Radio Tray?

[UNL1MTD]

I have an aftermarket cd player, that was never installed right by the PO. Basically the entire radio mounts to the plastic bezel, which works, but is annoying when the bezel comes off for something because the radio comes with it. Anyways, what is the correct way of doing this? I vaguely remember seeing a radio tray, but can't honestly recall at this point.

 

I'm about ready to take apart my dash yet again and figured that I would nip this one in the butt while I had it apart.

 

Thanks,

 

Sean

[ComancheKid659]

I have seen factory radios with a bracket that screws into the sides of the radio and supports it from a tab on the inside structure of the dash. You might be able to adapt it to your radio. Most of the aftermarket radio installs I've seen are as you described. Not the best, but easy to do.

[jwilson25]

Sean, check places like Circuit City/Best Buy and WalMart. They sell radio mount kits for about $10 that give you a plastic piece to attach in the dash where the factory radio does, and then the aftermarket radio slides into them. Similar to the adapter stuff they have to reduce the size of the opening on a TJ, but instead this one keeps the hole the same size since it's already correct.

[HOrnbrod]

Sean, check places like Circuit City/Best Buy and WalMart. They sell radio mount kits for about $10 that give you a plastic piece to attach in the dash where the factory radio does, and then the aftermarket radio slides into them. Similar to the adapter stuff they have to reduce the size of the opening on a TJ, but instead this one keeps the hole the same size since it's already correct.

 

The trouble with the adapter kits is that the XJ/MJ dash bezel fits over the single DIN radio slot, not around it as most others do, so the adapters just do not look right IMHO. In the pic below, I swapped in a Mitsubishi single DIN CD player and redrilled the old cassette player on the two sides at accept the new CD player. Easy to do and makes a secure more factory looking install and you don't have to trim the radio hole opening. You can pick up a cassette player mounting plate at the yard.

 

[HOrnbrod]

Here's a pic of the radio mounting plate:

 

[UNL1MTD]

went to best buy and target today to see what they had and the only thing available was a huge piece of plastic with a wiring kit, retailing at about 20 bones. Years listed was 97-01 Cherokees, so I doubt it would look right. Probably going to go hornbrod's route. Anyone have one laying around?

[fiatslug87]

Anyone have one laying around?

I have a stock mounting plate you may have. Just pm your address and I'll send it.

Mike

[lostissues]

usually when i do a radio in an older Cherokee or Comanche you can either trip out the opening to make the radio can fit, like they did in your case. but they you do get the problem of having to take out the radio whenever you need to take out the dash. the best way to do it is to use the factory brackets like in Hornbrod pic. you will probably have to drill new holes in the side of the mount to get it to sit correctly. just before you take off the bracket look at how far back it sits on the factory radio and try to line it up with where the aftermarket radio starts (make sure if it has a removable face plate that you take that off, the face plate should stick through the opening in the dash) and if it doesn't have a removable face plate try to line it up and imagine it didn't have a faceplate. kinda confusing but if you have an questions feel free to ask. the main thing is that the factory radio face is more or less flat and most aftermarket are designed where the face plate "bumps" out a little.

 

hope this helps ya out, I went to the junk yard and had to grab a mounting piece, and it was hard to find one cause people usually just cut the hole bigger and jam the can in when installing new radios.

 

Jonathan

[HOrnbrod]

usually when i do a radio in an older Cherokee or Comanche you can either trip out the opening to make the radio can fit, like they did in your case. but they you do get the problem of having to take out the radio whenever you need to take out the dash. the best way to do it is to use the factory brackets like in Hornbrod pic. you will probably have to drill new holes in the side of the mount to get it to sit correctly. just before you take off the bracket look at how far back it sits on the factory radio and try to line it up with where the aftermarket radio starts (make sure if it has a removable face plate that you take that off, the face plate should stick through the opening in the dash) and if it doesn't have a removable face plate try to line it up and imagine it didn't have a faceplate. kinda confusing but if you have an questions feel free to ask. the main thing is that the factory radio face is more or less flat and most aftermarket are designed where the face plate "bumps" out a little.

 

hope this helps ya out, I went to the junk yard and had to grab a mounting piece, and it was hard to find one cause people usually just cut the hole bigger and jam the can in when installing new radios. Jonathan

 

Good explanation Jonathan. You really do not want to enlarge the existing radio opening. What you do is take all the measurements (l.w,d) w. the old cassette player w. the bracket installed, then duplicate the measurements w. the new single DIN radio, then drill the side mount holes. I slotted mine slightly. It's tight, just take take your time.