So I'll need to remove my whole dash soon, not just the front. The whole thing has to come out to be upholstered. Got any tips on removing it ?

Is the piece around the glovebox attached to the large top piece or is it seperate ?

Thanks

 

It is all one piece, comes out as a massive assembly attached to a tubular frame piece that bolts to the body just below the A-pillars. 2 bolts each side. Many connectors and modules to disconnect. It been a while since I did it, so my memory is fuzzy. Takes 2 guys to lift it out.

 

Thanks, sounds like a big job

 

I actually just did that today. A real PIA. I just took out the plastic though, I don't have the tubular frame completely out yet. I think this was only possible because the windshield is gone.

It's all one piece, unfortunately.

I had everything removed- All front dash trim, radio, HVAC, gauge cluster, glovebox. I even stripped the steering column of the trim, wheel, clockspring, trans shift lever, and turn signal stick.

There are a ton of screws holding it. Let me see if I can remember them all.

- A couple on the driver's side down around the removable panel.
- One attached to the driver's side fan duct.
- A couple around the instrument cluster area.
- A couple holding the thing behind the small grates on the curve just to the right of the steering column.
- The top screws holding the fuse box in have to be pulled out.
- A couple in the center somewhere I think (removed these another day, so don't remember)
- Passenger side- from the back inside the glove box hole on top. Two above that glove box area.
- Passenger side- the defrost type vent just above the main vent on the right. Once the dash is mostly loose, pick it up a little so you can get in there. The vent insert is held in with three nuts (light duty nuts for plastic). The vent will unscrew from the hose (reverse thread though), but you can't do it enough until you get the piece out of the dash to turn it.
- Three along the top of the dash at the front by the windshield. Pop the caps off. Some had one, some had two. The ones with two have 2 sizes of screws too.
- Here's the real PIA ones that I can't imagine couldn't be done without the windshield off. You have to pry the dash panel up some and get in with the 7mm socket toward each end to release a screw holding it to the back of the ducts. I had to use a 7mm wrench and pliers to get them broken loose and then the socket with a universal to get it and turn it off. Due to the angle of the universal, I couldn't break them loose with the socket without it slipping off.

I was constantly using a 6 and a 7 mm socket. I think the defrost thing was a 10 though.

The latch for the glovebox doesn't have to be removed if you don't want. It isn't holding anything.

I unplugged the glovebox light/switch unit, but when I was pulling up on the dash at one point, it must have caught and come apart. I didn't think I pulled that hard, but the front part of the switch and the little push bar thing shot all the way over the second row seat and out the back onto the floor. Scared the s**t out of me... I found the face part, but not the push bar.

Good luck getting it all out. I'm about to remove the inner guts tomorrow if all goes well. The right side of the tubular frame is hanging loose right now because I thought those bolts were holding it, but they aren't.

I have to say, the tubular frame behind that dash is pretty impressive. It explains how these things can take such front impact collisions and not crush completely on the passengers. It should be interesting to see how heavy it actually is.

If you'd like to see some pics of the dash without the plastic on, they're in my build thread (a sticky at the top of the Ex forum).

Thinking about it, I'd say it took a good part of an hour to remove the plastic like that, but then again, I had no idea where to start. Just had to find screws, remove them, and pull on the plastic some more until I found the next one. That was starting today with all the other components off already.

Jon

 

I forgot, you have to remove the airbag bolts too. There are four of them, two on each side almost right next to each other. One on each side, the front one, is a bolt, I think 10mm. The back one is the same size but a nut on a stud instead. This way, the airbag will be free to come out with the dash. There's a plug in on the back side of it.

Be careful when you pull the panel out, because the airbag isn't held by much. The cover/front that you see is held to the airbag with a simple cloth strap. I tried to not put pressure on this strap, so I grabbed the dash from that side and held the airbag assembly with one hand while moving the dash with the other. The cover is snapped in to the dash panel with those little push in metal retainer clips, so just squeeze them with pliers one by one or push each side with a screwdriver and they'll release. But you'll have to do that once the dash is out. I'm not sure if it would come out complete with the bar frame if you got all of it out at once.

 

Just did this on a 2005 Super Duty Supercab.
I had the windshield replaced, removed one day and replaced the next, while I had it in the shop. This was only possible because I know the mobile installers. Without the removal of the windshield I think that it MIGHT be possible to remove to the two 7mm screws with an off-set socket extension (think older distributor wrenches) but I couldn't figure out how to possibly reinstall them.
These two body type bolts are one each on drivers and passenger side just under where the dash panel meets the windshield coming from front to rear that attach the dash skin, sub-dash bracing, and ventilation ducting. From the cab you can look for the drivers side one after removing the side cover from the dash and following the vent ducting (larger square one and not the smaller round tubing one) to where it turns to come toward the dash vent. On the top you will see the narrow bracing that goes up to meet the dash angling up and toward the firewall. On the back side you will just be able to see/probe the bolt head that goes through the dash cover/skin, sub-dash bracing support, and the vent ducting. The passenger side can be seen after removing the airbag assembly and looking through there from the cab upwards and outward. If you have the windshield in place you will have to remove the entire sub-dash assembly and unhook all the firewall to dash connections. Until I read the previous posts this is what I was going to do.
My windshield was questionable for repairing versus replacement but because I know the local mobile glass installers I decided to attempt to pull it like Sunline Fan did. The mobile glass guy removed the windshield, I removed the dash/cover and performed the work I needed to get done and reinstalled the dash skin/cover, they returned the next day and installed the new windshield.
I spoke with both the local Ford service and body shop managers about doing this beforehand and they only knew of taking the entire dash assembly out and doubted I could get just the dash skin out even with the windshield removed. Since I could always pull the entire dash assembly if I couldn't get everything reinstalled with the windshield out I decided to give it a try.
I can now verify that with the windshield removed it is possible but the dash cover/skin will have to be bent upward and it is still hard to get the three assemblies lined up when reinstalling the two bolts. The threaded part that the two bolts seat into is made of plastic and is fragile compounded by the angle required.
For future reference I examined how stable the dash panel would be without these two bolts, with just the other easy to access upper dash bolts along the defrost installed, and it was pretty flimsy so I would encourage people to not just break these two bolts loose unless you have a plan for fabricating new bracing.
For the reinstall I had to have a helper lift up on the dash components from inside the cab while I worked from the front. I lifted up on the vent ducting from the cowling area and inserted the bolt on the end of an extension. I used a straight extension and lifted the dash cover/skin a bit higher versus using a swivel because the bolt will be doing much of the fine alignment on the three different pieces and a swivel doesn't allow much force to be applied to do this. Use a locking extension or stuff some paper in the socket to hold the bolt because it could fall behind the plastic firewall shield or get lost if it drops. Even with the windshield out the angle is tough to get and the dash cover/skin was bent farther than I was really comfortable with but I never thought it was about to break but it bears mentioning that my dash cover/skin is in very good condition with no cracks. Damaged skin/covers might break with this much force applied.
However you go about removal, be extra careful with the vinyl-plastic dash skin/cover because the suggested cost from Ford is over $1,000. Yes, you read that right, I had them check while I was ordering other parts and after seeing the entire piece out I don't know how it could even get shipped without breaking the lower part that is stupid skinny and weak. Even removing one at a salvage yard would be dicey. Thanks allot Ford.
For what it's worth, the reason I took mine apart was to get access to the duct work that had soda spilled into it and looked like a fur coat with all the dust stuck to it on a new-to-me truck. I also wanted to see just how bad the wiring had been molested from an aftermarket remote start install that pulled several wires from factory locations.
I am leaving now to finish up my interior reinstall so if anyone has any questions I will check back later and try to answer. I took a few pictures that I will post later.
Sunline Fan, I want create another thread on this subject in the Superduty truck section later and quote/link to your posts so let me know if this is okay with you? I think this information might be helpful for other members and I want to make it easier to find.

Good luck,

MOJoWales

 

Can anyone think of a way to upholster the dash without removing it ?

Is this possible ?

Otherwise I'll just do it when it gets bulletproofed

 

Bulletproofed as in building to take out weak links or actually standing up to small arms fire?

 

I would talk to who ever upholstery them and see if they could do it with the glass out. I would think it would be with the glass removed, but hard to say.