Im looking to convert my '98 dash to blue LEDs. I read through the "how to" and other threads on other forums about it. The how-to (bare in mind I know nothing about electronics), looks like it uses component LEDs that you have to solder to resistors yourself. Then over on the ranger station forums a guy with a '93 (idk if that makes a difference), apparently just popped in LED bulbs (im assuming an LED bulb has a resistor and what not built in?) with the preexisting green film and it came out like:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJcng5oUXLo

I guess my question is, does the second method really only require replacing bulbs, not adding resistors or anything like the "how-to" guide on here has? What method would you all recommend?

Keep in mind I am basically retarded when it comes to this stuff...

 

I feel your pain. I've never soldered in my life until yesterday. I did blue LEDs in the 4x4 and headlight switch. It's not bad at all. I'm looking to buy another cluster to do the gauges.

 

Don't be scared of soldering. Solder is your friend. Resistors are your friend too. I have alot of friends.

 

Here is how i did my conversion. I used as many plug an play leds as i could. All my leds came from superbrightleds.com, here are the part numbers and quanities of leds i bought and also links to the step by step how tos I followed while doing the led conversion:

-6 x WLED-B-120: these are for the gauge cluster and are 194 wedge style direct replacement bulbs
-1 x RL3-B2030: this is for the little indicator light on your foglight switch to let you know when your foglights are on and is a 3mm LED (here is a link to the how to https://www.ranger-forums.com/forum2/...ad.php?t=69829 )
-2 x RL5-B2545: one is for the healight switch and the other is for the foglight switch and are 5mm LEDs ( heres how to install the headlight led http://www.cardomain.com/ride/296394/12 Here is the how for the fog light led http://www.cardomain.com/ride/296394/6
-2 x 74-B: These are for the hvac contols and are 74 wedge stye direct replacement bulbs.
-2 x B8.5D-B: These are for the cruise control switches and twist into the stock location you just have to trim the plastic housing they come in a little to make them fit in the cruise control pods.

You will also need pack of of 470 ohm, 1/4 watt resistors which you can pick up at radio shack for the headlight and fog light switches.

A few pics of how it turned out. i was very pleased.









NOTE... I also have aftermarket lay overs for my gauges and hvac controls that where blue to begin with. So yours might not turn out the same with the stock green gauges.

 

Thanks everyone for the responses.
I read through the how-to guide again and I think I might go that route, with component LEDs. I think I get the jist of it. Correct me if I'm wrong, but basically for one cluster you buy 5 individual 5mm LEDs and connect them all with 2 resistors (because you can run 3 5mm LEDs off one resistor) to make the equivalent of a plug n play 194 wedge you can find on superbrightleds? The guide also mentioned they used 13000mcd 5mm's which I couldnt find on superbrightleds, but did find pretty cheap here:
http://cgi.ebay.com/100-5mm-Blue-LED...lenotsupported
100 5mm's for $16 doesnt sound bad, and thatd give me plenty left over after the dash & HVAC in case i need them.

All that's left is the cruise control pods and headlight switch (i have 2wd...). Mudranger, howd you get at the pods - do the buttons just pop off or do you have to take the whole steering wheel apart?

Also, would these be the resistors im looking for:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Resistor-510-Ohm...lenotsupported

 

Cam -

1. disconnect battery.
2. remove steering wheel airbag
3. remove the cruise control pod switches
4. take pods apart; do your LED thing
5. re-install cruise control pod switches
6. re-install the steering wheel airbag
7. re-connect the battery.
8. set the time on your clock (if necessary)

 

Exactly how turbo described. Heres a how to with pics to make things more understandable.
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/296394/23

 

Thanks a lot everyone. I guess I'm going to try my hand at soldering soon enough.. I'm ordering up the LEDs and paint hopefully tonight.

Oh, and if you don't mind - mudranger, where'd you get those billet pieces for your interior? They look awesome.

 

Why does your headlight switch have lights in it??? mine doesnt, do all rangers have them? Maybe mines burnt out?

 

you can put the bulbs in with the green film still on, but id highly advise against that. you can hardly see the light through the green, so i would highly advise that you remove the green paint.

 

Most of my billet pieces i ordered from uprproducts.com. The headlight piece i ordered from billetandacrylic.com. But now you can find alot of the stuff cheaper on ebay.


All rangers have that light but they burn out very frequent. However if you replace that light with an led your problem is solved.

 

How do you get to the light and what kind of bulb is it? 194?

 

To get to the light you have to pretty much tear a part your whole dash. You have to remove your radio bezel, panel under the steering wheel, and the part of the dash the switch is attached to that goes over the steering wheel.
To replace the bulb you have to solder in a resistor and an led
heres the how to i followed.
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/296394/12

 

So i Just bought 100 LED's with resistors from hong kong

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...m=200308993694

Are the LED's the same if I wanted to do behind my guages/cruise as well one day?

 

Nice job Brett, that's real sharp.

 

I would have not bought those, and went with some 360 degree LED instead. You could possibly have quite a few hot spots.

 

My understanding from the guide was that if you sand down the tip of the bulb so its flat it widens the angle. Also if you have 5 of these in a cluster, they are all pointing in different directions so wouldnt that effectively make a 360 degree unit?

 

Yeah thats what I read too, you can mod the bulbs to get diferent beam patterns

 

It works to some extent. They sell 360 degree LEDs that IMO can't be beat.

 

For $13 Shipped with the resistors for 100 I dont think I can go wrong.

some people want $15 just for the shipping to canada for 10, more than I paid for 100 with resistors

These little bulbs would also work as floor lighting wouldnt they?

 

wow, for $13 you can't go wrong, especially with the free shipping, let us know how they turn out when you get them :P

 

Why are the needles on my truck red, the whole needle is??? its like the only ranger i've seen with Red needles

 

mine is too, im not sure when they started doing that, probably after 04. but they won't show up too well with the blue light so they will have to be replaced, unless you can read an almost invisible needle.

 

There not that easy to see on the stock geen. and mines a 2003 and it has it, but my 02 didnt.

I think they'll show up good when I do a white background, maybe blue or something numbers

 

i have a white background and you still can't see them worth jack.