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For Dashboards needing repair

Will L. said:
Yeah- too thin for the repairs.
The glue on covers by for the top only are ok if you get the good ones, but it does nothing for the face. Then the problem comes in when you have to remove them for repairs to other components where removing is required.

Get a new dash, buy once cry once. Get a descent dash cover or do the clear windshield tint to stop the heat from cooking it- again the higher price stuff works way better for fighting heat & uv. The difference is are you selling it in a couple years or keeping it long term.
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Keeping it long term. Have not been able to source a dash.

I did order the dash cover this am. Should I cancel the order?
 
those screws through the now broken plastic is what stops the dash from pivoting. GM did a well design here!! before I replaced the dash in the 95 I was using some plastic plumbers strap going from the bottom wrapping around top to two of those screws just to hold the dash up where it was supposed to be!
 
dbrannon79 said:
those screws through the now broken plastic is what stops the dash from pivoting. GM did a well design here!! before I replaced the dash in the 95 I was using some plastic plumbers strap going from the bottom wrapping around top to two of those screws just to hold the dash up where it was supposed to be!
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Is there a way to through bolt metal straps under the dash across this section so that the bolts are really holding onto something?
 
Big T said:
Is there a way to through bolt metal straps under the dash across this section so that the bolts are really holding onto something?
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Not really, the only thing that holds it is that plastic underneath is the AC vent structure for the defrost housing. other than that the two studs with nuts on the kick panel area that allows the dash to pivot. I think if you have the passenger air bag, there is an extra bracket up in there that also helps.
 
dbrannon79 said:
Not really, the only thing that holds it is that plastic underneath is the AC vent structure for the defrost housing. other than that the two studs with nuts on the kick panel area that allows the dash to pivot. I think if you have the passenger air bag, there is an extra bracket up in there that also helps.
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When I say across, I meant front to back, keeping the existing bolts going through it. Maybe even bolting the strap on top of the dash, then throwing the cover over it.
 
You might be able to snake a piece of flat strap in there to the center one going through the center vent, then finding a place to attach that around the center vent area underneath the front bezel, but it's tight under there, not much room for anything really. Honestly if someone came up with some sort of stamped steel vent cover for the defrost area that would provide some much better holding power. all the screws go into is an area where sheet metal is pinch welded up near the windshield. all the holds the dash in place are those three screws through the sheet metal and the two studded nuts down underneath on the kick panels. GM's infamous bean counter design....
 
The hummer center consoles are thin plastic like that with a leather covering to make it look nice- but they break too. So several guys have removed it and did a fiberglass reinforcement underneath. Idk how much you could copy of that idea.

Is there still no high quality ones made aftermarket that is a complete dash but stronger than original? The collectability of these trucks should start picking up soon I would imagine. It was around 2000-2010 that square body value started coming up a descent amount. Along with that is when reproduction components start getting made more frequently and making better versions of it.
 
I had planned doing a fiberglass undercoating on the dash I installed but never did it. there is enough room to do this while the dash is out and the defrost vent housing removed (it attaches to the dash) I did find a repop of the complete dash for the 94 and older for around $500 but have not seen anything for the 95+ yet. you can do a swap to the older dash style, only thing you'd need would be to find a 94 cluster since it's a different shape but all the wiring is the same including the gauges too!

I like the older dash style :D
 
Yes if it is covered all the way. But when they get to the edges it can crack right past it, (post 15 picture 1) and there are sections they don’t make the covers for at all like around the gauges (post 15 picture 2).

Then you get spots where the cover can’t actually make contact with all of it (post 19 the video before even playing shows it). Where that is, the cracks will continue and often expand. They tend to rattle a lot like that so even if it looks ok because you can’t see the rough part it makes noise when driving.

Fixing the foundation when the structure is old plastic degraded by UV & heat- can get challenging.

GM has its challenges with some of these 90’s dashes- but nothing at allmlike the nightmare of the dodge truck dashes. There is companies where diy guys make new dashes out of riveted aluminum to try dealing with it.

When you can get one that isn’t broken up yet but reinforcement on the under side with a few layers of fiberglass- you might have to sand away a couple mounting areas but the rest is covered thick enough they don't fail easily under its own weight. But the UV and heat damage could wreak even a modified one so stopping the source should be addressed.

This isn’t like having an ol 70’s truck where the dash was steel and just had a little spot of plastic or upholstery. For folks wanting to keep around a truck that 30 years old- gotta realize it is treating a classic aged rig even if we don’t see them as classics but just good work trucks.

The weak designed center console in hummers- tend to run 5-7 thousand bucks. Mine was cracking and a guy broke into the truck and destroyed it- so mine went in the garbage can. The replacement will be metal covered in upholstery. But for me to drop $2,500-$3,000 into a custom one is cheaper than a replacement stock one. Not easy to afford but easier to justify as the rig will sell for a descent amount later. In a truck that has resell of $7,000- a $2,5000 dash is rough to do the math on. So I wouldn’t expect a lot of aftermarket options.

Where money is to be made imo is a diy guy that can make a fiberglass mold and make some as the sell in his garage… how much would you all pay for a new fiberglass dash primed and ready to paint whatever color you want? $1500 might be doable. As these trucks hold their value and increase- could be more folks after that?
 
I’m with dbrannon79 on cutting and stamping vents in a piece of stainless steel that would replace existing vents. One unit all the way across. Cut out existing plastic vents. Have shelfing around the opening which could be screwed to the old plastic of the dash to hold it in place, then screws trough the steel to hold the dash.
 
Be careful putting screws or through bolts in the existing dash plastic. it will snap too easy! I tried using a tiny screw on the top side of the dash bezel to help hold it in place up by the center vent. used my drill and put a small pilot hole through so it wouldn't snap the plastic. it went together well but after a couple weeks it snapped the dash under the bezel from the truck bouncing on the road.

I've since resorted to use a hot glue gun for that stuff. hold well enough and easy to remove the bezel when needed.

if you can have someone cut a piece of stainless sheet metal on a CNC machine for the defrost vents, make it so the sheet is larger to cover a fair amount of area around the vent, leave the existing plastic vents in place just cover them with the new stainless sheet and use the factory screw holes to mount it sandwiching it all together. you might even use a hot glue gun or some RTV silicone to glue the stainless to the dash instead of screwing into the plastic to grab the dash.
 
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