I need to know how to get to the rear speakers in a 2000 dodge dakota club cab. there is a **** ton of trim to remove i just need to know how to remove it correctly.
thanks

 

1. Slide both front seats all the way forward, seat backs let forward too. Pull straight out on the back rest part of the back seat, working from one of the bottom corners and going across the back side of the cab. Unsnap the bottom edge first then work up and snap the top side out. It has about a dozen plastic snap-in retainers. If one breaks don't worry, you can buy new ones cheap at any good parts store. Remove the cushion from the cab and put it in the bed or some other place.

2. Flip the rear seat bottoms up and remove the 5 or 6 10mm bolts holding the storage and tool tray in place. Renove the jack and jack tool bag, then remove the tool tray from the cab and put it somewhere out of the way too.

3. Remove the front right and left kick panels. Pull straight back on the edge of it that covers the door jamb and it will snap right out. Then pull up on the door sill cover panels and put all the pieces out of the way somewhere.

4. Snap the cover off the upper seat belt anchors and remove the torx bolt there, I think it's a T45 or T50. Let the seat belt rest in the rear floorboard.

5. Open the rear side window.

6. The rear side panel is actually made up of two separate panels, one on top and one on bottom. Reach up on the top rear corner of the upper plastic panel that is covering the rear side window, closest to the back windshield, and feel the metal snap in fastener just behind that corner of the panel. Get your index finger on one side of it and middle finger on the other side of it and snap the corner loose. It is best to do it that way to keep from cracking the panel. There are 2 or 3 more metal fasteners just like it on the back of the upper panel, and remove them the same way. Then pull the top section out and pull the lower edge of the upper panel away from the lower plastic side panel (the one with the speaker grille on it).

7. After that, you will see a couple of phillips head screws on the top and back edges of the lower panel, and I think there may be one or two screws on the bottom edge too. Remove all the screws, then work the panel out from around the seat belt and just let it rest on the ground outside the door. Put down some cardboard or a blanket to keep it from being scratched.

8. Then you should be able to just remove the 3 philips screws holding the speaker to the side panel.

9. Follow these steps in reverse to reassemble everything.

In case you need to know, on the left rear speaker the brown/yellow wire is positive. I think the negative is brown/light blue on that side. On the rght rear speaker, the blue/white is positive and the negative I think is blue/orange. It has been a while but I think those are your colors.

You can either separate the factory speaker from its plastic mounting bracket and screw the new speakers to them, or use the old speaker as a template and make your own mounting brackets out of 1/2" medium density fiberboard. You can get a sheet of mdf big enough for both speakers for about 5 bucks at Home Depot in the shelving area of the lumber department. If you use mdf panels, paint them with flat black spray paint first so you can't see the mdf through the speaker grilles. I have always just made my own speaker adaptor plates from mdf, and I think it sounds a lot better and has less resonance than using plastic adapter plates, but either way will work. It's also a good idea to line the inside edge of the rear speaker locations with a layer of duct tape, you don't want to go through this whole process again just because a speaker terminal is touching metal behind the speaker hole and grounding out the radio or amplifier.


Jimmy

 

Thank you 01SilverCC, this was very helpful!

I'd like to add for the next reader: Make sure you get 6.75" speakers. If you can only find 6.5" speakers, make sure you get adapter mounts. (about $18) The Best Buy installers have them, they weren't in the store. You will still have to drill a hole for one of the mounting holes because they don't quite fit properly..

 

The specs are 6.5 not 6.75, Ive done this before front and back, its a pain but worth it for the sound.

Also I dont know of any companies that even made 6.75 rounds, your thinking of putting a 6 inch in the 6.5 spot, if you look for a 6.75 people will think your crazy at any stereo shop, best buy doesnt know what their talking about.

One thing, dont always just throw the stock speakers out, they can be good for a budget boombox that stays on the shelf.

 

Really?! Then explain this: http://www.dakota-durango.com/parts_audio.php

I just put them in. I might just know

 

Every stereo shop I went too their database showed me 6.5. I measured the old speakers and they are 6.5, maybe that website isnt measuring the speaker cone but instead the frame. Otherwise I dont know because my kicker and alpine 6.5 rounds fit just fine, one thing is I should use the fiber board everyone talks about, I bolted them directly to the metal.

 

If you are not afraid to cut metal 6x9's will also fit.