'77 f150-Does the radio and glove box liner have to be removed to get the dash pad off ? what about the plastic wood trim around glovebox and dash-are there bolts on the backside ? How do the light and wiper ***** come off ? Gauges just unscrew and pull right out besides disconnecting the speedo cable and plugs ? thanks marty

 

It is easier to remove the dash pad if the radio, glove box liner, instrument cluster, and heater controls are removed, yes.

The plastic trim on the dash is a PITA to reach. There are studs that run through the dash with nuts on the backside that fasten the trim in place. Honestly, you'd have to have hands the size of a gerbil to get in there! It would be much easier to remove them with the dash out, but obviously, that's another job altogether. I've done it and it's not that difficult. You just have to decide if the trim needs to be replaced that badly.

Light switch is removed by reaching your hand up under the dashboard and pushing a button on top of the headlight switch between it and the AC vent. (if you have one) not too hard to do, but a bit of a pain

Wiper switch is removed by finding the metal tab behind the **** and either pushing it or pulling it slightly with a small screwdriver, pen, or other thin firm object. Be careful not to break the plastic ****.

Hope this helps.

 

X2 on finding the spring loaded button op top of the head light switch, up under the dash. Once you locate it, pull the headlights **** out, (FYI the headlights will come on so make sure you disconnect the battery 1st) the **** and the shaft will come out as one piece. Reinstall in reverse order.

X2 on the wiper **** being removed with a small flat tip on the lock tab on the back side of the ****.

If you can not find the headlight button, once the dash bezel is ready to remove (4 screws on the upper part) and you have the wiper **** off, you can pull the headlight switch out for a bit more room and then move the bash bezel around enough to see behind it to locate the button.

As far as to get the glove box trim off, yes you will want to remove the glove box liner itself, 4 screws and pull it out from underneath the dash, to make it way easier to access the 11/32 nuts.

And you will want to remove the dash cluster (4 screws) to make is way easier to get to the dash pad nuts. Use a firm grip to squeeze the white ring around the speedo cable then it will pop right out of the back side of the cluster. Be careful with the elec connector, again squeeze and pull carefully.

There are 8 nuts on the dash pad, on the far left and right there are 2 close together and 3 down the the middle ad one on the middle dash pad tip. Using 11/32 socket and a 1/4 ratchet will get them broke loose easy enough, they are not real tight.

If the dash pad does not lift right off, you still have a nut on one of the studs. If you have a OEM radio, then yes the ***** and outer nuts will need to be removed to get the dash bezel off. And I would remove the steering wheel to give you lots of room.

 

Thanks for the help guys, this is going to take some time, gotta get everything ready to paint

 

Strip it in about an hour, prep clean ect...., sand, spray w/sandable primer, sand, clean up from the sanding, mask, paint interior and the doors and jams.

New window seals install, put it all back together, days lol....fixing all the interior dome and dash light issues, rusty floor panels.

Different stereo, better heater control panel and cable fix ect....doing bed liner on the bottom half of the doors and back of the cab.

Left my headlight and wiper ***** on cause I was still working wiring issues.

 

Had to make the interior match the outside thanks to a fellow FTE member that did all the exterior work and is awesome!

Stay motivated, take pics and make notes.

 

Rich, your truck is turning out awesome! Great job! I know that was some hard work, but you make it look easy! g

David

 

Thanks, it has been a long road, it started as a bone stock farm rig. And after the 6" lift and different motor and a # of years of mud truck, I had a fellow FTE member breath new life into it with some awesome body work and paint job.

I am bogged down with life/work on getting the interior finished, I am getting there a little at a time, some day it will roll out of the garage.

 

the brown '76 looks sweet in the background btw-so you just masked around the front and back window rubber, I'm going beige to green and worried about not getting it covered

 

The brown truck is a 79 with a older grill shell swap and belongs to earthquake1968. It started as a 2wd F150....now it a 4wd with a D60 swapped in the rear and 8 lug conversion on the front end.

He did the body work and paint on both trucks and yes he did an awesome job.

Just mask it carefully after a good cleaning and you should be ok.

 

Hey Rich,thanks for valuable info.I picked up this trim that surrounds glove box,without the nuts installed.So Ill pick up 11/32 and go from there .Thankyou. Was wondering when the change from metal to plastic,with that trim.The only reason Im using it ,is because it is metal.just wondering.

 

Sorry I do not know what year they changed from plastic to metal or the other way around.

Here are some examples of plastic with wood grain in my parts bronco and plastic with red on my 77.

I have seen metal ones with black and metal ones with wood grain. It always looks sharp in a truck IMO.

 

yea I had to drill out my dash,to accept component,,,I thought the plastic would be peal and stick,,,thanks for the 11/32 heads up

 

Oops on my part, I just went and double checked the glove box ring and the nuts are 7/16 deep set socket. I never imagined they were that big.

11/32 is for the dash pad only....

 

thanks Rich, Ill double ck mine when purchasing.