speaker wiring

Charging, starting, lighting, gauges, HVAC

Moderators: FORDification, Thunderfoot

Post Reply
User avatar
1971ford
100% FORDified!
100% FORDified!
Posts: 5565
Joined: Wed Jul 04, 2007 1:05 pm
Location: Placerville CA

speaker wiring

Post by 1971ford »

I wired my stereo into the highboy a long time ago, then all of a sudden no sound. This was like 2 months ago... I've actually really enjoyed the sound of my 390 (and not so much the sound of the wasted bearings in my np435...).

I pulled the stereo out after it happened and can't remember how i had it wired!

stereo has a positive left front, negative left front, positive right front, and positive negative front. Original in dash speaker (which works just fine for me, actually impressed with this 40yo technology) has two wires.

Which wires do i combine?

Right now I've been touching random wires together (probably not good) and pretty much every combination works, but only 1 or maybe it was 2 combinations put out clear radio, the others sounded like old guys farting in a can with music playing in the backround...

SO instead of hooking random wires up maybe one of you guys will know this simple (i think) speaker setup
-Ryan
User avatar
1971ford
100% FORDified!
100% FORDified!
Posts: 5565
Joined: Wed Jul 04, 2007 1:05 pm
Location: Placerville CA

Re: speaker wiring

Post by 1971ford »

nevermind... i have the wires right, just found out the wring going into the speaker is bad. I'll have to go pull another from the junkyard
-Ryan
ScreaminZ
New Member
New Member
Posts: 217
Joined: Fri Jan 09, 2009 10:54 am
Location: Crowley, TX

Re: speaker wiring

Post by ScreaminZ »

1971ford wrote:stereo has a positive left front, negative left front, positive right front, and positive negative front.
I've never seen that wire on a radio before! :lol:
User avatar
1971ford
100% FORDified!
100% FORDified!
Posts: 5565
Joined: Wed Jul 04, 2007 1:05 pm
Location: Placerville CA

Re: speaker wiring

Post by 1971ford »

lol what, never seen a positive/negative wire? sheesh
-Ryan
User avatar
1971ford
100% FORDified!
100% FORDified!
Posts: 5565
Joined: Wed Jul 04, 2007 1:05 pm
Location: Placerville CA

Re: speaker wiring

Post by 1971ford »

So the speaker kept sounding like garbage, and it kept not playing sound, but if i moved the wiring going into the speaker it would play. I could move the wiring one way and it would stop, other way it would play, etc.
So i went and got a new speaker, put it in. Nothing... at all.
Back of my Kenwood stereo deck is SUPER hot (will burn you if you touch it..) so now my kenwood is fried i guess.

Damnit i think i'm going to be without tunes for a long time :cry:
-Ryan
User avatar
Thunderfoot
100% FORDified!
100% FORDified!
Posts: 2207
Joined: Tue Apr 17, 2007 2:34 pm
Location: Idaho, Boise

Re: speaker wiring

Post by Thunderfoot »

If you tried to run a "stereo" (2 speaker) radio on just one speaker you will smoke the amp in the radio... they aren't designed for that, you have to have 2 (Properly ohm'd) speakers hooked to them... or find a radio that is designed for it and most aren't...
Shayne
I'm not "Brand Loyal" Ford-Chevy-Dodge-Toyota I have them all, one even cross mixed...
If it Looks good and Works good then it's ok by me. Everything has its issues from time to time...

69 SWB (project) & 69 Highboy (driver/project)
http://s197.photobucket.com/albums/aa29 ... d%20truck/
http://www.fordification.com/galleries/ ... ?cat=10399
User avatar
1971ford
100% FORDified!
100% FORDified!
Posts: 5565
Joined: Wed Jul 04, 2007 1:05 pm
Location: Placerville CA

Re: speaker wiring

Post by 1971ford »

:( so I fried my kenwood by hooking it up to the original in dash speaker? damn... it worked for a few months though. Well i'm glad you told me before I go fry another nice stereo.

I guess it's time to ditch the idea of using the original speaker and i will grab a set of decent speakers and figure out where the heck to put them. Maybe i'll start on the cab corner speaker mounting idea i've had.
-Ryan
User avatar
Thunderfoot
100% FORDified!
100% FORDified!
Posts: 2207
Joined: Tue Apr 17, 2007 2:34 pm
Location: Idaho, Boise

Re: speaker wiring

Post by Thunderfoot »

I haven't looked at the size of the one in our bumps but they do make some dual speakers that mount in the single spot in the dash... I know they have them for early Mustangs...

I would try to hook up 2 (known good) speakers to your radio to be sure that it killed it before getting a new one. :2cents:
Shayne
I'm not "Brand Loyal" Ford-Chevy-Dodge-Toyota I have them all, one even cross mixed...
If it Looks good and Works good then it's ok by me. Everything has its issues from time to time...

69 SWB (project) & 69 Highboy (driver/project)
http://s197.photobucket.com/albums/aa29 ... d%20truck/
http://www.fordification.com/galleries/ ... ?cat=10399
STROKER69
Preferred User
Preferred User
Posts: 323
Joined: Tue Mar 08, 2011 9:38 pm
Location: Oakfield,Ga.

Re: speaker wiring

Post by STROKER69 »

I think I am right on this, try classic audio(google) for radios and the dual speakers.
User avatar
1971ford
100% FORDified!
100% FORDified!
Posts: 5565
Joined: Wed Jul 04, 2007 1:05 pm
Location: Placerville CA

Re: speaker wiring

Post by 1971ford »

sweet, thanks for the info guys. love the dual speakers in the original spot idea.

I loved the original speaker, sounded great to me, and with how quite it is inside the highboy (lots of sound deadening and all new seals pay off) I barely even have to turn the tunes up. Two speakers in the original spot would be sweet. I shall start the hunt.
-Ryan
User avatar
1971ford
100% FORDified!
100% FORDified!
Posts: 5565
Joined: Wed Jul 04, 2007 1:05 pm
Location: Placerville CA

Re: speaker wiring

Post by 1971ford »

Ok so i found this
http://www.metropartsmarket.com/catalog ... 51687.html

But is any year of mustang going to fit right into my original mounting bracket? From the looks of the speakers in the picture, theres no way they will fit into the original bracket. The original speaker has that little rectangle magnet deal that slips right into the bracket, nothing like these new ones
-Ryan
User avatar
BobbyFord
100% FORDified!
100% FORDified!
Posts: 5378
Joined: Sun Feb 04, 2007 9:52 am
Location: Chatsworth, California

Re: speaker wiring

Post by BobbyFord »

1971ford wrote:Ok so i found this
http://www.metropartsmarket.com/catalog ... 51687.html

But is any year of mustang going to fit right into my original mounting bracket? From the looks of the speakers in the picture, theres no way they will fit into the original bracket. The original speaker has that little rectangle magnet deal that slips right into the bracket, nothing like these new ones
I put an aftermarket stock replacement speaker in my that wasn't an exact match. I used a stock bracket with a slight modification.
C'mon, man, I've seen your fab skills and you're worried about a little bracket :D
User avatar
1971ford
100% FORDified!
100% FORDified!
Posts: 5565
Joined: Wed Jul 04, 2007 1:05 pm
Location: Placerville CA

Re: speaker wiring

Post by 1971ford »

lol I knew someone was going to bring up that i've built a race truck and am worried about a little bracket.
It would just be nice if it was drop in. It's too hot to fabricate lol
So this aftermarket speaker was to replace ours? or a mustangs? dual speaker to work with a stereo?
-Ryan
User avatar
BobbyFord
100% FORDified!
100% FORDified!
Posts: 5378
Joined: Sun Feb 04, 2007 9:52 am
Location: Chatsworth, California

Re: speaker wiring

Post by BobbyFord »

It was just a similar (5X7?) from Kragen, not dual speaker or dual cone. The only thing you have to worry about is the space between the radio and the speaker mounting location (whether the speaker will fit in that space).
User avatar
1971ford
100% FORDified!
100% FORDified!
Posts: 5565
Joined: Wed Jul 04, 2007 1:05 pm
Location: Placerville CA

Re: speaker wiring

Post by 1971ford »

ahh i see.
But i thought the problem was that a stereo won't work with a single speaker setup. Or did you run that with an older radio?
-Ryan
Post Reply