I just bought me a 1987 Jeep Cherokee with the 4.0L and a Dana 44 rear end. I wanna make either an aluminum or sheetmetal dash and use Auto Meter Gauges but keep the factory air and heat. Is this possible? Can you hook up Autometer gauges to the factory harness?
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Aluminum or Sheetmetal dash?
- Thread starter XJRunner
- Start date
- Location
- Foresthill, CA
Yes, I just finished mine. Came out very nice, I used sheetmetal because I don't have a TIG. Lots of welding on mine, I used lots of hot rod parts, like vent louvres, to give it a nice finished look.
I used the stock guages, however, for cheapness.
I used the stock guages, however, for cheapness.
RWKHausSupply
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- yorba linda, Cali
I vote sheet metal since it will allow it be grounded for ease of everything elect..
crunked
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Englewood, TN
i had thought of this, my plan is to eventually just make an aluminum panel to go where the guage bezel is now and place nice autometers in there and keep the rest of the dash. option 2 for me is to redo the whole thing and use the round vents with louvers (i dunno where to find these, ive seen them in most of the ambulances i work out of) in strategic locations to keep AC and heat. im pretty sure the wiring will be a pain in the a$$ though, no plug and play but it can be done. make sure you order the right guages too (not sure of the ohm requirments for xj senders/guages)
~scott
~scott
- Location
- Foresthill, CA
ROBERTK said:
Uh, aluminum conducts electricity better than steel, fyi.
Captain Ron
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- On the horizion
CRASH said:
ROBERTK said:
I think aluminum is generally easier to work with in a garage environment. .05" or .06" thick 5052 is easy on cutting tools and egdes grind and file nice and easy. It's not nessesary to weld, consider making small 18 gauge steel angles, match drilling and pop riveting. If done right, it looks much better than most welded steel panels I've been seeing lately..
For pop rivets, check out Marsten... Lots of thin grip, some of the best head styles, and shank fills in aluminum and stainless.
Robert, aluminum is conductive. You know, like the primary transmission cable from power plants, and hopefully, not like the wiring in your house.
--ron
RWKHausSupply
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- yorba linda, Cali
Captain Ron said:Robert, aluminum is conductive. You know, like the primary transmission cable from power plants, and hopefully, not like the wiring in your house.
--ron
Yeah I thought that Alum wasnt thought of as a good conductor? My Old house was all alum wiring and I was forwarned that it had to be all re-pulled asap. SO we sold and moved...
So is it true that alum cond. better then steel? I just yesterday added a back up light to the rear of the XJ, and I have that alum. bling wing/fin/deflector thing and was worried to not ground it to the mounting bolt in that alum, and ran the ground to inside the rear area to the roof. I guess I didnt need to do that..
RichP
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Effort, Pa
ROBERTK said:
The aluminum house wiring thing was caused by the aluminum overheating and starting fires. Aluminum also does not work well in a flexable environment, in automotive wiring it will crack when flexed.
If you look at dodge vans from about 72-79 they had a gauge panel that could be totally removed and stewart warner made a whole drop in pod but with that one I had to replace senders. The pod was made out of metal. If I was going to do one of my own I'd use aluminum as stated above, it cuts and finishes easier. Also find a good electronics shop, they will have a variety of switches, lights, led and such for indicators.
I built one for my 69 willys wagon [pre waggoner model] and used gold anodized aluminum but that was pretty much a flat panel and old style lights and such, took me about a week of evening work to build it. I layed it out on paper first then started looking at gauges. Preference wise I prefer stewart-warner though VDO does have some nice pre packaged packages.
Captain Ron
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- On the horizion
ROBERTK said:
Aluminum is high on the scale of conductors. The issue with home service is more of a thermal issue. Connection points in home service are almost always mechanical, and bronze. The difference in material creates issues at these connection points. Wiring comes loose, and potentially shorts out, or shorts in a circuit cause insulation problems. 14 gauge and smaller aluminum wire gets hot fast, and can melt down in a 10 amp circuit.
Are you sure your bling is aluminum? Not a decorative coated plastic?
Fasteners are an attention spot with aluminum. Aluminum sits in the middle of the "Noble" scale. It loves to suck and give up free electrons to other metals. It's galvanic corrosion. An aluminum current carring bracket, fastened with a zinc plated fastener, to a zinc plated steel surface is about as bad as it can be given current, potential stray current, mosture, and time.
Use stainless fasteners, and shoot some zinc chromate primer from a syringe around it. For dash stuff, use aluminum rivets. Aluminum, stainless, or monel shanks depending on how structural it need to be.
--ron
RWKHausSupply
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- yorba linda, Cali
Captain Ron said:
I am pretty sure its of the alum breed.. its the stock 90 xj rear window wind deflector thingy...
I dont know if its conductive though as I just bypassed that idea, thinking (wrongfully so now I find) that it wouldnt be a good ground.
fender
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Ypsilanti Mi
You can take a router to aluminum for the extra bling factor - grooves, beveled edges etc. Use good carbide tipped bits, use a variable speed running slower the deeper the cut.
thered1
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- scotts valley
Aluminum tends to carode fast. so if you want it to stay nice clearcoat it.
tkjeeper
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- anywhere thats free
Actually I have always been told its the elements getting under the clearcoat that causes the usual problems we all see on alum wheels, IMHO you should buff the alum. and wax it. Period. Rewax regularly and you're golden.
Captain Ron
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- On the horizion
thered1 said:
Brings up a good point. If you apply a clear paint product, you will in essence seal the surface from oxygen. If you use stainless fasteners, and paint over those too, they will rust in time. Clear paint products often lift over oxidation on the surface of aluminum. A less than ideal finish. All it takes is one scratch, and after a bit of time, it'll look like crap.
Thing is, that aluminum and stainless are only "corrosion" proof in the presence of oxygen. Stainless Steel will out right rust without oxygen.
Better is Chem Film, or Anodize for aluminum.
Before you finish aluminum, etch it, then finish it immediately.
A 50/50 solution of water and 5% phosphoric acid (available from any foodservice supply) is the standard etch. Rinse with water. This works wonders for welding too. We don't weld any aluminum that has not been etched. You wanna vastly improve the appearance and quality of your aluminum welding? This is it.
This will also "passivate" stainless if you apply a small current to the tank and part.
A good durable even finish that I favor over the mill finish on aluminum is to "jitterbug" the surface, i.e. palm sand it evenly to give it a non directional finish using, say, 100 or 120 grit, etch, and chem film.
Chem film for an interior application is great. For a buggy, clear ano is the way to go.
Now, say you just have one panel, and the $65 dollar lot charge is too much for you to chem film. Get Alumiprep finish from McMaster or similar. It comes in the standard yellow, and clear. It's essentially Alodine, a chemical conversion surface treatment.
Another trick.
Want yellow chem film? Go to a photography supply house and get the standard stop bath for black and white photograhy. It's is essentially urea and vinegar, piss and vinegar if you will.
The urea...
Wait, sidebar here...
Urea was the first organic compound to be synthesized from inorganic materials... Now think about it. We piss all day long, and some chemist moron comes along a figures out how to make some up out of non organic material, like we really need more piss in the world.
... is available from medical supply, industrial vinegar from food service suppliers. Use 2 parts water, 1 part urea, and 1 part vinegar. Presto, yellow chem film. Clear chem film is the least resistant to corrosion, and not worth screwing with to make, just take it out to be done, better, clear ano it.
Ano. It is possible to do at home, but it gets a bit complicated. The basic chromium is hard to get without a license, and playing with currents around these solutions can be dangerous.
Any other Q's about coating aluminum?
--ron
thered1
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- scotts valley
I stand corrected. This is great info.
Captain Ron
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- On the horizion
jdbwrx said:
Non-die finish on aluminum, steel, and stainless works great for this.
--ron
1985xjlaredo
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Kansas City
so ohas anyone done this yet and have a write up or any pics of the fishied product?
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