Well done and innovative. Any provision for the 24v guys coming in the future?
Aftermarket (even mechanical) gauges into STOCK cluster!!!
- Thread starter amaurer
- Start date
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.
- Thread starter
- #122
For the electrical set, no - impossible to get in 24V.
For the mechanical set, this could be done on a one-off basis...:
- I can change the resistors on the LEDs for 24V
- I can supply a 24V EL wire controller
- If you want a voltmeter set, I can add resistors to step the voltage down to a 12V scale. You'll have to leanr to live with readings equal to half the actual voltage however.
- If you order an ammeter set, it should work fine with no mods.
There would be some delay, and maybe cost, for this, as I don't have line on 24V controllers at the moment, although I have no doubt they're available.
ok i can't wait any longer, i think i am gonna order the bracket and el wire tonight. also have you tried any different speedometer? i think i might do some measuring when i dig into it and see what i come up with.
He's working on both a speedo and a tach.
ok that sounds promising, the only bad thing is that the speedometer is shaped kinda weird, oh and i just sent the money for a bracket and el light. one more thing OFF THE LIST (i seriously have a list)
- Thread starter
- #126
Aw man, now I have to get off my ass!
Hahaha! Just give the same timetable I give everybody that asks me when it will be done. It'll be done when it's done.
How about....
- Thread starter
- #129
Thats exactly the idea, but somehow worked into the original speedo face. I've got some parts on the way to try things out - its a tough chore though, there isn't much free real estate on the stock face.
are we gonna be able to get these parts to mount it and use it with the bracket you already sold us? cause i was looking at that speedo too as i think if you can make it work it would look good.
got the brackets and el wire today, now just waiting for the autometer cluster i ordered and i can have some accurate gauges 
thanks for everything.
thanks for everything.
Im going to order a set tomorrow once the pay goes in, should be a good little project while im off sick in a few weeks.
How long has this taken for people to install the full kit of electrical with the EL wire?
How long has this taken for people to install the full kit of electrical with the EL wire?
Last edited:
I prefer the stock look, and think I know what you are trying to create. Given the limited real estate though, you could always come up with something like this.
IH8MUD.com - View Single Post - FZJ40
Seems like you could CNC a face plate to have similar edge profiles to the factory one, but give you a little better configuration. As long as it isn't just a bunch of round holes like most of the aftermarket gauge deals, it would be pretty sweet. I think the key is a custom face plate with screen printing on it instead of using the autometer faces themselves. I actually like what Lance has done, but you are after the tach as well.....I'm interested to see what you come up with.
IH8MUD.com - View Single Post - FZJ40
Seems like you could CNC a face plate to have similar edge profiles to the factory one, but give you a little better configuration. As long as it isn't just a bunch of round holes like most of the aftermarket gauge deals, it would be pretty sweet. I think the key is a custom face plate with screen printing on it instead of using the autometer faces themselves. I actually like what Lance has done, but you are after the tach as well.....I'm interested to see what you come up with.
I will repost my finished product since the database error 
I used some SunPro gauges, I needed to cut new holes in the mounting plate to accommodate the gauges, I think they are a little large for the stock window, But they work and serve their purpose.
I used some SunPro gauges, I needed to cut new holes in the mounting plate to accommodate the gauges, I think they are a little large for the stock window, But they work and serve their purpose.
- Thread starter
- #135
FYI, having installed some more of these now, the darkness in the corners of your speedometer is a common problem:
There are two little "wings" at the end of the speedometer face that are bent upwards slightly, which blocks the light. Bending them flat allows more illumination. I need to add that to the instructions.
If you need still MORE illumination, adding some washers between the speedo bracket and the cluster will open it up a LOT.
There are two little "wings" at the end of the speedometer face that are bent upwards slightly, which blocks the light. Bending them flat allows more illumination. I need to add that to the instructions.
If you need still MORE illumination, adding some washers between the speedo bracket and the cluster will open it up a LOT.
Last edited:
Im totally happy with my setup, Obviously its an improvement
Like I posted in my original post, I should have used more of the EL wire, I had almost 1 foot left over, But I wound it more or less how you suggested.
Thanks again!
Like I posted in my original post, I should have used more of the EL wire, I had almost 1 foot left over, But I wound it more or less how you suggested.
Thanks again!
Great Job, I'm gonna be ordering the radio pod setup in the near future. I already have the aftermarket cluster....
Well I've put mine in over the weekend, very happy with finished product, although Im thinking I may of stuffed up the fuel gauge. When I turn on the ignition the fuel gauge shoots slowly all the way to full, then slowly goes back to a position( this takes about 5 minutes). I wouldnt be too concerned otherwise, but unless some magical pixies have come along and topped up my truck with diesel, they is about a quarter of a tank more in there than when I removed the cluster. Anyone else had trouble with this? Im thinking I might go to the wreckers and grab another fuel gauge off another truck to see if it happens again.
I was really hooked on getting the electrical gauges at first, mainly cause I didnt like the idea of running a hose from the engine for the oil. Well silly me, turns out the previous owner had installed a mechanical gauge, and left the hose behind the original cluster all hooked up, with a cap on the end. So my next question is, how much would you charge me for sending out the set of mechanical gauges only. The more I think about it the mechanical look closer to stock, so the idea is definately growing on me.
Funniest thing also happened while installing this, I found out my heater fan does actually work.
I was surprised at how much excess wires were found behind the old cluster.I spent half the day cleaning up everything going to the fuse box, in the end having about 3 metres of excess wire pulled out and binned.
Like to say thanks to Drew for the excellent customer service, very easy to deal with considering the distance. Look forward to hearing back about a price for the mechanical gauges
I was really hooked on getting the electrical gauges at first, mainly cause I didnt like the idea of running a hose from the engine for the oil. Well silly me, turns out the previous owner had installed a mechanical gauge, and left the hose behind the original cluster all hooked up, with a cap on the end. So my next question is, how much would you charge me for sending out the set of mechanical gauges only. The more I think about it the mechanical look closer to stock, so the idea is definately growing on me.
Funniest thing also happened while installing this, I found out my heater fan does actually work.
I was surprised at how much excess wires were found behind the old cluster.I spent half the day cleaning up everything going to the fuse box, in the end having about 3 metres of excess wire pulled out and binned.Like to say thanks to Drew for the excellent customer service, very easy to deal with considering the distance. Look forward to hearing back about a price for the mechanical gauges
- Thread starter
- #139
Well I've put mine in over the weekend, very happy with finished product, although Im thinking I may of stuffed up the fuel gauge. When I turn on the ignition the fuel gauge shoots slowly all the way to full, then slowly goes back to a position( this takes about 5 minutes). I wouldnt be too concerned otherwise, but unless some magical pixies have come along and topped up my truck with diesel, they is about a quarter of a tank more in there than when I removed the cluster. Anyone else had trouble with this? Im thinking I might go to the wreckers and grab another fuel gauge off another truck to see if it happens again.
I was really hooked on getting the electrical gauges at first, mainly cause I didnt like the idea of running a hose from the engine for the oil. Well silly me, turns out the previous owner had installed a mechanical gauge, and left the hose behind the original cluster all hooked up, with a cap on the end. So my next question is, how much would you charge me for sending out the set of mechanical gauges only. The more I think about it the mechanical look closer to stock, so the idea is definately growing on me.
Funniest thing also happened while installing this, I found out my heater fan does actually work.
Like to say thanks to Drew for the excellent customer service, very easy to deal with considering the distance. Look forward to hearing back about a price for the mechanical gauges
Are you Nick? I haven't sent many electrical sets to Australia recently, so I'm guessing so, which means you have a late-model truck with the three-post fuel gauge?
The three post fuel gauges are a funny little thing - they contain their own cheapo voltage regulator which grounds through a little copper tab poking out of the back of the gauge, which was designed to just press against the circuit board in the original cluster. On p12 of my instructions, there is a note to make sure that you bend this tab outwards a little bit so that it is pressing against the bracket when its installed - this gives it a ground path.
The behavior you describe is what would be expected if the gauge was not grounding properly. I'd correct that ASAP, as you risk burning the gauge or the sender as they're presently being overvolted.
Of course, for that tab to ground properly, you need to ensure the bracket itself is grounded as well - ensure that you connected the "Ground" terminal in the harness to one of the bracket screws.
If you did both of those, maybe sand the copper tab a bit, or the bracket, so ensure they're not oxidized and failing to make contact.
Nothing else it could be, really...
PM sent regarding the gauge swap.
