diy4x dash layout what do you think ? NEED OPINION post #66 please

[sweetk30]

na the small have 161 low watt bulbs.

the speedo & tach have 168 in pic # 1

then pic #2 speedo droped to 161 bulb

got to check and look at vac to see why brighter

 

[4X4HIGH]

na the small have 161 low watt bulbs.

the speedo & tach have 168

It must just be the pic then because the vacuum gauge appears to be the brightest gauge and then the speedo next brightest and that tach is looking pretty dim.

 

[sweetk30]

i think the vac has a diffrent brand bulb in it. as 1 light was bad and i replaced with matching 161 but diffrent brand.

and the tack is kind of funky. got to send the pic to autometer and see if thay have a answer. as it has the 168 in it and thats the brightest.

 

[K85 Octane]

at least you have all plastic housings
with my mechanical speedo being metal, the light bounces around different from the others, so my "cool white" LEDs are slightly "cooler" in the speedo than the other 7 gauges.

the gauges look good dood

 

[lectric80]

I like it, but I would personally prefer much brighter for all the gauges. I don't like dim, and it may just be the camera causing it, but those seem too dim for my taste. I love the layout though, and the full effect of the high beam and turn signal indicators.

 

[pblaze725]

That looks terrible dood! You should throw that junk away and start from scratch!
Just send it to me & I'll get rid of it for you.

 

[sweetk30]

no problem. you pay shipping & handling charges.

i figure it will be some were in the 800-900 range . got to get a exact quote on it if you want.

 

[pblaze725]

That is nice. I like it.

 

[sweetk30]

little more today.

got the other few gauges ordered .

then dug out the under dash lights i am going to use. and figured 4 was to much for the underside. so i mounted 1 in a special place to pimp the diy4x logo. . . . . .

 

[Fordum]

Looks good. Couple of things to think about.
When people design critical gauge systems in areas where they only get scanned briefly, like airplanes, the try to design them so that all the needles point the same way when things are good.

That way, when you are driving, you don't have to know what each gauge is reading. As long as they all point the same way, its all good.
If one is wrong, it really stands out.

Also, if you have not done so already, disconnect that check engine light from the computer, and put 12 volts to it at night.
Some of those jeweled lights like that are super bright when you look straight at them.
You may have trouble driving with it on at night.

Friend of mine and I were making a run to Orlando one night. We were talking back and forth on radios, when suddenly he slowed down and started to pull over.
As I went by, slowing down myself, I could see him in the car lit up by this bright red glow.

He called and said that a bright warning light had just gone off on his dash and he had to pull over.
I got stopped and went back.
It was a large panel in the lower part of the cluster. So bright it was hard to drive. It said EGR, which did not make a lot of sense.

We got the owners manual out and found it.
The manual stated that it was a light that came on automatically at 50K to remind you to get the EGR system serviced............
And only the dealer could turn it off for the next 50.

Pocketknife proved that wrong. But it was seriously so bright, it made driving difficult.........

 

[sweetk30]

ya the gauge layout pattern has gone threw 6-8 diffrent orders for the placemnet. i have basicly come down to the center out method. speedo and tach is center and the rest get less important as thay work out.

this will work good for quick scan and not be to crazy to figure out.

and the red jewel light has been powered up at night in the garage no lights on. i might drop the watts down or add in a resistor in line to drop it.

 

[sweetk30]

well this should be the last layout change i think . . .

what do you guys think ?

layout

left = top left = .......engine oil temp
left = top right = .....water temp
left = bottom left = ..trans temp
left = bottom right = fuel level

center upper = 2 high beam blue left of speedo/right of tach
center mass = speedo /tach
center lower = turn left/right green

right = top left = .......oil press
right = top right = .....fuel psi 0-30 for tbi
right = bottom left = ..volts
right = bottom right = vacuum 30"-0"

lower left = 2 toggle switches . inner is for trans temp senders 1 in pan and 1 in filter in line. primary will be pan. switch up = filter/line temp.
upper right = 1 push button switch for air horn latter down the road. and 4 extra switches for latter stuff. like lights and other stuff.

now just waitin on kirt to finish my new panel. he is bussy i know. but good things come to those who wait.

 

[Deuling]

That looks freekin sweet!! I think you got it all covered pretty well lol, id spend so much time watching all the different gauges I think I would forget I was driving!! lol

 

[dfl701]

why isnt it in the truck yet

 

[Deuling]

Yah just throw the cardboard one in there!! lol

 

[dfl701]

i was referring to the whole setup, dash and all

 

[sweetk30]

truck in storage.

dash in my garage 30 min from truck

new panel fresh cut from kirt @ diy4x in route at this point.

then it will be assembled and then ready to install in truck soon.

.

also the gauge layout is set for primary view of most important. look at the last set of pics and see the important stuff is center mass and works to less important outward.

 

[sweetk30]

got new panel bottom of pic from kirt friday in a nice brown box.

old panel on top.

its setup for full front panel removale now as i changed a lot of the layout from when i got it used.

changed the toggle switch layout just a bit.

removed 1 from lower left and moved the other lower left to upper left. also moved trans temp up beside it. this will before the use of switching from pan temp to line out temp i have 2 sensors. but when safty toggle down it will be on pan as primary temp.

then lower left will have lots of room now for headlight switch ( black dot )

still need to drill out the 2 high beam and turn holes yet marked with ( black dots )

was able to make 5 switches on upper right side and even push button for air horn use later. but for now old school sirn i got.

the panel is lifted up off the dash by the hight of a 10-32 nut . i used bolts out from the back side to give me studs out the front. this then let me use some nice shinny stainless acorn nuts. ( few need to be added yet. ran out got to hit the store. so temp ones for pics in right side end 2 positions. did this for air flow for the underside of the dash with all the stuff i got in there. and also gives it a kind of 3-d look with raised panel.

i think i even have a nice paint color locked down to use for the main panel . then prob go with a semi or flat black on the top of the dash to help cut down on sun reflection.

didnt like the position and setup for the check engine light ( red jewel ) that was in center of speedo/tach . got to figure somthin else out.

 

[ryoken]

looks good man.... what finish/color is the dash going?

and got a link to your indicator lights?

 

[sweetk30]

new panel from kirt will prob get aluminum paint color i got left over from a project. i did the old panel in that color for test with gauges and how the high beam/turn lights will reflect off it. and its good.

link for the indicator lights man i wish i did. but i have no clue . thay were somthing my dad had for years. he did use to build fire trucks back in the 70's . and i have heard of them refered to as airplane panel lights also.

if someone has a link that would be super.