just bought a 98 3500 duley x-cab with the cummins in it.
i got a good deal on it because everything is in metric. the primary numbers on the speed-o-meter show km/h then it shows Mph in the tiny lillte numbers under the main ones. Anyone know if they make a conversion kit. or even what it is that makes the speedo read km/p. can i just buy an american speedo and have it read accuritly?

also, i have found that the 3500 in piticular seems to have alot of "slop" in the steering. is this the steering box or just a simple adjustment?

thanks for your help.
josh
denver
jmlcolorado@msn.com

 

On your speedo issue, see if you can get one of those white gauge covers, they are aftermarket and you can get them in flames and just about anything you want now. It is just a inlay that goes over your stock gauge cluster, but would be much cheaper then changing out the whole gauge cluster. Sorry i cant think of exactly what they are called, but see them alot on smaller custom cars and trucks. Would give you the right numbers with just ainlay piece.

Now for your steering, check your tierods, and also pitman arm and idler arm, all these Dodges I have seen are very prone to these wearing out quickly and will give you alot of play in your steering.
Easy way to check, have someone sit in the truck and slightly turn the steering wheel back and fourth and you lay under the front and watch all the steering parts, you will be able to see where your paly is if anything under there is loose.

Pitman arm hooks to the Steering box, and idler arm is on the other end of the drag link, mounted to the frame. Both were shot on my Ram and acted just like my whole steering box was shot.

 

Your speedometer reads like that because the truck is from Canada. An overlay probably wouldn't be accurate. You could swap in a different cluster, but then your odometer wouldn't be correct. All you would have to do though is write down the mileage on the old one, and write down the starting mileage on the new one and then go from there. That should work. I don't think the sensors or computer were any different.

As far as the steering slop, you need to check and see where it is loose. Have someone sit at the wheel and turn it slowly side to side, and then check for play...starting with the steering shaft under the hood. The slop is most likely in that, the steering box itself, or the track bar.

 

Would a inlay work if he changed to speedo sensor to an American one also? I was just guessing and trying to give him a cheap alternative. Why exactly do you think the speedo would be off with a inlay? I guess you could always paint the numbers bigger on the MPH part of what you already have and just live with it that way.

 

i figured that the truck only goes a certain value of speed and the needle rases and lowers at the same rate.... the only thing that should be different is the actual numbers on the gauge... in theory .. if his main numbers are in metric and sub numers are in standard... if he got a new cluster or face plate... it would just be reversed... same calibration... just the numbers swapped.. just my .02 cents.. man i wish i could figure out a better way to explain stuff..