Sponsored

BennyTheBeaver

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 18, 2021
Threads
43
Messages
2,116
Reaction score
2,280
Location
PNW
Vehicles
2023 Lightning XLT ER
Well making lemons out of lemonade and taking advantage of some really good prices on Crutchfield for Black Friday I decided to upgrade my audio. I went with a kicker KS build, wasn’t going for audio file status, just a nice balanced upgrade with more clarity, separation, and bass than stock base system.



IMG_2931.jpeg
You seem to enjoy the full DIY route, however, to save others the time and hassle...you didn't have to run all new wires. The cheap speaker adapters allow you to use the factory wiring and save a ton of time and hassle. The only wires I had to run were to the tweeters as I also installed components up front.
 
OP
OP
tannerk89

tannerk89

Active member
First Name
Tanner
Joined
Sep 30, 2024
Threads
1
Messages
44
Reaction score
84
Location
Roanoke, VA
Vehicles
2023 F-150 Lightning Pro ER
Occupation
Automotive Engineer/Product Owner/Project Manager
You seem to enjoy the full DIY route, however, to save others the time and hassle...you didn't have to run all new wires. The cheap speaker adapters allow you to use the factory wiring and save a ton of time and hassle. The only wires I had to run were to the tweeters as I also installed components up front.
I do enjoy it haha, building what I want is my hobby. I may halve also made it more difficult than needed, but also was part of the specific speaker kit that I bought.
 

bordner42

Active member
First Name
Brendan
Joined
Dec 22, 2022
Threads
3
Messages
41
Reaction score
10
Location
Florida
Vehicles
F-150 Lightning Pro
Well making lemons out of lemonade and taking advantage of some really good prices on Crutchfield for Black Friday I decided to upgrade my audio. I went with a kicker KS build, wasn’t going for audio file status, just a nice balanced upgrade with more clarity, separation, and bass than stock base system.

I didn’t take a lot of pictures except for the front component replacement, because everything else has been well documented. Because the Kicker 51KSS67 was a 6.75 with a crossover I thought I would show how I did it in case anyone else wanted to go this route.

My initial impression is that it is significantly better than stock 6 speaker system. The 10” sub is more powerful than I expected based on the reviews.. it shakes my rear view with no bass boost and the gain set fairly low. It sounds great, and is very clear. The rear stock speakers were terrible and I immediately can tell they are way better. The fronts are way more clear and vibrant also, and the smaller size actually makes it work better as a system than replacing with a 6x9 in my opinion because the sub handles the low frequencies the 6x9 would be better at. So far live the sound and



Parts List:
Kicker 51HS10 sub woofer
Kicker 51KSC6504 coaxial speakers for rear
Kicker 51KSS670 components for front mid woofers and tweeters

Taking off the door jamb was difficult, there is a clip on top, bottom, and front side that need to be pressed in with a flat head while pulling. I started at the top, popped that out a little then went to the side, once the side was out I could get the bottom out fairly easily.

next take the rubber boot off the white clip, there are some rubber straps on the side that hold it in place, they just slide up and out. Once all 4 straps are off slide the top and bottom out by stretching the rubber boot.

Once that is out I pushed a metal wire through the wire passage for fishing wires later. Some water with a few drops of dawn help get wires thru much more easily.

I pulled the crossover wires thru from the passenger side after removing all of the kick panels. There was enough wire length to not need any extra speaker wire. Both the input and woofer wires from the crossover need to go into the door. I fished them thru the rubber wire passage next. Don’t forget to go through the white plastic piece or you’ll have to fish them thru again…
IMG_2932.jpeg

I opted to just use wago connectors to attach the input wires from crossover to the stock 6x9 speaker wires via a metra plug ib
IMG_2947.jpeg


I used an adaptor and boom mag based on crutchfield reccomendation, not sure if it will do much but was cheap enough.. I cut a small notch in the adaptor plate to allow the stock speaker wired to pass thru to the back side where the wires attach on the new speakers.
IMG_2949.jpeg
IMG_2953.jpeg


the tweeters fit directly in the stock mounts, I did have to trim some of the plastic lip on the guard side of the tweeter to make it fit correctly, after that it pushed right in.
IMG_2940.jpeg


final placement of the crossover, it fit in there nicely and allowed enough slack for everything to wire up in the door and a-pillar without needing extra wire. Driver side is the same.
IMG_2943.jpeg


I pushed my fishing wire down from the top, and fished the tweeter wires up through the back side of the dash. Plugged the speaker and snapped all the kick panels back in place.
IMG_2938.jpeg


Now I just need this truck drivers insurance to get back to me so I can get my front end fixed…

IMG_2931.jpeg
No issues with installing the Kicker 51HS10 Hideaway? On Crutchfield they note: "We don't recommend installing a high-powered audio system in this vehicle. Don't exceed a total 30-amp current draw for powered subs added to the vehicle."

Also, where did you end up installing it? I was thinking about putting it behind the rear seat against the back of the cab.
 
OP
OP
tannerk89

tannerk89

Active member
First Name
Tanner
Joined
Sep 30, 2024
Threads
1
Messages
44
Reaction score
84
Location
Roanoke, VA
Vehicles
2023 F-150 Lightning Pro ER
Occupation
Automotive Engineer/Product Owner/Project Manager
No issues with installing the Kicker 51HS10 Hideaway? On Crutchfield they note: "We don't recommend installing a high-powered audio system in this vehicle. Don't exceed a total 30-amp current draw for powered subs added to the vehicle."

Also, where did you end up installing it? I was thinking about putting it behind the rear seat against the back of the cab.
The HS10 draws less than 15 amps, so it shouldn’t be a problem. I’ll keep an eye on it, but so far no issues.

I put it behind the rear seat and it easily fit. I will post a pic of the location, but there’s a few YouTube videos of ICE F-150 installs that are identical to our trucks. The included wiring was long enough to reach the battery and necessary connection points, so that made it pretty simple.
 

hipchecker

Member
Joined
Jan 19, 2023
Threads
2
Messages
23
Reaction score
9
Location
CT
Vehicles
Ford
It looks like the perfect set up! I have the same vehicle. I’m really happy with it but what would be a nice addition is the adaptive cruise control? How did you get that installed?
This is awesome, well done! How did you get the folding center console? That's something I really want on my Pro.
 

Sponsored

watts/up

Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2024
Threads
0
Messages
22
Reaction score
6
Location
Virginia
Vehicles
23 Pro SR
I do enjoy it haha, building what I want is my hobby. I may halve also made it more difficult than needed, but also was part of the specific speaker kit that I bought.
Just to add to this, I believe Kicker has confirmed that the crossover only works on the tweeter so if it fits in the a-pillar you can just mount it there (connecting only to the tweeter) and use all existing wiring.
 

watts/up

Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2024
Threads
0
Messages
22
Reaction score
6
Location
Virginia
Vehicles
23 Pro SR
Well making lemons out of lemonade and taking advantage of some really good prices on Crutchfield for Black Friday I decided to upgrade my audio. I went with a kicker KS build, wasn’t going for audio file status, just a nice balanced upgrade with more clarity, separation, and bass than stock base system.

I didn’t take a lot of pictures except for the front component replacement, because everything else has been well documented. Because the Kicker 51KSS67 was a 6.75 with a crossover I thought I would show how I did it in case anyone else wanted to go this route.

My initial impression is that it is significantly better than stock 6 speaker system. The 10” sub is more powerful than I expected based on the reviews.. it shakes my rear view with no bass boost and the gain set fairly low. It sounds great, and is very clear. The rear stock speakers were terrible and I immediately can tell they are way better. The fronts are way more clear and vibrant also, and the smaller size actually makes it work better as a system than replacing with a 6x9 in my opinion because the sub handles the low frequencies the 6x9 would be better at. So far live the sound and



Parts List:
Kicker 51HS10 sub woofer
Kicker 51KSC6504 coaxial speakers for rear
Kicker 51KSS670 components for front mid woofers and tweeters

Taking off the door jamb was difficult, there is a clip on top, bottom, and front side that need to be pressed in with a flat head while pulling. I started at the top, popped that out a little then went to the side, once the side was out I could get the bottom out fairly easily.

next take the rubber boot off the white clip, there are some rubber straps on the side that hold it in place, they just slide up and out. Once all 4 straps are off slide the top and bottom out by stretching the rubber boot.

Once that is out I pushed a metal wire through the wire passage for fishing wires later. Some water with a few drops of dawn help get wires thru much more easily.

I pulled the crossover wires thru from the passenger side after removing all of the kick panels. There was enough wire length to not need any extra speaker wire. Both the input and woofer wires from the crossover need to go into the door. I fished them thru the rubber wire passage next. Don’t forget to go through the white plastic piece or you’ll have to fish them thru again…
IMG_2932.jpeg

I opted to just use wago connectors to attach the input wires from crossover to the stock 6x9 speaker wires via a metra plug ib
IMG_2947.jpeg


I used an adaptor and boom mag based on crutchfield reccomendation, not sure if it will do much but was cheap enough.. I cut a small notch in the adaptor plate to allow the stock speaker wired to pass thru to the back side where the wires attach on the new speakers.
IMG_2949.jpeg
IMG_2953.jpeg


the tweeters fit directly in the stock mounts, I did have to trim some of the plastic lip on the guard side of the tweeter to make it fit correctly, after that it pushed right in.
IMG_2940.jpeg


final placement of the crossover, it fit in there nicely and allowed enough slack for everything to wire up in the door and a-pillar without needing extra wire. Driver side is the same.
IMG_2943.jpeg


I pushed my fishing wire down from the top, and fished the tweeter wires up through the back side of the dash. Plugged the speaker and snapped all the kick panels back in place.
IMG_2938.jpeg


Now I just need this truck drivers insurance to get back to me so I can get my front end fixed…

IMG_2931.jpeg
@tannerk89 Sorry to hear about your truck. Hopefully the repair is quick and uneventful.

I have been planning on upgrading my speakers to pretty much the exact same ones you chose (minus the sub for now). You're powering them off the factory amp, right? If so, any issues with that? I was concerned that there wouldn't be enough power to get good results but it sounds like you're happy with them. Eventually I plan to purchase the SGS loopback harness and install an amp but was hoping to do my upgrade in stages. To be honest, I actually am pretty happy with the six-speaker setup but I too enjoy a good project.
 
OP
OP
tannerk89

tannerk89

Active member
First Name
Tanner
Joined
Sep 30, 2024
Threads
1
Messages
44
Reaction score
84
Location
Roanoke, VA
Vehicles
2023 F-150 Lightning Pro ER
Occupation
Automotive Engineer/Product Owner/Project Manager
@tannerk89 Sorry to hear about your truck. Hopefully the repair is quick and uneventful.

I have been planning on upgrading my speakers to pretty much the exact same ones you chose (minus the sub for now). You're powering them off the factory amp, right? If so, any issues with that? I was concerned that there wouldn't be enough power to get good results but it sounds like you're happy with them. Eventually I plan to purchase the SGS loopback harness and install an amp but was hoping to do my upgrade in stages. To be honest, I actually am pretty happy with the six-speaker setup but I too enjoy a good project.
Yes, I have them powered off of the factory amp. I was doing it in stages as well. I’m very happy with them, they are much more clear, especially at low volume. I can hear detail and crisp vocals at 1-3 volume level now where I couldn’t make out words at all before. I’m sure an amp would be a great addition, but don’t feel like I need it. The sub was actually very worthwhile with the 6 speaker system, I think it’s also important if you change the front speakers from 6x9 down to 6.75 like I did, you lose some bass with that change.
 

B177y

Well-known member
First Name
Bill
Joined
Jul 16, 2024
Threads
3
Messages
81
Reaction score
115
Location
Olympic Peninsula WA
Website
www.ptcoffee.com
Vehicles
2024 Lightning Pro ER Max Tow, 2021 Highlander V6, 2013 Suzuki Wee-Strom
Occupation
Coffee Roasting
@fluiddynamics and @tannerk89

I am reading through (and re-reading, and re-reading 🤦‍♂️) the thread to add lane centering and adaptive cruise. Since you both have installed it on your Pro's or are working on installing it, I am wondering what method you had to use and any advice on installing. You both look like you're quite handy and are customizing your Pro's into high-end trucks.

I have a 2024 Pro ER max-tow tow-tech with 9.6 Pro power, but surprisingly I don't seem to have any of the required wires in the passenger floor under the glove box or the IPMA. What did you guys have and what method did you go with? Any advice appreciated.

Thanks!



MOD:
If this would be more appropriate in the lane keeping/ACC thread, please move it.
 
OP
OP
tannerk89

tannerk89

Active member
First Name
Tanner
Joined
Sep 30, 2024
Threads
1
Messages
44
Reaction score
84
Location
Roanoke, VA
Vehicles
2023 F-150 Lightning Pro ER
Occupation
Automotive Engineer/Product Owner/Project Manager
@fluiddynamics and @tannerk89

I am reading through (and re-reading, and re-reading 🤦‍♂️) the thread to add lane centering and adaptive cruise. Since you both have installed it on your Pro's or are working on installing it, I am wondering what method you had to use and any advice on installing. You both look like you're quite handy and are customizing your Pro's into high-end trucks.

I have a 2024 Pro ER max-tow tow-tech with 9.6 Pro power, but surprisingly I don't seem to have any of the required wires in the passenger floor under the glove box or the IPMA. What did you guys have and what method did you go with? Any advice appreciated.

Thanks!



MOD:
If this would be more appropriate in the lane keeping/ACC thread, please move it.
Happy to help, you can DM me if you want and I can try to help with any specific questions.

I had to pull 4 new wires and install the pins in the connectors. It was a pain but I have some tips to make it easier.

Skip anything in the passenger side harness connections, that’s just extra steps that make the job more difficult. You need the 4 wires to go directly from the bumper harness connection to the IPMA connector right by the drivers side A pillar. The pins are on the BOM of the thread I’m sure you’re reading for both ends of the wires you need to pull. But I can provide what I ordered if you end up second guessing yourself.

To get the wires thru the firewall I used a stiff metal wire that I had laying around and pushed it thru the rubber boot and grabbed them from the frunk side. Water with a tiny bit of dish soap will make it soo much easier to pull wires or fish rod thru that rubber boot. The FORScan changes were all the same as in the thread, I would have to look back thru the thread because there was a few updates throughout the 30 page thread that are needed..

Good luck if you end up moving forward, and like I said feel free to reach out!
 

Sponsored

B177y

Well-known member
First Name
Bill
Joined
Jul 16, 2024
Threads
3
Messages
81
Reaction score
115
Location
Olympic Peninsula WA
Website
www.ptcoffee.com
Vehicles
2024 Lightning Pro ER Max Tow, 2021 Highlander V6, 2013 Suzuki Wee-Strom
Occupation
Coffee Roasting
Happy to help, you can DM me if you want and I can try to help with any specific questions.

I had to pull 4 new wires and install the pins in the connectors. It was a pain but I have some tips to make it easier.

Skip anything in the passenger side harness connections, that’s just extra steps that make the job more difficult. You need the 4 wires to go directly from the bumper harness connection to the IPMA connector right by the drivers side A pillar. The pins are on the BOM of the thread I’m sure you’re reading for both ends of the wires you need to pull. But I can provide what I ordered if you end up second guessing yourself.

To get the wires thru the firewall I used a stiff metal wire that I had laying around and pushed it thru the rubber boot and grabbed them from the frunk side. Water with a tiny bit of dish soap will make it soo much easier to pull wires or fish rod thru that rubber boot. The FORScan changes were all the same as in the thread, I would have to look back thru the thread because there was a few updates throughout the 30 page thread that are needed..

Good luck if you end up moving forward, and like I said feel free to reach out!
Appreciate the response!

It sounds like you did the same install that I am leaning towards. I'll definitely DM once I have the parts.

I want to do one more exploration before I order the parts to double check that I don't have any of the 4 needed wires, and take the funk tub out to explore and familiarize myself with the front of the truck before I completely disassemble everything.

Were you able to get your truck damage repaired from the sideswipe accident? Any issues with the body shop repair and the self installed ACC?

Thanks again!
 

fluiddynamics

Member
First Name
David
Joined
Oct 3, 2024
Threads
2
Messages
16
Reaction score
15
Location
SoCal
Vehicles
'24 Lightning Pro ; '23 Mach-E GT Performance ; '22 Maverick Hybrid
Occupation
Construction
Appreciate the response!

It sounds like you did the same install that I am leaning towards. I'll definitely DM once I have the parts.

I want to do one more exploration before I order the parts to double check that I don't have any of the 4 needed wires, and take the funk tub out to explore and familiarize myself with the front of the truck before I completely disassemble everything.

Were you able to get your truck damage repaired from the sideswipe accident? Any issues with the body shop repair and the self installed ACC?

Thanks again!

I am planning to do this mod (ACC and Lane Centering) over the Christmas break, as I know it will take some time.... Sorry I can't be of more assistance at this time since I haven't started that part yet.
Sponsored

 
 





Top