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How To Replace The Factory Subwoofer

383K views 437 replies 213 participants last post by  Crisp 
#1 ·
Let me start by saying that I am not an audiophile. A decent sounding, stock stereo is all I need. My 03 TJ came with a blown sub. Not that I need a subwoofer, but since it's there I'd at least like it to work.

I found GCJoe's TJ Factory Sub Replacement thread and thought for $19.35 shipped, I'd give the Pyramid 6 1/2 subwoofer from Parts Express a try. I took some pictures as I installed it and thought I'd post them here.

It's a simple project that took me less than an hour to complete. That includes taking pictures.

While I used a cheapie sub, I suppose this would work for any sub you might try to install.

Here's a picture of the replacement subwoofer. Looks impressive.:hahaha:


Start by removing the rubber liner from the front cup holder. Use a 10mm socket to remove the bolt.


Next, remove the rubber liner from the rear cupholder. Use a t30 Apex to remove the bolts. You can now lift up your center console.


Next is the electrical husk. Usually they have a red lock on them that you have to click over first. My center console had been removed a number of times by the previous owner. I don't see the red lock, so I'm thinking he broke it. Oh well, no matter. To separate the husk, push down on the tab with a small screwdriver and pull the two halves apart. Yours may look different for a different year Wrangler, but the idea is the same.


Now, lay your console on the workbench upside down. There are two gold brackets, one on the front and one on the rear or the sub enclosure. If you look, you notice that there are push nuts holding these brackets to the enclosure. You need to remove these push nuts without destroying them.

Front push nut.


Rear push nut.


Using a very small flat blade screwdriver, gently open the "teeth" of the push nuts. Do this by carefully prying between the teeth of the push nut and the plastic bolt that they are attached to. You don't need to open them much and you don't need to bend all of them. Once you've pried a few of them open, use a pair of needlenose pliers to remove them.

After you get the push nuts off, use the needle nose plier to push the teeth of the nut back down into place. Basically you are going to flatten the push nut. Well, not completely flat. You want to move the teeth back just enough so when you reinstall the push nuts they will grab on the bolt again. This will make sense when we put everything back together.


Lay the console on it's side and remove these three phillips screws. You can now slide the enclosure out of the bottom of the console.


Remove the four Apex screws that hold the sub in place. They are size t15. Then, break the seal between the sub and the enclose by gently prying with a screwdriver. Remove the factory sub from the enclosure.
 
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#2 · (Edited)
This half moon shaped do-hickey is what prevents your new speaker from sitting flush with the enclosure. Use a grinder, dremel, sandpaper, etc... to remove enough of it to allow your new sub to sit flush against the enclosure.


I used GCJoes suggestion for wiring the sub, and hooked up grey + and black -. Also, notice in the above picture that I taped up the unused wires and then taped them to the harness.

Then, set the new sub in the enclose and center it between the old speaker mounting holes. Use a 3/32 drill bit, gently drill a new hole to mount the speaker. CAREFULLY install the one sub mounting screw. Continue to drill and install the other three screws. Remember this is plastic. All you need to do is install them hand tight. Any more and you'll strip the plastic. Also, notice how I'm holding my finger against the screw in case the Apex should slip. Don't want to accidentally punch a hole in the new sub!


New sub in, wires routed.


Slip the enclosure back into the console. Line up the plastic bolts that the push nuts go on. Find a small deepwell socket that is large enough to slip over the plastic bolt, but is smaller than the push nut. Set the push nut on the plastic bolt, and with the socket, push the nut down onto the plastic bolt. Hence the name, push nut. :p


Lay the console on it's side and reinstall the three screws by the speaker.

Reconnect the electrical husk, being sure to snap the red lock into place if your husk is so equipped. Reinstall the bolts in both cupholders, along with the rubber liners.


You're done!

Enjoy the mediocre, but cheap new sub.
 
#6 ·
Ok, I obviously don't know how to post pics.

Mods, a little help please?
Ya, you have to have your time in before you can post images. But they will show up eventually.
 
#4 ·
you need to be here a month and have 50 posts i believe. and then you just upload to photobucket or the site of your choosing and insert the IMG code.

or get a paid subscription.

nice write up by the way! :thumbsup:
 
#5 ·
........................
 
#8 ·
so is it better or worse than stock to your ears?
 
#12 ·
Yup. Like I said, I'm not really into car audio. I just didn't like the idea of have a sub that didn't work.

Good info but if one were to use an aftermarket amp to power the replacement sub what can I do with the factory wiring? Is it connected to anything else?
That's beyond me. :rolleyes:
 
#14 ·
Took all of 15 minutes outside of modifying the enclosure to make room...about 35 minutes total. Should have been 20, so I've decided to invest in a dremel... ;)

It's not going to rattle the windows, but sounds surprisingly good on an aftermarket head unit with the audio settings adjusted.

Thanks!!!
 
#18 ·
What amp? And what sub? If you have the new 6.5" vt sub, you pretty much have to get a new amp. The 08CVT654 is setup for 150W and is a 4-ohm sub. The stock amp is ~75W but only at 1-ohm, raising that to 4-ohms leaves you with roughly 18W which would grossly under power that unit. So which one you got?
 
#335 ·
I am trying to wire a new sub in. Im a little confused on what yall are saying.

I also have an 05 LJ. Did you use the red wire as negative and black as positive?

I wired red pos and black neg first it sounded weird

wired red neg and black pos it seems to sound better I think. Although I always thought Red was positive

please shed some light as I think mine will be the same as yours

Thank you:cheers2:
 
#20 ·
Pyramid Subwoofer

Archer,

How does that Pyramid Subwoofer sound? I just ordered one today (2/19/09) Your detailed overview of the console and woofer replacement is awesome, thanks man. Just bought an '04 Limited and the Sub was blown. Couldn't stand it. Jeep wanted $298 for a new one. I about died. That must include the amp, woofer and both front seats. :laugh:

Anyway, just curious about the sound thing. Thanks again. :thumbsup:
 
#21 ·
I really can't compare it to stock, as my stock sub was junk when I bought my Jeep.

You can hear it, and feel it, a bit. You're not going to win any competitions with it, but for under $20 it works well enough. Give it a try. The price is right, and you have nothing to lose.
 
#22 ·
The previous owner of my Jeep had installed a 3-way Pioneer in place of the factory sub & it sounded pretty bad. I can't compare to the factory sub, but I was surprised how well the Pyramid replacement sounded. It's not going to be a large volume of bass, but it covers the mid bass and limited low bass ranges with fairly clear sound...
 
#25 ·
i'm in the same situation... I bought a wrangler and never even knew there was a sub there! I'm getting no sound from it though. None at all. So im going to use the instructions in this thread to check it out and replace if needed.

Looking at the service manual PDF, I also see this:

DIAGNOSIS AND TESTING - AMPLIFIED
SUBWOOFER
Any diagnosis of the Audio system should
begin with the use of the DRB IIIt diagnostic
tool. For information on the use of the DRBIII,
refer to the appropriate Diagnostic Service
Manual.

Diag. And Testing.
(1) Turn the ignition switch to the On position.
Turn the radio receiver on. Adjust the balance and
fader controls to check the performance of each individual
speaker. Note the speaker locations that are
not performing correctly.
(2) Disconnect the wire harness connector from the
amplified subwoofer. Turn the ignition switch to the
ON position. Turn the radio ON. Check the radio
choke relay wire harness connector. If not OK, repair
shorted or open wires as necessary. If OK, go to
(STEP #3).

(3) Turn the radio off. Turn the ignition switch to
the Off position. Disconnect and isolate the battery
negative cable. Remove the radio and the amplified
subwoofer. Check both the speaker feed (+) circuit
and return (-) circuit cavities for the inoperative
speaker location(s) from the radio wire harness connectors
and to the amplified subwoofer for continuity.
In each case, there should be continuity. If not OK,
repair the shorted speaker feed (+) and/or return (-)
circuit(s) to the speaker as required. If OK, replace
the amplified subwoofer.
 
#27 ·
Anyone think that this 6.5 sub (or something like it) would fit in the overhead pods? I was thinking about maybe using some 3 ways in the front 4x6 spot and running my amp to two of these in the pods instead of the regular 5.25. I had read that 6.5 will fit in there as long as you use a different grille. Has anyone tried that?
 
#28 ·
Even if it would, don't do it. Subs in the open turbulent atmosphere like that would be damaged and sound horrible. You want the subs in the static atmosphere down low. Don't forget to go for the 5.25" upgrade in the dash.
 
#32 ·
Thanks for the post, this is great information - especially since I was led to believe that I couldn't get to that subwoofer without a licensed mechanic. *snort*

Does anyone out there know how to hook up the stock SW and amp to an after-market stereo? The guys who installed my new system didn't bother, and when I pushed the issue, they told me that this stereo wouldn't run "a stock subwoofer like that." (please imagine the sneering, and condescending tones of voice)

Wiring is not my forte, so I'm at a bit of a loss on how to solve this.

-W
 
#33 ·
If they had simply wired up the remote-turn-on wire (and the speakers) from the new deck to the stock harness, it would be working already. As for them being so stupid to say something like that, I would never go back to that store again. It will, quite easily run the stock sub. For them to even think it wouldn't just shows how ignorant they are.

The stock harness wire in the TJ is the power antenna wire. Often they wire that up from the aftermarket head unit so your sub only works on AM/FM. Other half of the time they don't even wire that up. Wire the remote-turn-on wire to that wire and all will work (unless they blue the sub's fuse or something installing it).
 
#35 ·
I got my sub woofer working, sort of, the sub itself is blown. So this might help some people in the same boat. The previous owner had completely disconnected the sub and the 12 pin connector. They went into the enclosure and wired up their own speaker wire to the factory sub and who knows what they had it connected to, probably an external amp and that's what blew the sub.

So at first I figured just connect the connector and I'm good to go, no such luck. Because I had replaced the factory radio with a JVC head unit I had not conected a switched power lead. I used a Crutchfield harness, great product by the way, and on their diagram it has a blue wire labelled power antena (in a wrangler), so I had not hooked that up. Well that wire goes directly to pin 5 (lime green wire) on the sub woofer connector. Just hooked it up to a remote turn on lead coming from the JVC unit and the amp was working again, yeah!!!

Unfortunately that is what allowed me to find out the sub was blown but based on the other write-ups I would have replaced it anyway so my pyramid sub is on the way for less than $18 including shipping. A few hours of research and testing and $18 is not bad to get some decent low end sound.

I also picked up a set of VR3 Elite 3-way 5.25in speakers for the roll bar speaker pods, $40 at Walmart. I was going to buy a set of Infiniti Reference speakers from Crutchfield but but they were twice the price and the specs on these, while not as good at the Infinitis, was still pretty good. I may still spring for the 5.25in Infinitis for in the dash with a set of adapter brackets to switch from the 4x6 speakers.

I have the full wiring diagram for the sub woofer connector and when I pull it apart again to put the Pyramid Sub in I'll try and take a picture and post the diagram for everyone.
 
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