Switch panel that replaces ash tray

skrape · Oct 5, 2015

I needed a place to put the switches for the ARB switches, and a driving light switch, in my '97 Ranger.

I considered mounting the ARB switches "horizontally" in the narrow cubby below the stereo. I also considered some sort of "pod" above the center vents, or to the right of the steering column, or anywhere else I thought they might physically fit; but eventually I settled on yanking out the ash tray and lower cigar lighter, and making a switch pod to go in that space. I'm not a smoker, and there are 2 other lighters, so that considerable real estate is just a waste; might as well put it to use.

skrape · Oct 5, 2015

So like I said, I have the ARB compressor, front diff, and rear diff switch to mount. I've also got a set of lights that will land on the truck, so I located a "Driving Lights" switch in the same style as the ARB switches. To make mounting easier and neater, I got the switch panel surrounds to go with them - a "three-plex" to group the ARB switches, and a single for the light switch.

These ARB-style, aka "carling" or "contura" switches are pretty cool, I like the legend on them. They're pretty big, and more importantly, pretty deep - needing about 2-1/2" behind the panel.

skrape · Oct 5, 2015

I spent too much time, and too many brain-cpu cycles, trying to figure out how to mount these switches. I had, in my junk collection, a Radio Shack black plastic "Project Box" that was about 6-1/2" wide, that would fit inside the opening left after removing the ashtray and lower lighter. But, it wasn't terribly thick plastic, and I was worried about it flexing and making for a lousy "feel"; also, it would fit in the opening, not fill it, so I wasn't sure how it would look. Finally, I couldn't figure out a good way to mount it - driving screws thru the roof of it would work - if I was 4" tall.

Eventually I stumbled across a piece of 4" x 1" rectangular-C channel aluminum, 1/8" thick. (More manna from my junk collection.) I sliced off a 7-3/8" piece of this. One side could act as a flange and be screwed into the ashtray-surround mounting holes along the top of the opening.

I sliced out a couple of triangular pieces to act as sides, and brazed them together with aluminum brazing rod.

skrape · Oct 5, 2015

Here's the unfinished result:

I'll post more pix as I get it finished and mounted.

skrape · Oct 12, 2015

Her it is finished and painted:

I painted it with truck bedliner, to get that textured, slightly soft surface.

skrape · Oct 12, 2015

And here's the finished product, installed in the truck:

I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. It could be better, you can see that it blocks the storage cubby in the console thing, but it looks and feels good. And, there's room for more switches as I add junk to the truck.

alwaysFlOoReD · Oct 12, 2015

Nice job. Could you have hinged it?

Sent from my XT1032 using Tapatalk

dirtcowboy · Oct 14, 2015

I used this
http://www.daystarweb.com/productdetail.php?productID=1457

The switch cutouts are molded in, it looks like this

Switch panel that replaces ash tray

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