Dash Frame Core Mount Deck Assembly

[Greenlee]

This is a topic I also posted on the Cummins Forum because I have seen a lot of Dodge folks with the same issue I have. This is what I wrote:

 

This is just a heads up for those folks like me who have the inner dash fame core mount deck assembly broken. I have been trying for several months to locate one and found some on eBay but a complete unit may run from $550.00 to $800.00 depending on the salvage yard that is selling it. Getting pieces from one that might be broke or ruined when removing it doesn't fly either. I have offered to pay a good amount for the broke pieces I need to glue back. With all the glues out there now that work excellent on plastic to plastic or alum or to carbon fiber it would be worth the while to give it a try. It's better than looking at your head light switch hanging or the A/C protruding outward from the top support piece missing and so on. But bottom line is the item is called by the title of this thread. Hope this will help some looking or have had their trucks broken into and the dash tore up in the process. I have some pictures of the complete assembly for a 1998 Dodge Trucks attached. I haven't posted pictures before but they are listed below under Attach Files. Hope you all have a Blessed and Prosperous New Year.

These photos might help if you are trying to rebuild your core and need to know what the original shape of it was.

[Me78569]

created an article for you

 

 

[Greenlee]

I don't understand your reply Me78569, help me out here and explain please

[Me78569]

I put your info in the article that I posted,  this way the pictures and text wont be lost to time after a few years in a forum post.  

[Greenlee]

Ok, I appreciate you doing that. My inner core is busted in several places. When I bought the truck they had it all glued in under the bezel so I didn't see the damage until I grabbed the headlight switch a few days later and it came loose. The pictures give me the shape of the missing pieces so I can come up with my own formed replacement parts to glue or screw in. I don't know what materials would be easy to form to the radius or cut out some rings from MDF (?) board but at least I know where the all the mounting screws are to replace on the parts next to the glove box. This is an expensive and labor intense piece to replace if you funded the replacement part from a salvage yard. Maybe this will help some anyway. Happy New Year

[dripley]

What would bust up the sub frame other than a wreck? The only plastic pieces I have lost so far have been the dash pad, already replaced, but instrument bezel just keeps disintegrating slowly. Seem to find a new piece on the floor weekly. Thank God for black duct tape.

[JAG1]

I did some repairs on my instrument bezel and found that it is ABS plastic so black ABS glue works well but it shows is the only problem.

[Greenlee]

15 hours ago, dripley said:

What would bust up the sub frame other than a wreck?

I saw some pictures from break-ins where the radio is hacked out and other components.It's possible mine was in a wreck the way the inner core is broke in about 6 places. I didn't think there would be much conversation over this thread, . It's unfortunate the salvage yards that have these cores won't sell pieces of a broke core to help out. When they remove them from the trucks and it breaks it's the end of the road when they could still make money selling half of it.

14 hours ago, JAG1 said:

I did some repairs on my instrument bezel and found that it is ABS plastic so black ABS glue works well but it shows is the only problem.

That's good to know, appreciate it. Any ideas on materials that I could use to replace some of the pieces? I have seen where a material type board is shaped and then coated with fiberglass to reinforce it. I'm open to any suggestions or ideas.

7 minutes ago, Greenlee said:

I did some repairs on my instrument bezel and found that it is ABS plastic so black ABS glue works well but it shows is the only problem.

It surprises me that with all the folks that could use a inner core, at least we know what it's called, that there aren't after market parts for this like everything else on a Dodge. 

[JAG1]

I would figure out by testing to see what glue fuses the best with the inner core and then make pieces to go on the back side to sister along side and join up where the breaks or cracks are.

 

I worked on my bezel for about 4 hrs, with the top  broken in two places. A new wood grain style bezel cost a lot so I glued a leather top cap all the way across to hide the broken spots. Chestnut color leather looks good and if my dash ever go bad I will glue leather pieces and laminate the whole shooten' match with leather.  cause it helps hold it together too. Not sure about it but it seems like a paper machete style work on it in leather will make it right.

Edited January 4, 2018 by JAG1

[Dieselfuture]

11 hours ago, JAG1 said:

I glued a leather top cap

Hmmm, I remember getting some crap about how I was going to use leather for my entire Dash top to hold it together few years back,  can't remember who was making fun of it which of course I didn't take seriously we all like a good laugh,  but it's still on my to do list. I'm glad it's working out for you, now I know I can go ahead and get it done when I have time. What did you use for glue, ABS stuff.

[JAG1]

The problem is leather gets dry and curls up a wee bit in hot sun under the windshield,(kinda expresses what the plastic goes thru). I have used two glues that stay flexible, contact cement used for laminate countertops and clear silicone caulk. The contact cement is better for getting all the edges well, but you have to coat both surfaces and let them get dry (not too dry ) and stick them together. I can't say anything about the water base contact cement under the hot sun. It would be nice to find out that it works because the real hot stuff will get you higher than a kite without the doors open. It can kill you without proper ventilation, but once dry it has no fumes and really holds.

 

A small roller gets the edges and lays it on evenly in a hurry, otherwise tough to handle or spread. The other problem is needing to glue both surfaces when you are overlapping a piece of leather and not wanting to let any glue show.

 

I think a glue that goes together with one coat would be best  and then keep the leather wiped down with leather treatment to keep it from curling in the heat.

Edited January 4, 2018 by JAG1

[GSP7]

I knew a guy that use to use his dash as a drum set while listening to heavy metal. Beat on his dash with his palms

 

Is that how your dash frame broke?

[jlbayes]

You know these are still available from the dealer right? For close to what parts slingers are asking for use parts.

[Sycostang67]

I know mine is cracked by the head light switch, thankfully there are still 2 screws holding it in.  Every now and then when I pull for the fog lights it rocks around.  I have a hard cover on the dash which looks ok, but I really need a new bezel as mine has one remaining clip on the left side and a metal bracket I made and some gorilla tape on the right. 

[Greenlee]

On ‎1‎/‎3‎/‎2018 at 6:52 PM, JAG1 said:

I would figure out by testing to see what glue fuses the best with the inner core and then make pieces to go on the back side to sister along side and join up where the breaks or cracks are.

 

I worked on my bezel for about 4 hrs, with the top  broken in two places. A new wood grain style bezel cost a lot so I glued a leather top cap all the way across to hide the broken spots. Chestnut color leather looks good and if my dash ever go bad I will glue leather pieces and laminate the whole shooten' match with leather.  cause it helps hold it together too. Not sure about it but it seems like a paper machete style work on it in leather will make it right.

That's a great idea, my bezel is broke in several pieces, just touch it and a piece will break out. It's too much money to spend on a 20 year old truck unless it's in perfect shape. If I have to buy one I'm going to reinforce the back side to make it stronger, I'd like to take my broken core out and do the same making the repairs as I go. I'm not sure if the windshield would have to come out or if it would make it easier. Thanks for the heads up on what the leather does under the heat of the sun.

Edited January 9, 2018 by Greenlee
question already answered

[Dieselfuture]

17 minutes ago, Greenlee said:

I'm not sure if the windshield would have to come out or if it would make it easier

No windshield doesn't have to come out, it's actually pretty easy to get her apart once you figured it out. I used fiberglass on back side of my Dash, seems to be holding up but it stunk for a few weeks lol. My next step is some leather like material on top of it to keep it all together. I really love Dash on my 2000 Accord, it's that cheap vinyl but it seems to be holding up really well. 

Edit: don't try this at home just kidding

Edited January 9, 2018 by Dieselfuture

[dripley]

2 hours ago, Dieselfuture said:

No windshield doesn't have to come out, it's actually pretty easy to get her apart once you figured it out. I used fiberglass on back side of my Dash, seems to be holding up but it stunk for a few weeks lol. My next step is some leather like material on top of it to keep it all together. I really love Dash on my 2000 Accord, it's that cheap vinyl but it seems to be holding up really well. 

Edit: don't try this at home just kidding

Damn what does that thing weigh. It looks like Dash-O-Zilla.

[Greenlee]

2 hours ago, Dieselfuture said:

No windshield doesn't have to come out, it's actually pretty easy to get her apart once you figured it out. I used fiberglass on back side of my Dash, seems to be holding up but it stunk for a few weeks lol.

I saw on YouTube where a fleece backing was used by gluing it down and fiberglass resin brushed on after it dried. I don't see where chopped fiberglass wouldn't work in place of fleece cloth. Yours might be a little heavy but the ride is better and no rattles under the dash, what ever it takes to make it work for you to keep your vehicle running is what I'm talking about. The 98 year to 2002 all use the same core piece according to what I was looking at on eBay, 1500 models through 3500 models. Could you make a mold from a complete unit? Maybe two halves that would go together, a front and back? I don't know just fishing. Bottom line, I don't see your dash falling apart anytime soon. Thanks for the picture 

14 minutes ago, Greenlee said:

No windshield doesn't have to come out, it's actually pretty easy to get her apart once you figured it out. I used fiberglass on back side of my Dash, seems to be holding up but it stunk for a few weeks lol.

I'm getting into an area I don't know much about. If you had a scanner for a 3D printer and a complete dash core, could you scan an area say where the head light switch goes, 5" wide and 6" down. Trim it to fit into a broken dash. Maybe coat it with a fine layer of fiberglass and resin before gluing it in. Is this something that would work if you had the tools to replicate it?

It is probably too complicated to make a mold front and back looking at the pictures. This must be one part that no extras were made. One core for each build.

[dripley]

I got mine from LMC Truck. No molding, no fibergalss, no nothing. $300 4 or so years ago. Still looking very good. I pretty much coated my bezel on the backside of the instrument bezel with silicone because it was coming apart. It is now coming apart again. Going to get that replacement from them too. Not sure a bezilla will fit.

[Sycostang67]

Just in case you think we were the only ones to get hosed with crappy plastic, here is a pic of a door handle I replaced on my friend's 2005 Jeep grand cherokee.  This was the 2nd handle I replaced, the plastic breaks like a graham cracker.