Heater control relocation

[Muncher]

I swear I've seen a rite up for this but can't seem to find it. What goes into moving the heater controls up to the radio position so I can install a flip up radio?

[neohic]

 

[AnotherOldJeepGuy]

Here's an ebay listing of the heater control where you can see what connections are back there.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/283916101108

 

The radio comes out pretty easily.  There are about 6 screws to remove the faceplate that mounts in front of the gauges and the radio area.  It comes out easier if you tilt the steering wheel down.  I only do this when it's hot, less likely to break the plastic faceplate than when it's cold because you do have to deform it slightly to get it out.  But I have done it about a dozen times and being careful I have gotten it out in one full piece.   Once that is off you can pull the radio and see what kind of slack there is for the connections.  The difficulty will be if you have slack in the connections.

 

The above doesn't exactly tell you what you might run into, but short of that perhaps it's a starting point.

[ghetdjc320]

     The HVAC controls can move up easily with pretty much zero mods. The trick is that most full depth radios won't fit in the HVAC slot because of the defroster duct that is back there. The defroster duct has a factory molded design to accommodate the radio in the stock location. The JVC radio and subsequent Sony double din setup all had shorter chassis and could fit it that area with a bit of wire management and a 90* antenna fitting. The problem with most flip up radios is they must be full depth to accommodate the screen. Personally, I think @Limeyjeeper found the best overall modern radio that fits in the factory location and has all the features we've come t expect. It's the Joying 6.2 single din with a 6.2" floating screen. These are android based head units and pack a ton of features not found in most head units such as digital coax and optical outputs for an amp. The screen fits without covering the HVAC controls and has a volume knob. They are a Chinese brand but are not the cheap flea bay models you see floating around. There are some great reviews on them online as well that go over most of the features. Overall, I do believe the double din with the shallower Sony chassis can be the best looking modern radio setup on an MJ but it lacks a lot of the features compared to the Joying unit. I will say though, the Joying 6.2" singe din units are getting harder to find (I have one sitting in the box for my Tomahawk project ). Perhaps @Limeyjeeper can chime in on how his radio has been working since he's had it installed for some time now. 

     If you decide to go the double DIN route, I was very pleased with the Sony setup. Its design uses just a single din shallow chassis that can mount in the old HVAC area and you can then modify the bezel and air vent area to get a clean finish. Ive seen some delete the center vent but that vent is the best one in the MJ cab as it is closest to the evaporator and gets the most air flow.