Add Another Dash Switch Panel

StG58

TJ Guru
Supporting Member
Joined
Oct 29, 2015
Messages
6,650
Location
Orygun, the wet side...
I was browsing around trying to find a good solution for adding additional switches to my dash, and ran across this mod on "The Daily Driven TJ" site. (http://www.dailydriventj.com/main.shtml) It looks like a good solution that adds three switches and looks stock. You do loose your ash tray, but other than change rattling around in there and a punch card for the local Barista in a Box, that's not an issue for me...YMMV.

The MOD is here: http://dailydriventj.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=674

The last post to the site was several years ago, so I'm going to throw this out here.

Before:
b1s.jpg

After:
52s.jpg

Enjoy!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Chris
I've seen this before, it's a very cool idea though, I agree. Thanks for sharing it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: StG58
I've seen this before, it's a very cool idea though, I agree. Thanks for sharing it.
Yup, old trick...but a good one. Stu Offroad has a similar write up on the same thing, with a little bit different twist. He filled in the part on the new switch panel where the cigar lighter goes with a flat piece of plastic and mounted additional switches there. Didn't link to his write up, but it might be worth looking at as well.

Surprisingly, the switch panels are still available from various vendors, from $25 to $50. The part number is: 56007314AD. A google search on the part number will turn up a bunch of them.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: cliffish and Chris
Surpisingly, the switch panels are still available from various vendors, from $25 to $50. The part number is: 56007314AD. A google search on the part number will turn up a bunch of them.

Enjoy that while it last. I'm finding TJ parts harder and harder to come by these days (especially trim parts). Of course, in a way that kind of makes ownership fun, because you've got to be resourceful.
 
  • Like
Reactions: StG58
Enjoy that while it last. I'm finding TJ parts harder and harder to come by these days (especially trim parts). Of course, in a way that kind of makes ownership fun, because you've got to be resourceful.
It does make it fun and interesting owning a TJ. OEM parts are getting much harder to come by, as you say. I've been seriously looking at what it would take to keep my SE running in the long haul. I'm guessing in the next ten to fifteen years we are going to have to start getting pretty creative with some things. Good ECM's and sensors are still available, but for how long? One of the reasons that I purchased an SE over some of the other models is there are retrofit parts to keep it running basically forever. One of these days, that may prove to be a good thing. The retrofit parts are dirt cheap right now to go back to a non-electronic distributor and carburetor setup. Oh, and a fuel pump. On an early SE, that's pretty much all there is to it. Gauges and gauge panels are available and actually reasonable.

I know on my Suburban, if I loose the electronics, I'm done. Transmission won't shift, transfer case is stuck in 2x and the engine won't start or run. That's just depressing. On the early TJ SE (2.5 / manual trans) you can take them all the way back to essentially a CJ5 era Jeep for less than the cost of a good suspension lift. Probably should keep collecting all the parts for that, just for giggles. They fit in a cardboard box. The TBI intake manifold is the biggest chunk. Early XJ's with the 2.5 are a great resource.

Edited to add: An alternator too.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Chris
It does make it fun and interesting owning a TJ. OEM parts are getting much harder to come by, as you say. I've been seriously looking at what it would take to keep my SE running in the long haul. I'm guessing in the next ten to fifteen years we are going to have to start getting pretty creative with some things. Good ECM's and sensors are still available, but for how long? One of the reasons that I purchased an SE over some of the other models is there are retrofit parts to keep it running basically forever. One of these days, that may prove to be a good thing. The retrofit parts are dirt cheap right now to go back to a non-electronic distributor and carburetor setup. Oh, and a fuel pump. On an early SE, that's pretty much all there is to it. Gauges and gauge panels are available and actually reasonable.

I know on my Suburban, if I loose the electronics, I'm done. Transmission won't shift, transfer case is stuck in 2x and the engine won't start or run. That's just depressing. On the early TJ SE (2.5 / manual trans) you can take them all the way back to essentially a CJ5 era Jeep for less than the cost of a good suspension lift. Probably should keep collecting all the parts for that, just for giggles. They fit in a cardboard box. The TBI intake manifold is the biggest chunk. Early XJ's with the 2.5 are a great resource.

I guess there’s something good about being a little long in the tooth after all! My Jeep will most likely out last me! I will sleep just a little better tonight [emoji53]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
  • Like
Reactions: StG58 and Chris
You're right about that. But just like you, I purchased my TJ because of how easy it is to work on, which includes the possibility of having to swap in another engine if I were forced to. Be it a Chevy LS engine, a Cummins engine, etc., I don't think you'd have a problem finding something to put in there if you needed to.

But realistically speaking, the 4.0 and 2.5 engines themselves aren't the issues, it's electronic parts like you said. However, keep in mind that any good electrician can fix an electric part. Hell, as long as your ECM wasn't completely fried and it was just something like a resistor, that could be fixed, no question about it. If the entire chipset on it went bad, that might be another story. The good thing is that enough TJs were produced, that I think I can run this thing with me to my grave and manage to keep it alive the entire time. Like I said, you may have to be resourceful, but if guys are still driving CJs, I'm not worried about a TJ!
 
  • Like
Reactions: StG58
Keep a few spare ECMs around just incase. If you do that, I think that you'd be in a good, safe place!
 
  • Like
Reactions: StG58
I was browsing around trying to find a good solution for adding additional switches to my dash, and ran across this mod on "The Daily Driven TJ" site. (http://www.dailydriventj.com/main.shtml) It looks like a good solution that adds three switches and looks stock. You do loose your ash tray, but other than change rattling around in there and a punch card for the local Barista in a Box, that's not an issue for me...YMMV.

The MOD is here: http://dailydriventj.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=674

The last post to the site was several years ago, so I'm going to throw this out here.

Before:
View attachment 25057
After:
View attachment 25058
Enjoy!
Is this just a matter of snapping out the blank panel and putting in the switch panel, or does the blank panel have to be cut out?
 
  • Like
Reactions: StG58
I was browsing around trying to find a good solution for adding additional switches to my dash
You must have seen this before: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LYUYWJU/?tag=wranglerorg-20

Its what I have plus, if you get 2 of these you have 4 switches, its all plug & play install takes 30 seconds. It does looks very stock as well, I have 2 of these mounted up and they look and function great.

That mod you posted was pretty cool too, looks more stock I would say but requires much more time and dedication to making it look pro than just pulling out the 2 center vents and pushing these into place.