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Diy4x Dash Questions & Show Me Your Dash Gadgets

nvrenuf

nvrenuf

Holy crap, it's running!
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Is the left side "box" slightly wedge shaped? This pic makes it look bigger at the A pillar than in the middle. Picture illusion? Most pics look like it would be "square" and not wedge shaped BUT this pic from Diy4x's site ( @Heavyleft dash) looks similar.

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Are the removable panels screwed straight in to the main body with sheetmetal screws or are there nutserts or..?

On the gauge layout, anyone just have a tach or speedo in the center, instead of both? I'm curious if it's difficult to see thru the steering wheel?

What cell phone holders, chargers, power ports, other widgets have y'all added? Pics?
 
The left side is uniform and not tapered.

Seeing the gauges thru the steering wheel will have as much to do with the steering wheel as it does the dash.

I cut out my own panels so I'm not sure how they do the fasteners. For what it's worth, the material is thick enough that I have done some threaded holes in the dash.

I like mine and I moved it from the the K5 to the crew cab.
2014-05-23 17.26.40.jpg 2015-05-25 16.16.53.jpg 2015-05-25 16.18.40.jpg 2015-07-07 20.26.25.jpg
 
Great pics, thank you! I just bought the bare finish dash in the first pic I posted from a guy on FB, I don't have it yet but noticed the pic looked odd when I uploaded it. I'm going to have to see if someone local to me can powder coat it or something, I don't want to leave it bare.
 
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I plan to make a new gauge panel for it for a different layout but not sure what yet. How do you like the headlight switch placement? It looks odd to me so I might move it up to the gauge panel and plug the existing hole somehow. I like that multiple indicator strip you put in your dash, I'll probably grab one of those too.

I won't be buying a speedo, just seems like too much money when I can get a phone mount and use a GPS app. This is why I was wondering about being able to see a center mounted gauge (tach), I have a factory 4 spoke sport wheel so it's open on the top / bottom 3rds. Hopefully, I'll be able to see a tach reasonably well, it's not like I'll be staring at it all the time anyway.
 
I think if you hold the tach close to the bottom, it will be fine. I don't remember feeling like I couldn't see mine.

The little indicator panel came from Summit. I shows CEL, left/right turn, high beams, brake warning, and 2 others that I use to tell me the fans are on.

You can see I never had a speedo in the K5. There's a hole for one in the crew cab but it's holding a mount for the Garmin GPS. Works well for me because I'm not good with wayfinding so I like to have the map up all the time. Really helps in unfamiliar areas or if you are looking to avoid some problem on the road ahead. Although there's a stronger chance I might add a speedo in the future because the 4l80e controller has an output signal for a speedo so I don't need to buy a sender.

I've been strongly considering taking the analog gauges out and running a Jegs digital dash. It includes all the same gauges I have plus it also has the high beam and turn signal indicators. Or I could really drop some cash and get Holley's digital dash that I can plug the Sniper into.

Just as a note of interest, you may notice in the pictures from my K5 I have a wedge shaped piece on the bottom of the left section of dash; this was for the heater controls. That location was a little too low. The cables were a little bound up and didn't operate smoothly. For the crew cab I have the controls up on the "face" of the dash and they work fine.
 
Oh, and the headlight switch location hasn't been an issue. I think when you are sitting in the truck it's not something you really notice so I don't even think about it until I need it.
 
I noticed that both you and @K30Blazer added a "visor" over the gauges, does sun glare make reading the gauges difficult?
 
@nvrenuf My gauge plate has a single opening right in the middle. There is a pic on the last page of my build thread. I don't think I am going to use the panel.

Side question does anyone have pics of the A pillar bars going through the dash.
 
Thanks Brian, I'll go look at your pic. Are you going to paint / wrap / anything on your dash?

My dash is cut out for the A pillars, I'll go snag a pic from the guys build thread.
 
@nvrenuf Oh you bought Ronnies dash.

He had sent me those through the dash pics before. My A pillars are tucked in closer.

Yeah I think I'm just going to paint mine. I do like the added on piece for hvac controls? MrK5 did above.
 
If you want to do something cool on your dash here is an idea. I made cut out a piece of chromed steel to match my nut cover on my guitar years ago. Turned out sick and would be even sicker on a bigger application like a dash. I have gothic cross inlays on my fret board. After cutting my nut cover down to the right shape and size, I taped it off and drew/cut out a copy of same gothic cross. Then I sand blasted that cross. Removed the tape and scuffed it real good all in one direction with scotchbrite. Then I took a little clear coat and added a couple few drops of black paint and put 8 or 9 coats on it (till it turned black). Then wet sanded it down so that you could see thru it how ever much you want. The scotch Brite scuffing all in one direction made it so the gothic cross disappears from certain angles. It's really cool and would be bad a## on a dash. I will try to get a couple pics later if you want. Would have to go real easy on that dash though cause it's aluminum isn't it?
 
MTBLAZER89 said:
@nvrenuf Oh you bought Ronnies dash.

He had sent me those through the dash pics before. My A pillars are tucked in closer.

Yeah I think I'm just going to paint mine. I do like the added on piece for hvac controls? MrK5 did above.
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Yeah, the price was right so I grabbed it. It's pretty basic though so I'll be adding a removable cover on the pass side and then making a new gauge panel. I really like the piece MrK5 added but I don't have any HVAC stuff. I will probably end up having the A pillar bar holes welded up and cutting new ones, I need to mock it all up to be sure.
 
Anybody got any cool chargers, power outlets, holders / brackets, etc, etc, etc ??

I think I'm going to end up with some dead space on the left side so I'm trying to come up with some interesting "filler". A switch panel would look cool but I don't have any switch driven accessories. :dunno:

For the right side, I'd like a small 6"-8" glove box in towards the center and I'm probably going to do a fair size cut out with a screw on cover for my MSD box and coil, like this pic.

dash pic 5.jpg
 
I was always cautious about what to put on the left side when I was running tube doors. I figure it's too good of an opportunity for people to mess with things.
 
mrk5 said:
I was always cautious about what to put on the left side when I was running tube doors. I figure it's too good of an opportunity for people to mess with things.
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An excellent point as I have tube doors and no top. :thumb:
 
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