Toyota Tacoma Stereo Upgrade

So I've scrolled through numerous message board threads before taking on the challenge of the 2001 - 2004 Double Cab Subwoofer extravaganza. I can only thank all of those who posted their setups. So much good information I learned. So, to hopefully return the favor to someone down the road, I thought I would post up my stereo installation and sub setup.

***FOR COMPLETE PLANS AND TIPS ON MAKING THE SUB BOX FOR YOURSELF***
I have made an extensive PDF document with all of the details on the sub.
Right Click and "SAVE AS" Here----> Sub Box Instructions

What I set out to do differently in my truck was to keep some of the area behind the seat for storage. I found the miracle life saver of a sub, the Pioneer Premier 8" shallow mount TS-SW841D, and this thing has a crazy mounting depth of just 2½ inches! Plus, it sounds so good! I am 100% satisfied with the result. So here it is:

Here is the Pioneer DEH3800MP Head Unit mounted up to the new pocket:


Wiring harness soldered up and taped:


Here's where I placed the amp being used for the sub. It fit very nicely. And yes, I used 10 AWG power wire. It's rated for up to 30 amps and I have a 20 amp fuse on it. It is MORE than enough for this amp. Also notice I sanded the paint off of where I will be mounting the ground (where the seat bolts in):


Here is just a comparison of stock speakers to some budget Pioneer $59.99/pair 6x8 replacements. Man, these things really took me by surprise:


Just a shot of one of the rear doors with a speaker installed:

On the front doors, I am running the factory tweeters along with these replacements.

And a picture of the sub box in the making. Now since I am only driving an 8 and because I need all of the room I can get, I am using only ½" MDF. It should be more than enough with how small of an enclosure this. Of course the box has been glued and brad nailed (1¼") as well as sealed with silicone.


Showing you the OUTER dimensions on my box 3 x 4½ x 10 x 10 1/8 x 24:


A good shot of the Pioneer Sub fitting NICELY in its shallow little home:


So with this being my 2nd sub build for behind the rear seat of this truck, I had already experienced the effect of how the rear seat will completely smother the sub from making any sound. The space is SO limited back there, even with this shallow box I have built, there still isn’t enough room for the excursion of a sub. You certainly don't want the sub to start hitting up against the metal of that seat! So I crafted up the box to mimic Pioneer's own design of the boxes they promote for these woofers. I just placed some panels of 3/4" MDF on the sides of the woofer and then used some aluminum pipe across that as a grill. So now when I smash the seats back into position, the resistance is not on the speaker at all. The speaker has all of the room it needs to reach its XMAX.


And here is a picture of the TINY amount of modification needed to the rear of the cab! All I had to so was cut out a 24" section of the rear wall carpet so the box would snugly fit under the channel. Then I removed two of the hooks. And finally, just cut the flap of carpet over the two center-most seat bolts. None of this is seen when the seats are up so who really cares! Plus it is SO MUCH less modification than many of the other setups I have seen out. And there is still room for storage of your jack and other stuff.


And here is a test fit of the sub installed. The best part, I didn't have to remove the seat backs to place the sub in. It just slipped right in. Now I did have to remove the entire seat to run wire. But, that is SO much less of a hassle than trying to remove the seat backs (or at least getting them back on):

(I just re-read this and wanted to mention I am not talking about the plastic covers on the back of the seats. Yes, those are removed, but that is easy. I meant, the 60/40 back-rests did not have to be removed in order to wedge the box in. They did on the last box I made for a standard 8" sub, but this box is a tad bit smaller.)

Finally, a couple of shots of the clearance so you can see just what I mean about how the seat would have just smashed up against the sub if the grill wasn't there. The pictures show the seat back into position but the sub is protected and allowed to move freely.


I am extremely pleased with the setup. I went out on a limb and paid what I considered a premium price for a sub at $149. But in the end I knew my options were limited. So I went for it and I am glad I did. The entire system, although built very budget conscious, sounds so very well balanced and clear. I am completely satisfied with everything and have nothing I wish to change.