How does sound bar mount?

N

N8N_99xj

NAXJA Forum User
NAXJA Member
Location
Curtis Bay, MD
Dumb question time... got a package in the mail last night and one of the things I got was a factory sound bar for an XJ. I have a '99 that was an ex gov't vehicle so it is stripped to the bone. I was assuming once I got the sound bar in my hands I'd see how it mounted, but I'm still confused. It looks like it is only held up by the trim at the sides... that can't be right can it? Kind of anxious to get this reupholstered and installed so I can not only have rear speakers but a dome light in the cargo area as well. Also how do I locate it fore-aft?
 
You are correct sir. Everyone I've ever seen was held up by the trim pieces on each side and the push clips that hold the interior light in place in the center.
 
mmm... got a pic of these "push clips?" The only interior lights that I have are up front and in the sound bar that's under the coffee table in the basement. I guess that means I need some help locating where to cut a hole(s) in my headliner as well?
 
My wife has a 99 with the sound bar. It's obviously with her and not me but if you don't have an answer by this evening I'll get some pictures for you.

I don't know... Do the non-equiped XJs have the studs for the push clips in the roof crossbar? You may end up having to drill a small pilot hole and use a really short sheet metal screw... I'd have to look at it.

Edit: After reading over a few threads it seems there's a bracket that is attached to the roof of the factory equiped XJs that you don't have. It's up there with adhesive.
 
so really it might be easier to adapt, improvise, and overcome with maybe some wood block spacers and long sheet metal screws? just wanted reassurance before I started hacking.
 
Most XJ's have a roof light in the luggage compartment that come on when the gate is opened. You have to remove that light, put the sound bar in place then re-place the light. The light is normally held on with two spring clips although I have seen some that uses screw. When I added the sound bar to my XJ, I replaced the screws with longer ones I pulled from the donar XJ. If your XJ do not have that light then you will have to search for the cross member/roof support back there then try to locate the holes in it that should secure the light.

The sound bar do have the opening cut in it for the light, does it? You could use it as a guide to help locate the roof brace.
 
The 98 and up have the sound bar molded into the headliner, the 97 and down just slip into the headliner trim as you have guessed. The wiring for the speakers should be there (where the Dome light would be) but, if it isn't, you will find it on the passenger side behind the trim near the tail light.

I added a factory bar to the 97 I had, but then replaced that with one made out of MDF for better sound quality. I had a thread on JU on it. Went to get it for you and found that the JU site has been hacked...
 
For longer pins to use with push nuts, I had a hard time finding them at the junk.
A brass L shaped cup hook worked great after cutting the bend off, and beveling the edges.
 
Got it from a part out on these very august forums. I did contact the seller and he's sending me a few more bits related to this as apparently he didn't realize that I didn't have a rear dome light at all, and also I found that apparently I need the whole switch panel to add a fog light switch (it looks like there's a blank there, but it's really not.) It'll need to be recovered, but I can handle that. Gotta do something to cover up all the rattles and squeaks :) (although slowly but surely I'm picking away at the noises... got some stainless band type exhaust clamps in the mail today) Now I have to wait for my eBay speakers and door panels to arrive... (vehicle was a victim of some really poor speaker installation in the front doors in the past)

I guess I may just have to drop the headliner to find the exact location it's supposed to mount, although I probably ought to bite the bullet and recover that as well. Surprisingly it hasn't fallen yet but it's got a couple holes in the cloth. Now I'm actually thinking of possibly doing the whole mess in Cordura because I'm seriously considering some Marathon seat covers and I hate that mouse fur headliner cloth with a passion anyway. And I got some visors w/ lights/mirrors that need to be recovered too...
 
OK... stripped the sound bar today and also started de-installing my stereo... now I'm annoyed. I was using Crutchfield as my reference for purchasing stuff, they said that I needed 5-1/4" speakers for the sound bar, I tried one of the old Sony speakers that were hacked into the front doors and are 6-1/2" those seem to fit fine, just need to zing off a few tabs? What am I missing? Is there a reason a typical 6-1/2" speaker won't fit?

Reason I'm annoyed is I already ordered some 5-1/2" Polks off eBay in anticipation of getting this done. Had I known that 6-1/2" would fit I would have got those instead. Of course I ordered ahead of time so that the whole pile of parts would arrive at the same time and I could start thrashing. Still don't even have speakers yet and I'm already disappointed :(
 
5.5 are the stock size speakers but if you trim the tabs like you said you can fit 6.5s. Crutchfield will always recomend stock size speakers because some people won't understand how to modify the others to fit.
 
5.25 is what came from factory in the soundbars IIRC, Depending on the 6.5's they COULD fit. Sell the Polks and get 6.5's?
And yes, crutchfield states what will be a bolt-in replacement.
 
N8N_99xj said:
now I'm annoyed. I was using Crutchfield as my reference for purchasing stuff, they said that I needed 5-1/4" speakers for the sound bar, I tried one of the old Sony speakers that were hacked into the front doors and are 6-1/2" those seem to fit fine, just need to zing off a few tabs? What am I missing? Is there a reason a typical 6-1/2" speaker won't fit?

Reason I'm annoyed is I already ordered some 5-1/2" Polks off eBay in anticipation of getting this done. Had I known that 6-1/2" would fit I would have got those instead. Of course I ordered ahead of time so that the whole pile of parts would arrive at the same time and I could start thrashing. Still don't even have speakers yet and I'm already disappointed :(
Click to expand...

From a Crutchfield advisor, on why they don't include speakers that can be (easily) modified to fit, on their "fits" list.

When we determine whether or not a speaker fits a certain location, we look at a number of different parameters. We take into account the usual measurements like cutout size, mounting depth and the basket and the overall basket size of the speaker, but another measurement we also take is the height. Our research team measures all of our measurements down to 1/100th of an inch, and if a speaker is off by that much our system doesn't consider it a fit. Having to drill new holes does not mean a speaker doesn't fit, it means that it is a modified fit. If you see a speaker that is not listed as fitting a location of your vehicle, it basically means that it is off on one of the measurements by more than 1/100th of an inch.



Now it is possible to fit almost any speaker into a location with some modification, but our system doesn't account for that. The system is geared around the idea that the speakers we list will fit in with minimum modifications necessary. Also note that we do have a 30 day money back guarantee, so if you are unable to make a speaker fit in a location, we will allow you to return it in the 30 day return period and we will even pay the return shipping.
Click to expand...

If you want bigger speakers, just sell/return what you have and put bigger ones in there. Once you've got the wiring in place and the soundbar installed, putting speakers in it is nothing.
 
Last edited:
yeah, I'm just a cheap beavis so I bought the Polks off eBay not a real store. (for about half of Crutchfield's price.) So I'll probably put them on craigslist and start looking for some 6-1/2s. Or I might just install them and not worry about it.

Funny thing is that the one original front door speaker that I have (for some reason the PO saved one of them? I'm only holding onto it until I get new speakers 100% mounted then into the trash they go) seems identical to the ones that came out of the sound bar save for having a bigger magnet - it too is 5-1/4" and Crutchfield does list 6-1/2" speakers as fitting in the front.
 
difference between the 5-1/4 and 6-1/2 really isnt worth the trouble you'd have to do send them back and find new ones and so on. I put 6-1/2's in both the front and in the soundbar of both my 95 and my friends 00, as long as you dont plan on keeping the stock grill they basically just fit in you just have to make some new holes to go in but thats not hard, its just fiberglass. In the front I just couldnt get screws in all the holes got 3 in each side iirc, also you have to face the speaker so the terminals are faced towards the front of the jeep so they arent hitting whatever the hell it was hitting (didnt take the time to look at what it was)

No cutting required on either i put in.
 
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