CK5 - The Full-Size GM Off Road Community

So like most of us my dash was old, faded, brittle, cracking, and just plain sucked to look at. Some of you may also have noticed in the past pics of my dash that has 2 el cheapo autozone special gauges in there. I also have the idiot lights in my truck and wanted to keep the bottom 2 lights.

Pics of the old dash setup:

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OK where is the information on how you installed them?

What did you do under the hood?

What did you do to the lt blue plastic idiot light area?

What did you do to the plastic (clear face) covering?

We need step by step and photos of it all!

So being that the el cheapo gauges didn't really give me the look, style, and accuracy I am looking for. The temp gauge would read about 145* when its supposed to read 180* at running temp. Also I wanted to add in some more gauges, and I have always been a fan of AutoMeter's styling and quality. So I bought 4 new gauges all 2 1/16 and mechanical: temp, oil pressure, volt, and vacuum. I also got a hold of an awsome condition dash board that is the correct color too, thanks to TomFord :bow:. And also picked up some new speakers to mount under the dash.

Well unfortunately, my digital camera was in Colorado with my mother while she was on a skii trip, :( so I don't have any action shots just the finished product...

Before the CK5 "Tech Junkie" Club hounds me, here are pics of the old dash after I took it out:

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mmmm red dash and interior... lookin good

I decided to go with the AutoMeter Phantom series gauges. I wanted to pick up the tach too, but I don't have the $$ right now so it will come later because it is a much needed upgrade because that sunpro tach is the 4th one I have put in there. They all just fry themselves within a year. Just very poor quality if you ask me.

Anyway for the installation:
The AutoMeters are slightly bigger and longer than the other gauges I have in there, so modifiactions had to happen. In order for them to sit correctly in the dash bezel, I had to hack off just about all the back section of gauge hole. Then fitting them into the dash, I removed the red thingy that labels the idiot light, but the gauges are just way too big. So I had to remove the metal piece in the dash that allows the dash lights to reflect off the back of it. I took my metal snips and cut out the whole top section of it where the back of the gauges will fit into. Test fitted, and then still wouldn't fit right. So I took my hack saw and cut into the plastic housing that houses the stock gauge cluster to free up some more room. Those of you with the the idiot lights, the plastic cluster housing will extend out all the way to red face of the idot light. But I believe that those of you with the full instramentation from the factory might not have to modify the cluster housing because it doesn't have these such extensions to keep the light from each idiot light focused through the red face. So... After all the hacking and cutting, the AutoMeters finally fit correctly. :D So in order to run all the wiring and sending units I removed the 2 top light bulbs and sockets and ran it right out the back (watch out for the printed circuit, don't ruin it) and then to its respective location because with the Autometers in place I won't be able to see these idiot lights if they happen to go off, but its not like they worked in the first place which is the whole reason for me originally installing the gauges.

Ok now for the installation of the gauges out in the dash where the AC vent is located in AC equipt trucks. It was really simple. I traced where the hole already existed in the dash for the AC through the trim that runs the length of the dash. Then centered the gauges and used a hole saw to cut the holes. Then I installed it onto the new dash board from TomFord with new speed nuts from LMC. The gauges fit perfectly in that spot too. No other mods had to be made, just wire them up according to the instructions. :eek1: (thats right I used the instructions)...

Oh and the vac and oil pressure gauge sending units are a HUGE PIA to set up correctly with no leaks and so that it'll hold pressure or vacuum without popping out of the back of the gauge and spilling oil into your dash bezel.

Anyway I LOVE the way they came out. My only complaint is that the angle rings I got with the gauges to put on the gauges out on the dash trim so I could see them better, made them stick out WAY too far, I didn't like them so I thought I'd rather lean over slightly to see the gauge than to have them look bad.

Ok now for the pics of the final product:
Go CLICKY CLICKY to make bigger and more focused...

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OK where is the information on how you installed them?

What did you do under the hood?

What did you do to the lt blue plastic idiot light area?

What did you do to the plastic (clear face) covering?

We need step by step and photos of it all!

You're too fast for me! Speedy Gonzalez here...

Check again... :D

mmmm red dash and interior... lookin good

Thanks Tom! I really like the new dash it makes the truck seem that much newer... :D :bow: :bow: :bow:

I hope you like the grill...

where did you get that dash? My suburban is red and the dash is horrible.

booooring! rofl...no really though it looks nice :)

where did you get that dash? My suburban is red and the dash is horrible.

Well you'd have to ask TomFord that... :D

it was in my parts truck, so far i have parted out the whole interior, i donno where the dash came from i dont even know if it's original, it is nice just ask glen, no cracks no nothin

I'm going to bump this ttt so more people can see... :D

Looks good man... It'll be nice having accurate gauges too...

The white face gauges seem to be very popular, personally not my cup-o-tea, but lots of people running them....

Oh and if anyone is interested, my old oil pressure gauge is for sale... :deal:

Lookin' good man. Welcome to the "crackless dash" club. We're a small but elite minority...:waytogo:

Lookin' good man. Welcome to the "crackless dash" club. We're a small but elite minority...:waytogo:

Thanks!

We should make that a sig club like the "sheetmetal club" or the "Tech Junkies" :D


But ya I got a picture of the stuff I cut out:

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when I finally decided I had enough of my cracked dash I just took it out. Ive had a few set backs since then but as soon as I get the parts (there is a thread in the wanted section for and a-pillar hint hint) Im gonna cut the rest of it out and build and aluminum dash with custom gauges.

good work though, looks good.:wink1:

when I finally decided I had enough of my cracked dash I just took it out. Ive had a few set backs since then but as soon as I get the parts (there is a thread in the wanted section for and a-pillar hint hint) Im gonna cut the rest of it out and build and aluminum dash with custom gauges.

good work though, looks good.:wink1:

Ya I wanted to go make a custom dash, but I don't quite have the skills or time or tools to do it.

I liked what someone else did and stripped the foam off a dash and just used the steel backing, I thought that was cool, but I then ran across Tom's dash and I couldn't pass up on it.

i used the frame of the original dash, came out ok for me,

it could be used and made into a really nice dash if some time was put into it

What are those switches for in your dashboard? Above the A/C?

What are those switches for in your dashboard? Above the A/C?

The switches are for hyperdrive! :D :rotfl: :rotfl: :p:






But really the one on the left does nothing, the one in the middle is for my window washer sprayer thingy (custom wired by me :doah:), and the one on the right is for my offroad lights that I took off the truck a while ago so essentially does nothing...

All the switches were put on there by the previous owner because he mickey moused a tiny 12" electric fan for the radiator. One switch was for power to the fan, the other was to turn it on manually or automatically through a temp sensor, but the temp senor seloniod thingy was set too high. I had it over heat idling in my driveway durring a blizzard. :eek1: But that was also due to the fact that the radiator was totally shot and probably couldn't even cool a 4 banger. But not to worry, that problem has been fixed. :D

Where would one find switches like those? I want to redo my headlight, wiper switches, and add a lightbar.

Nice work. I am interested in the cup holder indert for the ashtray. Is it something you made or didi it bolt to the tray inset or what? I need one for my crewcab to hold my beverages, not the adult kind of course.:D

Where would one find switches like those? I want to redo my headlight, wiper switches, and add a lightbar.

I got them from Moroso. I really liked their appearance better than the autozone crap ones that were in there before. But were of coarse a little more spendy, but worth the few extra $$. Here's a link:
http://www.jegs.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_10001_10002_749755_-1_10405

Nice work. I am interested in the cup holder indert for the ashtray. Is it something you made or didi it bolt to the tray inset or what? I need one for my crewcab to hold my beverages, not the adult kind of course.:D

I bought it through Year One. Its great, it comes in all sorts of colors to match the interior. It fits right into the ash tray spot and since I don't smoke it didn't matter to me. Well actually you have to pop out the actual tray that holds the ashes like you would to empty it and then cup holder just slides right into the hole. Its in pretty much a perfect position because it gives plenty of room for the shifter, except the t-case shifter hits the bottom of it slightly when in 4LO.

The part number from YearOne is: TJ675MRN