Hi All!
I've got a 2001 TJ Sport and I'm in need of new speakers for my stereo system. The dash and sound bar speakers are easy to find, but I can't seam to find a replacement center console subwoofer. I've been told that they didn't make a subwoofer in TJ's by both local and online stores. Anyone have suggestions?
Thanks!!!
They did have an optional 7 speaker upgrade from Jeep in the TJ's. This setup added a center console sub and upgraded the front speakers to a woofer/tweeter component set in pods. If you have a sub in the center console, but it's blown, you have a few options to replace it. If your center console does not have a sub in it already, you will need to get a center console with the enclosure, or fabricate your own enclosure.
To replace a blown center console sub, you can stay original, or go with an aftermarket setup. Quadratec offers a direct plug-and-play solution for around $90; this will only work if your factory subwoofer amp is still functional and you just have a rattling sub to replace. Many people (myself included) are in favor of going aftermarket. I once replaced a customer's blown sub with a Quadratec replacement, she blew that one within a few months as well.
As long as you have the factory sub and enclosure, you can modify it fairly easily to accept a stronger and more reliable aftermarket sub. The Kicker CompVT 6.5 was mentioned above, and is a popular choice because it is still the original 6.5" diameter, but just needs a bit more depth in it's box. You can cut some plastic out of your stock enclosure, and the Kicker will drop right in. There are other options out there, and I've even heard of people cramming an aftermarket 8" sub in the center console; the sky's the limit if you have the skill and know-how.
If you do go with an aftermarket sub, you will want an aftermarket amp to power it. Some people mount this in the rear cargo area, or under a front seat. I found the idea on this and other Jeep forums to mount the amp under the driver's dashboard. There is enough room to fit a small 5-channel amp under here, I have an Alpine MRX-V70 mounted under my dash - my feet never hit it, and my steering wheel still has full tilt. New Class D amps have small footprints and big power outputs, and are much more efficient than older Class A/B amps, so their mounting options are nearly endless.
Also, for the dash speakers, a popular choice is to upgrade to a 5.25" speaker with the Nalin MFG adapter plates. If you haven't already looked into this, you should; I did 5.25" components in mine with tweeters mounted on the top of the dash corners. The difference is amazing, especially once I amplified them with my Alpine amp.
Check out my audio thread for what I did... I still need to get the pictures of the amp up there, though.
