Stereo Install
09/01/2022
The boxes from Crutchfield finally arrived, which meant it was time to say goodbye to the factory stereo.
The night before the install, I spent a few hours at the workbench soldering and heat-shrinking the new wiring harness. It's not the most exciting part of a stereo install, but I'd much rather take my time on wiring than spend weeks chasing electrical gremlins later.
The next day I pulled the interior trim apart and removed the factory radio and amplifier. Using the factory mounting brackets—with a little persuasion and modification—I was able to mount the new head unit in the factory location.
Since half the dashboard was already scattered across the garage, I took the opportunity to replace the HVAC control bulbs with LEDs. Future me would appreciate not having to tear the dash apart again.
At least that was the plan.
Unfortunately, the new head unit was slightly larger than the factory opening and the trim bezel wasn't interested in cooperating. Out came the Dremel.
Working from the backside of the bezel, I slowly trimmed and sanded the thicker support ribs until everything fit properly. I didn't get any photos of that process because it was over 100 degrees outside and I was covered in plastic dust by the time I finished.
Documentation suffered in favor of survival.
Once the trim was reinstalled, it looked completely factory. Exactly what I was hoping for.
With the dashboard finished, I moved on to the powered subwoofer. After pulling up sections of carpet, I routed the wiring underneath the interior panels and mounted the sub beneath the driver's seat. It was the same style setup I had used in my F250 and I knew from experience it would provide plenty of bass without sacrificing cargo space.
While I was running power, I also installed a power distribution block. At the time it felt a little excessive, but I already knew more accessories were in the future and I didn't want a dozen separate wires attached directly to the battery.
After double-checking all the connections, I turned the key and powered everything up.
Success.
For the first time since buying the 4Runner, I had Bluetooth, modern audio controls, and a stereo system that didn't sound like it was broadcasting through a soup can. It simply makes the vehicle more enjoyable to drive.
With the stereo complete, the project list wasn't getting any shorter. The next weekend's plans already included installing a backup camera, replacing the liftgate struts, attempting to paint the wheels, and making a trip to the junkyard to inspect a 1998 4Runner that might be donating a front bumper.
The file was growing quickly.