OK...WTF is the DEAL with the full a-pillar "replacements"

[Arcticat]

I am looking at the Autometer Guageworks full A-pillar "replacement", as sold by Geno's garage - it is sold as a replacement, but obviously experiences have been varied with it. I'm looking for first hand accounts of installation experiences from people that have this, or any other pillar mount. My idea was to use it as a replacement pillar and stick it up there with double sided tape made for attaching patterns to wooden blanks for routing identical parts with a pattern cutter, it is VERY strong stuff. I would like to avoid using screws. Also does the new pillar match the original in terms of texture and "thickness" or heft? If it isn't a very good match for the OEM part I might try to do something else, maybe in dash. Your stories and experiences are much appreciated.

Note: I don't have the tweeter.

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'00 2500 reg cab LB 4x4, 5spd, LSD, Hot Poweredge, 275 injectors, Warn HS9500I winch, Trans4mer grille guard/winchmount, TracRack, Line-X OTR, G-tech, Loadsaver, and a bunch of other crap I don't technically "need" Name a factory option-I don't have it!

 

[DieselB59]

I installed one last week and the texture isn't quite right and the thing either way makes that side noticeably stick out further than the pillar on the passenger's side. Why couldn't they just engineer an exact replacement where you pull off the OEM one and snap on the full pillar replacement?

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Chris Timochko
AUTO WURKS DIESEL R&D TEAM
1997 5sp 4X4, Rhino Linings, Espar Heater, A. W. D. HX40 turbo, ATS 3pc Manifold, BD 4" Brake, Marine Compression, A. W. D. Custom Tuned Injection Pump, A. W. D. Intercooler, A. W. D. 370B Injection Nozzles, Delivery Valves, Governor & AFC Spring Kit, Psychotty Air, A. W. D. Water Injection, NOS Diesel Kit, A. W. D. 6" Chrome Exhaust System, BD No Smoke Valet Switch, McLeod Dual Disc Clutch, Mag-Hytec Rear Cover, Cummins Chrome Kit, Optima Red Tops, Hadley Bully Horns, Hurst Line Loc, Goodyear Wrangler AT/S 305/70/16s. 15. 50@97mph on Goodyear All-Terrain tires.
****************************************************************************
Project U96 - 1996 3500 2WD racer. A. W. D. Marine Ultra Low Compression, A. W. D. Teflon-coated Pistons, A. W. D. High Lift Camshaft, Ported and Honed Cylinder Head, Intake and Exhaust manifold; A. W. D. HX40 Turbocharger, ATS 3pc Exhaust Manifold, A. W. D. Water Injection, A. W. D. Custom Fabricated Fuel System, Race Spec A. W. D. /BD P7100 Injection Pump, A. W. D. Custom High Flow Fuel Injection Nozzles, BD Auto transmission and Custom TC, Weld Draglites, Goodyear Eagle Drag Slicks, 5" Single Stack Through The Bed, Mag-Hytec on Rear and Transmission. 11. 54@115mph

 

[Benson]

DieselB59 says > "Why couldn't they just engineer an exact replacement where you pull off the OEM one and snap on the full pillar replacement?"

I completey agree. I just finished installing mine. It went OK but A real "replacement" would be much better. Also, the texture on the Auto meter pillar is much smoother than the stock pillar.

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

The grain of the texture is nowhere near the same pattern.

The stocker uses spring loaded clips to attach it to the A-pillar frame, the replacement does not. It is a little thinner and lighter than the Dodge one.

I think if someone were to engineer a quality full replacement they would probably have to sell it for at least $100-$150 to match the OEM installation, texture, and ruggedness. Maybe they feel it would be too expensive but I'm sure a lot of guys would plunk down the cash if they knew they were getting a quality, easy-to-install piece.

 

[Bug Out]

As i clicked on your post, I was cutting the tape off of geno's box for my full, double gauge piller... I THOUGHT it was a replacement, as In remove old, snap on new. . But, its a screw over????? Guess I missread the posts. .

I could have sworn the ones I saw were replacements. .

 

[csutton7]

to my knowledge there is not a replacement A pillar--they are all installed over the existing--I think I've read every post & archive post on it and no one makes one yet--If you have a tweeter you can buy one from Banks that has the tweeter in the same location-so they say(I called them) and as posted on the 24v No engine forum by another member so that you don't have to hack the I TRIED TO BY-PASS THE CUSSING FILTER out of the original or you can remove the original and use a couple of screws and some weatherstripping against the window to install the aftermarket one of your choice--this was done by another member and will be what I will do once my paint arrives to paint it the factory color---chris

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chris sutton
1999 2500 qcab longbed 4x4 red sport w/ all the options 'cept plow pkg, 4:10 detroit locker in rear & front ARB,
5" skyjacker lift w/ 35" BFG mud terrains on 16. 5x9. 75 Weld rims, black smittybilt nerf bars, black 3 pc. bug persuader,
black lumber rack, camel leather int. w/ mb quartz spkrs and 8" sub, power edge EZ, DTT vb & tc, mag hy-tec transmission pan,
red magview diff covers & coming soon: 275 injectors, red L&L ladder bars, turbo temp monitor & guages on "A" pillar

 

[Bumble]

I installed Geno's full replacement pillar a few weeks ago. After putting a few coats of matching interior paint on it, it looks factory. No, it doesn't just "snap" in place. But, I picked up a new A-pillar panel from the dealer, cut the bottom off of it (saving the original panel) and screwed the gauge pillar to it and installed. It looks great, and works great. Installing it this way keeps the replacement pillar from sticking out any more than the passenger side pillar. It took about 5 coats of paint to get the correct matching look to the replacement, but the install now looks OEM. A little bit of time is all it takes.

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2001, 3500, 5sp, 3. 54LS, 4x4, pyro and boost on the A-pillar, 165 watt backup lights, Thomas powered on-board air system, Grovers.

 

[Scott Rosendahl]

Bumble,
Do you have any pictures you can post or send them via e-mail?
I just ordered three Isspro gauges and the Autometer A-pillar and expect to get them anyday. I had read somewhere that this A-pillar was a replacement. But after reading lots of posts, I'm kind of thinking this will not be as easy as originally thought.
Was the OEM A-pillar you bought from the dealer without the tweeter mount and how much did you pay?

Thanks.
Scott

 

[SOLER]

Bumble,
How much did your dealer charge you for your new OEM pillar? I thought about replacing mine, but my dealer wanted to charge an exorbitant amount for it. I have a two-guage mount on my truck that just attaches over the pillar. It works okay, but I didn't like the idea of drilling screws into it (plus I screwed up #ad
; I drilled a hole in the wrong place, and it shows #ad
). I'd like to get a new pillar and redo the project.

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Shane Oler
'01 2500 4X4, ETH/6 speed, Pyro (pre-turbo)and Boost Pillar mount, Dark Garnet/Camel, 20K Reese 5er hitch

Other: '70 Olds Vista Cruiser 455 (future resto project)
30' Sandpiper 5er Super Slide bunkhouse(about 10k lbs. )

 

[Brandon]

our interior touch up man that does sub work at my shop said he could match the grain to a tee, soooooooooooo find a good leather and vinyl man and have him copy the grain of the a pillar and apply it to the pillar pod or the replacement

B

 

[mikel]

I just recieved the "Full Pillar Replacement" from Geno's. I believe it is an autometer product. It does not mount like the factory unit. The instructions from Geno's recommend using self-taping screws to hold it to the steel A-pillar without the original. The Autometer instructions recommend grinding down the old pillar and installing the new pillar over the old one. If I decide to keep it I will not be destroying the original pillar to install this one.

Mike

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'99 QC 2500 SLT Driftwood 2wd SB 24v Auto 3. 55 LSD
ISSPRO boost and pyrometer, Pipe BOMB, 24,000 miles 2-12-00
-- email address removed --
Howdy Agg's!

 

[Blue Goat]

What is better, the pod or the full cover?
It seems the pod may be better.

 

[Bumble]

Scott,
The local dealer charged $35 for the new pillar cover. It was worth paying for a new cover to keep the original cover from being destroyed. It does not have the tweeter. I thought of just screwing the gauge pillar to the metal in the A-pillar, but didn't want to do permanent changes to the truck, therefore buying a new cover and cutting it up to attach the gauge cover to seemed the best bet. The gauge cover from Geno's fit like a glove. I'll get some pictures of it to e-mail to you if you want, or can post them here if someone could explain how.

SOLER,
COnsidering how much dealers charge for other things, $35 for a new pillar cover seemed acceptable. What did your dealer quote you for a price? Calling a few different dealers around here made a big difference in price.

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2001, 3500, 5sp, 3. 54LS, 4x4, pyro and boost on the A-pillar, 165 watt backup lights, Thomas powered on-board air system, Grovers.

 

[mikel]

Ok, I took the factory pillar cover off last night and got a good look at things and it looks like the Autometer product will act as a full pillar replacement IF you can find an alternate way to mount it. The locations of the factory snap clips conflict with the location of the gauges and cannot be reused. From what I can tell one edge of the pillar cover is held in place by the door molding and the other side will need some assistance to keep it in place. It looks like 1 or 2 machine screws should be all that would be needed to mount this thing. I'm not generally a big fan of drilling holes in my truck, but at least here they would be inside the truck and not exposed to moisture...

It also looks like the combined thickness of both factory and Autometer pieces might look kind of odd if I were to try and mount it using a factory piece with no tweeter.

Mike

[edit]
The original post mentioned using foam tape to hold things together. It does not look to me like this will work because the pillar cover does not actually touch the pillar. If you pull the factory cover off you will see what I mean. It looks like there will be about an inch or so of clearance once things are back in place. That is why I was thinking of using machine screws. They wouldn't be able to be screwed in tight though and might tend to loosen.

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'99 QC 2500 SLT Driftwood 2wd SB 24v Auto 3. 55 LSD
ISSPRO boost and pyrometer, Pipe BOMB, 24,000 miles 2-12-00
-- email address removed --
Howdy Agg's!

[This message has been edited by mikel (edited 02-21-2001). ]

 

[csutton7]

At the Ramrunners mtg last night we pulled an "A" pillar off of a 99 and it looked like if if you bought a replacement pillar($35) and cut out the mounting clips and then fastened these clips to the new "A" pillar with guages(w/ silicone or ???) this would be an easy way to go--but we didn't measure the locations of the clips--so as stated earlier in this forum it may not work--I'm fairly sure the top one would with the 2 guage mount, but the 3 guage mount I don't know. Anyone out there with the 2 & 3 guage setups willing to take some measurements--I'll check out the 2 guage setup later & let you guys know. --chris

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chris sutton
1999 2500 qcab longbed 4x4 red sport w/ all the options 'cept plow pkg, 4:10 detroit locker in rear & front ARB,
5" skyjacker lift w/ 35" BFG mud terrains on 16. 5x9. 75 Weld rims, black smittybilt nerf bars, black 3 pc. bug persuader,
black lumber rack, camel leather int. w/ mb quartz spkrs and 8" sub, power edge EZ, DTT vb & tc, mag hy-tec transmission pan,
red magview diff covers & coming soon: 275 injectors, red L&L ladder bars, turbo temp monitor & guages on "A" pillar

 

[Runaway]

Sounds like this so-called pillar replacement is nothing more than a "glorified pod. " Guess I will use my old pod on the new truck.

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99 QC/LB,ISB w/auto,4x4, 3. 54, VDO (boost, pyro) Westin SS Nerf Bars, Delta tool box, K&N, BD/VB. 54405 miles (1/12/01)
Ordered "01" ETH/DEE 12/11/00 Due date:2/23/01
00 28' Jayco 5th Wheel, 86 "Classic 16" Alumacraft, 00 Honda Rancher

 

[mikel]

Did some more "testing" last night. I forgot to mention earlier I have the three gauge with tweeter.

I don't think I am going to drill any holes in my truck to mount this thing. I have ordered an A-Pillar cover from dodge for the trucks w/o tweeter (~$35. 00) and will look at using that to mount the new one. The center clip will definately be in the way of the center gauge but I need to look at things and see how they line up, I may be able to work around it. From what I could tell last night it looks like the top and bottom clips COULD be made in to the Autometer product if they decided to... Then again the grain of the plastic could match the rest of the truck too...

The other pillar cover should be in this evening, so I"ll get back to everyone with more details tomorrow.

Later,
Mike

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'99 QC 2500 SLT Driftwood 2wd SB 24v Auto 3. 55 LSD
ISSPRO boost and pyrometer, Pipe BOMB, 24,000 miles 2-12-00
-- email address removed --
Howdy Agg's!

 

[mikel]

Latest update...

Got the factory pillar cover yesterday for a truck w/o the tweeter. There is absolutely no reason that Autometer could not have included the clips to mount this @#$@# thing at the top and bottom. The one in the middle would not be possible w/ 3 gauge and tweeter. Why half-A$$ it like this?

Anyway I have cut up the factory pillar and epoxied the mounting clips to the back of the Autometer pillar. It looks like it will work fine, but I can't try it until tonight when I get home and the epoxy has dried.

So far I hve spent on this project the $ for the Autometer pillar (~50), the $ for a replacement pillar from dodge to keep from hacking up mine (~35), and the $ for paint (~8). I don't mind the paint, but needing to either use sheet metal screws or hack up a pillar to make up for something that could have been incorporated into the design from day one it absurd.

So far I am not impressed, and would not recommend this product unless you know exactly what you are getting in to and are willing to do the work that should have been done by Autometer. In all fairness the product is ok for what it does, but they just stopped short of making it a great product that would be well worth the $.

Mike


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'99 QC 2500 SLT Driftwood 2wd SB 24v Auto 3. 55 LSD
ISSPRO boost and pyrometer, Walker 24168, 24,000 miles 2-12-00
-- email address removed --
Howdy Agg's!

 

[azcummins]

I went ahead and hacked on my existing factory pillar as it already had holes in it from the 2 gauge pod that I used to have.

I just used the plastic pegs that came with the new pillar and fastened it to the factory one and I was done.

I can understand you not wanting to destroy your factory cover though.

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Mark Callahan

1998. 5 3500 4x4 24V 5spd, Geno's Muffler Kit, Chrome exhaust, Western Hauler Headache Rack, Chrome Rocker Panels, A-Pillar Mounted Boost and Oil Temp Gauges, No Turbo Silencer Ring (Yeah Baby!)