any recommendations on brightening the dash lights? - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

**yote1234** · 10-16-2019, 06:40 PM

i need to brighten up the dash lights in my 66 c10 i have read up on many ideas. more power, leds, ect but i need to get a recent education on this subject. i am looking to go brighter but non blinding bright.
any responses is appreciated. thx dave

**PGSigns** · 10-17-2019, 06:39 AM

I use the Sylvania long life bulbs in my dash with 1816's for the dash and 1895's for the turn signals and the indicators ( i use the tandem lock for my TC lockup light). Seems to be good as far as brightness. I am going to do a dash for my old C20 soon and it will get led equivalents to see how it works.
Jimmy

Keith Seymore · 10-17-2019, 07:42 AM

Another trick might be to paint inside the light "tunnel" with bright paint (silver, white, or chrome paint).

K

roll_the_dice · 10-17-2019, 08:27 AM

I used green LEDs in mine..

I bought them from https://www.superbrightleds.com/

The bulbs I bought were 6 green, and one red.

They also have white if you prefer. The red was just for the headlight "BRIGHT".

**damnyankee36** · 10-17-2019, 02:34 PM

I experimented with white and green LEDs along with a green and white cluster interior. I wound up using green LEDs and a white interior.

Of course, the brightness desired is always a personal preference, but I used a PWM dimmer and find myself dimming it a little.

Roll the Dice's cluster is pretty much a good representation of what mine loooks like.

**The Rocknrod** · 10-17-2019, 03:41 PM

Clean up your grounds also.

**Chevy Fleetside** · 10-18-2019, 06:09 PM

white LED's. You can't dim them. I didn't put them in to dim them.

**damnyankee36** · 10-18-2019, 06:57 PM

An LED dimmer, (Pulse Width Modulator), will. I used the unused choke knob location for the control.

**Steeveedee** · 10-21-2019, 07:35 PM

If you use a headlight relay kit to brighten up the headlights, that will brighten up your dash lights with all that load removed. ALL my running lights got brighter, too. You can compare that here-

https://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/...d.php?t=782071

63burban · 10-22-2019, 05:52 PM

What part number LED bulb did you guys use ?

theastronaut · 10-22-2019, 06:05 PM

I've found that fresh stock bulbs are very adequate, to the point of needing to dim them so the cluster lighting isn't more intense than the headlights even with upgraded Cibie H4 headlights. You want your headlights to be the brightest/most intense lighting so your eyes can adjust to how the road is illuminated, not the brightness of the gauges. I haven't tried them but I imagine LEDs will be much more intense than the headlights, so I've stayed away from them for that reason.

Long life bulbs usually have less lumens so stay away from those. I tried aluminum tape in the light tubes to brighten those lights up, but that only works for the intermittently illuminated tubes- the high beam indicator stays on too long when driving back roads. The tape doesn't allow enough heat dissipation so it burns the gel. Having smoke coming from the cluster late at night isn't fun...

roll_the_dice · 10-22-2019, 06:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 63burban

What part number LED bulb did you guys use ?

I posted which ones I used above in post 4...click on green or red in that post...hope that helps.

**damnyankee36** · 10-22-2019, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roll_the_dice

I posted which ones I used above in post 4...click on green or red in that post...hope that helps.

I'll second that company. I bought some on eBay, which were cheaper, but I got what I paid for. The base was just a tad smaller and they tended to fall out. The LED section was also not crimped to the base well enough so that when you twisted them into the socket the LED part would spin and not the base. The Superbright LEDs have a much better quality.

Quote:

Originally Posted by theastronaut

I haven't tried them but I imagine LEDs will be much more intense than the headlights, so I've stayed away from them for that reason.

I'd say they are about the same to a little bit brighter compared to incandescent lamps. Even without dimming them they were at a comfortable brightness. It's the temperature that sets them apart. They are a much "cleaner" color. Even though you don't have choice in temperature in the colored LEDs, if you get a cool temperature white you will definitely see the difference. The colored LEDs are still vibrant.

Now the shift indicator was way too bright. I had to disable, (destroy), all the LEDs except for one to get it to match the cluster.

AcampoDave · 10-22-2019, 07:14 PM

Coloring them with a black Sharpie dims them down.

10-16-2019, 06:40 PM	#1
yote1234 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Gold Canyon Arizona Posts: 4,409	any recommendations on brightening the dash lights? i need to brighten up the dash lights in my 66 c10 i have read up on many ideas. more power, leds, ect but i need to get a recent education on this subject. i am looking to go brighter but non blinding bright. any responses is appreciated. thx dave __________________ 1971 K5 CST Blazer 1965 Chevelle Malibu 283 (sadly sold) 1968 Camaro 327 1968 Honda mini-trail z50a #377 1966 uh 1-D Huey

10-17-2019, 06:39 AM	#2
PGSigns Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Hayes Va Posts: 4,569	Re: any recommendations on brightening the dash lights? I use the Sylvania long life bulbs in my dash with 1816's for the dash and 1895's for the turn signals and the indicators ( i use the tandem lock for my TC lockup light). Seems to be good as far as brightness. I am going to do a dash for my old C20 soon and it will get led equivalents to see how it works. Jimmy __________________ 60 to 66 Chevy and GMC window decals http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=661131 Good friends, good food and a hotrod what else do you need? 1966 BBW long fleet Daily driver 1965 BBW short fleet Sold and going to a good home 1965 Suburban 2003 3500 Duramax 2005 Ultra Classic

10-17-2019, 07:42 AM	#3
Keith Seymore Registered User Join Date: May 2009 Location: Motor City Posts: 9,237	Re: any recommendations on brightening the dash lights? Another trick might be to paint inside the light "tunnel" with bright paint (silver, white, or chrome paint). K __________________ Chevrolet Flint Assembly 1979-1986 GM Full Size Truck Engineering 1986 - 2019 Intro from an Old Assembly Guy: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=342926 My Pontiac story: http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...d.php?t=560524 Chevelle intro: http://www.superchevy.com/features/s...hevy-chevelle/

10-17-2019, 08:27 AM	#4
roll_the_dice Registered User Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Manlius, NY Posts: 1,698	Re: any recommendations on brightening the dash lights? I used green LEDs in mine.. I bought them from https://www.superbrightleds.com/ The bulbs I bought were 6 green, and one red. They also have white if you prefer. The red was just for the headlight "BRIGHT". __________________ 1965 C10 LWB Stepside 1964 GMC 1 Ton Dually Instagram #notaratrodnotashowtruck

10-17-2019, 02:34 PM	#5
damnyankee36 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Alamogordo, NM Posts: 724	Re: any recommendations on brightening the dash lights? I experimented with white and green LEDs along with a green and white cluster interior. I wound up using green LEDs and a white interior. Of course, the brightness desired is always a personal preference, but I used a PWM dimmer and find myself dimming it a little. Roll the Dice's cluster is pretty much a good representation of what mine loooks like.

10-17-2019, 03:41 PM	#6
The Rocknrod Moderator Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: China Spring, TX Posts: 7,280	Re: any recommendations on brightening the dash lights? Clean up your grounds also. __________________ Master Chief, US Navy, Retired 1964 C10 Step-side Short Bed - In Progress 2009 2500HD Duramax LTZ 1948 GMC Panel 1956 Big Window Stepside 1953 5 Window Chevy Stepside 1932 Coupe New Seat Foam for Bench Seats?

10-18-2019, 06:09 PM	#7
Chevy Fleetside Registered User Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: San Francisco Posts: 4,782	Re: any recommendations on brightening the dash lights? white LED's. You can't dim them. I didn't put them in to dim them. Attached Images __________________ "A man and his truck, what a beautiful thing" 65 Short Fleetside BBC 65 Long Fleetside 283 3 on the tree for now. my build thread http://www.67-72chevytrucks.com/vboa...d.php?t=259536

10-18-2019, 06:57 PM	#8
damnyankee36 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Alamogordo, NM Posts: 724	Re: any recommendations on brightening the dash lights? An LED dimmer, (Pulse Width Modulator), will. I used the unused choke knob location for the control. Attached Images

10-21-2019, 07:35 PM	#9
Steeveedee Who Changed This? Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Simi Valley, CA Posts: 10,751	Re: any recommendations on brightening the dash lights? If you use a headlight relay kit to brighten up the headlights, that will brighten up your dash lights with all that load removed. ALL my running lights got brighter, too. You can compare that here- https://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/...d.php?t=782071 __________________ ~Steven '70 Chevy 3/4T Longhorn CST 402/400/3.56 Custom Camper Simi Valley, CA

10-22-2019, 05:52 PM	#10
63burban Chevy addict Join Date: May 2012 Location: Iron Ridge, WI Posts: 1,085	Re: any recommendations on brightening the dash lights? What part number LED bulb did you guys use ?

10-22-2019, 06:05 PM	#11
theastronaut Registered User Join Date: May 2011 Location: Anderson SC Posts: 3,901	Re: any recommendations on brightening the dash lights? I've found that fresh stock bulbs are very adequate, to the point of needing to dim them so the cluster lighting isn't more intense than the headlights even with upgraded Cibie H4 headlights. You want your headlights to be the brightest/most intense lighting so your eyes can adjust to how the road is illuminated, not the brightness of the gauges. I haven't tried them but I imagine LEDs will be much more intense than the headlights, so I've stayed away from them for that reason. Long life bulbs usually have less lumens so stay away from those. I tried aluminum tape in the light tubes to brighten those lights up, but that only works for the intermittently illuminated tubes- the high beam indicator stays on too long when driving back roads. The tape doesn't allow enough heat dissipation so it burns the gel. Having smoke coming from the cluster late at night isn't fun... __________________ Project Goldilocks '66 C10 Short Fleet BBW Build '65 C10 Highly Detailed Stock Restoration Thread '78 Camaro Targa Roof Build '55 International Metal/Body/Paint Work '66 F100 Full Rotisserie Restoration '40 Packard 120 Convertible Coupe Restoration How To Restore and Detail an Original Gauge Cluster How To Detail Sand Body Panels, Edges, Corners, Etc Last edited by theastronaut; 10-22-2019 at 06:12 PM.

10-22-2019, 07:14 PM	#14
AcampoDave Registered User Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: central California Posts: 2,781	Re: any recommendations on brightening the dash lights? Coloring them with a black Sharpie dims them down.



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