I should have phrased it differently. Actually, I did as 12sec is suggesting and swapped the cluster into my truck from another 95 after switching in my speedo section because the wiring (tape or whatever it is) is all different between a tach and non tach cluster. Took the opportunity to replace about a half dozen bulbs while at it and it worked great. Better yet, I bought the tach cluster for 40 bucks, did the swap, put my original back together with the other PSOM and sold it to a guy with a bad one for 50! He's happy now his works, didn't care about a tach in his truck anyway and I got paid 10 for putting one in mine. Not a bad deal. BTW the links alz put up are good source for info on switching out your PSOM. Good luck and good to see so many Mustang guys here!

 

I swapped the interior in not long after I bought the truck, from the carpet to the headliner, dash and all. It has been my plan all along to use the L suspension. I have just been a while getting around to doing it. I have been spending all my time (and money) on my stang. The only thing about the suspension is that the first gen Lightnings ride so rough (I have owned 3 of them over the years). Sure do handle good though. Not sure if it is the same truck your talking about, but there is a green 96 clone in the photo gallery on this site that is just awsome. That is pretty much what I have planned for my truck, mine is white though.

 

Small world aint it! I'll be spending a week in Canandaigua in Sept. My dad still lives there.

I will grab a 96 cluster with tach if I run across one. I don't have the patience for all that soldering/re-pinning etc.

 

Hey, what better reason to have a Ford truck, than to pull your Mustang around. Its great to drive your car an hour to the track, run a decent time, then drive it home. However, it really sucks to drive your car an hour to the track, break and axle, and try to figure out how your going to get home.

 

If you have the entire axle including the PSOM you should not have to recalibrate as the PSOM in the axle is already calibrated for that gearing and tire size. Unless you change something.

Alz, lowering your gear ratio (numerically higher) will not increase your mileage. just the opposite.

For the cluster swap. I took my stock non-tach cluster out of my '96 and put a stock cluster with tach in out of a '97. The site that describes how to do this was posted earlier. The reason that the '97 cluster worked may be from the truck being an "early" (Feb. '97) year truck. Don't know, just my opinion. Don't care either cause it is working great. no problems.

 

Your 96 is a 250 right? The 96 and 97 250, 350, etc. were same body style. 96 and 97 150's were totally different. I guess a cluster from a "heavier" 97 might work in my truck. Not sure if many 250 and up trucks had 302's in them or not. Or would engine size not matter?

 

So long as its a gas engine it will be ok.

 

12sec is right...cluster I put in my 302 F150 was actually from a same year 300-6 F250...as long as it is gas you're fine.
Oh, jarod17...what gearing (up or down) will do for MPG depends on the vehicle combo...my Mustang actually improved by a couple on the road when I swapped in 3.55's (some 15+ yrs ago) vs the stock 2.73's. Definitely not the reason I did it, but nice side benefit especially now that gas prices are nuts!

 

That is being debated right now. I am getting ready to get a crash course in differentials soon and do an experiment on my truck when I get some extra money. I will keep posted either with this thread or my other thread https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/7...l-mileage.html