SirCyber

Hello everyone, I am a semi-seasoned jeep owner, and am on my third work in progress. I figured after a decade of reading this forum for advice I would finally contribute. Sorry it's taken this long

My current jeep sits mostly stock, and I am looking to modify a few things. I have had a dream of changing my guage cluster and dash layout since my first jeep, I am sitting in a 1990 XJ Pioneer manual. I don't have a tach, no good option for CB, and want to add some custom switches and functionality (switches for fog lights, dual electric fans, exterior cameras, under carriage lights), along with upgrading the stock visibility of the guage cluster. My goal is to have a smaller speedo, and straighten out all guages on either side of speedo. The current thought is installing them in raised buckets above billet or diamond plate aluminum. The question is which, if any, guages do I need to be worried about? As in, which may go to computer and which are truly mechanical/analogue. Is it possible to do what I have in mind?
thanks in advance!

SirCyber

Bump... Anyone with advice? And thanks for moving where it is supposed to be

EvstaG

You can certainly get it done with enough money and patience. On your 1990, you'll most likely have a fully mechanical speedo. Other than dealing with that (speedo was electrical after 1990, maybe an easy conversion?), aftermarket gauges should be pretty straightforward. If you want to keep the stock gauges but just rearrange them; again, patience is key, but the gauges are pretty intuitive once you get the cluster apart.

Edit: none of the gauges are involved with the ECU, so you should be good on that front.

SirCyber

So what is all the electronics at back of guage cluster for?

EvstaG

The back of yours doesn't look like this?



89 Renix Limited Gauge Cluster (rear view)

SirCyber

Yes looks like that. I'm an civilian electrician working for the navy and I have extensive experience with circuit boards. The appearance is that the CB is strictly for lights but the test points look like the circuit also feeds back info. Is it in fact just for lighting purposes?

EvstaG

That connector in the middle handles the dash illumination, as well as tach, oil pressure, coolant temp, voltage, and fuel levels. The screw terminals which are missing in my picture are what holds the gauges on and are the electrical connections (which is why you there's only 2 for where the voltage gauge would be (+12v, GND), 3 for the coolant temp gauge (+12v, sensor reading terminal, GND), etc for the rest of the gauges)

Obviously the big silver chunk in the middle is for the mechanical speedo.

SirCyber

That's kinda what I figured after scratching my head a little. How hard is it to replace the rest of the guages?

EvstaG

You just unscrew them and they fall out, can't get much easier than that.

andrewmp6

If you want switch panels http://www.prime4x4.com/ has every option known to man.And for custom lable switches https://www.otrattw.net/ has them and will make anything you want.Do you want to upgrade factory clusters to one with a tach and gauges or make a gauge panel and mount up whatever gauges you like ?