Speedometer off off by 7 mph

[Jovanny Salazar]

I changed my cluster up a bit and I changed the needles and put new ones on back where they were but my speedometer is off higher than my real speed how do I fix it

 

[AK49BWL]

Put the cluster in without the lens, go drive somewhere flat and level where there's no one around, use a GPS to set a speed, put the needle on at that speed. Don't crash.

 

[Jovanny Salazar]

How fast does it have to be ? It can’t just be done on zero right?

 

[Jovanny Salazar]

Put the cluster in without the lens, go drive somewhere flat and level where there's no one around, use a GPS to set a speed, put the needle on at that speed. Don't crash.

How fast does it have to be ? It can just be done on zero

 

[kennythewelder]

Was the speedometer off before you changed the needles?

 

[Jovanny Salazar]

No it was not off

 

[kennythewelder]

No it was not off

In that case, most likely, the needle is just in the wrong place. So, you know it's off 7 MPH. Your going to have to find a way, to hold the shaft of the stepper motor @ 7 MPH, pry off the needle, then without loosing the position of the shaft, move the needle down to zero. As mentioned, yes, you can GPS it with the lens off the cluster, and the needle removed, them drive the truck down the road @ say 40 MPH, then put the needle back on marking the 40 MPH spot on the cluster. Set the crews control to 40, or whatever, when doing this, but it may take 2 people to pull it off, so you can watch the road, when someone else, put the needle back on. A nice straight road, with little to no traffic, is kind of a must to pull this off. I know, there is a little peg, that the needle sits on @ zero MPH, and another one at top speed, if you go that fast, the needle will just peg against that stop ped.

 

[sewlow]

Put the cluster in without the lens, go drive somewhere flat and level where there's no one around, use a GPS to set a speed, put the needle on at that speed. Don't crash.

Exactly how I did mine. At night. Gauge lights on bright made seeing the pin easier.
I used a Heads Up Display app. @ 50 mph. The straight up position for the needle on the gauge face.
Cruise control makes it pretty easy.
My '97 didn't have that. Trying to get the needle onto the pin, maintain the exact speed, watch where I'm going, while having to practically eat the wheel while reaching around it & down into the pod at the same time was a bit of a PitA. Took 2 or 3 times to get it reading exactly right.
Straight smooth road. Trying to stab the needle onto that little tiny pin is hard enough as it is without bumps & dips & corners thrown in.
Used a mechanic's tach/dwell meter to set the tach needle while a bud under the hood held the engine @ 2000rpm.
For the other 4, before I took them off, took a pic while the truck was running & warm.
Out of all 6, the only needle that sat low-ish was the oil pressure. Out by a notch.

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[RichLo]

^ Everything everybody has said above this is true.

I would say at least 2 people are necessary for this but 3.5 people is better... 1 to hold the GPS, 1 to steer- from behind you, 0.5 cruise control to hold the speed (and the GPS person verifying), and you making sure you dont bend the tiny ash pin holding the needle in place while your traveling 55mph down a desolated bumpy back road, lol.

 

[Dariusz Salomon]

And also there's another issue-at least with mine-it's 5 miles off at 30 but it's 12-14 miles off at 70-and it seem to get worse.