Hello,

doing some DIY work on my 86’ W250. I’m having some issues with the speedometer- I cannot seem to find how to connect the speedometer cable to the speedometer itself. It feels like something is missing behind the instrument cluster that is supposed to be threaded for the cable to lock on to. Any tips or photos of what I need?

 

I can't remember the last time I pulled the speedometer from a 1st gen Ram. It's a stinker to unhook and reattach those puppies for sure. Sometimes there is a threaded collar to hold it in place but sometimes there is a clip that just snaps on. Usually, there is a little slop in the cable and you can work it into the dash from below to give you a little more room to work. You can then work it back down from below to take the strain off it. You don't want any sharp curves in it.

 

Thank you, I can see that the instrument cluster I bought from the junkyard has the clip type on the back of it but the one that was in my truck when I bought it doesn’t. The cable that was in my truck has a nut on the cable that wants to be threaded onto something but that something is missing. Photos for reference.

Instrument cluster that was in my truck on bottom- one I got out of junkyard on top. New cable I bought in photo as well


Nothing holds this cable in place. It slides right off

The nut is too big to go around the plastic casing

The cable that was already on the truck. Also has a a threaded nut on the end.

 

Hmmm...I wonder if it will slide in and the metal tab will hold it in place. I've worked on so many different years in my life, I have trouble keeping track but I seem to remember something like the clip on a threaded connection. Keep in mind I've had Dodge and other Mopars from 1948 to 2003 models.

 

no I’ve tried the metal clip one. Nothing holds this cable in place. It’s very obvious either the cable is the wrong cable or there’s something missing from the instrument cluster that allows the cable to thread in. The one with the clip is from the junkyard and is an 83’.

 

See if you can find one from 1986 or a little later. Ma Mopar changed a lot of little details on these truck while they designed the '94 models,

 

I'm way late on a reply to this 6 month old thread but if it helps, the end of the cable you're holding in your hand connects to an electronic signal generator that mounts near the frame rail. There is another cable that goes from the signal generator to the speedo head in the dash. The end that connects to the speedo head has a plastic end on it that snaps onto the speedo head to lock it on. Theres a tab that you press to release it. The signal generator sends a speed signal to the EST computer behind the battery. That's the way my 86 d150 is set up. If you don't use the EST computer anymore then you should be able to get a cable from an older model that didn't have the signal generator to work. I looked on Napa's website and they show part # 6151660 as a 1 piece cable option which is 80" long. It has the correct looking ends on it. They only show the lower piece available if you have the 2 piece cable.

 

I ended up using a washer to secure the seal around the inside of the threading lol. It’s a bo jank fix but 6 months later the speedometer still reads accurately!