Switching things up! Have some switches questions!

I'd like to use this setup:
http://www.4x4spod.com/category_s/52.htm

Please no railing about how it's so pricey, I saw that in some other threads already. I've got some questions about this system and about the stock switches.

Stock ??? First:
Can they be repositioned all into one row? Are they interchangeable? To the left of the steering wheel, my top row has 2 blank spots and my bottom row not but 1 empty spot so, can I move the one switch from the top down so that I have 3 in a row for ARB controls (compressor, f, r)? What about the blank switches just ahead of the gearshiffter?

Now SPOD ???:
they don't show the switch setup uninstalled so, I was wondering if it is a prefab box of switches (like for the Jeep applications? Or is it individual switches? Can it be split up so that some of the switches go in the blanks to the left of the steering wheel and some can go in the blank in front of my shifter (in the center stack). How do y'all do clean accessory wiring/routing! Thanks!!!

EDIT: to give an idea, I eventually want to have switches for ARB (f&r), ARB compressor, and 3 sets of lights.

 

That looks pretty cool as far as the relay set up is concerned, as far as the switches are concerned, you don't have to use their panels to work with that fuse/relay set up, you can build your own and use other 12v switches.

 

Pretty certain the Tacoma sPOD set up comes with 6 loose Contura switches intended to go in the factory locations to the left of the steering wheel

The blanks in front of the shifter are a different size

 

Yes they definitely are. I am in the process of installing some Contura laser etched switches into the are in front of the shifter. I had to file down both the sides and the bottom of the switch opening in order to make them fit.

http://www.otrattw.com

 

I like these alot, Adam has these and they are nice.

 

Good link, thanks! I think I'll use those so they match up nice to the stock ones, awesome!

Any chance you could snap some pictures of the switch install process in front of the shifter? How hard is that piece to get out to work on it? How bad was the filing job? I'd appreciate it as I am wanting to do this! I'd really like to see how it turns out! Do you have the usb/aux port in that area? Did you keep it there or move it? Thanks!

Thanks for all the info everybody! I greatly appreciate it!

 

I bought a lower control panel from a 2009 truck, so I haven't taken the part out of my truck yet, but here is a link on how to do that.
http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2n...-contura-v-carling-stock-switch-location.html

As far as the filing, it took a while. I filed the two sides and the bottom the most so their was more room at the top for the switches. I bought a USB/AUX switch to put into the panel and kept that stock. I will try to take some pictures of the file work when I can.

 

First I took a razor blade and cut off the extra plastic the extended beyond the first part of the back of the switch hole.

You can see the difference between the one I cut down and the one I left for the AUX/USB plug.

After that, I filed down the top and bottom of the switch so they were flush.



Then I filed the sides down until the width was just snug for the width of the switch.


Now that the switch hole is wide enough, I started filing the bottom of the switch hole again to make the hole tall enough for the switch. I kept filing and checking, filing and checking until the switch slid in.

I wanted to only really file down the bottom, because there isn't much room at the top for the switch to be able to move if I filed away at the top. You can see the final results here:


Now I have the tedious (and fun) task of taking apart the dashboard and replacing the panel and hooking up all of the wires.

I hope this helps.

 

Looks good! thanks for the info!

I was thinking about getting some of those switches.

 

I did that lower panel swap awhile back.......console, lower dash left of wheel, gauge bezel, AC vent center panel, stereo & climate controls all have to come out to get that piece in

 

They can, depending on how much wire slack you have in the stock harness. Its hard to say until you open it up and try. I put a spod in my truck. When removing the stock blank switch plates I was surprised to find that even the blanks had wires plugged into the back of them. I just unplugged them and left the wiring module behind the dash wall.

Its not a box like the jeep... It is individual switches as stated, but it is also a modular wire harness that fits all 6 switches. That means the modular end that you have to feed through the firewall is a little big, but easy enough to get through. The spod harness is wired in such way that it is designed to have 3 switches close together (the commons are daisy changed), and 3 switches somewhere else, like behind the shifter... so yes I think it would work for you as it comes from the factory. You can always change the spod harness ends to suite your needs by either extending or cutting the end-terminals that come on the spod harness. Overall it makes a very neat place to have all your wires and relays protected and centralized. I also found that I only had to file down the sides of the factory switch cutouts. I used a die grinder and it only took like 10-15 minutes to do all 6 of them. A dremel would probably work also. With just the sides cut out the spod switches fit in very snug and all your filing work is hidden by the switch housing.