T4R Gauge Swaps has expanded!

[emelianenkov]

We have now expanded our services to include second gen Tacoma's with FJ's soon on the way!

2009 Tacoma

I'm almost certain this is the first Tacoma with white needles!

 

[emelianenkov]

White Tacoma gauges with blue backlit needles.

 

[emelianenkov]

Blue Tacoma gauges with red needles.

 

[4RunnerSeth]

Nice work, but definitely not the first with white needles.. People on TW been doing it for years. I used to do this on the side, but got tired of doing it. You will find FJs to be a bit more of a pain because the needles are lit by the same LEDs as the faces.

 

[emelianenkov]

Nice work, but definitely not the first with white needles.. People on TW been doing it for years. I used to do this on the side, but got tired of doing it. You will find FJs to be a bit more of a pain because the needles are lit by the same LEDs as the faces.

Fine, it's the first taco cluster I've done personally with white needles haha.

I'm still waiting to find an FJ but I'm up to the challenge!

 

[4RunnerSeth]

Fine, it's the first taco cluster I've done personally with white needles haha.

I'm still waiting to find an FJ but I'm up to the challenge!

Yeah, the only option of you want to have different color needles on a FJ is to paint the backs with the color you want and just run white background leds. the needles are a bit dim this way. I had thought about trying some additive to the paint to make it more reflective or to find some reflective paint do use. It looks like for the tacoma you are already repainting the backs. this is definitely the way to go. If you have any questions about doing anything on the tacomas or FJs let me know. The stock tacoma radios are a PITA. I have ZERO interest in doing these again as a side business so no worries about competition.

 

[emelianenkov]

Yeah, the only option of you want to have different color needles on a FJ is to paint the backs with the color you want and just run white background leds. the needles are a bit dim this way. I had thought about trying some additive to the paint to make it more reflective or to find some reflective paint do use. It looks like for the tacoma you are already repainting the backs. this is definitely the way to go. If you have any questions about doing anything on the tacomas or FJs let me know. The stock tacoma radios are a PITA. I have ZERO interest in doing these again as a side business so no worries about competition.

Yea I have painted a few needles in my day. My favorite are the metallic blue limited needles I did a few months ago.

I have requests to do the taco radios but those LEDs are SOOOO small and my hands shake quite badly. I get by with what I have lol.

I didn't use any fancy paint on the needles. Just use hobby paint. And the white needles aren't painted

 

[4RunnerSeth]

Yea I have painted a few needles in my day. These are my favorite.

I have requests to do the taco radios but those LEDs are SOOOO small and my hands shake quite badly. I get by with what I have lol.

I didn't use any fancy paint on the needles. Just use hobby paint. And the white needles aren't painted

Yeah, I just use the PLCC2s on the radio as well. it works. But the screen is the PITA part. there are a lot of leds behind it. Its a pain to get to them let alone to replace them. theres a guy on TW who bends the leads of the screen to get it out of the way. I would NEVER do this. I use an angled tip to get to one side of the led. But I also have been soldering for pretty much my entire life and I use professional equipment and an Olympus SZ61 microscope. All stuff i have for my regular job. I had made a bench top test box for doing tacomas because i did so many of them. Was a fantastic tool for verifying everything worked right and helped to align needles on the bench, but i sold it to a guy on TW when i quit doing them.

 

[emelianenkov]

Yeah, I just use the PLCC2s on the radio as well. it works. But the screen is the PITA part. there are a lot of leds behind it. Its a pain to get to them let alone to replace them. theres a guy on TW who bends the leads of the screen to get it out of the way. I would NEVER do this. I use an angled tip to get to one side of the led. But I also have been soldering for pretty much my entire life and I use professional equipment and an Olympus SZ61 microscope. All stuff i have for my regular job. I had made a bench top test box for doing tacomas because i did so many of them. Was a fantastic tool for verifying everything worked right and helped to align needles on the bench, but i sold it to a guy on TW when i quit doing them.

Good to know about the PLCC2's! Crisis averted!

I need to make a bench-top tester thing. Do you have the time to walk me through it?

I have a radio shack soldering iron haha. How do you keep the pointed tips sharp? I'm going through them like nothing.

 

[4RunnerSeth]

Good to know about the PLCC2's! Crisis averted!

I need to make a bench-top tester thing. Do you have the time to walk me through it?

I have a radio shack soldering iron haha. How do you keep the pointed tips sharp? I'm going through them like nothing.

The PLCC2s arnt an exact fit for the radio, but they work and the brightness is pretty good.

Its pretty complicated to make the bench top tester... i called around to local junk yards til i found someone who would cut off the truck side of the harness for me. then i used that and hacked it up with a box. then follow the truck electrical drawings. some pins need to be pulled low to turn the led on and some need to be pulled high. you can tell from the electrical drawings.

The process of soldering actually removes some of the metal from the tip as you do it. Better soldering irons will make a big difference. Mine are $350 each and I have 3, but I didn't buy them. they also have changable tips for different jobs. they're great soldering irons, but if i was buying them myself I don't think i could pony up that much dough unless i was making bank off the business.

 

[emelianenkov]

The PLCC2s arnt an exact fit for the radio, but they work and the brightness is pretty good.

Its pretty complicated to make the bench top tester... i called around to local junk yards til i found someone who would cut off the truck side of the harness for me. then i used that and hacked it up with a box. then follow the truck electrical drawings. some pins need to be pulled low to turn the led on and some need to be pulled high. you can tell from the electrical drawings.

The process of soldering actually removes some of the metal from the tip as you do it. Better soldering irons will make a big difference. Mine are $350 each and I have 3, but I didn't buy them. they also have changable tips for different jobs. they're great soldering irons, but if i was buying them myself I don't think i could pony up that much dough unless i was making bank off the business.

Yea that's harder for the 4Runner. The wiring harness is TRICKY! There are 4 connectors to the gauges.

Did not know the tip loses metal when you solder! Good thing they're only like 2 bucks to change out.

I'm happy ponying up $9.99 for a RadioShack iron. It does the work I need to be done. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

[knightsfs4]

Can you use Tacoma gauges on the 4runner? I would totally do that cause I think they look sick.

And if I wanted to send my gauges in, would I just have to go without for a couple days? What is the process?

JAck

 

[emelianenkov]

Can you use Tacoma gauges on the 4runner? I would totally do that cause I think they look sick.

And if I wanted to send my gauges in, would I just have to go without for a couple days? What is the process?

JAck

Nah, your gauges are made for your truck. No taco gauges for you! Hah.

And if you send your gauges in, I have loaners to send you, but my turn around time is typically 1-2 days!

I'm away for the next month though

 

[knightsfs4]

How much would you charge to do the gauges and HVAC? When you get back I'd love to have some LEDs put in.

 

[yosh2000]

Nice work, but definitely not the first with white needles.. People on TW been doing it for years.

haha, aint that the truth!!

I have requests to do the taco radios but those LEDs are SOOOO small and my hands shake quite badly. I get by with what I have lol.

but the 1206 LEDs are SOOO much easier to swap in, that is if you have the right tools.

i would suggest you pick up a weller WES51. great station, cheap and you will have a much easier time doing these things...and it will hopefully help you not fry boards! I have been using mine for several years and have yet to replace the original tip. plus, for $5, you can get a 1/32 tip that will make things easy for the 1206 LEDs and other smaller jobs. if you are charging people, you want to do a quality job and have quality welds.

 

[emelianenkov]

but the 1206 LEDs are SOOO much easier to swap in, that is if you have the right tools.

i would suggest you pick up a weller WES51. great station, cheap and you will have a much easier time doing these things...and it will hopefully help you not fry boards! I have been using mine for several years and have yet to replace the original tip. plus, for $5, you can get a 1/32 tip that will make things easy for the 1206 LEDs and other smaller jobs. if you are charging people, you want to do a quality job and have quality welds.

the 1206 look tiny to me but oh well.

Thanks for the Weller suggestion, I need something better than my $9 ripoff shack soldering iron hahaha.

 

[yosh2000]

yea, its amazing the difference it has made for all the taco clusters/radios/steering wheels i have done

oh, and if you are scared to do the taco radios, fell free to send them my way!

 

[emelianenkov]

yea, its amazing the difference it has made for all the taco clusters/radios/steering wheels i have done

I could imagine haha

 

[zonianbrat]

So are you still willing to change up 4 runner guages? I'd like the whit with blue needles like the pic of the taco guages! That looks sweet! If you do how much?

 

[emelianenkov]

So are you still willing to change up 4 runner guages? I'd like the whit with blue needles like the pic of the taco guages! That looks sweet! If you do how much?

I can do that! I'm running a discounted group buy here. Hop on the list!

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/showthread.php?t=123261