In the past five years, the Jeep TJ has proven to be a very trail-worthy rig. And with the aftermarket at full tilt, modifications for the drivetrain and exterior are easy to come by. When it comes to modifying the TJ interior, though, you face a real challenge (unless you're into tree-shaped air fresheners or color-coordinated ashtray warmers).
The dash in particular seems to have been declared off limits by aftermarket manufacturers. Perhaps this is because of all the sensors and electronic gadgets that sit behind the plastic facade. And let's not forget the dreaded airbags. Start messing around with them and you can end up with more problems than you can handle.
One aspect of the TJ dash that provides little use for the genuine four-wheeler is the coin tray in the top middle of the dash. It may look cool on the show room floor, but in the off-road arena, anything you have stashed there will end up spread across the interior the first time you hit the trail.
At Tri-County Gear, Keith Eldridge, one of those wild-eyed design wizards with a Palm Pilot in one hand and a calculator in the other, looked at that tray and thought it would be a perfect place for switches, gauges, and just about anything you might want at eye level with easy access.
After taking a variety of measurements, Keith built a fiberglass prototype of a housing unit that completely replaces the coin tray. After undergoing a series of modifications, a final prototype was designed and taken to a machine shop to be cast for a mold.
After the initial testing, the molds were sent to a production shop and the finished housing was made of strong, UV-resistant ABS plastic. As it turns out, the console housing is more resistant to the hateful effects of UV than anything else on the dash of your Wrangler.
The TJ instrument console is one of those inexpensive upgrades that can be installed at home on a weekend. Like so many vehicles today, the TJ skimps on efficient gauges that really let you know what is happening with your vehicle, and this housing unit can provide as many configurations as your imagination and space will allow.
Follow along as we take you through the installation and see how easy it really is.