector.aspx

yes the prices are high, but they give you all the adapters you need to make things plug and play.

 

I see now that the deck I posted is double din. Woops. Rookie mistake. I know he is a fan of Infinity. I didn't see any touchscreen decks compatible with his truck on Crutchfield. Suppose it doesn't have to be touchscreen but I don't mind buying used if it's a better product for the same price as low quality new.

 

The Boss brand is pretty much junk, on par with Jensen. Walmart has em too. Again, you can't install 2 din (aka double din) because the dash space won't accomodate. This limits your selection of LCDs greatly.

I changed my mind about an LCD for a few reasons. One was price - since I didn't want to install junk and didn't want to pay 399.00 or above for an LCD. I chose instead, to purchase a Kenwood that links to an android app on my smartphone. My smart phone has a pretty big screen, so I will mount that on the dash with a holder. From there I can play Netflix, etc and connect the sound via bluetooth on the radio or plug into the Aux from the phone's headphone jack. DVD players are becoming passe and my phone can be updated.

 

You could always modify your dash to fit a double din (ie: trim some plastic).

I was debating about going that route but decided to stick with single din because I got a nice deck for free.

 

Happen to know the model number of your Kenwood, Dodgevity?

Since it's a gift I don't want to buy something that will require him to modify the truck as I'm not sure if he wants to go that route or not.

 

When you say that Crutchfield includes install kits, will that eliminate any open spaces/gaps from removing the stock?