Dash conversion

[bryanjeep]

I am about to also put a CJ style dash in the YJ. What color do you recommend? I like the brushed aluminum look. I also like black, but the aluminum wont need a painting.

As for the heater controls, I want to put in CJ controls. For the cold---hot switch, that isn't a big deal unless you know a way to do it. I can just lean over and control it under the dash. As for the vent selection switch, I'd like to be able to still utilize the control. If there is a way to hook up a control to it, I will make one hole in the dash for some kind of vent. Do you know of a way to hook up a tube to the defrost vent and make it face forward out the dash? It would be cool to have one of those airplane style vents on the dash just as a finger and face warmer.

So anyway, can that control be hooked to a cj switch?

What about the electrical part of it? Can a CJ switch work there too? Do the wires match up and polarity?

For the light switches, can a CJ light switch work? I know there are a bunch of stupid wires connected to the light and dimmer switch. I want to move those switches to the right side of the column and get rid of the stupid looking YJ style ones.

And my last set of questions: If I buy a 5" Autometer speedo and tach, what size do the actual cuts need to be? What about the 3 3/8 gauge? What about the 2 5/8 gauges.

Thanks, sorry for the long questions. Hopefully someone here can answer them. Bryan

 

[bryanjeep]

just moving it back up

 

[XJNick]

Hi,

Just going to give some of my thoughts about this in general, since I own neither a CJ nor a YJ and am not 100% sure how their electrical systems are setup... Anyways:

As for the heater controls, I want to put in CJ controls. For the cold---hot switch,

The hot air damper is usually controlled by a manual throttle-type pull cable which is pulled on by a lever at the climate control board. So, if the CJ style switch is actually a PTO/throttle type pull switch (completely mechanical), then I see no reason why you couldn't make it work.

As for the vent selection switch, I'd like to be able to still utilize the control. If there is a way to hook up a control to it,

This gets a tad more complicated, since if the YJs are like most newer Jeeps, the vent air flow is controlled by a damper system that runs off of the engine vacuum. With that said, you'll have to determine if the CJ vent damper system ran off of vacuum or not.... it could very well be strictly mechanical. If that's the case, you'd have to somehow modify or remove the vacuum motors from your dampers and replace them with a manual throttle-type pull cable. I don't see this as being easy.

What about the electrical part of it? Can a CJ switch work there too? Do the wires match up and polarity?

If you're talking about the cabin fan's power/ speed selector switch, then yes you probably can make it work with your YJ's blower motor. Keep in mind that the CJ switches may only have two or three positions (i.e. off low high) where the YJ probably has more speed settings. If that's the case, You'll need to wire the switch in a way that you basically don't use those extra circuits of the blower motor resistor block. This is fairly easy, but some good schematics would be helpful.

For the light switches, can a CJ light switch work? I know there are a bunch of stupid wires connected to the light and dimmer switch.

Yes, it probably COULD work. I'm sure it would require some modification in wiring though. If the YJ headlamp switches are like the ones in the XJs, they will be a headlamp switch and dash dimming rheostat all in one unit. This is where all the wires come from. You have wires such as headlamp power, headlamp switch output to headlamp dimmer, output to fog lamp relay, ground, dash illumination circuit input, output to dash lights, parking lamp circuit input, parking lamp output, etc..
The CJ switches are likely to not incorporate all of this, and thus you may need two switches, one for the head + parking lamps, and another to replace the dash light rheostat (this is similar to a large variable resistor).

Hope that helps, It's interesting because i'm in the process of doing sort of the opposite thing right now... making a completely electronic dashboard for my Cherokee which will use LEDs in a bar graph type setup instead of the mechanical gauges. :mrgreen:

-Nick :!:

 

[far_right]

thats a cool idea... all you need now are round light and you will be set

 

[beachjeep]

THERE IS A GOOD WRITEUP ON THIS CONVERSION I READ NOT TOO LONG AGO. ILL TRY TO FIND IT AND POST THE LINK.

 

[beachjeep]

Here it is:

http://www.off-road.com/jeep/swb/articles/dash.htm

His turned out real nice.

 

[bryanjeep]

OK thanks, I need to look into it more. I have seen that site before. I emailed him but no response yet. any idea with the gauge questoins?