I would really like to change the cluster in my SCrew XLT to the Lariat style with the round whit faced gauges. Just hung up with the dealership because I thought that I had seen a thread on here about that very same thing. I seem to remember it mentioned that parts and labor was $400.

My dealer said that the cluster was $303, but there would most likely be a $300 core charge on top of that due to mine not changing out to the same as the new one.

Anyone checked into this, or even better already had it done?

 

I want to do the same thing. BUMP.

Larry

 

The Lariat guage guages may work, but the "Message Center" will NOT.

You need the 3 buttons on the dash to operate the message center. (Info, Reset, Setup). Even if you got the panel w/ the buttons the wiring is not on non-Lariat models.

 

I know I know...surprised nobody has said it yet. "You should have just bought a Lariat"...hehe

 

If your looking for a similar look try this link http://www.bozeforged.com/finishes.htm
Check out their F150 dash kit

 

Nice...I may have to go that route and wait for the white face overlays to come out for these new trucks. That seems to be my only choice thus far, but I won't give up the quest for information...Thx for the link

 

If I bought your old XLT gage package, would it work in my STX? Sure would like to have a tach....

 

yes it would work.

 

there was a guy with an 04 stx who had his local dealer install a lariat dash. Total cost was about $350 including core charges,etc. Do a search and you will find the post. He was from idabel oklahoma and the local dealer did the work.According to the post, it is a simple change out requiring no mods but ford will require you to turn in your old dash. His email name was something like STXMan or somehting to the effect of STX---. you can find him on the site address. The new dash plugged up with no problem. Probably ford has already put engineers on the issue to keep future stx owners from making the same mod. According to STX---, all gauges in the lariat worked fine after the swap.

 

I had ask ( on here ) if it was possible to swap the XLT gauges into a STX or XL to get the tach. Everyone said it was no prob, but the dealer had to do it. Well, i ask a local dealer the same question. This salesman went and ask his "service manager" about this and was told that the STX and XL use a different harness that does not run leads to the dash for a tach ( and some other stuff ). In other words, NO GO.

To me, it would make little sense to produce 2 different harness', as this would likely cost more money, and i just don't see it being true. And never would i think that, just because someone is a service manager, they know what they are talking about. Still, it cast's some doubt......

Jeff, i KNOW you are a busy man, but maybe you could ask you service manager? And wouldn't a set of FX4 gauges look good in that new STX of yours.....?

 

Sniff sniff... Bull $)#@. All the guage clusters are interchangeable. The only thing that won't work is the Lariat message center in other vehicles.

 

Well since I work in the plant that makes all the dashboards for the F-150, I can say that there are several different levels of harnesses that are used for the dashboards but I can't say whether what you said about the harness not including the proper leads for that application is true.

 

Hey don't you mean "instrument panels"? Hah!

I get corrected at work when I call an I.P. a dashboard, but not as much as when I refer to the "engine cowl" as a firewall. Ford doesn't use "firewalls" in their vehicles any more. Firewall is like the Ford F-word.

 

Yep, it's an I.P. But most people relate to "dashboards" better...lol.

 

woah....easy now....we don't use the word 'fire' anymore due to legal documentation. We are SERIOUSLY told to use 'thermal event' instead....lol. Damn lawyers!