Installing US Speedo Gauge Face

The Colored Gauge Faces are one of the key ingredients to gaining the most functional and attractive point to any cockpit. The faces will replace the dull black layout with a bright and easy to read cluster. This is a must for all car buffs!

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The one thing we as drivers stare at the most has got to be the instrument cluster. This is the window into our truck's soul, showing all of the vital information we need. So why not make this something worth staring at. That is exactly what we intend to do with the very black factory cluster in our factory truck. And now it's time to bring some custom into the interior, and the gauge cluster is the perfect place to start.

We contacted Us Speedo for one of their stainless steel gauge faces. It features all of the same markings and such of the factory unit, but it looks much better. Besides the face, we also ordered a set of needles with a silver hub to complement the stainless. The install is pretty straightforward but can go horribly wrong if you don't pay attention to the instructions. Because the needles have to be removed from the gauges, it's necessary to make a diagram of where each one points. US Speedo prints a blank diagram on the back of the instructions to help with that.

 Should you decide to install one of these gauge faces in your truck, you'll need a screwdriver, a knife, and a pen. One piece of advice we can pass on to make the job a little less stressful is to fill up the gas tank and let the truck cool completely down before starting. That way those needles will be easier to reposition.

What's In The Box?

Here is what we got from US Speedo: a US Speedo stainless gauge face and a needle kit. Not only does the face have that high-end appearance, it still features the same blue/green illumination so it will match the rest of the dashboard when the lights are on. US Speedo also includes a needle tool and a great set of instructions.

1. Here is the functional but very plain factory gauge face . We thought a nice stainless piece would draw something cool  into the interior.

2. To start, we had to remove a few little screws before he could get this trim piece off to expose the cluster's hardware.

3. On the back of the US Speedo instructions is a line-art diagram to help you mark the position of the needles before you remove the assembly. This is done with the key in the on position and the motor off. To help with this, we made sure the fuel was topped off and the engine cool before starting the job.  

4. The only thing holding the cluster in the dash is a few Phillips screws. After the screws are out, the cluster can be pulled out. There isn't a speedo cable to deal with-the cluster plugs in when it's installed . The shifter has to be moved out of the way to get the cluster out, so it's necessary to set the parking brake.

5. The clear lens and gauge bezel are held on with a few more screws that have to come out so we can access the needles. We made sure our work area was clean to prevent dust, dirt, and other contaminants from getting in the cluster.

6. The little tool that comes with the face pops the needles off perfectly. This tool will also be used later in the install.  

7. We slowly peeled off the factory face  and used a knife to remove any little bits that might have stayed on the cluster. You want a nice smooth surface to stick the new face to, so make sure to get all of the factory stuff off.  

8. With gloves on our hands to prevent fingerprints, we removed the protective backing to expose the glue. Then, we carefully positioned the stainless face and stuck it down.

9. At this point, the gauge bezel was reinstalled and the cluster put back in the truck. With the key on and the motor off, the needles were lightly pushed on in the locations on our diagram. We say only lightly push them because if you need to adjust the needles' position you still can.  

10. Then, the cluster was removed from the truck and the needles pushed on the rest of the way. The tool US Speedo sends is also used to gauge how far to push the needles on. Per the instructions, the hub should just meet the smallest notch in the tool. Once the needles were set, the supplied needle stops were also pressed into their respective holes in the gauge face.

11. We could now reassemble the cluster for the last time and put it back in the truck. Before that, we polished the lens with some Mothers plastic polish and a microfiber towel. Tip: You shouldn't need to polish the inside of the lens-just wipe it once with a clean microfiber to remove the dust.  

12.. All of the screws were put back in, and the dash was reassembled.    

The Final Word

US Speedo's face looks high-class compared to the plain black the factory used. We think the money and time spent was well worth the outcome.