speaker wiring - upgrading stock speakers

[Little Dragon]

Somone.. please.. make a sticky for this: (not out of this post... but a nice clean informative one)

okay... well... I've been useing the search button...
...
Where is the post I'm looking for..?
I just bought my 1992 sho last week in Baltimore (and brought her back to Canada with me)... the speakers are age old sucking ***. I have new Alpine type R's in the rear.. (6x9) and some nice Type S 4x6 Alpines waiting for the front... (all from my 1990 Z24.... which driving both cars.. I will admit is a much sportier ride than the SHO... the sho is plenty faster though)

So... How do I wire these babies up? there are 4 frickin wires going into the rear speakers each.. (and that sub box)... I'm used to using speakers that only require 2 speakers...

man... I need a "How To"... on speaker upgrades... someone help please?... help me love my SHO (and that **** *** sound is gettin to me real bad)

 

[stevemainian]

What are you talking about?

You just need the speaker harness for each of them. No wiring involved.

 

[Little Dragon]

okay.. I'm used to my Z24... speaker wiring is easy.. 2 wires... goes into the 2 wires on the speakers...
My SHO has 4 wires into each rear speaker.. WTF I say.. and.. I don't see the way to unhook my old speakers... I can't get to the screw's and dont' care to break anything... the rear speakers (which I want to replace with my 6x9's)look like they have to be gotten at from the top.. I don't know how to get at the bolts...

and I don't understand the wiring... why are there 4 wires in my 1992.. to each rear speaker (haven't looked at the front).. what do I do with all those wires.. twist 2 of them together and wire THAT up to my Alpines?

 

[SW SHO]

IIRC the extra wires are to do with stock amp and amp by-pass. Meaning you can by-pass the stock amps without having to rerun wire to the speakers. There is an alternate harness behind the H/U for the amp by-pass.

Someone else chime in if that's wrong.

 

[SHOdownTN]

IIRC the extra wires are to do with stock amp and amp by-pass. Meaning you can by-pass the stock amps without having to rerun wire to the speakers. There is an alternate harness behind the H/U for the amp by-pass.

Someone else chime in if that's wrong.

In my 93 and should be the same for earlier. "I havent checked my 91 yet" In the dash where your radio goes, there should be a plug that is clipped to the driverside of the hole. It should be a black plug.
This black plug bypasses the factory amp but you have to unhook the plugs from the factory amp or either your deck will die or the amp. One will win but the other will be injured.

Now 4 wires too each speaker, yes one set goes to the amp and the other too the bypass harness as you said
If you don't want to use the factory amp with a aftermarket deck you have to buy the wireing kit for a early model fords. To use the stock amp you will have to get a kit that changes the high level to low level inputs. Circuit city can hook ya up for about $50 or you can make your own RCA jacks to plug your RCA's to from Radio shack.
There was a thread about makeing these plugs somewhere and may only cost about $5 for everything I think.

 

[SHOdownTN]

okay.. I'm used to my Z24... speaker wiring is easy.. 2 wires... goes into the 2 wires on the speakers...
My SHO has 4 wires into each rear speaker.. WTF I say.. and.. I don't see the way to unhook my old speakers... I can't get to the screw's and dont' care to break anything... the rear speakers (which I want to replace with my 6x9's)look like they have to be gotten at from the top.. I don't know how to get at the bolts...

and I don't understand the wiring... why are there 4 wires in my 1992.. to each rear speaker (haven't looked at the front).. what do I do with all those wires.. twist 2 of them together and wire THAT up to my Alpines?

I used a 1/4 palm ratchet with a 6.5mm on my 93 but your car may have phillips screws.
Have you gotten the grills off? I think it just pops off. When I took the speakers out of my 91 the speakers slid down through the trunk, my 93 came out the top.

 

[shoisfast]

I have the wiring diagrams for the radio and all the electrical schematics if you need them I can email them to you if you tell me where to send it.

 

[shoteen95]

the speakers are dual wired, which is why there are 4 wires going to the speakers

one set utilizes the amps in the trunk, the other pair lead to a connector that should be inside your dash. It's usually tied or strapped down, somewhere behind the stereo. This connector was for base tauri with the standard stereo, that did not use an extra amp if i recall correctly..so if you want to install a headunit and bypass the trunk amps, and dont want to pay for the extra amp-bypass harness that bypasses the amps in the trunk, the extra connector is your ticket right there..

As far as removing the speakers, just pry off the grills on the rear deck..and they're just bolted down..altho i dont think you'll be able to fit 6X9's..as i believe only 5X7(or6X8) will fit. As for the fronts..you'll have to remove the door panels. Not terribly hard..there might be a screw or two (whatevers visable), and then you just pry them off. Word of advice..go to an auto parts store and get a few baggies of the black plastic "christmas tree's" that hold the door panel to the door. Taking off the panel usually results in a few scared clips..and while i've reused them..it's still not a bad idea just to put new ones on the door panel. With the panel removed, the speakers are pretty easy to take out. Also, the front door speakers are of the round variety, 6.5 inches i believe.

 

[Little Dragon]

Thank you everyone... if I get this right.. 2 sets of wires... one source is the head unit... and the other is the amps in the back.

I think this will give me a little of a headstart in changeing the speakers .... *just changeing speakers for now... maybe put my deck in later... would be nice to play MP3's*

I got a few christmass trees for the front doors.. (needed some anyway... drivers door needs them)

If/when i have some problem with this work... I'll write back!

tks

 

[Little Dragon]

removing the rear grills? How do you do it?... looks like it is a solid piece (the grill pluss the rest of the top part)

How do I remove this to get at the speakers? (so lost?... can't find a way in there without breaking the grill covers)

 

[Little Dragon]

Thanks for the little notes of help... got the old speakers out and a pair of 6x9's screwed in from the trunkside.

Carefully cut out that sound damping material... and drilled my holes for the 6x9's...... there would be no problem returning the car to stock this way.

The Sub sounded crappy so I unplugged it... I have 4x6's for the front.... I'll have to try to make them fit.... and look for a sub... Hmmmm what options do I have for that?