Jump to content

Need Help with Speedo Creep


xterra
 Share

Recommended Posts

Now that I've got your attention, I don't mean this kind of speedo: Speedo.jpg

 

I mean this kind of speedo:Free%20Speedometer%20Vector.jpg

 

Now that we've got that out of the way, on my real problem. Or at least, my truck's real problem. :)

 

Had the truck at my mechanic to give it the once over before doing the shocks, springs, t-bars, brakes, and exhaust next month.

 

There's one issue that has him (and me) puzzled, though. :scratchhead:

 

The speedo on my truck has been off a bit since I got it. After a lot of driving, using a GPS, and having my wife pace me, I've been able to figure out the it's off by 10%. If I'm going 50, it shows 55. In order to be going 70, it needs to read 77ish. Thats bad for me since it says I've driven over 11K in the last year, but it's really closer to 10K.

 

The guy I took it to is an old school mechanic, and he says he's never seen anything like it (which worries me a bit).

 

He confirmed It's got the right sized tires.

He said that replacing the speedo cable won't fix it.

He said it hasn't been regeared.

 

His only suggestion was that possibly the springs in the speedo gauge itself have stretched out over time - but he didn't seem real confident.

 

So I'm putting the question out to y'all:

- Is this something anyone's ever seen or heard of?

- Should I start looking for a new speedo at the JY? If I find one, what are the chances it will have the same issue?

- Should I start looking for a new mechanic? (Or at least take it to a speedo shop?)

 

Any ideas or suggestions are greatly appreciated.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Has the gear in the Transfercase for the speedo been changed to your knowledge? Might be worth pulling it and seeing what gear you got compared to what you should have. I believe there was a chart made up somewhere for tire size+gearing=which speedo gear you need (and I belive they are all available through Alkorahil).

 

As for the other speedo issue, may I suggest becoming secure with your sexuality and finding a likeminded gentleman anytime you feel like going out the grape smugglers?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Now that I've got your attention, I don't mean this kind of speedo: Speedo.jpg

 

I mean this kind of speedo:Free%20Speedometer%20Vector.jpg

 

Now that we've got that out of the way, on my real problem. Or at least, my truck's real problem. :)

 

Had the truck at my mechanic to give it the once over before doing the shocks, springs, t-bars, brakes, and exhaust next month.

 

There's one issue that has him (and me) puzzled, though. :scratchhead:

 

The speedo on my truck has been off a bit since I got it. After a lot of driving, using a GPS, and having my wife pace me, I've been able to figure out the it's off by 10%. If I'm going 50, it shows 55. In order to be going 70, it needs to read 77ish. Thats bad for me since it says I've driven over 11K in the last year, but it's really closer to 10K.

 

The guy I took it to is an old school mechanic, and he says he's never seen anything like it (which worries me a bit).

 

He confirmed It's got the right sized tires.

He said that replacing the speedo cable won't fix it.

He said it hasn't been regeared.

 

His only suggestion was that possibly the springs in the speedo gauge itself have stretched out over time - but he didn't seem real confident.

 

So I'm putting the question out to y'all:

- Is this something anyone's ever seen or heard of?

- Should I start looking for a new speedo at the JY? If I find one, what are the chances it will have the same issue?

- Should I start looking for a new mechanic? (Or at least take it to a speedo shop?)

 

Any ideas or suggestions are greatly appreciated.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

One thing I did (sounds dodge but it worked) is I had to take out my cluster, remove the front clear plastic and the speedo needle then screwed the cluster back in, with the needle off. Using my gps speed and a quiet stretch of road I put the needle back on at 55 mph. It was a bit tricky watching the gps speed but I moved the gps closer to the speedo gauge to avoid errors. After the needle was back on I tested it at different speeds. It's like 1 mph +/- but that's fine. Then I had to take cluster back out, put clear window back on and screw cluster back in.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Only 3 jokes about speedos (I really expected more) :tongue:

 

2 votes that the gear was changed and that my mechanic didn't really check (thanks Nunya and B):aok: I've got no idea if it was changed or not, so I'll be cracking open the FSM to see what I'm up against. Already planning to pull my factory hubs and counting my splines (since it's a 90 2-door, I want to double check before ordering mine manual hubs), so just a bit more work

 

Nunya - No issues with confidence in the masculinity area - lots of issues with the beer gut. :blush02::whistle:

 

Terra - I though of that first, but didn't figure it would do much good since it was off by a percentage and not a fixed amount.

 

I'll be heading to the JY in the morning to see what I can find - looks like they've got a couple possible donors for a speedo and/or gear setup.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looks like it was the speedo gauge - picked one out of an '88 at the JY. I figured it was the easiest first step, and I got lucky. I popped it in, and went for a little test drive, and the gauge and the GPS matched. :)

 

I kinda wish it had been the speedo gear, because now I just need to keep my eye out for a 90-91 SE gauge with close to my mileage and I'll be all set. :wacko: <I'm Not holding my breath on that one>

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I thought about it, but I've got two issues with that approach.

 

First is the gauge color. Mine has white gauges, the '88 donor has orange. :lmao: My OCD won't let me do that. :wacko: (I only have the speedo, not the complete cluster from the '88.)

 

The second is the mileage difference. My rig: 165K-ish. The donor: 325K-ish Fastest I could get it to move with my drill and a square bit was ~70 MPH. That's nearly 90 days running 24 hours a day. I think I'd burn out a few drills doing that. :doh:

 

I did find a '93 complete gauge cluster that's only got 180K on it, but it's not a direct pop-in replacement for the '90. While it physically fits, the wiring harness is dramatically different. I've got the pin-outs for both my '90 and the '93 to see what would be involved, but I haven't done the mapping yet.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've pulled odometer tumblers out and changed them to match my actual registered mileage on donor clusters. It requires patience to get it right and if OCD is an issue, you may end up a little screwy as I can never get the numbers to sit perfectly in line with each other.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...