odie

That driver's bracket is pretty tiny...not sure there would be anything left after cutting to hold a 4x6. I have some scrap aluminum plate. Might fab my own bracket like I did my console. I tried just getting a 4x6 thru the opening...could not do it. I need to score a grill too...

bracket was still there...4x6 bolted right up... Now how to work a 4x6 into the driver's side? I got a 3.5 mounted to the OEM bracket but would prefer a 4x6 to keep it all balanced. But then again...I had a single random 4x6 and a single random 3.5 both just lying around the garage. Not sure why I kept them but now I know...lol

I'll probably need to fabricate a bracket or plate...I suspect it went missing with the speaker.

I had looked in there...no speaker... went and looked again...just an open void so it's not an HVAC vent...I'm gonna guess the speaker was removed... guess that's why I've read about removing the glovebox to access the dash speaker...lol looks like a 4x6 might fit back there.

OK, I've search the forum and googled and everything,,, My 85 Brat has only a single dash speaker on the drivers side. Something odd like a 3x5ish looking speaker. I can't find a hidden passenger side dash speaker anywhere...where is the damn thing hidden? Or does this truck really only have a single dash speaker?

I couldn't tell you the clearance on a wagon....but I would not ever think about cutting into the HVAC housing...might nick the heater core...would have air leaks so your vents get reduced flow...might allow moisture/humidity into the back of the stereo...just a bad idea in my opinion.

that's some nice metal work. You putting in just a head unit or adding a cubby hole or switches?

The reason for fabing my own was that none of the kits are bolt in...they all require fabrication. Of all the Kits the best one I found was a Scosche kit for Subaru...but it would entail ditching the factory pocket for the tighter pocket in the kit's trim plate and move everything to the center By keeping the factory pocket on the lower left in it's original mounting and keeping the radio location offset in the upper left...I still have plenty of blank space to mount some switches for future off road lights. Just pulling the mouting sleeve out a bit and triming it up somehow is gonna be the easiest, and also best option, for a standard DIN chassis stereo.

found some MP3 recievers on ebay...DIN size but half to 3/4 depth of a standard DIN CD player...I'm intrigued but I still got a 1000+ CD collection...that I never use...they've all been ripped to my hard drives anyway...I really should sell my collection LOL plays SD cards, USB thumb drives, MMC cards, aux input, FM....basically a regular car stereo without the CD player. CDs are already obsolete...they are just "hanging around" since everyone already has a huge CD collection and the record store business model hasn't folded...yet....see any video rental stores anymore?

I could but then the bottom front would stick way out anyway...plus I would also loose the cubby hole below if the back of the unit was angled down enough to clear the HVAC housing.

Damn you yep...hits the HVAC housing. It looked like it matched the rear bracket ok...guess it pussed it back a little too far. I'll have to figure out how to trim around the exposed sleeve so i looks decent.

well if the ins company passed on an easy buck then it's already been consigned to action company. reg fees and buyers premium will probably be more than selling price... I looked into ins auction before...lots of junk and fees and crap just to look around...unless you got a business that's buying, fixing and selling it's often not worht the hassle. definitely not hobbyist friendly

some cars the PVC goes into the air cleaner but there is a small filter to catch the oil.... my subie came with a weber and chrome open air filter...so I have no clue what the original pvc routing was....

I've never heard of an open hole in the intake system down stream of the air filter... I say plug it. you are just asking for dust and dirt to enter...path of least resistance... it was probably for a fastener or clip of some type...maybe a plastic retainer clip to hold a vacuum line neatly in place underneath the air cleaner housing to keep the engine bay tidy?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/4pcs-Universal-Silicon-Constant-Velocity-CV-Axle-Boot-Joint-Kit-VW-BMW-Golf-Audi-/281235399898?_trksid=p2054897.l4275#ht_1504wt_1362 these look pretty tasty....but includes no grease...

Well I've been researching CV boots in preparation for my rebuild... the two most common are Dorman & Empi Dorman 614-001 neoprene outer, Dorman 614-002 silicone (heat resistant) inner EMPI 86-1028 outer 98, EMPI 86-1098 inner. No material info on EMPI but the pics they look much shorter than Dorman boots. The Dorman's look a bit longer, which I'm inclined to go with since my Brat is lifted and the inner boots seem stretched pretty good. The outter joints do not change length when lifted so no difference there IMHO. There was another Dorman boot, 03680, but not sure if it's inner, outter or rear also, it seems about 4 oz grease is what they take...any harm in extra grease?

my question on replacement boots...how do you know what size to get? or are all cv boots pretty much the same size? or are they kinda one size fits all? I saw some youtube videos and was shocked by how much a boot can stretch...I saw one where the small end was stretched so much it slipped over the whole joint. no need to disassemble the the joint at all?????

that's quite a collection of spare shafts.... I'm gonna keep my old axle and reboot it...still going to exchange the AZ axle and see if I get 2 duds.... in the mean time I gotta find a junk axle for core trade...lol how can I tell if the axle is OEM? some of mine have zip ties so at the very least they were rebooted...

what is limited lifelong? scrap???? oh yeah...just any old cv axle...they won't know the difference...lol

ain't no old subies in the yards around here that I've found yet...none...

I bought the Autozone axle cause it had a lifetime warranty... I think I'm gonna exchange it and try one more and hope if was a fluke... if it's bad too then will be looking for CV boots... are the inner and outter boots the same? brand recommendation? Dorman, EMPI? part numbers to look for?

Just installed a new CV axle from Autozone...well rebuilt but still a "new" axle... started clicking as soon as I drove it...It only clicks when in gear and giving it some gas (putting a load on the axle). Reverse, forward, turning, straight..does not matter...same exact sound but only when on the throttle. The only other stuff I did at the same time was new ball joints and trans mounts...not gonna cause a clicking... Zero clicking with the old axle (boot just tore last week). Now the Brat is lifted to max using the stock shock adjustment nuts...but it didn't click before the axle swap. I'm gonna have to take it back for another one I guess...maybe I just got a bad one? Or do replacements need "extra" grease? comments? thoughts?

I'm gonna have to do something like that...make a plate to cover the top of the console and cut a DIN hole. any issues with the depth?

I don't even think my 85 has an ECM...where I think it's supposed to be mounted (under the steering column) there is nothing. From what I've seen posted and such it's my belief that the 85 Brat has a computer module but there is nothing...I'm guessing it was yanked when someone did a Weber conversion and tossad all the other "junk" under the hood.