Dodge 3500 Dash Replacement
 

The dash on my 2001 Dodge is cracked in several places. It needs to be removed to do some work on the A/C and the shop says it'll probably fall to pieces when they remove it. Two questions:

(1) Would taping it together help prevent it from falling apart?

(2) Has anyone purchased such a critter online and, if so, where'd you purchase it and were you pleased with the replacement part?

I thank you in advance for any help you can give.

PennyPA

The tape may help but I have found once they start it wis just question of how quick and how bad i gets. I taped where mine cracked and while that s still holding it has cracked elsewhere since.
Genos garage sells a replacement as does LMC Truck Parts

https://www.genosgarage.com/product/...rd8-2/dashtops

Truck Parts and Truck Accessories

Thank you, Barry. I was looking at the one at LMC. Have you dealt with them at all? I think that's where I'm going to go.

While I have not used them I have heard many positive reviews and would use if I had a need.

My 99 did it. Check your dealer. i got my new one there. Wasn't as expensive as I thought it would be.

Some tips. The VIN tag is riveted to the original dash, dont throw it away.

There is nothing you can do to stop it from cracking.

I took a sample piece, placed it on a brown bag inside on the dresser. In a few weeks, the paper towel was soaked with some kind of oil and ht piece had self broken up into about 10 pieces.

When changing it, consider changing your heater and evaporator cores. Eventually they will both leak and you will have to remove the new dash to replace them.

Your dash is installed on hinge bolts. One on each side.

Remove the battery cables, wait 30 minutes.

Remove the dash bezel

Disconnect the string for the gear pointer

Drop the steering wheel down onto the drivers seat

Break the existing dash all away up and toss into the trash (saving the vin tag)

Remove the glove box

Remove the screws that used to hold the defrost vents into place

Deal with heater and ac cores

Bring in new dash

Install it on the two pivot bolts one each side down by the kick panel

Rotate it up

Attach the defroster vents to the new dash (you will wish the windshield wasn't there.

Put the steering column back

Connect the string back

Put the glove box back

Use double sided tape to apply the vin tag

Put bezel back

Enjoy


I may have left out something, but it will all be very obvious, plus it's been a long time.

1-2-3, When changing it, consider changing your heater and evaporator cores. Eventually they will both leak and you will have to remove the new dash to replace them. That's why we have to remove the top part. I think a lot of your response concerned the actual dash itself. Don't have to replace that...just the top part. Thanks!!

Right. The plastic cover that you look at. Not the frame of the it or the bezels or radio or instrument cluster. Mine got so bad it had a giant hole