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- #17
Got the aFe high tuck cat back exhaust installed.
I've said it before, I'll say it again....the 2.3 (or the 2.7 for that matter) is NEVER going to sound like a V8. It just ain't. And honestly, the ONLY reason I ended up getting this exhaust is I was able to get it new for under $450 shipped to my door, it's stainless, it gets rid of the HUGE OEM muffler (once I noticed it I couldn't stop seeing it - most people wouldn't notice - don't care) and it doesn't make the Bronco sound like Weedeater on nitrous. I just wanted something I could hear over the mechanical injection noise of the 2.3 (which is totally normal).
I never noticed this on my wife's 2.3 Mustang ragtop, likely because of the hood and firewall insulation it had.
The aFe high tuck is a mid muffler system and easy to install. Took maybe an hour or so in my shop.
If you don't have a set of exhaust pliers (for the exhaust hangers that go into the rubber isolators) either get a pair (Cheap) or get ready to use some WD40, PBBlaster and try your patience. I learned my lesson long ago when replacing exhausts - one of those tools that is well worth the $ for even one or two uses.
I like the sound. No drone. Deepens the idle tone and sounds pretty good driving it in Sport mode.
After that is was onto the base stereo system.
I'm NO Audiophile. Between loud music as a teen and years of being employed by Uncle Sam and having things go boom and bang in and around me - my hearing isn't great. That being said, this is my wife's daily and her Mustang had a pretty good sound system....so here we go.
Ended up replacing the 4" dash speakers with Kicker CS series.
FOR THOSE LOOKING FOR THE MOST IMPROVEMENT for the least $$ and time investment, replace the 4" dash speakers first and see where you are. I was shocked these speakers made that much of a difference.
I didn't worry with a replacement harness for the new speakers, as I was wiring in bass blockers. I cut the factory wires at the connector, used posi-loks on the base blockers which come with spade terminals to attach to the new speaker.
Getting the grilles out - I've seen people gripe. Here's the thing, there is a LIP on the front of the speaker grille IN ADDITION to a bunch of clips. The easiest way I found was to push in on the dash itself a bit with your fingers - right in the middle of the speaker grille location - then use a plastic pry tool to pop the front lip out and release the clips. After that you can just use your fingers to gently pop the clips. I got them both in and out with no damage. YMMV.
You'll need to break off two small plastic locating pins to install the new speakers. Many have said they need to trim the metal ears of the new speakers to fit them in - I didn't. You just have to tilt one side of the speaker in and rotate it around and it'll fit.
I was shocked how easy the speaker replacement was. Ford was even nice enough to give enough slack on the OEM harness that it made it easy to strip / connect the new speaker.
Onto the kick panel speakers.
This is a 2 door FYI and starting on the driver's side.
You have to pop / pull the sill plate trim. Just clips, and pretty easy. Then you need to pop the clips on the cover (top half) of the dead pedal. That will reveal two 10mm nuts you need to remove. You'll need a deep well.
Then pop loose (just clips like most everything else) the upper dash trip where it overlaps the kick panel trip. Just one clip to get loose, that gets you enough room to get the kick panel out.
Now pop loose the two kick panel trim clips on the sill plate, and work the panel out. Be CAREFUL working it out - if you tweak it enough the actual speaker grille will pop loose and the clips and that grille are VERY FLIMSY - no need to remove it at all.
Now remove the 3 7mm bolts holding in the OEM speaker. Release the and unplug the harness. Again I used Kicker CS series 6.75 speakers. You'll need the Metra or other brand speaker adapter. I used the screws and capture brackets that came with the Kicker speakers to attach the speaker to the adapter brakes. Then used the Metra speaker harness to plug it up and bolt back in place.
Passenger side is easier. No dead pedal or bolts to deal with.
The difference with JUST speakers was NOTICEABLE. But the stock stereo just gives up the ghost at mid volume.
My plug n play harness arrived so I got to installing my Kicker 200.4 Key amp.
Drop the glove box. Drop the fuse panel cover. Remove a 7mm bolt on each side. Then remove the passenger grab handle. Pop the small piece of lower trip out (4 clips). Then start popping the clips loose that hold the panel that has the climate controls, volume knob etc. Get that loose, then press the tabs and unplug the HVAC / control harnesses. Remove the panel.
Now unplug the far right radio plug, plug in the harness to the radio, then plug it into the OEM connector you unplugged, then plug one part of the harness into the other part that goes to the amp.
I plugged it all up, plugged the HVAC control panel wires back up and tested that it worked before I mounted it or put it back together.
I mounted the amp to the metal plate under the fuse panel cover via HD zip ties. It blocks lowering the steering wheel anymore - but where it sits is where my wife and I drive it - and since no one else will drive this, that's fine with me.
Run the Kicker DSP setup (instructions included) I downloaded the pink noise from Kicker's website, put it on a USB drive, plugged it up and made sure it played first.
The sound difference is RIDICULOUS.
I kind of hate it actually. Before I only turned up the stereo but so loud, because at higher volumes it sounded HORRIBLE. Now I find myself cranking it up it sounds so good. So now of course I'm looking at powered subs I can fit under the seat.
Oh well - good problems to have I guess.
I've said it before, I'll say it again....the 2.3 (or the 2.7 for that matter) is NEVER going to sound like a V8. It just ain't. And honestly, the ONLY reason I ended up getting this exhaust is I was able to get it new for under $450 shipped to my door, it's stainless, it gets rid of the HUGE OEM muffler (once I noticed it I couldn't stop seeing it - most people wouldn't notice - don't care) and it doesn't make the Bronco sound like Weedeater on nitrous. I just wanted something I could hear over the mechanical injection noise of the 2.3 (which is totally normal).
I never noticed this on my wife's 2.3 Mustang ragtop, likely because of the hood and firewall insulation it had.
The aFe high tuck is a mid muffler system and easy to install. Took maybe an hour or so in my shop.
If you don't have a set of exhaust pliers (for the exhaust hangers that go into the rubber isolators) either get a pair (Cheap) or get ready to use some WD40, PBBlaster and try your patience. I learned my lesson long ago when replacing exhausts - one of those tools that is well worth the $ for even one or two uses.
I like the sound. No drone. Deepens the idle tone and sounds pretty good driving it in Sport mode.
After that is was onto the base stereo system.
I'm NO Audiophile. Between loud music as a teen and years of being employed by Uncle Sam and having things go boom and bang in and around me - my hearing isn't great. That being said, this is my wife's daily and her Mustang had a pretty good sound system....so here we go.
Ended up replacing the 4" dash speakers with Kicker CS series.
FOR THOSE LOOKING FOR THE MOST IMPROVEMENT for the least $$ and time investment, replace the 4" dash speakers first and see where you are. I was shocked these speakers made that much of a difference.
I didn't worry with a replacement harness for the new speakers, as I was wiring in bass blockers. I cut the factory wires at the connector, used posi-loks on the base blockers which come with spade terminals to attach to the new speaker.
Getting the grilles out - I've seen people gripe. Here's the thing, there is a LIP on the front of the speaker grille IN ADDITION to a bunch of clips. The easiest way I found was to push in on the dash itself a bit with your fingers - right in the middle of the speaker grille location - then use a plastic pry tool to pop the front lip out and release the clips. After that you can just use your fingers to gently pop the clips. I got them both in and out with no damage. YMMV.
You'll need to break off two small plastic locating pins to install the new speakers. Many have said they need to trim the metal ears of the new speakers to fit them in - I didn't. You just have to tilt one side of the speaker in and rotate it around and it'll fit.
I was shocked how easy the speaker replacement was. Ford was even nice enough to give enough slack on the OEM harness that it made it easy to strip / connect the new speaker.
Onto the kick panel speakers.
This is a 2 door FYI and starting on the driver's side.
You have to pop / pull the sill plate trim. Just clips, and pretty easy. Then you need to pop the clips on the cover (top half) of the dead pedal. That will reveal two 10mm nuts you need to remove. You'll need a deep well.
Then pop loose (just clips like most everything else) the upper dash trip where it overlaps the kick panel trip. Just one clip to get loose, that gets you enough room to get the kick panel out.
Now pop loose the two kick panel trim clips on the sill plate, and work the panel out. Be CAREFUL working it out - if you tweak it enough the actual speaker grille will pop loose and the clips and that grille are VERY FLIMSY - no need to remove it at all.
Now remove the 3 7mm bolts holding in the OEM speaker. Release the and unplug the harness. Again I used Kicker CS series 6.75 speakers. You'll need the Metra or other brand speaker adapter. I used the screws and capture brackets that came with the Kicker speakers to attach the speaker to the adapter brakes. Then used the Metra speaker harness to plug it up and bolt back in place.
Passenger side is easier. No dead pedal or bolts to deal with.
The difference with JUST speakers was NOTICEABLE. But the stock stereo just gives up the ghost at mid volume.
My plug n play harness arrived so I got to installing my Kicker 200.4 Key amp.
Drop the glove box. Drop the fuse panel cover. Remove a 7mm bolt on each side. Then remove the passenger grab handle. Pop the small piece of lower trip out (4 clips). Then start popping the clips loose that hold the panel that has the climate controls, volume knob etc. Get that loose, then press the tabs and unplug the HVAC / control harnesses. Remove the panel.
Now unplug the far right radio plug, plug in the harness to the radio, then plug it into the OEM connector you unplugged, then plug one part of the harness into the other part that goes to the amp.
I plugged it all up, plugged the HVAC control panel wires back up and tested that it worked before I mounted it or put it back together.
I mounted the amp to the metal plate under the fuse panel cover via HD zip ties. It blocks lowering the steering wheel anymore - but where it sits is where my wife and I drive it - and since no one else will drive this, that's fine with me.
Run the Kicker DSP setup (instructions included) I downloaded the pink noise from Kicker's website, put it on a USB drive, plugged it up and made sure it played first.
The sound difference is RIDICULOUS.
I kind of hate it actually. Before I only turned up the stereo but so loud, because at higher volumes it sounded HORRIBLE. Now I find myself cranking it up it sounds so good. So now of course I'm looking at powered subs I can fit under the seat.
Oh well - good problems to have I guess.
- First Name
- Caleb
- Joined
- Jan 11, 2022
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- 22 Bronco 2dr
- Your Bronco Model
- Black Diamond
Levittown ford parts has the full "kit" including fasteners for $68, so i may be picking this up next paycheck. That looks clean and if it mutes the engine noise a bit, i'm for it. I've noticed lately on my 7mt that its slightly annoying in the higher rev ranges without a deeper exhaust note to balance it (think i'm gonna do an awe 0fg later this year)
- Thread starter
- #19
It does mute the engine noise A BIT. I think adding the OEM under hood insulation would do more in that arena. I may try it - haven't got around to it. It's not that expensive.
As for Levittown - they are great to deal with but keep in mind WHERE they are located vs where you are having your parts shipped. Makes a big difference, especially now fuel prices where they are and shipping rates climbing. I'm in VA - so 90% of the time I order from FairwayFordParts - they are in Ohio. Shipping is fast, cheaper (for my location) and their prices are right with Levittown - sometimes cheaper.
- First Name
- Steph
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- Apr 21, 2022
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- New Jersey
- Vehicle(s)
- 2016 rav 4
- Your Bronco Model
- Big Bend
Can you link the dash cam and console cover.
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