Metra 99-6000 Single DIN Installation Kit for 1974-2003 Chrysler, Dodge, Eagle, Jeep, and Plymouth Vehicles,Black

Easy install. Kit came with all the instructions needed. Measure, clip and install, easy as that. TO THOSE SAYING THEY FORGOT TO CUT THE “X” OUT IN THE FACTORY, THATS SUPPOSED TO HE THERE, FOR SHIPPING STRENGTH. YOU CUT IT OUT. Worth the price

Used this in a '98 Dodge Dakota CC and it worked great. I found the best way to cut the unneeded tabs and the X supports was with a mini hacksaw like item 65341 at Harbor Freight, and also with those mini/compact hacksaws that just basically hold onto a standard sized blade (like the Tekton 6798). I didn't completely cut off all the tabs, left some at 1/2 sized to give extra support if needed. It took maybe 10 minutes of trying to put this into the dash and figuring out what needed to be cut, it's really easy to do. Be smart and do all the tab removal before putting the stereo (or even the mounting sleeve) into it.The little storage area underneath worked good for me for a couple of things. First one was to put the microphone for the bluetooth there. Second was to use some foam rubber that would fit snugly in that area and then put the clips on an air vent cell phone holder onto the foam and jam it in there. It holds it great and it's a good spot for the cell phone. Update: the foam wasn't so great for the cell phone holder after all, it kept falling out. Ended up using a thin piece of plywood there and screwed the base of the holder onto it and now it holds it securely.I haven't installed a stereo in almost 25+ years, was a little surprised about not having to screw the stereo into the adapter. Bending the metal tabs on the mounting sleeve worked great though and held the stereo firmly and no wobble. You won't really be able to bend the bottom tabs down though with this adapter, can only use the side and top tabs.If you are replacing your speakers, I highly recommend the SAK011_55 speaker spacer rings. I had to use them for the rear speakers, but was able to screw into the stock plastic mounts for the front speakers. If you don't want to cut the harness also get either the Metra 72-6512 or Scosche SHCR03B speaker wire adapters.I used the Metra 70-1817 adapter for wiring the stereo in, very easy just match up the colors to the new radio harness. Be sure to connect the blue wire if you have the Infinity amp otherwise it won't turn on. No easy way to bypass the amp if you are wondering, at least that I could find. I left it in and it sounds fine to me even though the new speakers are 4 ohm (stock speakers are 2 ohm), but I don't blast music really loud either. I also did a "breadboard" sorta thing with 18 AWG solid core thermostat wire (Lowes) and did bypass it for a couple days but didn't really notice any difference so hooked the amp back up.

I started out with another Metra part, 99-6500, which fit my Dodge Ram 3500 Van right, but offered no support beyond the deck's steel bracket fixed to a thin plastic frame. It worked well with a cheap after-market deck, but when I put a heavier (and more powerful) deck in, the bouncing you get on a heavy truck suspension warped the plastic frame so badly the deck rattled enough that it would skip on CD playback. It bent so badly that the position of the deck was off, pointing up 10-15°. With the quality of the streets in my city following a snowy winter, this is bad, because we are nothing but potholes.This dash kit first off is based around a plastic frame roughly three times as thick as the first, and it is substantially stronger. Furthermore, the included tray (which is "welded" on and can't be removed) offers a strong backside support, giving the deck something solid to sit on.The only issues are that there are no included spots to tie the deck to the tray as additional support, however it took me 5 minutes use a Dremel-type saw to convert two of the unneeded holed tabs into braces which applied tension against the deck bracket, which prevents any upwards motion (in excess of what the vehicle sees) on the deck during bounces. A second bit of work with another removed part (the X braces that fill the deck space and need to be removed before a deck can be installed) and a couple self-tapping screws let me tie the tray into the steel frame of the dash, and we are rock solid. This additional work isn't the fault of Metra, as this kit is highly multipurpose and not necessarily intended for truck installation, but I did remove one star for the hassle. There are better kits that include back braces and additional support, but they well likely cost much more than this kit.Once installed, this does fit very well, with no gaps, and looks as good as you would expect. While I would have liked a better surface texture on the exposed portions of the frame, the deck I've used has a large high-gloss frame as well which covers most of the area (aside from the pocket) and overall the install looks very clean and professional.And after one quick trip down the street my home is on (it used to be a street, now it is a bunch of connected holes) the deck didn't skip once, so the desired result has been achieved!

This product worked perfect when installing my new JVC Bluetooth stereo into my XJ. Only had to snip the plastic out of the way in the large opening where radio actually goes in, left all the rest in place. Supports the radio very nicely.