LMC Now has replacement front door wiring conduit

[Rembrant]

I've had the new LMC catalog for a few weeks now, and I somehow didn't see this until tonight.



I already have some aftermarket rubber boots that I bought, and I have another set from a Bricknose that I scavenged from the Junkyard, but for the price of these I may grab a set next time I'm ordering stuff.

I took a look at my cab and doors, and they each have a little dimple...almost like pilot holes or locating holes, where you would drill the larger holes for the conduit.

For those of you with "fancy" trucks with factory radios, does the conduit connect higher up on the cab almost level with the park brake release handle, and then lower on the door, about 2" above where the door switch hits the door? Does that sound about right?

[Gary Lewis]

I'll see if I can sneak out to the shop for a bit tomorrow and check things out on Big Blue.  (We are home from two weeks of vacating and playing catchup.  But, the grandtwins come for one final visit tomorrow before going back to Nicaragua, so no promises.)

But, it is good to see that LMC is now carrying those.  I've been hoarding some for Dad's truck, but might have to spring for new ones.

[salans7]

Let's see how the quality is and whether they seal well.

My F150 was a no-radio truck and I drilled the holes in both the cab and the doors for the boots. It wasn't fun, but I remember the pilot holes were there so drilling them wasn't too complicated.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Did you use a uni-bit, Shaun?

[Rembrant]

salans7 wrote

Let's see how the quality is and whether they seal well.

My F150 was a no-radio truck and I drilled the holes in both the cab and the doors for the boots. It wasn't fun, but I remember the pilot holes were there so drilling them wasn't too complicated.

Thanks for the info. So you drilled the pilot holes and then used factory rubber conduits like pictured above?

The reason I'm checking into this is that I hope to be sending the truck for paint soon, and both front fenders and the driver's door will be replaced, so it will be an opportune time to install these (and the door speakers of course).

[Steve83]

Yes, the dimples are the hole centers.  I use a common metal-cutting hole saw.

[salans7]

Steve83 wrote

Yes, the dimples are the hole centers.  I use a common metal-cutting hole saw.

I did the same. Factory conduit was used.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Hole saws are grabby.

Try a unibit, no burrs and no catching

[85lebaront2]

Now how about rear ones for those of us with the country stretch limousine models?

[Steve83]

85lebaront2 wrote

Now how about rear ones...?

How about them?  Is there some reason you can't use the same boots & locations as the fronts?

[85lebaront2]

I'll have to look, I don't believe the bullnose ever had rear power doors. I used a pair of 1996 rear doors on Darth. My owner's manual and EVTM do not show anything except manual rear doors in 1986.

[Steve83]

OK  I still don't understand what you were asking. Are you trying to make the rear doors power?  Or are you trying to wire up power rear doors to a truck that didn't originally have them?

[85lebaront2]

Just looking down the road at needing to replace them at some point. Rear doors are power, came off a loaded 1996 F350 Centaurus conversion.

[Steve83]

IDK why they'd need to be replaced - all the '87-97 door wiring boots I have are in perfect condition; no degradation at all.  But if you do need some, they're common & cheap in JYs.  Just pay attention to the hole size in the doors - later trucks (maybe '94-97) have a larger hole & boot than earlier ones.  IDK if that applies to rear doors.

I've never heard of Centaurus - do you mean Centurion?  That's the company that made most of the 4-door Broncos, and some extended-cab 4-door F350s, among others.

[1986F150Six]

I Googled Centaurus:

https://barnfinds.com/centaurus-conversion-1996-ford-f350/

[Rembrant]

Anybody know off hand what size the conduit hole in the cab is?
I have a stepper bit but if I need a hole saw I’ll pick one up this week.

Also. I have a conduit set that I pulled from the junkyard and I’m pretty sure the truck was 1991 f350. Will these be the same size as the bullnose conduits?

[salans7]

Yes, my bricknose cab is a 90 and the conduits are the same as what came with my old 86 cab, along with my 1980.

[Rembrant]

Do they look like these ones below? I removed these from a truck at the junkyard, but I don't recall what year it was. I thought it was a 1991, but it may have been newer.

The holes are huge...2" on the cab side, and 2 1/2" on the door side.

[Gary Lewis]

Cory - Those look much bigger than the Bullnose ones.  I'll see if any of the doors I have already have the holes in them.  But that won't be until later today.

[salans7]

Just checked mine, and the cab is 2" and the doors are 2.5", both my bullnose and bricknose doors are the same size. Also, those conduits have to be from a bullnose because my bricknose connectors are just the two pin style.

Also, my truck was originally mono speaker, so there were no door speakers in the truck. But I just noticed that the doors already have the holes drilled, and they have a plug to keep moisture out. Were all the non/Mono radio trucks like this? I can't recall whether I had to drill the doors on my 80 but I feel like I did?