Cómo reemplazar los altavoces delanteros en un Jeep Wrangler JK (2007 – 2018)

Reemplazar los parlantes delanteros de fábrica con los del mercado de accesorios es el primer paso para mejorar el audio del automóvil en Jeep Wrangler JK. Pero, ¿cómo cambiar los altavoces delanteros en Jeep Wrangler JK y cuáles son los mejores? Vamos a averiguarlo.

Reemplazar los altavoces frontales, aunque requiere mucho tiempo, no es difícil. Siga los pasos a continuación y simplifique todo el proceso.

• Retire los paneles laterales del tablero con una herramienta de extracción de paneles o un destornillador plano.

• Retire la protección para las rodillas del lado del conductor.

• Retire los pernos de 10 mm de la cubierta metálica del volante.

• Retire dos pernos de 7 mm de debajo del tablero del volante. El Wrangler JK antiguo tenía cuatro tornillos en este lugar.

• Retira la guantera empujando las lengüetas interiores hacia adentro hasta que los dos pasadores de plástico se suelten del tablero.

• Desatornille los tornillos debajo de la guantera. Según el modelo, hay dos o cuatro tornillos debajo.

• Retire dos pernos de 7 mm de debajo de la guantera; los modelos JK más antiguos tienen cuatro pernos en esta área.

• Retire dos pernos de 7 mm de cada lado del tablero que sujetan las cajas de los altavoces.

• Retire un perno de 10 mm de debajo de cada gabinete.

• Desconecte los cables de cada caja de altavoces.

• Retire las cubiertas sueltas detrás del tablero.

• Retire los altavoces de las cajas y reemplácelos por otros nuevos.

Estos pasos harán que el proceso de reemplazo del altavoz sea rápido y fácil. Si su Jeep está equipado con tweeters separados, reemplazarlos es sencillo porque puede acceder a ellos desde la parte superior del tablero.

Según el año del Wrangler JK, tendrá un tweeter sobresaliendo en ambas esquinas del tablero y, después de 2015, dentro del tablero.

En el siguiente artículo, repasaremos los mejores altavoces que puede encontrar para un tablero JK y analizaremos en detalle el proceso de reemplazo.

¿Cómo reemplazar los altavoces del tablero de fábrica en Wrangler JK?

Los parlantes en Wrangler no están colocados en las puertas estándar, como en el 99% de los otros autos. En cambio, los encontrará en los asientos que miran hacia el tablero, lo que significa que el efecto estéreo también es diferente.

Los altavoces delanteros de nuestro Jeep JK no son tan fáciles de reemplazar como los del viejo Wrangler TJ, pero no es difícil. Simplemente consume más tiempo.

Alguien puede preguntar si vale la pena reemplazar los parlantes de fábrica en Wrangler. Después de escuchar el sistema de audio estándar, comprenderá que cada hora dedicada a reemplazarlos vale la pena.

No hace mucho tiempo, reemplazamos los altavoces frontales en el Wrangler JK de un amigo el sábado y fue muy divertido con la barbacoa.

Si no tienes la experiencia, es más fácil comenzar en el lado del pasajero, donde tendrás un poco más de acceso al tablero. Cuando ya sepa qué hacer cuando se complete el lado del pasajero, el altavoz del lado del conductor irá mucho más rápido.

Sustitución de los altavoces frontales del Wrangler JK.

Aunque no necesita ninguna herramienta avanzada, algunas herramientas manuales simples le ayudarán a reemplazar los altavoces del tablero delantero en el Wrangler JK:

• Herramienta de panel
• Llave de tubo con extensión
• Zócalos de 7 mm y 10 mm
• Destornillador Torx T-20

Para acceder a los pernos que sujetan los gabinetes, debe quitar los paneles laterales a ambos lados del tablero y quitar la guantera. Al retirar la guantera, apriete los lados y luego saque la caja con cuidado.

En el lado del conductor, retire el soporte para las rodillas debajo del volante. Ahora tiene acceso a todos los pernos que sujetan los gabinetes. Retírelos con llaves de tubo de 7 mm y 10 mm desde la parte inferior y lateral del tablero. En total, según el año de producción de su Jeep, tendrá cuatro o seis tornillos.

Retirar la carcasa del lado del conductor puede llevar mucho tiempo. Deberá girar la caja hacia abajo para sacarla.

Después de sacar la caja del altavoz, desenrosque los pernos y retire el altavoz de la caja. Cuando el parlante esté apagado, desconecte el cableado y ahora es el momento de conectar cualquier adaptador de cable que pueda ser diferente al de los parlantes de fábrica.

Además, en este punto, vale la pena revisar y, si es necesario, reemplazar el relleno de poliéster del altavoz. No instale un altavoz nuevo en la caja de plástico vacía; esto destruirá el sonido, especialmente cuando instale altavoces potentes con graves medios potentes.

Reemplazo de los tweeters del tablero

Cuando termine con los woofers en el tablero, trabajar con tweeters será muy divertido.

Primero, tome la herramienta de extracción de paneles y saque las cubiertas.

Desenrosque los tweeters del tablero y desconecte los cables de los altavoces. Es posible que deba agregar adaptadores de cable según el tipo de los nuevos tweeters que instalará, pero esto será solo unas pocas pulgadas del cable adicional en el tablero.

Coloque nuevos tweeters en los adaptadores originales y conecte los cables. Dependiendo del tamaño de los parlantes que tenga, puede ser necesario comprar adaptadores que se ajusten a tweeters más grandes, y puede encontrarlos en línea, por ejemplo, en Crutchfield.

Cuando tenga tweeters colocados en adaptadores, atorníllelos nuevamente al tablero y cúbralos con las parrillas originales que retiró anteriormente.

Cuando instale un nuevo sistema de altavoces, tendrá que colocar cruces y pasar nuevos cables a los altavoces. Pusimos cruces en el Jeep de mi amigo a ambos lados del tablero, justo debajo de las cubiertas del tablero que se quitaron.

Sustitución de tweeters de fábrica por altavoces coaxiales de 3,5″ de 2 vías

En los Wranglers JK producidos a partir de 2015, tiene espacio en el tablero para tweeters empotrados de 3.5″, que es del tamaño de las placas adaptadoras. Sin embargo, en lugar de tweeters, puede instalar allí pequeños altavoces coaxiales de 2 vías de 3,5″.

De esta manera, puede tener cuatro canales reproduciéndose frente a usted, dos de 6.5″ a la altura de la rodilla y otro de 3.5″ en la parte superior del techo que mira hacia el tablero.

Tener cuatro altavoces independientes delante del coche es una excelente solución, sobre todo cuando tienes un amplificador de seis canales. Puede usar cuatro canales para encender los parlantes frente a usted y los otros dos canales para la barra de sonido Jeep sobre su cabeza.

Such a system will play beautifully, and having four high-quality front speakers is something to be proud of.

Which are the best speakers for Jeep Wrangler JK?

When we know all parameters we should aim for, we can start actual research for our Wrangler speakers.

The most popular and often installed is the Alpine SPV-65X-WRA component system with 1-inch dome tweeters, but this is not the only option.

Another popular in Jeep 2-way system is Kicker 47KSS6704 or water-resistant Polk Audio MM652. All these systems are top class, but each of them will make a little different sound.

Kicker 47KSS6704

If I were about to replace my front speakers in JK now, I would buy Kicker 47KSS6704 even today, and here is why.

The Kicker is known for quality, powerful speakers, and KS series is no different, but it is not the power I was looking for, it is quality of music I had a pleasure listening to.

KSS6704 is a 6 3/4″ component system that is larger than typical 6.5″, It contains two powerful polypropylene woofers and even stronger 1″ silk dome tweeters.

Such a combination makes a fantastic audio effect, taking into consideration that front dash speakers in Jeep JK face down the front chairs. All sounds are natural, and starts unusually low, at 35Hz. 35Hz for standard car speakers is an excellent achievement, usually played by subwoofers.

Tweeters, on the other hand, although do not go extremally high in the frequency, can have adjusted loudness at the crossover up to 9dB per octave. This is also a fantastic result, these small sensitive silk dome tweeters after adjustment can be three times louder, and you hear this difference.

My overall experience from Kicker KSS6704 is hugely positive. I loved especially vocal and instrumental quality with all depth and surrounding effects. They are available on Amazon, so if you would like to give them a try, click this link and check the latest price.

One point to add to this fantastic system.

To experience KSS6704 dynamic at full, you have to have a good amplifier, and I would not recommend anything from the bottom shelf. An amplifier made in A/B class, with 150W RMS per channel would be ideal.

These speakers can be, of course, powered from the head unit, but why?? The sound will be flat, and to be honest, even if other speakers would match the factory radio better, Kicker KSS6704 will not.

Another thing is that because the front speaker enclosure in Jeep JK is plastic, make sure they are filled with polyester stuffing before installing the speakers.

• 6-3/4″ woofer with polypropylene cone and rubber surround
• 1″ silk dome tweeter
• crossovers with three levels of tweeters adjustments, up to +9dB
• Power RMS 125W (peak 250W)
• Frequency Range – 35-21,000 Hz
• Sensitivity – 91 dB
• Impedance – 4 Ohm

Alpine SPV-65X-WRA

If you find Kicker too powerful or too expensive, you may need to check out Alpine SPV-65X-WRA that produce smooth and precise tones, but not as dynamic as Kicker. You can find them on Amazon, so if you already convinced by Alpine’s great reputation, click this link and check the recent price.

Alpine makes speakers that are part of the Jeep Premium Audio System, so I decided to try them, and find out how good they really are.

Alpine SPV-65X-WRA are standard 6.5″ size, waterproof component speakers, that can be installed as independent, or typical coaxial speakers thanks to the included special bracket.

As I expected, bass in Alpine is softer and low tones do not go as low as in the Kicker. However, I was surprised by the highs produced by 1″ Teteron dome tweeters. The frequencies are very wide, which makes produced mid and high sounds clear and precise.

When looking at these speakers from the side, they look like a smaller brother of my favorite Kickers. Especially when looking at the much smaller magnet, you can tell these speakers will not make strong kicks. Nevertheless, they are worth buying, especially if your favorite tones are in Classical, Jazz, Soul, or any unplugged soft sounds.

• Power RMS 75W (225W peak)
• Frequency Response – 65-22,000 Hz
• Impedance – 4 Ohm

Polk Audio MM 652

If you are driving your Jeep JK with no roof or through the rivers, you should look for a powerful system with high speakers’ sensitivity, but also waterproof.

When talking waterproof speakers, first coming in my mind is the Polk Audio with its fantastic MM series, from which MM652 has the best fit to the Wrangler JK. If you fancy off-road trips or crossing rivers make sure your speakers can handle these harsh conditions. MM652 are available on Amazon, so if you want to give them a try click this link and check the current price.

These heavyweights 6.5″ speakers have been designed as marine speakers, which means you will not be disappointed with the sound quality in the free air. I was listening to them only in the studio, and the music was so precise and without the smallest distortion.

Thanks to the sensitivity 93 dB, they can play loud in the car with a soft-top or with the roof down.

MM652s, although the head unit can power them, show their best when wired to the quality amplifier. The cones made of polymer with titanium coating are ready for real power and can make strong bass starting as low as 40Hz, and this is excellent value for coaxial speakers.

The best effect comes from tweeters that can go up to 40kHz and play outstanding quality high tones. Listening to the violin, guitar, or vocal is something you will not hear from many other speakers.

• Titanium coated polymer woofer cone with Santoprene rubber surround

• 1″ Terylene fabric tweeter
• Basket made from reinforced fiberglass
• Power RMS – 100W (300W peak)
• Frequency Response – 40-40,000 Hz
• Sensitivity – 93 dB

How to choose dash speakers for Jeep Wrangler JK?

As a standard, Wrangler JK has eight speakers (4 in-dash and 4 in soundbar), and if you are lucky to have a premium system, it will have an additional subwoofer in the back. Either of these systems is better than smaller speakers in previous Jeep TJ, but if you value music quality, you will have to replace even the bigger ones.

When searching for speakers that will fulfill our needs, we have several installation options.

• Install a complete component system and replace both factory woofers and tweeters.

• Install coaxial speakers in the dash and add separate tweeters.

• Install coaxial speakers and leave original factory tweeters.

• Install coaxial speakers in the dash and another pair of small 3.5″ coaxials in the place of the tweeters. This is, however, possible only in Jeeps JK that were produced after 2015.

All alternatives are worth considering, and the final effect depends on the quality of speakers used and your personal goal. For the best results, I recommend using a high-quality 2-way component system and replacing all front speakers at the same time.

Although the cheapest option is to install coaxial speakers and leave factory tweeters in their places, I would not go this way.

Standard tweeters will not play as good as any aftermarket, not to mention top-class tweeters.

On the other hand, you can try budget option, replace coaxial speakers, and disconnect factory tweeters, but that will remove a large portion of the high sounds from the top of the cabin.

Remember, high-frequency sound waves create the best effect when directed towards the ears, so it is really worth having them playing from the top of the dash, especially in Jeep Wrangler, with the roof down. So, this is another no go for me.

When it comes to choosing the right speakers, there are several parameters we should consider:

Jeep JK speakers’ size.

The size of the speakers is one of the main criteria we have to look at. You do not want to buy 5.25″ when the car has locations for 6″ x9″, so it is important to know this specified size.

For Jeep Wrangler JK, we can buy the majority of standard round 6.5″, that will offer much better sound than in the previous Jeep TJ, where it was room only for small oval 5″ x7″. 6.5″ speakers in Jeep JK will fit into standard enclosures and will play good enough to meet the needs of most drivers.

Regarding the tweeters that are mounted on the top of the front dash, there are two types depending on the age of the Jeep JK. In older models, vertical locators in the dash corners can accommodate any standard ¾” or 1″ tweeters that are part of component speaker systems.

After 2015, Jeep changed the design of the dash, and since then, tweeters were flushed inside the dash, in a flat horizontal position. The good thing about this change was adding them to the special adaptors that allow you to install several different tweeter sizes. Also, instead of tweeters, in these original places, you can fit small 3.5″ 2-way speakers, which will boost music quality in the Wrangler JK.

Speakers’ components quality

From all speakers available, it can be tricky to choose these that will last a long time and provide sounds quality we aim for. No one, including me, wants to buy new speakers every year because something was missing in their research.

When we already know which speaker sizes and system to choose, the next step is to look at their built quality and material used. This is even more important when we consider conditions in which speakers will play, especially in Jeep JK, when we drive with no door or roof.

In such harsh conditions, speakers must handle extreme temperatures or be water-resistant (even waterproof) if we drive across the rivers. I would not install any speakers that have metal aluminum or paper, even when coated cones. Also, suspension and surroundings should be strong but elastic, ideally made from butyl rubber that will not tear down quickly.

If you live in a hot, sandy area, forget about sensitive silk or nylon tweeters, and use instead stiff ones with aluminum cones that have fully protective grills. Well, unless you want to have small hi-end domes covered with sand or dust in no time.

Also, in such areas, tweeters must be able to handle direct sunlight and do not overheat at the same time.

As you see, there are few critical points to look at if you use Wrangler JK for anything else than pleasant weekend road trips. It is better to invest in the higher quality speakers at the beginning, rather than being frustrated when something gets damaged after a few months. Below in this article, we will go in more detail through few robust speakers for your Jeep JK.

Speakers Sensitivity

The sensitivity of the speaker is an important parameter, especially in Jeep JK with no roof. Speakers with low sensitivity will play quietly because their design does not allow them to make loud noises in the open area.

In other words, a speaker with a sensitivity of 88 dB, which would be not bad for a silent car with hardtop, will be way too low for Jeep with a soft-top where all road and tires noises are far greater.

Sensitivity tells you how loud your speaker will be at the 1m from the cone when powered by 1W, and for Jeep, we should not consider anything less than 92dB.

Power Handling

Power Handling, as one parameter alone, does not give any indicator about speaker loudness or quality. This is the only number telling you how much electricity you can transfer through a voice coil without damaging it.

Nevertheless, the speaker’s power is a crucial factor when looking at the overall car audio performance. We can tell the higher the power, the better materials are used for the speaker, well at least from the known producers.

Necessary to point out here is that we are talking about RMS power, not any other that is often used in the marketing brochures.

When you research an audio system, one thing to consider is your speakers’ source of power. If you want to use a factory, or even aftermarket head unit to power speakers in your Jeep JK, do not buy strong speakers that will be begging for more power from the external amp.

By saying that I mean, head units should not power speakers stronger than around 50W RMS, simply because they cannot produce enough power, and by turning volume higher you will start hearing distortions.

So, when you do not want an amplifier, search for lower power but high sensitivity speakers that will play great from your stereo.

Instead, install an amplifier that produces around 50% power more than speakers need, and this way, you will be able to enjoy the music with its full dynamic and details.