My UltraGauge Install - 1st Gen. **WARNING LOTS OF PHOTOS**

My order for some mounts arrived today so it was time to ditch the UG’s window mount. Much thanks to the guy who posted the link to Semsons for those vent mounts.

I don’t understand how some of you guys squeezed the UG’s swivel ball into those vent mounts. Even though the UG’s ball is soft rubber I didn’t like the idea of that so I will be using the hard swivel ball that come with the mounts. This requires some reworking though…..


First I had to dissect the UG’s mount. It had a screw so I figured it would come right off, well I was wrong. The screw is just for additional strength which is nice. It’s just a rubber coating, peeled that crap off.



Now to rework the ball that come with the mount. The balls are different sizes, one end for the mount, the other end to fit Garmins. Chucked it in the lathe & centered it up. The end with the masking tape held in the chuck is the smaller end & is what I need to use.



Turned down a flat so I could chuck it up properly.



Flipped it around & center drilled. Here's why I needed the flat turned.



I’ll be using the “support” screw that came with the UG for mounting the ball. Drilled a recess for the screw’s head.



Next I drilled a smaller hole through the entire piece for the screw’s thread.



Parting off the finished piece.



Here’s the finished piece on the lower right. The top is what it originally looked like.



Then I cut the ball off the UG’s mount & cleaned up the cut.



New ball screws right on. I added some epoxy to the screw so it won’t get loose.



Yeah I know, must be boring, are you falling a sleep yet?

Now I can easily use any mount I want. The vent mount is not going to work on the 1st gen like the 2nd gen guys did it so I’ll be putting the vent mount up for sale if anyone wants it. Plus I’m in Socal & I overheat easily so no way I’m going to block an AC vent. I decided to go with the self adhesive mount on the far right.



Here’s where I’m going to mount it, on the left side accessory cover. I’ll be using to right side for my CB install which I’ll post later.



Used a Dremel to cut out a hole, unscrewed the arm from the self adhesive base & mounted it in the cover. Used epoxy to secure it well.





I cut the base up & cleaned it up in the lathe.



Installed the piece on the back side of the cover with the original mounting screw & some more epoxy.



Mount’s done, test fit.



Helloooo, you still there? Wake up!


Finished install, cable tucked away, think I’m going to do something about the visible OBD port when I get a chance.







I’m pretty happy with the location, was not my first choice & it could have came out better. I was worried about mounting it down so low as I know I would tend to look at it often. Since I had the UG mounted on the left side of the dash, I’ve got pretty used to it & have all my gauges set up, so I find myself not looking at it all the time anymore.

I think this is where it will stay. I like the low mount too cause the UG gets pretty damn hot when mounted visibly through the windshield that's not even in the hot summer days.

However, I can’t use my damn ash tray anymore! It now can only open up half way. Well I only it use it for storage anyways so no big deal but I will have to redo this mount. Already got another idea in mind so I’ll put this one up for sale whenever I end up fixing this.

Thanks again to Jag for setting up this GB, best $52 I ever spent on my truck.

Sorry if I bored you & thanks for looking.

 

haha u couldnt leave anything unlathed

 

DUDE!! This is the sickest install!!!!!!!!

Awesome!

 

Props on the workmanship. Setup looks good!

 

Thank yous....

I always try to find an excuse to use the lathes.

 

Thats a sexy chuck on the lathe, and to think I'm stuck with a 3 and 4 jaw

 

Outstanding!! I really like it when you have a lathe and you could fabricate almost anything. Milling machine a shaper to go with it and you could do miracles. Nice OP.

 

Damn dude..... Very nice! Makes mine look straight ghetto by comparison..... Maybe I'll pass you at the Ritz on my way to buy some crack........

 

Great set up and write up! I love clean installs like this!

 

Great job!!

 

Thanks but I had to pay the price. I had the same chuck but smaller on my old lathe, I love it so much of course I had to have a bigger one for the new lathe.

3 & 4 jaws is pretty much all you need. Although I don't use the 4 jaw much it is a necessity. I work with a lot of thin walled material so that's where the 6 jaw excels. Plus the low TIR of the Set-Tru is amazing, I get just over 0.0002" which is less than the 0.0004" TIR that they guarantee.

Please don't remind me. Been wanting one for the longest time, just not looking foward to breaking the bank as my lathes did.

 

VERY nice!!

 

Zero4
Xlnt work, nice to see a craftsman doing his thing!!!

Beats the crap out of the suction cup/dblsidetape stuff they offer on most aftermarket accessories these days.

Well done indeed.

 

Wicked!

 

Shortened the mount today. Still can't open the ash tray all the way but now it opens enough where I can put things in & pull them out.

I guess I can live with this for now, still looking for another solution but this has been moved to the bottom of my list now.



Before:



After:

 

Anyone have a UltraGauge they wanna sell? Haha

 

Very clean work

 

Thanks!