How do you change the radio in a 1985 Chevy S 10?

Answer 1

Removing the panel:First off, I have a 1987 Chevy S-10 and I am sure that not much has changed in the models radio since 1982 models of other Chevy trucks. There should be a screw behind the inner ring inside the glove box and another hiding in the ash tray panel. This should allow you to pull off the panel, but double check as I have not done this for about two weeks since first started project. After that, there will be another series of screws holding the radio in place, one to the right, two more on the left sides, remove them and the radio should come loose.

Next, there will be two sets of wire, one is a massive black box looking thing, don't be scared to pull the plugs out and forget which order they had went, they are universal and only go a certain way. Next is a yellow wire (at least on my truck) don't be scared to remove it either, most wire kits come with these wires and will match up just as good as the previous wires did, follow the instructions on your wire kit to match the wires that connect to your stereo, and make sure to purchase a mounting kit because the radios then were huge and now they are fairly compact. Also make sure to follow the instructions on the stereo's wiring guide usually located inside the manual included with your new stereo.

Adding Accessories:if your wanting to wire a subwoofer kit, Make sure to buy a stereo (most new receivers come with these) that include pre-amp outs!!!! After running the wires to the proper area, you can push the amp wires in the back and down the dash, do this also with the amp remote wire.

I also suggest drilling a whole that matches the gauge wire through a side underneath the dash, but within height to match up with the rest of the wires going inside the cab, run them under the dash and use zip ties to keep them up and out of site.

Concealing your wires:Face it, it looks horrible in a vehicle that has wires "running all other the place" and can be fatal to your stereo if someone should step on them and rip them out of place. That is why this is an important step that should not be over looked. This is applicable to any truck or car honestly, just follow it and change words like cab and bed for the appropriate wordings:

Take the wires, bundle them up and run the wires through your door panels, easily removed with a screw driver set, use one to remove the panel screws and a flat one to dislodge the panel on the bottom of the door, then replace the panel and screws after you take care to keep the wire from harms way of the screws.

Next, pull your seats forward and try to locate the spots where the interior fabrics meet the metal, use a blow dryer for heat and loosen up the fabric on the metal, replace with any industrial adhesive and bury the wire under the carpet stuff until it meets with your amplifier. Make sure not to over due the adhesive as you might wish to remove it some day in the future and it may only be removed with something that might ruin the looks of the cab later on, so again BE CAREFUL!

Now lets get back to that hole we drilled into the cab from under the dash, you may wish to seal this up as it will let in a large amount of water for being left open, and believe me, it can let in a lot of cold too if not properly sealed, I suggest before wiring the wires up to the battery, that you put on a rubber o-ring, and once pushed through the hole, add another on the other side, use some industrial adhesive to glue the o-rings into a firm spot on the metal and allow the time recommended on the package the adhesive came in for time to dry, this will seal that whole nicely with that wire, and this will allow for you to easily make changes to the system later if needed.

What if you want to run the wires to the bed of the pickup?? This is simple too, just run the wire down the side of the inside fender body and down to the bottom frame of the truck, you may see wires already running down there, you may not, make sure to keep these wires far away from the fuel line as it too runs close to the drivers side (I run mine through the passenger side), and use zip ties where able to hold the wire in place so it won't budge when your driving down the road, MAKE SURE TO USE ZIP TIES, wires can and most likely will rust and/or damage the wire inside the sheath, so make sure to use zip ties as they are not going to rust or destroy your wires inside.

After you get the wire to the back end, follow the same steps for mounting the wires under your dash and cleaning up of the holes after, with one exception, make sure you are no where near the gas tank or line, this might spark up as you drill, you may puncture the gas tank if not done properly and this can lead to an explosion if your not careful. Drill a hole from the bottom side of the bed and play it safe, use eye protection or you will regret it when you remove the metal shavings from your eye balls, it might hurt!

Run your wires however you want from that point, but make sure to not run them between the cab and bed, thismight damage the wires in time and can fry your battery or any other electronics that are grounded to the frame, it does happen and can make life hell if your not careful.

Closing Statements:I've been installing car stereo systems since 2001, I've installed around 600 different systems in different makes and models of all types, if you follow my words properly for this portion, you will be rewarded with an easy to remove system and carefully planned setups that are safer than most will make it at an installation center. Make sure to ground out your amplifier safely as well, any place that can be mounted to the frame would be best, but, I've had to mount the wires to seat belts mounts, back seat folding frames, trunk bolts, and many other strange and weird places, as long as it can conduct a current, it will ground good. This concludes my tutorial.