Advice for those installing 77KICK10 speakers in a 2012 JK
09-01-2012, 12:36 PM
#1
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Thread Starter
Advice for those installing 77KICK10 speakers in a 2012 JK
I just installed 77KICK10's in the front and in the sound bar today. I know most of this information is available in other threads, because I looked again today. But it is a bit hard to locate so I thought I'd record my experience in case it is helpful to others.
These speakers are an amazing improvement on the stock speakers found in my base 2012 JK. When you remove the old speakers, you will be shocked at how cheap they are. The 77KICK10's are not just nicer looking and a lot heavier but they sound quite a bit better. They are capable of handling a lot more volume, always a good thing with the top down.
The speakers come with a packet of instructions for various Chrysler vehicles. While the header states that the instructions are for "2007-UP Jeep Wrangler 2 Door/4 Door," the text of the instructions states that they apply to "2007-2010 Jeep Wrangler." The dash was changed in 2011, and so the instructions are not entirely accurate for the 2012 model (and probably for 2013 as well) In case you have a set of these instructions, numbers in parentheses refer to the numbered paragraphs in the written instructions.
DRIVER'S SIDE
The plastic panel under the steering wheel is a single piece. It is hinged at the bottom and held in by plastic clips along the left and right. Pull out on either top corner of the panel gently, but with steady force, and the top clip will come undone. The others will follow along that side. Then do the opposite side. The white clips remain attached to the plastic panel. Rotate it downward and it will come off. (1)
There is no second, small panel below the one you just removed on a 2012 JK. (2)
There are four screws holding the dash to the steel subframe, not six as noted in the instructions. (3) They are 7mm and I used a 1/4" handheld driver and socket.
Also remove the single 7mm screw under the dash, just to the left of the data port. (4)
Remove the dash end panel by prying it loose. I used a thin screwdriver at the front edge, lifting carefully until the plastic clips gave way. Again, the white clips remain attached to the panel, which lifts out easily. (5)
The written instructions state to carefully pull the dash panel outward until there is sufficient room to allow access to the three screws retaining the speaker. (6) You will be bending the plastic dash panel quite a bit in order to do this. Mine survived without a mark.
The three screws that attach the speaker to the black plastic speaker box are arranged equidistant around the circumference of the speaker with one at the top. The front frame of the speaker has three tabs (plastic on the factory speaker, metal on the 77KICK10's) through which the screws are inserted into the black speaker box behind. While you can get to the two side screws with a shorty screwdriver or a small ratchet, the top one is very hard to get at. I managed to get all three screws out with one of those fat but only 2" long phillips head screwdrivers. Note that the instructions state that the screws have a Torx T20 head (7), but mine were phillips head.
Although I managed to get the speaker out relatively quickly using a shorty screwdriver, I wonder whether it would be easier to remove the entire speaker box. The speaker box is a hollow black vessel, a little larger than the speaker itself. It is held in with three screws. Two are visible from the side (7mm), where you removed the side panel. The third attaches the speaker box to the steel subframe near the bottom of the dash (10mm). They are all visible. As you will see when you read the passenger's side instructions, this is how I did the speaker on that side. However, on the passenger side the speaker box, with speaker still attached, will fit through the glove box opening. It may be more difficult to do this on the driver's side. I did not try, nor did I consider it at the time.
The speaker wire is connected with a simple clip. Unclip it, remove the old speaker (8), and clip the new speaker in. (9) Then install the speaker with the same three screws that you removed. This was the most difficult part because, again, the clearance for the top screw is very close. If I pulled the plastic dash panel any further out, I was afraid I'd crack it or at least crease it. Luckily, the screws are going into plastic, so there is no need for a lot of torque. The face frame of the 77KICK10 is metal and has three metal tabs through which the screws go. The three screw holes on the face of the black speaker box are bordered by ridges apparently intended to guide the speaker's metal tabs so they align with the screw holes. The written instructions state to put the the longest of the three metal tabs at the top. (9) The alignment ridges on the speaker box are a tight fit. Make sure each of the tabs on the speaker is fully seated on the face of the speaker box, between the alignment ridges. Otherwise the speaker will not be tightly mounted to the surface of the speaker box and there may be some vibration. One of my speaker tabs got caught up on one of these ridges and I had to loosen the screw and twist the speaker a bit to get the tab to seat flat on the speaker box.
Everything goes back in reverse order. (10) Pretty easy from this point.
PASSENGER'S SIDE
This was supposed to be the easy side. In the end it was, but only because I ditched the written instructions.
First, you open the glove box, press in on the sides, and rotate the glove box downward. It falls right out of the dash. (11)
There is no small plastic panel below the glove box that you need to remove, as stated in the written instructions. (12)
The written instructions state that there are six screws attaching the plastic cash to the metal subframe. I found only two. Use a 7mm driver to remove these. (13)
There is a single screw under the dash to the right. Remove this with a 7 mm driver. (14)
Remove the dash end panel in the same manner as the driver's side. (15)
The written instructions state to carefully pull the dash panel outward until there is sufficient room to allow access to the three screws retaining the speaker. There was even less clearance than on the driver's side. I could not get any tool to the top speaker screw. I looked around for other screws attaching the dash panel to the steel subframe. There appears to be a plastic tab along the top of the glove box opening that covers two other screws, but I could not figure out how to get it off without breaking it. In the end, the method I used was much easier.
The speaker is attached to a hollow, black speaker box a bit larger than the speaker itself. The speaker box is attached to the steel subframe with three screws. You will find two 7 mm screws visible through the opening where you removed the side panel. The third screw attaches the speaker box to the metal subframe near the bottom of the dash; it is 10 mm. All three of these come out easily. The speaker box has its own wiring clip visible through the glove box opening. Unclip it. Then slide the speaker box, with the speaker still attached, to the left into the void where the glove box was located, and pull it through the glove box opening. You can then easily unscrew the existing speaker, detach its wiring clip, and install the new one. You just reverse these steps to reinstall the speaker box. Put it back through the opening in the dash, slide it to the right, and attach it with the three screws removed previously. Don't forget to reattach the wiring clip to the speaker box itself.
Replace all of the screws in the reverse order and put the glove box back in.
SOUND BAR
The speakers in the sound bar are very simple to install. They are held in by three visible Torx T15 screws that go through the grill, then the speaker tabs, into the plastic frame of the sound bar. Just remove the screws, unclip the speaker wire, clip in the new speaker, and reinstall the screws through the grill and the speaker into the sound bar. Note that these screws go into plastic so there is no need for a lot of torque.
That is it. Hope this is helpful to someone.
These speakers are an amazing improvement on the stock speakers found in my base 2012 JK. When you remove the old speakers, you will be shocked at how cheap they are. The 77KICK10's are not just nicer looking and a lot heavier but they sound quite a bit better. They are capable of handling a lot more volume, always a good thing with the top down.
The speakers come with a packet of instructions for various Chrysler vehicles. While the header states that the instructions are for "2007-UP Jeep Wrangler 2 Door/4 Door," the text of the instructions states that they apply to "2007-2010 Jeep Wrangler." The dash was changed in 2011, and so the instructions are not entirely accurate for the 2012 model (and probably for 2013 as well) In case you have a set of these instructions, numbers in parentheses refer to the numbered paragraphs in the written instructions.
DRIVER'S SIDE
The plastic panel under the steering wheel is a single piece. It is hinged at the bottom and held in by plastic clips along the left and right. Pull out on either top corner of the panel gently, but with steady force, and the top clip will come undone. The others will follow along that side. Then do the opposite side. The white clips remain attached to the plastic panel. Rotate it downward and it will come off. (1)
There is no second, small panel below the one you just removed on a 2012 JK. (2)
There are four screws holding the dash to the steel subframe, not six as noted in the instructions. (3) They are 7mm and I used a 1/4" handheld driver and socket.
Also remove the single 7mm screw under the dash, just to the left of the data port. (4)
Remove the dash end panel by prying it loose. I used a thin screwdriver at the front edge, lifting carefully until the plastic clips gave way. Again, the white clips remain attached to the panel, which lifts out easily. (5)
The written instructions state to carefully pull the dash panel outward until there is sufficient room to allow access to the three screws retaining the speaker. (6) You will be bending the plastic dash panel quite a bit in order to do this. Mine survived without a mark.
The three screws that attach the speaker to the black plastic speaker box are arranged equidistant around the circumference of the speaker with one at the top. The front frame of the speaker has three tabs (plastic on the factory speaker, metal on the 77KICK10's) through which the screws are inserted into the black speaker box behind. While you can get to the two side screws with a shorty screwdriver or a small ratchet, the top one is very hard to get at. I managed to get all three screws out with one of those fat but only 2" long phillips head screwdrivers. Note that the instructions state that the screws have a Torx T20 head (7), but mine were phillips head.
Although I managed to get the speaker out relatively quickly using a shorty screwdriver, I wonder whether it would be easier to remove the entire speaker box. The speaker box is a hollow black vessel, a little larger than the speaker itself. It is held in with three screws. Two are visible from the side (7mm), where you removed the side panel. The third attaches the speaker box to the steel subframe near the bottom of the dash (10mm). They are all visible. As you will see when you read the passenger's side instructions, this is how I did the speaker on that side. However, on the passenger side the speaker box, with speaker still attached, will fit through the glove box opening. It may be more difficult to do this on the driver's side. I did not try, nor did I consider it at the time.
The speaker wire is connected with a simple clip. Unclip it, remove the old speaker (8), and clip the new speaker in. (9) Then install the speaker with the same three screws that you removed. This was the most difficult part because, again, the clearance for the top screw is very close. If I pulled the plastic dash panel any further out, I was afraid I'd crack it or at least crease it. Luckily, the screws are going into plastic, so there is no need for a lot of torque. The face frame of the 77KICK10 is metal and has three metal tabs through which the screws go. The three screw holes on the face of the black speaker box are bordered by ridges apparently intended to guide the speaker's metal tabs so they align with the screw holes. The written instructions state to put the the longest of the three metal tabs at the top. (9) The alignment ridges on the speaker box are a tight fit. Make sure each of the tabs on the speaker is fully seated on the face of the speaker box, between the alignment ridges. Otherwise the speaker will not be tightly mounted to the surface of the speaker box and there may be some vibration. One of my speaker tabs got caught up on one of these ridges and I had to loosen the screw and twist the speaker a bit to get the tab to seat flat on the speaker box.
Everything goes back in reverse order. (10) Pretty easy from this point.
PASSENGER'S SIDE
This was supposed to be the easy side. In the end it was, but only because I ditched the written instructions.
First, you open the glove box, press in on the sides, and rotate the glove box downward. It falls right out of the dash. (11)
There is no small plastic panel below the glove box that you need to remove, as stated in the written instructions. (12)
The written instructions state that there are six screws attaching the plastic cash to the metal subframe. I found only two. Use a 7mm driver to remove these. (13)
There is a single screw under the dash to the right. Remove this with a 7 mm driver. (14)
Remove the dash end panel in the same manner as the driver's side. (15)
The written instructions state to carefully pull the dash panel outward until there is sufficient room to allow access to the three screws retaining the speaker. There was even less clearance than on the driver's side. I could not get any tool to the top speaker screw. I looked around for other screws attaching the dash panel to the steel subframe. There appears to be a plastic tab along the top of the glove box opening that covers two other screws, but I could not figure out how to get it off without breaking it. In the end, the method I used was much easier.
The speaker is attached to a hollow, black speaker box a bit larger than the speaker itself. The speaker box is attached to the steel subframe with three screws. You will find two 7 mm screws visible through the opening where you removed the side panel. The third screw attaches the speaker box to the metal subframe near the bottom of the dash; it is 10 mm. All three of these come out easily. The speaker box has its own wiring clip visible through the glove box opening. Unclip it. Then slide the speaker box, with the speaker still attached, to the left into the void where the glove box was located, and pull it through the glove box opening. You can then easily unscrew the existing speaker, detach its wiring clip, and install the new one. You just reverse these steps to reinstall the speaker box. Put it back through the opening in the dash, slide it to the right, and attach it with the three screws removed previously. Don't forget to reattach the wiring clip to the speaker box itself.
Replace all of the screws in the reverse order and put the glove box back in.
SOUND BAR
The speakers in the sound bar are very simple to install. They are held in by three visible Torx T15 screws that go through the grill, then the speaker tabs, into the plastic frame of the sound bar. Just remove the screws, unclip the speaker wire, clip in the new speaker, and reinstall the screws through the grill and the speaker into the sound bar. Note that these screws go into plastic so there is no need for a lot of torque.
That is it. Hope this is helpful to someone.
09-13-2012, 03:11 PM
#2
JK Enthusiast
Thanks! Great writeup. This will help me with my install tomorrow when my speakers arrive. I will use your instructions to get started taking the dash apart and ready to go when the big brown truck comes.
10-31-2012, 10:28 AM
#3
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Thread Starter
I had a private message today asking what head unit I have and whether the speakers made a difference. I have the stock head unit on a 2012 base JK, and the 4 Kicker upgrades made a big difference, not only in volume but in the quality of sound.
10-31-2012, 12:34 PM
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Anyone install these into a 2013 with the new alpine system? Haven't heard the 2012 so I'm not really sure how much of a improvement is between the 2012 and 2013 stock system.
10-31-2012, 12:37 PM
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Well I can tell you I was very disappointed in the 2012 Infinity system for what Chrysler touts as "premium", but I have yet to hear the 2013.
10-31-2012, 12:50 PM
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Originally Posted by Rubicop
Well I can tell you I was very disappointed in the 2012 Infinity system for what Chrysler touts as "premium", but I have yet to hear the 2013.
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12-02-2012, 02:32 AM
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I have a 2013 JKU Sport on order. I added the Alpine system to the build, figured for $400 it would be worth the upgrade. I grabbed an accessiers brochure and noticed the Kicker system (why wasn't this just the premium system?) So I searched around to see what peoples opinions were. Couldn't find much except that it is better then stock. So I'm tempted to try it like it is when I get it and then swap out the Alpines for the Kickers to see the difference. It may be a month or so till I get my Jeep but I will report back and let you know which speakers I will be selling off.
12-02-2012, 04:05 AM
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RedJupiter-thanks for the info. Great write up, I used this when doing a retrofit recently and it made things easy.
For those interested in improving what comes from the factory, this thread might also be of interest...possibly better than Kicker for same cost/effort...
https://www.jk-forum.com/forums/jk-w...pgrade-221486/
For those interested in improving what comes from the factory, this thread might also be of interest...possibly better than Kicker for same cost/effort...
https://www.jk-forum.com/forums/jk-w...pgrade-221486/
12-08-2012, 01:18 PM
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Well apparently I am getting stock speakers... I checked my build and for some reason it wasn't on there so i went to the dealer to see why. Well I went to the max tow package shortly after I ordered and somehow the premium system was bumped off the order and it is now to far in the build to do anything about. So I will definitly have to do the speaker upgrade now as I know I won't be happy with stock.