6th Gen 4Runner Sound Deadening: All Four Doors, Non-JBL

"Pretty good bass for OEM audio." That was the owner's reaction after we finished sound deadening a 6th gen 4Runner, a non-JBL SR5 with the factory speakers still in all four doors. No new speakers, no amplifier, just acoustic foam and damping pads behind the door cards. If your new 4Runner buzzes and vibrates when you turn the music up, the doors are the first place to look.

Short answer: the 6th gen 4Runner's doors are built for efficiency and production, not for audio, so the thin sheet metal resonates and the factory speakers lose bass. Treating all four doors with an acoustic foam kit, the 9x8 inch kit up front and the 6.5 inch kit in the rear, gives you tighter, punchier bass from the speakers you already have. It is a DIY job with hand tools.

Up front we used the DMS-SP302 Door Speaker Acoustic Foam Kit, which is listed for the 2025 to 2026 4Runner front doors. The rear doors take the 6.5 inch DMS-SP301 kit, and both are confirmed for the 2025 to 2026 4Runner. Ordering the wrong kit for the wrong pair of doors is an easy mistake, so here is the split.

Front and Rear 4Runner Doors Need Different Kits

Our earlier sound deadening car doors guide covered the front doors of a 4Runner with the 9x8 inch speakers. This time we did the whole truck, and the rear doors are a different story. The front doors carry the large 9x8 inch speaker. The rear doors use a much smaller 6.5 inch round speaker.

That means one of each: the DMS-SP302 for the two front doors and the DMS-SP301 for the two rear doors. Each kit covers a pair of doors, so a full 4Runner takes one box of each, and both kits list the 2025 to 2026 4Runner in their compatible vehicle tables.

What each kit puts in the door is the same idea: an outer foam ring around the speaker, an inner acoustic pad behind it, vibration-damping pads for the sheet metal, and a roller to press them down. The 9x8 kit also adds foam support strips so the ring has something to seal against.

Getting the Front Door Card Off

1. Pry off the small trim piece with a plastic panel tool. Use plastic, not a screwdriver, so you do not scar the interior. Remove the Phillips screw behind it.
2. Slide the next panel piece toward the front of the truck to release it, then remove the Phillips screw underneath. You will want an extension for this one.
3. Lift the next panel up with your fingers, press the release tabs on its two connectors, and unplug them. There is another Phillips screw under there.
4. Push the center of the plastic clip in to loosen it and pull it out. Pry off the piece held by clips, then work your way around the rest of the door card.
5. Unhook the two door lock cables. White goes on top, green goes on the bottom. Remember that now and reassembly takes thirty seconds.
6. Unplug the floor light connector at the bottom of the card.
7. Remove the Phillips screws holding the speaker, unplug the speaker, and set it aside.

Take a look at the factory speaker while it is out. The cone is very light, cheap paper. That is normal for a base system and it is why the door around it matters so much.

Applying the Foam Without Hurting the Window

Cut the pad around the crash beam

There is a crash beam running across the inside of the door. Do not just stuff the whole pad in behind it. When the window rolls down, the glass will rub on it and the window will not clear fully. Measure, then slit the pad so you have a larger piece and a smaller piece. The thicker, bigger piece goes above the crash beam, sized so it sits just below the bottom edge of the glass when the window is down. The smaller piece goes under the beam. Press each one and hold for 30 seconds to a minute.

Roll the damping pad onto the flat metal

The damping pad goes on the flat section of the door beside the speaker opening. Flatten it with your hand first, then go over it with the supplied roller so it bonds to the metal instead of just resting on it.

Do not stretch the ring foam

Before the speaker goes back in, run the ring foam around its perimeter. This material is a little stretchy. Lay it on without pulling it tight, and stop it from overlapping at the end. A stretched or overlapped ring will not seal evenly. Then apply the top ring, match the speaker to its holes, screw it back in and plug it in.

Rear Doors and the Clip Mistake to Avoid

The rear doors follow the same pattern. Push the trim piece toward the front to release it, unplug the connector from the outside of the card so the card comes off easier, then disconnect the center connector and the speaker. Three Phillips screws hold the rear speaker. There is a crash beam back here too, so split the foam the same way and add the pad over the beam, then wrap the speaker perimeter with ring foam.

Now the mistake. When a door card comes off, some of the plastic clips often stay stuck in the door frame instead of on the card. Do not push the card back on and hope. Pull those clips out of the frame, put them back on the card, then line every clip up with its hole before you press. Rushing this step is how clips break. And one more time: green on the bottom, white on top.

What Comes Next for This 4Runner

Deadening makes a base system sound its best. If you want more after that, there are two paths. Adding clean power is covered in our 4Runner sound system upgrade guide, and you can browse the amplifier collection for plug-and-play options. On the speaker side, our Norix Audio direct-replacement speaker line for this truck is not on sale yet. If you want to hear when it is, email info@beatsonicusa.com, and keep an eye on new products. Every acoustic foam kit we sell lives in the sound deadening collection, and if you drive a Tacoma, the same logic is in fix the door before you replace the speakers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which sound deadening kit fits the 6th gen 4Runner front doors?

The DMS-SP302 is listed for the 2025 to 2026 Toyota 4Runner front doors, which use 9x8 inch speakers.

Which kit do I use for the 4Runner rear doors?

The DMS-SP301. The 6th gen 4Runner rear doors use 6.5 inch speakers, and the SP301 is the 6.5 inch kit. One kit covers both rear doors.

Do I need to replace my non-JBL speakers for this to help?

No. The kits work with the factory speakers. The 4Runner in this video kept its factory non-JBL speakers in all four doors.

Will the foam stop my window from rolling down?

Not if you cut it around the crash beam. Size the upper piece so it sits below the bottom of the glass when the window is down, and put the smaller piece under the beam.

What tools do I need?

A plastic panel removal tool, a Phillips screwdriver with an extension, something to cut the foam, and the roller that comes in the kit.

Prefer We Do the Doors?

Four door cards and a pile of clips is not everyone's idea of a weekend. Bring the 4Runner to our La Mirada, California shop and we will handle it, or order the kits and we will ship them out the same business day. Questions about your trim or speaker size? Ask the Beat-Sonic team or email info@beatsonicusa.com.