What did you do to your deuce this week?

[gimpyrobb]

More info from another member:

https://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?22618-Dash-LED-illumination&highlight=

 

[rustystud]

I used 24 volt LED strips and wired them into the existing dash lights. I'll post some under dash pics when I get home from work. The strips were repurposed store display lighting.

I figured it had to be something like that. Your gauges where just to bright for just changing out the bulbs or extending the lens. Thanks for sharing this ! I will be on eBay looking for some tonight !

 

[texas30cal]

I've been looking at this problem too and have been thinking the same Toby. I have ordered some of the 24v waterproof strip led's, wanting to wrap each gauge and tie them into the factory dash lights for power and still have the bright/dim settings. I'm not sure what to use yet but I also want to wrap each gauge with something to keep that light off the floor. To get back on topic here, this week I fine tuned my refrigerant charge in the ac system and got some 1/8" thick black rubber with diamond plate pattern to use as floor mats on top of the insulation. I also drove it to Giddings about 35 m away to drop my daughter Rylie off for a week with her mom, ugh. Rylie LOVES the army truck and wants to go everywhere in it, she's 7 and made two trips with me last year to prep it for recovery, even helps work on it every chance she gets. I heard from a buddy that lives in Bastrop while I was in Giddings and decided to go visit, it ended up being a 125m round trip!!!! That's my longest trip to date, previous record was 100m on recovery from Brazoria tx. Sorry, I didn't intend to type so much. That story got long in a hurry !

 

[montaillou]

...and got some 1/8" thick black rubber with diamond plate pattern to use as floor mats on top of the insulation.

Besides temp, do the insulation/mats also help with quieting noise from the engine?

 

[18operator]

The gauges are slotted to let light in. I didn't want to put the lights too close, actually I tried and all I got were bright light and I couldn't see the gauge face. Also the dash lights have 2 settings. And the residual light on the floor doesn't bother me.

 

[Wolfgang the Gray]

WOW - What a great idea! It would even be battlefield ready or extra-vehicular activities like inspections or repairs along a desolate trail or in the wilderness.

That was my thoughts. Also, it let's me keep my Deuce stock. I agree though that with the red dash lights, I can't see the tack or speedometer unless I look for a couple seconds. They may be great in the pitch black roads in the wilderness where my night vision can be maintained, but street driving in the city (Phoenix in my case) is just too bright.

 

[Champ173rd]

Just an FYI, most LED lights are rated from 9v to 33v if you look in the specs of it before purchasing these lights of any kind. I took pods and light bars off my Rubicon before trading it in. I was going to sell them but once I discovered this.. I'm keeping them for back up lights ect..

 

[Another Ahab]

Just an FYI, most LED lights are rated from 9v to 33v if you look in the specs of it before purchasing these lights of any kind. I took pods and light bars off my Rubicon before trading it in. I was going to sell them but once I discovered this.. I'm keeping them for back up lights ect..

How does that difference relate to performance, do you have any idea?

Does it matter at all?

 

[tobyS]

How does that difference relate to performance, do you have any idea?

Does it matter at all?

Performance??? Who's scale? Longevity, brightness, placement, ease and $$$?

How does the dimmer work if not by voltage? Is the "brightness" on a linear scale with voltage?

On the dash, I don't necessarily want quantity of bright light if placement is right. But as a backup light one would want full output.

Is there an LED thread that this should go to where some of the prior work can be referenced and we're not considered off topic?

 

[Another Ahab]

Performance??? Who's scale? Longevity, brightness, placement, ease and $$$?

How does the dimmer work if not by voltage? Is the "brightness" on a linear scale with voltage?


Is there an LED thread that this should go to where some of the prior work can be referenced and we're not considered off topic?[/QUOTE]

There you go, tobyS, asking me ENTIRELY reasonable questions....

What is wrong with you?!

 

[texas30cal]

Besides temp, do the insulation/mats also help with quieting noise from the engine?

I'm not sure about the HET insulation helping with noise yet bc I've just done the drivers floor but I would suspect so. I can tell you that with using noico sound deadener on the inside of firewall, bottom side of cowl, bottom of trans tunnel covers, and the entire hardtop/back I got mid 80's decibel readings at 45 mph and the other truck I bought that has zero improvements and a soft top is near 110 at 45 mph. I expect it to get better as I complete the 1/2" HET insulation install and the rubber floor mats. There was a post way back with my actual decibel readings (iPhone app) which I don't exactly remember but I'm in the ballpark and it gives you the idea. There's also one about 3-4 pages back with my temp readings from the diff sections of the floor.

 

[tobyS]

I started an LED thread for those interested;

https://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?170155-LED-dash-and-other-uses&p=2039050#post2039050

Looking for 2 people to split an order.

 

[infidel got me]

Transport???

 

[jbayer]

Visiting our lovely St Augustine, our we?

 

[pjwest03]

Performance??? Who's scale? Longevity, brightness, placement, ease and $$$?

How does the dimmer work if not by voltage? Is the "brightness" on a linear scale with voltage?

On the dash, I don't necessarily want quantity of bright light if placement is right. But as a backup light one would want full output.

Is there an LED thread that this should go to where some of the prior work can be referenced and we're not considered off topic?

The simple single color led strips are dimmed by PWM (Pulse Width Modulation). Ultimately that simply means turning it on and off very fast. The dimming is accomplished by varying the percentage of on time vs off time.

The omnivolt type lamps use a constant current driver. For high output led lights like headlights or spot beams, the driver maintains a constant amount of current to the led. The light assembly contains an internal buck/boost power supply that can adjust to the input voltage and keep a constant current on the led elements.

 

[AZK9]

I've been back on the east coast trying to continue working on our deuce.
While hooking up the batteries I made an inspection of the cables and
connections and discovered serious damage. Seems to have been a
hungry rodent. After searching for other signs of wire damage (and finding none)
I made the repair with silicon fusion tape.
I was smiling big-time when it immediately started up and ran beautifully!!

 

[Another Ahab]

I Seems to have been a
hungry rodent. After searching for other signs of wire damage (and finding none)
I made the repair with silicon fusion tape.
I was smiling big-time when it immediately started up and ran beautifully!!

That tape is good stuff, I always keep a roll around.

 

[Valence]

I forgot to post about last month when I converted my rear shackles to the captured "safety-pin" style like the front.
https://www.steelsoldiers.com/showt...s-1972-M35A2&p=2016035&viewfull=1#post2016035

I wanted the rear shackles to be as easy to take on/off as the front were and have a "captured" retaining clip. I previously had had the rear shackle pins sand blasted, so then I welded to the top of the heads an 'S' hook and crimped on a short chain, another 'S' hook and a the large "safety pin" style retaining clip. It is the exact same style of retaining clip used on the front shackles. I had purchased the retaining clips in 2016 from Jatonka (when I bought his spin-on fuel filter adapter and pioneer tool rack straps), but they are widely available many places such as eBay or even Big Mike's Motor Pool.
P/N: 7418971
http://www.jatonkam35s.com/Salesmisc.htm
https://www.bigmikesmotorpool.com/products/copy-of-m151-hand-throttle-cable-8754130


When welding, I did get a little lesson of when you have the welter set TOO HIGH. I blew right through the 'S' hook. I had to grind that mess off and replace the hook with a new one. At least it was a cheap and easy lesson.

 

[Another Ahab]

When welding, I did get a little lesson of when you have the welter set TOO HIGH. I blew right through the 'S' hook. I had to grind that mess off and replace the hook with a new one. At least it was a cheap and easy lesson.

That's how anybody gets good at anything, practice (and the trial-and-error).

I was an architecture major in my college days, and the studio professor told us all, "if you intend to follow through with a career in architecture, don't plan to live any much longer than five years in the first city where you start out".

We didn't have a clue what he was getting at.

He continued, and said, "Doctors can bury their mistakes, but the best an architect can do is cover their mistakes with ivy, and that's if you're lucky".

Sort of funny. But, you know what, it's true.

Practice tends to make perfect.

 

[kml9705]

Yesterday I started to install the 12v system in the Deuce. 24v - 12v converter, fuse panel, a switch to activate the electric brake control, and a mount for one of my radios (there will be 2, 1 VHF and 1 UHF). I want to put in a toggle switch to turn the system off when not needed, install some power points/USB outlets and an interior light. Any suggestions on other things that may be needed that I haven't thought of?