[980]

I would like to swap out my old gauges, that dont work, for a new set. I am going to have the engine out over the winter so I figure it will be a good time to do it.

I have been looking at some autometer gauges on Ebay, and considering that. Are their specific autometer gauges for jeeps? Or do the new gauges come with senders? What about speedometer? How is the gear ratio ever correct? What about fuel gauge?

Does anyone have any expirience with the new splitfire gauges that 4wd hardware sells?

Does anyone have a set off aftermarket gauges for sale?

Thanks

Tony

 

[Jim_Lou]

Nobody makes aftermarket gauges specifically for a Jeep, but CJs don't care. Anything you put in will work fine.

Most gauges will need a matching sending unit. An exception is the fuel gauge. It has to be matched to the resistance pattern of the stock sending unit. The CJ sending unit is 73 ohms at empty, 9 ohms full.

There is kind of a standard for mechanical speedometers of 1,000 revolutions of the cable per mile. If there is anything different available it would be a special order item.

Consider an electronic speedo. They make a sending unit that will plug into the transmission speedo drive. Then you can calibrate the head for what ever axel ratio and tire size you happen to run. Stewart Warner's has an array of switches in the back.

I think it's VDO that has a button on the face. You hold the button in while turning on the ignition, release it, and drive exactly a mile. Push he button again and it's calibrated. It's so easy that you can adjust it for tire wear!

And if you want to actually see the instruments as you drive, you can do something like this. Note the stock, 25-year old voltmeter. It died a few hours after this picture was taken.

 

[980]

Thanks

Does are the autometer speedos adjustable at all? Or can the gear ratio be changed somehow?

And for the fuel gauge, will the autometer gauge work as it is? Or will I need to add resistors? Or...?

Thanks for the help

Tony

 

[Randyzzz]

I can't answer for Autometer gauges, but I just installed a set of VDO Millenium gauges in a JP aluminum dash blank, and I am really happy with the outcome. The speedo is is electronic and uses a speed sensor and calibrates with a push of a button, the fuel gauge comes with it's own sender. I installed a Trailquest 24gal tank at the same time so no problems there.

 

[Randyzzz]

Here's a wider view, I moved the position of the gauges, and relocated the glovebox and speakers too. I just finished installing a 90Waggy column so now I have interval wipers, hi/lo beam and cruise on the column.

 

[980]

that looks sweet. do you have any close ups of the gauges? What did it cost you for the gauges?

thanks
tony

 

[Jim_Lou]

The place to change the gear ratio for the speedo is the speedo drive in the transmission. You change those gears until you get 1,000 revs per mile, and then any standard mechanical speedo head will work. There are a limited number of drive gears, so you might not be able to do better than a 10% error or so. Or you might get lucky and find that exactly the right gear is available.

If you use an electronic speedo you calibrate it to whatever the speedo drive in the transmission is turning. It doesn't care.

The fuel gauge and sending unit must be calibrated for the same resistance profile. You can't trick a gauge into working properly by adding resistors. To use the stock sender the gauge must have the profile I mentioned above. Autometer almost certainly makes a gauge that works with that profile; it was used on Fords for years. Or was it Chrysler products - I can't remember.

If you buy a fuel gauge that uses any other profile, and there are three or four common ones, you will have to buy a matching sending unit.

 

[MNT]

3 quick questions on that instrument cluster.

1. Did you use aluminim or stainless?
2. How thick is the aluminum or stainless?
3. how is it holding up, any rattles or anything?

TIA

 

[Jim_Lou]

1 It's stainless, only because everything else is. Aluminum would have been a LOT easier.

2 It's 0.056" I think that's 18 gauge.

3 It's holding up fine - no rattles that one can hear over everything else.

One more thing - I didn't have to lengthen any of the wiring except for a couple of the panel light wires.

 

[1731]

I used autometer ultra lite gauges all around. I had no problems using the sending unit connections at all. Also, the gas gauge out of the box seems to work fine. Same for the speedo (although I still have not adjusted for tires). I would recommend these gauges.

I attached a pic of my dash. I just tore it down actually, re-doing it because of roll cage interference with switches, and adding in some new switches.