Another Dash Question

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my98ramquad

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Tarpon Springs Florida
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1998
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5.9
I am new to the site and this has probably been answered a million times. So I apologize ahead of time for the ones who are tired of seeing a dash question. I have a 1998 Ram 1500 Quad cab. What is weird about mine is the top of the dash is completely fine, all the insides of the dash is a broken mess. I have searched and search for the complete dash (not just the bezel and top) and have had no luck. Does anyone know where I could find the actual main dash? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Sean
 
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my98ramquad

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Thanks for the reply, I have looked at LMC, ebay, junkyard, etc. and have had no luck with finding the complete dash. Seems like everyone has the bezel and top dash pad, just no complete dash. As usual it seems like I am the opposite of the rest of the Dodge Ram people and need what they do not produce. No surprise since the seats were the ones with the seat belt in the seat, which took me 3 weeks to find a donor. Again thank you ahead of time for any leads and hopefully I will find one soon.
 

Joe w.

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If you find a replacement let us know
 
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my98ramquad

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If you find a replacement let us know

I definitely will. I contacted LMC and they were pretty quick on returning my email. They do Not carry the actual dash assembly. They carry the usual that you can find everywhere, so the quest continues.
 

Baradonai

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1994
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5.3
So what do body shops do if they have to fix a messed up dash? My 94 has a cracked piece above the glovebox. LMC doesn't sell this as stated above.
 

Tarmac

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2000
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5.2
Well, y'all are all gonna laugh. My sub dash is held together primarily with zip strips right now. I am in the same boat, and do not realistically expect to ever find a complete sub that is not cracked as chrysler was kind enough to use a horrible ABS plastic composition that loves to be deteriorated by ultraviolet rays. My options are: Try in vain (for five years now) to find one, or just live with it and have an otherwise awesome truck that I love to death. Everything else works, well, except of no heat now.....grrr. But, zip strips to the rescue, put an nice dash cover on it and just drive it. that's my two cents worth...
 

renegadeiceberg

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2001 ram 1500 sport quad cab
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5.9L Magnum
and this is exactly why i joined the forums. :) another forum i tried to join but holy seizure. it's like attack of the advertising gifs!

in any event no - i know of no one who sells the dashboard frame itself. there's currently one (tan) on ebay for a dash of this year style for $750 but used. this means it's likely as brittle as mine even though it's not breaking apart yet. it's frustrating as all get out because i've got the lmc option and bezel and spend $1800 on the interior at sues. (gas monkey sue - she's great!) and in all i hate to add up what i have in my 01 sport quad cab.

but in swapping out the radio over the weekend more pieces of the frame broke. the major one being the top part that holds the AC controls and that makes my controls not as solid as i'd of course like.

it's just a matter of time and need to pull the front off before it continues to simply break piece by piece.

i'd pull the trigger on the $750 core on ebay right now but i have zero idea how difficult these are to put in and it would require the help of a friend i'm sure as he helped me put the lcm cap on.

in any event, appreciate the thread. this is why i was joining - seeing what others are doing as the actual core/frame of the dash now follows the rest into dust particles.
 

renegadeiceberg

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2001 ram 1500 sport quad cab
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5.9L Magnum
ok - did more digging today cause i know this is gonna be an issue.

ebay:
1998 - 2001 DODGE RAM DASH CORE FRAME STRUCTURE ASSM. CAMEL / TAN CODE R1K9 OEM | eBay

it does look solid but you can't tell from just pics. also a complete dash vs. just the framework.

i called chrysler and i can get the frame direct from them for $700-$800 but then they want from $1k - $1.4k to swap them out.

sparse videos on facebook on pulling a dashboard out but the one i did find said to simply remove it from the frame and there are (4) bolts. then simply uhhook all the other pieces that go on / around it.

has anyone in here ever pulled the dash out of their 01 series dodge and if so, how much "fun" was it? a friend of mine and i will likely do it and he's more mechanical than i am but we're both pretty smart in general. a full weekend? worse?
 

Greenmopar

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2001
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5.2
Have you tried installing the instrument base panel yet?

I am in the same boat trying to figure out what to do as all the kits online are simply the top dash pad and instrument bezel. I need the base where everything mounts to as like you my ac and heater controls have no where to mount to.

I am thinking of just fabricating some wooden mounts somehow if I can't find the base panel myself
 

Kjlouis

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98
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5.2
Hi everyone. First post. I was trying to take my dash cover off my parts truck and shattered it. You start off taking bazel off from around the guages, then there is a series of screws going across dash, remove glove box, I believe 5 bolts holding the pass air bag in, then 5 8mm bolts that run along windshield that's where I shattered dash cover trying to wiggle it out I didn't know about the screws on the back side holding it in. But to get to the core after that point, gotta take the plastic that runs along floor by the doors out, it will reveal more bolts that hold core on, remove the little plastic piece at the bottom center of the dash for 2 more bolts, take steering column down and I imagine there are more. if you need a core make an offer and I'll try to get it out for ya. As of now mine is undamaged in a 2001 3.9 regular cab. Let me know I'm planning on scrapping it soon.
 

slimpartywagon

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1995
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magnum 5.9
I pulled my dash out... Pretty strait forward... Take off the knee bolster under the steering wheel. Disconnect the wire plugs going into the fuse box. Unbolt the steering column from the dash frame. Unscrew the torx screws holding dash cap to window frame. Open glove box to access the boots that hold frame to cab on passenger side, then remove boots on driver side. Now the dash assembly is ready to pull out through the passenger side door...

Once dash starts to move freely, unplug the vacuum connector and finish pulling the dash out.
 
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