Swapped out ST radio bezel for 2nd Gen Explorer to get extra factory foglight switch. | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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Swapped out ST radio bezel for 2nd Gen Explorer to get extra factory foglight switch.

MidnightRebel07

Explorer Addict
Joined
March 6, 2010
Messages
5,008
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City, State
Pittsburgh, Pa.
Year, Model & Trim Level
2003 Explorer Sport Trac
This is a project I've been wanting to do for a couple years now and just never got around to doing it until today.

I went to the local junkyard and pulled a radio bezel out of a 2nd Gen Explorer (2000 I think) that was a 4wd for $10. (Make sure if your ST is 4wd you pull one from a 4wd or you won't have the holes for the 4wd switch).

1. There's two bolts that hold the bezel in located under the radio, they are 7mm. Take these two bolts out.

2. There's four clips that hold the bezel to the dash, you pull the bezel away from the dash.

3. At this point you disconnect the radio, cigarette lighter wires, and all three of the wiring pigtails from the switches on the bezel. (4 on Ex, 3 on ST bezel).

4. Then there's two phillips head screws on each side that hold the switches onto the bezel, remove those.

5. Next is to remove and swap the rear window wiper switch/indicator/light (Explorer) for the rear window switch/indicator/light (ST), to do this just scrape away the excess plastic tabs (melted palstic holding the indicator to the bezel)with a flathead scredriver or razor. Pop off the knobs from the front and pull out the switches, swap them out with the ST indicator. You don't have to glue the indicators back on because the switches will hold them in place on the four tabs.

6. Next is the fog light (ST) switch swap for the rear defrost switch (Explorer), there's two clips on each switch that hold them to the switch bracket (pictured) just pull back on clips with falthead screwdriver and pop them out, then pop the fog light switch (ST) in the rear defrost switch (Explorer) place.

7. All you need to do now is wire in the fog light switch to whatever you're hooking them up to and reinstall the bezel onto the dash.

8. To reinstall just hook up all three wiring pigtails to there correct switches, hook up the radio and cigarette lighter wires, puch the bezel bak onto the dash (clips will snap back in) and screw in the two 7mm bolts.

These bezels have an extra switch hole on them that you can swap out the rear defrost swicth with a fog light switch and make it look factory.

Before I did this project I had the offroad roof lights wired into the red toggle switch located on the side (top) of my C.B. Radio and didn't look very clean. IMO.

In the first picture is the Explorer bezel installed with the rear wiper and rear defrost switches swapped out for the ST's rear window and fog light switches. I really like how the black bezel looks more then the light grey factory ST bezel, just makes everything stand out more. Especially the heater/ac control panel.

I have included the pictures to have with instructions, sorry I don't know how to photoshop in arrows, etc. to point out but the pictures are good.

Not sure if this is good enough for a sticky but I know alot of members have asked me about this swap project, hopefully it helps some of ya'll out there.
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Smooth job and great documentation Jerry. I have all the stuff to do mine, just haven't got off my duff and done it.
 






Thanks man, I've been wanting to do this since I bought my ST five years ago but never went out and bought the bezel to do it.

Ever since I bought my wife her 1997 Mountaineer it's bugged me that I haven't done this yet so I went to junkyard looking for parts for hers and picked up a bezel to do this finally. Now I need to have my wife to show me how to use adobe or something to make this a project for the ST site.

Thanks again man !!! :bounce:
 






Awesome, thanks Jerry. This is on my list to do when I install the PIAAs. I have them sitting in the attic but I need some time and to pull the wiring out of Katie's Tahoe.
 






Now I need to have my wife to show me how to use adobe or something to make this a project for the ST site.

Try THIS. I use it daily, and people think I know something!!
 






you told me about this little mod a while back and i cant wait until i get my lights and im going straight to the junkyard to get my new bezel. waiting on my roof rack to come in the mail any day now. once i get that, come the lights and then the new bezel. thanks for the great tip rebel.
 






So any of y'all try this mod yet, if so post your pictures and info of any helpful tips for the next person to do it.
 






hey rebel, ive been sourcing parts to do this little project. i found a bezel, the swithes, and im going to pick up some kc lights that i found on craigslist on thursday. my question is how you went about wiring it. was there a certain wiring kit you bought that went in easy? i took the switches but i didnt take the wire harnesses. do i need to go back and get those? let me know how you wired it up. thanks.
 






I never got around to wiring in the extra swicth because I sold the Yakima roof basket with the offroad lights on it but I did ask alot of people from different forums how to wire into the factory swich.

Here's a link that should help out...

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=203037

I can forward an email other wiring diagrams that I got from Steve. It's setup through Adobe and I don't know how to save and post it on here so if you can do that it would be a great help to others that wanna do this mod as well. On a side note, hopefully I'll be done building my swing out tire carrier this weekend. I'll make a write up on it with all measurements, specs, parts lists, links for parts source, etc...
 






I'll write my write-up once exam finals are over. I have put that off for sometime...
 






cant wait to see the swing out carrier! im trying to figure out a solution to my oversized spare problem as well. right now i have my camper shell on so the spare is in the bed. hopefully by summer, i will have completed my hitch mounted tire carrier im going to make from a bike rack and a spare tire holder. just gotta find someone to weld it all up for me. as for the lights, thanks again for the diagrams. im going to get this going hopefully by the weekend if i can get these lights from this guy that lives about an hour away from me. it'll be worth it though, 3 KC 8" lights for 25 bucks! gotta love craigslist.
 






Do a google search for hitch mount tire carrier, they sell them for about $80-120 online. I decided to fab up my own because I don't like how those kind and the hitchgate kind stick out so low and far out (not good for offroading).
 






Check out Mounty 09's build thread of his hitch mount fold down tire carrier http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=305419. I really like it and was gonna go this route for now but said screw it and ordered the spindle kit from EMS Offroad. My buddy has all the 2" square tubing laying around on his property so we should have it hopefully have it all fabled up this weekend if he has the time to help me out. 8" lights, those are huge, where you gonna mount those at?
 












I can forward an email other wiring diagrams that I got from Steve.

Just ordered some lights and want to do this Bezel swap. Could you email me the wiring diagram you are talking about? I will PM you my addy. Thanks!
 






For those wanting to do this and have a 2wd ST, you can use a bezel from an V8 AWD Explorer or Mountaineer and you won't have the 4wd switch on the left side of the bezel. Or 2wd Explorers.

Also you can get the bezel from a '01-03 Explorer Sport (2wd if you want it without the 4wd switch) and (4wd if you have 4wd).
 






All you have to do is splice two of the four wires to get a functional switch. And then splice the third to get the light. However, the lights are not independent from one another, but I don't care.

I'm studying right now, but let me check to see which wires I spliced together... I can't remember off of the top of my head.
 






It looks like the switch mount bracket on the back of the stock bezel is already set up for an extra switch - just needs the hole cut in the front of the Bezel... that's how it looks, anyway. Anybody tried it that way?
 






It looks like the switch mount bracket on the back of the stock bezel is already set up for an extra switch - just needs the hole cut in the front of the Bezel... that's how it looks, anyway. Anybody tried it that way?

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2950949

Essendon cut his stock bezel for the switch - but he didn't really describe what you're saying. Maybe he can confirm or not. Is his about the same placement of what you're seeing on the back of your bezel?
 



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The switch hole that he cut was the factory foglight position, not the secondary position. he needs to take a dremel and round off the edges to look more factory.
 






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