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If you don't have the "tool" to remove the Headunit you can either make it from a coat hanger by bending it into a "U" shape or go to AutoZone or O'reileys and they will loan you one. But, if you don't have the tool (which I'm guessing you don't), instead of that hassle, just remove the screws from the bezel (7MM I believe) and then unclip the unit from the bezel.



The link is just Ebay so you can see what the tool looks like and if you click the right auction, it will show you how to use it (or the bent hangar).



I did a quick search on this site for the removal method cause I remember a long while back someone postes pics? project? but I couldn't find it. Maybe you can take some more time and find it



Good luck...
 
Well the unit is in. Just like a few customer reviews on Circuit City website say, there is a gap on each side. I have a couple of ideas to address that.



Some notes on previous posts in this thread. On my 03 Trac, I did have to trim the radio bezel, taking most of the height off the upper and lower lip, wide enough to fit the face of the unit thru. There is no trim kit that addresses the gap at each side on this unit. Also, the pic posted earlier in this thread may be an older or newer tack , but the dash is nothing like mine.



Because the whole face moves and tilts to get at the CD slot tolerances are tight front to back if you want the bezel to actually provide any lateral bracing of the unit. There is a very small lip behind the moving faceplat that needs to line up with the bezel. As for trim kit, no luck there for me as far as addressing that gap. I had both the Metra Turbo Kit No. 158 and the FMK550 kit. Since the faceplates were of no help, I didn't bother with the other mounting brackets in these kits. I bought a $2 "L" bracket and fastened the unit to the vertical dash board support that runs between the radio bay and the air bag bay. The Metra adapter to match up to the Trac's radio input wiring harness for power, ground and speakers was great help.

Right now, the rear controls don't work, and I doubt they ever will. This unit does come with a three wire input label "Steering Wheel Remote", but both of the other st0ck radio inputs have more than three wires, and I don't want to cut those plugs off.

I took pics throughout, and am willing to write up a project, but I don't have Acrobat, just the reader. I'll do it in Word, and anyone who wants it is welcome to it.

Here's a pic, you can see the shim on the passenger side, but that should be hidden today.

 
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Right now, the rear controls don't work, and I doubt they ever will.
Click to expand...



I have an aftermarket in the wifes Explorer and the rear controls do not work either. Don't sweat it.



As for a project, it is alot of work to do. It is really nice when people send emails to you asking how you done something or what not. It feels really good to help others out. It is up to you. Just make sure you do it right or someone will threatten to give you a half wrench and give themself the wrench.



With that being said, I made my final project submission. Any others I do, I will host them myself.



The picture above yours is the new Explorers.



I would love to see pictures of it in operation.





Tom
 
Thanks for the update and pic PMcD. Good job.

Too bad the trim kits didn't work out for you. Surely there is some type of trim to finish it off with. Just have to look around or fab one yourself.

I second Caymen, really like to see a pic of it switched on.
 
The trim kit I had to put the double din in my '99 Explorer had a trim ring with it that would've worked perfectly there. I found an old pic. I'm not sure how well y'all can tell.



<img src="http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b46/rabiddingo/May12_0010Small.jpg">
 
The Scosche FD1330B kit should work, which is basically what Dingo posted a pic of. If using a double-din rather than 2 singles, you trim out the center bar. The Alpine W200 also has to move the entire face plate to insert discs and it works fine. The top and bottom is very thin, but the sides fill out the gap left.
 
Dingo - that trim ring does look good, I'd just have to cut out the divider between the upper and lower bays. But when I go to Crutchfield.com,and search for install kits for 99 Explorer, I keep coming up with the kit I already ordered: http://www.crutchfield.com/App/Product/Group/ProductMenu.aspx?g=112200&tp=3121

Which obviously won't work - there is no trim up the sides. If you can figure out what kit that was, I'd be indebted to you.
 
Here are some pics in tuner mode (with touchscreen preset selection - it'd be nice if it showed the station rather than the preset # on the selector "buttons"), GPS (TomTom) mode, USB mode (you can see the iPod cable), and finally with the face plate tilted to access the CD slot. I stuck some weather stripping foam on the faceplate to (temporarily) fill the gaps on the sides.



<img src="http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a155/baronn1/HPIM2185.jpg">

<img src="http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a155/baronn1/HPIM2186.jpg">

<img src="http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a155/baronn1/HPIM2187.jpg">

<img src="http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a155/baronn1/HPIM2189.jpg">
 
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My kit was made by American International. It is 3 pieces. The trim ring and the two side pieces. The center bar is removable for a true double DIN instead of 2 single DINs. There's also a back piece, but it's pretty much optional.



 
The Scosche kit I listed is made the same way. Front trim, side brackets and rear bracket. I'm not using the rear bracket as the hole on my Alpine for it is near the top of the deck, rather than the bottom.
 
Hands free phone operation is thru the TomTom. So far, I can't get the TomTom to discover my Cingular HP iPaq running Microsoft OS. I'll try my wife's phone soon.
 

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