So I was looking at doing my interior red, but I'm not sure what bulbs to get. I'd like to do as much as possible that is just replacing bulbs (I know some are soldered to circuit boards, I don't wanna play with that...for now )

Also I read somewhere that some LED's are "360" or something? Are they worth getting over normal ones? Links? Thanks!

 

Start by checking out Thogert's thread, he's the LED master.

 

I've seen that thread, and it appears that there are differences between the 95-97 models and my 1998, like bulbs being soldered in place and differing sizes/quantities. I was looking for guidance specific to my vehicle, as I don't wanna buy any wrong parts.

Plus I heard of some LED's offering uneven lighting behind the gauge cluster? What causes/solves this problem? Thanks.

 

Ah, for some reason I keep thinking it was 99 that changed. I've only done dash/4wd/hatch release/rear wiper.
For the dash illumination you'll need to buy sockets and T10 bulbs (the stock ones are soldered into the sockets without contacts in place for replacement). Superbrightleds.com has them. I didn't notice uneven lighting with their bulbs, but maybe I would with a side by side comparison. 4x selector buttons should be LED already so just swap them out (no resistors needed)

 

I can help you out bro. Just give me a list of bulbs you want to replace with leds inside and I will give you the bulb type and number.

The main difference for bulbs inside is the gauge cluster. The 95-97 takes 5 leds in the cluster when the 98+ takes 6.

And yes, the 360 degree *SMD* lights are awesome! They show up best in something that needs bright even lighting like the gauge cluster. If it's something like your window buttons on your door panel, I wouldn't use 360 degree since you can only see a little bit of the button anyway.

 

Thanks man! So I've thought about it and decided to do as much of the interior as possible with red LED's. This would include the dash, window/lock switches, floor lights, and overhead console lights. What would you recommend getting from superbrightleds.com?

 

So all the bulbs in the dash are T10's? How many would I need to complete the gauges, 4x4, and climate control?

 

All of the gauge bulbs are the T10s. You will need 6 for a 98+. You will also need the sockets for them. It is cheaper to get them from a junkyard from a ford cluster.

These 360* T10s seem to do the best for the gauges, both Tibby and I have these kind. You can find them cheaper on ebay if you do a search for smd t10 led bulbs.

As for the rest I can't say for sure, someone with more knowledge might jump in. If not you can get in there and get some pics of the bulbs and then we (those of us without the correct year) can help you out with identifying them.

 

What model or year do you reccomend to get the gauge cluster out of? I've been keeping up on this thread because I want to LED my interior as well (a 99) I have also read threw the link in your sig. Thanks for your help!

 

Actually I have no idea what fords have the bases. I actually found mine in an S10. But they should be fairly common. Just make sure they look similar to this and they should work.

Oh, and make sure you have some fun ripping out dashes. It's always more fun for me to know I don't have to worry about breaking anything.