Hi. This was originally going to be one of the first projects on this truck, but because of all the difficulty I have come upon every time I've tried to dig into my dashboard at all, I have spent over a year just living with it, while the rest of the truck has transformed around it, but now with little else left to do, it's time to beat this thing.
I'm trying to replace my dashpad, fix a few electrical bugs, and remove anything obsolete from behind my dashboard, but no matter which panel I try to take off first, I always get stopped because I can't get some **** off, or can't quite get around some duct or some wire. So, from someone who has done it, what the heck do I do first? Is there some trick to the dashboard, are they all absolutely horrible to take apart and put together? Help me if you can!
Thanks, AleX

 

1st thing to do is remove the instrument cluster and glovebox, provided you already have the intrument cluster surround off. There is one bolt on each side of the metal dash down near the bottom. You can see the passenger side once the glovebox is removed, the driver side needs to be removed from the bottom side. You also need to remove the phillips screws on the top of the dash in the center where it meets the metal frame of the cab. While your there remove the screws holding the defroster duct in place. Next thing to do is remove all wiring from what ever it is connected to in the dash. You'll also have to remove the 2 bolts holding the steering column in place. Once those are out there are 2 more bolts above the column mount that need to come out. good luck.

 

Yiiiikes, I wish you would have had some great trick, but thanks very much for this, even if it does sound more complicated than getting my transmision out. I guess I'll go start tackling it, and I guess I'm not going out tonight....
AleX

 

That is most of it as stated of above. With the ***** to the left of the instrument cluster to pull the wiper **** off get a straight screwdriver and pull back on a clip in it which will let you pull it off. Next with the light switch **** reach up into the dash and get your hand on to of the switch. You will feel a button which will spring up after you push down on it. Pull the switch out till where your headlights come on. Next push down on that button the complete way down and then pull back on the light switch and it will pull right out. Now you can unbolt the plastic trim piece around the gauge cluster. It is pretty much self explanatory from there. Tip of advice: When taking apart the rest of the dash. If you pull on something and it does not come, keep on looking for the nut or bolt. They can be a pain to find all of occassionally.

 

After you pull apart a 73-79 dash you,ll notice it is one of the most simple things ever.
Good luck with yours.

 

It's really not that bad. Once you tear a few of them apart you'll know exactly what needs to be done and what wrench to grab going in.

 

Here is a picture of where the dash bolts into the inside of the cab.

Good luck

 

How did this go for you? I'm going to pull my dash apart this week to paint it OEM brown. Any advice or difficulties?

 

Well I can't say completely, as I only ever removed the dash pad, instrument cluster, glove compartment, and alot of the wiring (didn't have specific need or any time to do the whole thing, although a complete freshen up would have been nice), but the instructions you see here told me just about everything I needed to know, and it actually wasn't that bad.
I'll add a few new things though: My truck has factory A/C. Both the ducting for that, and the blower under the passenger side of the dash got in the way alot. I had to unbolt the center vent and pull it out/push it in a bunch of times to be able to get my hands and tools in behind it at different angles. Because my A/C blower completely blocks access to the glove compartment area from below, and because the glove compartment is made of cardboard, it has to be severely bent and squished to be removed, and mine got partially destroyed. The 2 dash pad nuts (8 total FYI) all the way over to the passenger side were extremely hard to remove. They can be accessed with a tiny wrench (11/32 I think), but reaching through the glove compartment hole with such a short wrench you will barely be able to touch the nuts. The only tool for the job is a 1/4" drive socket. I mention that specifically because my small socket wrench broke a few months ago, and I hadn't even had a need to replace it, but after working on two tiny nuts for over an hour I ran out and bought a wrench and was done within 5 minutes.
Other than that, just a few things generally: as far as I went, the passenger side was much harder, get it out of the way first, and for once stuff goes together alot faster than it comes apart.
Goodluck, and put up any questions that might come up, AleX

 

My cardboard glove box was in poor shape as well. I bought a plastic one from Bronco Graveyard and it was well worth it.

 

Well apparently someone had trouble with the glovebox before because the cardboard is missing lol. You can see straight down. Well I hope I can remove it, sand, prime, and paint the interior in one day. Fingers crossed!! I gotta get my interior back in my truck soon!!

 

Haha, tell me about it, I've had the door panels off since I think the second day I got the truck, painted metal floors that have been there so long they now need another coat, and a headliner region that would really do well to actually have some headliner put in it. Girls don't really take well to closing the passenger door, looking down and noticing that their pants are unsalvageably stuck to the dog hair and 30 year old tar glue area where it is generally assumed that a door panel might be found.
In a year that I've rebuilt my transmission, engine twice, steering box and pump, brakes, entire front end, and done enough sheet metal work that I could go into business building houses out of the stuff though, door panels and carpet just haven't really made it so far up the list.

 

Haha I can totally relate to you on that. My girlfriend doesnt wanna ride in mine until its completely fixed up. Women just can't appreciate good trucks I guess. If their not brand new the ones I've met don't hardly wanna get in them. So if you got one in yours your doing really well!!