Panel Swap

[mormon92]

Just like most everyone else, i hate driving my truck without a tach(which is so beyond me that they didnt include on free of charge) so i want to swap in a panel with a tach, but i cant find a list or something that says what year panel will fit which year truck.plus i understand that explorer panels can fit too. i think i read some thing that said they are generations but i dont know so if someone could explain this, that would be apreciated.

I have a 92 5 Speed V6.


Thanks


Cody

 

[RangerFella]

Just install an aftermarket tachometer in it. It's much easier than you think. I thought mine was going to be a bitch to deal with but in reality it worked out really well. I put the tach on the steering column housing, ran the wires between the plastic and the kick plate, piggybacked off of the power window fuse for the + wire, grounded it with one of the big bolts behind the rubber flap on the fuse box (in the cab, not under the hood), and put the dim light wire (it's not really necessary to dim the light in the tach) in with the fuse for the left headlight. I'll include a pic of the finished product but if you want I can give you more details later. It was really, once I figured out what I was doing, easy.

http://img117.imageshack.us/img117/1204/img0473sk2.jpg

 

[RangerFella]

And oh yeah...since mine is a 97, yours will be the same, since it's a 95.

 

[RangerMan64]

Well if you wanted to replace the whole dash, and being that your truck is in the 2nd generation, you could use a dash from an 89-92.

 

[mormon92]

And oh yeah...since mine is a 97, yours will be the same, since it's a 95.

acctually its a 92 with a 5 speed. so no power windows or anything. but i would rather go for stock looking simply because this is a daily driver i share with my parents and brother and i dont want my brother shifting at 1500 rpm or 6000.


by dash do you mean just the insturment panel or everything in the front?


Thanks

 

[RangerFella]

Oops...must be that dyslexia kicking in LOL...Yeah...sorry. Strike that idea.

 

[RangerFella]

You sure you don't want an aftermarket? It'd be a whole 'lot easier.

 

[mormon92]

i know it would be easier, but i want to save as much space as possible and make it easier for brother who gets his liscense soon.

General question, will a gauge cluster from a 4.0 work with my 3.0 correctly?
thanks guys

 

[RangerFella]

No. It won't. You need to get a cluster from a similar Ranger, similar year/generation and the same engine. Obviously you need a gauge that's NOT for an auto tranny.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

What you would want is a cluster from an 89-92 Ranger, BII or Explorer... I'd try to stick with the same engine which with a 3.0L would mean you'd need to find a Ranger with it. But... a cluster out of something with a 4.0L may read close enough that it woln't matter.

 

[mormon92]

what would read wrong? everything or just the tach?

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

what would read wrong? everything or just the tach?

Tach may read off by up to a couple hundred rpms and the gauges for fuel, oil, and temp may not read correctly.

Of course, it may all play nice as well... but I've found that most gauge clusters are marked with a tag that says "only use with ____ engine" so I would assume there's a reason for that.

 

[RangerFella]

In other words, it's best that you stick to something from a similar ranger.