I recently got my truck and decided to install heated leather seats (as I detailed in another post) and the console, removing the center jump seat. I have an automatic and the switch for the transfer case as opposed to a stick for it. I don't think the factory installed the hard console if either of these options are on your truck.

The first part of this job will, of course, be locating all the necessary parts.

As for the center console, first, its probably best if the seats came with the hard center console. There are some variables involved here. The 06 has slightly different seat mounting than the 07. Further, if the seats you get had a third seat, the "ears" that hold the center seat on may have to be modified to accomodate the rear console box, especially if you have the vent going underneath it for the rear seat air. I had to cut the ends off the ears as they were interfering with the vent that feeds air to the rear seats that came with the center console box and sits underneath it. The "ears" I'm referring to are part of the seat brackets that go over the transmission hump and is what the center seat or console is attached to. By the way, the bucket seats with or without the center seat seem to be the same, they don't change the configuration or design based on center seat or console.

Now, if you have the hard console, the dealer will show the rear console and front console. Not a mistake. The big part where your elbow rests is the $1000 plus piece "rear console". Obviously you need that as well as the "front console". The vent should come with it for the rear seat ventilation. The front console is a two part piece with the upper piece having the cupholders. It will either have a woodgrain top or a gray or taupe top depending on the interior color of your truck or option. I think the woodgrain top piece is a higher edition, maybe Laramie. That part of the front console is $200 or so. Under that is the front console base.

To install the front console, take out your cupholders you have right now, attached to the floor or in that space in the middle of the dash if they swing down from the dash. If you have the cupholders attached to the floor, you'll have to remove those, all of it and the vertical piece that's in the dash...its called the "cupholder delete" piece. You cannot install the front console without removing this piece. Ask me how I know.

From the truck you removed the console from or from the dealer, you'll also need the small winged piece that goes at the very bottom under your dash and sits directly in front of the front console on the floor. According to my receipt, this part number is 1BP57XDH-AB, "Panel Floor 23092005" and mine was gray. List price is $27.40, but you can get it cheaper. If you take out your cupholder console on the floor, you'll see the "Panel Floor" attached to the front piece at the very bottom. I don't know what it looks like with the swing out cupholders. But, you also need a piece where your swing out cupholders lived, or where the flat piece of "cupholder delete" plastic was inserted. This piece sits vertically in the concave part of the dash, also directly in front of the front console, above the winged "Panel Floor" part. The "Panel Floor" part sitting horizontally on the floor and the other piece vertically above this "Panel Floor" piece. That vertical piece I've just described is called the "Center Stack Slate" with part number 1BP53XDHAC according to the sticker on the piece in my hand and on the bag. This one was hard to track down as the parts guy could not locate it on his screen. I had a buddy who gave me this number after much research. So, two pieces needed in addition to the front and rear consoles. Make sure you get the right colors for your truck!

That Center Stack piece also has to be removed when you want to remove the bezel that the radio sits in. It covers the screws on the bottom of the bezel that will prevent you from removing the bezel if you don't remove this piece. I digress, but note that if you can get these two pieces at the junkyard along with the console, you'll be that much ahead as opposed to buying them at the dealer like I did.

Hope this helps when you get to installing the box center console.

RW