How did everyone else deal with the cracked dash?

[iamdub]

Seeing that the dash has cracked in a bunch of different places for some people, maybe go the underside reinforcement route and have that piece of mind that it won't happen again.

Good luck on this and share your progress.

It seems that they all crack in the same places, at least at first, but then some have other cracks elsewhere and even whole chunks fall out. Someone once said that it's because it's such a vast, unsupported area is why it cracks. If it weren't for the southern climates, the plastic would be ok supporting itself. This is why I wanna brace the hell out of it when I have it out. Not just reinforce the areas that are currently cracked, but maybe make a "waffle grid" underneath the whole panel so it'd support a toddler if that ever were to happen.

Thanks, and I'll surely make a thread.

 

[VDV18]

Are you able to fill the crack with a type of resin or something and 'paint match'? I'm thinking similar to a wood filler or drywall, etc......

 

[iamdub]

Are you able to fill the crack with a type of resin or something and 'paint match'? I'm thinking similar to a wood filler or drywall, etc......

I'm sure there's something. But how would you match the embossed "leather" grain?

Generally, you can pull the cracked halves back together and then the crack is barely visible. No filling is necessary.

 

[VDV18]

Agreed, not sure how you'd do that. I don't have any dash cracks (NBS) so am not sure what they even look like (as in how wide).

 

[iamdub]

Agreed, not sure how you'd do that. I don't have any dash cracks (NBS) so am not sure what they even look like (as in how wide).

Unless a chunk falls out, there really isn't a "width" to the crack. It's just one side of the cracked panel drops down while the other remains up. Imagine cutting a sheet of paper down the middle, but not cutting all the way across to the other side so the paper is still one piece. You can lift one side and have a split. Lay it back down on a table and it looks like one piece but you might can see the thin cut line. That's pretty much how it is. They don't spread apart like the dashes in the old days when the vinyl would dry, crack and draw up. Those dashes had a plastic shell covered in foam-backed vinyl. These dashes are just a molded plastic shell with leather grain embossed into them. The plastic they're made of gets brittle with heat and sun exposure and they have a huge area in the middle that's not well supported. This leads to the cracks that are almost always in the same areas among all of these dashes.

 

[VDV18]

Ahhhh, this makes sense. Sounds like a monumental pain in the ass is all! Good luck to those looking for a solution.

 

[2011SSVHOE]

I saw that same video the guy made it look super easy, but putting it back together and not having any extra screws might be a hat trick, and then what about rattles in the dash?
mine I barely notice the crack.

 

[iamdub]

...and then what about rattles in the dash?

Now, while I have the dash taken apart, I'm gonna have to tap and beat on every joint where parts and panels meet to see if there's any potential for rattles and apply felt tape on any suspicious areas. You just added 4 hours of labor to my project. Thanks for fueling my OCD, *******!

 

[2011SSVHOE]

It's more like putting the correct fastener in the right place at the correct torque . Just my 2cents worth . I remember working on customers cars years ago and getting done and wondering where the left over fasteners went .

 

[iamdub]

It's more like putting the correct fastener in the right place at the correct torque . Just my 2cents worth . I remember working on customers cars years ago and getting done and wondering where the left over fasteners went .

My OCD will not let me leave it with unused fasteners. Shit, sometimes I lay out screws as I remove them so they go back in their original holes even if they're identical to the ones around them. When finishing up a heater core replacement in my '98 S10, I went to put in the LAST screw that went in the center of the dash under where the defrost vent snapped in. I dropped the screw down the defrost duct. After a few expletives, I just started backing out all the other screws to pull the dash back out to fish the screw out of the air box. Afterwards, realized that I probably could've just put the floor vents on and drove around a bit and it would've ended up in the floorboard.

 

[06 Yukon XL]

I just ignore it. Other more important worries in life .

 

[NGAneer]

Anybody filled a crack by the air bag? I saw a YouTube video about this and just wondered who else may have had luck doing this.

 

[justinesky]

It seems that they all crack in the same places, at least at first, but then some have other cracks elsewhere and even whole chunks fall out. Someone once said that it's because it's such a vast, unsupported area is why it cracks. If it weren't for the southern climates, the plastic would be ok supporting itself. This is why I wanna brace the hell out of it when I have it out. Not just reinforce the areas that are currently cracked, but maybe make a "waffle grid" underneath the whole panel so it'd support a toddler if that ever were to happen.

Thanks, and I'll surely make a thread.

I supported mine too with foam. There is nothing under the center dash so it will sag in heat the crack as it cools down. I have never had a cracked dash in my escalade but also wanted to prevent it so thats why i did this. it also lifted it a little bit. Mine did have some sagging.

 

[PG01]

It's more like putting the correct fastener in the right place at the correct torque . Just my 2cents worth . I remember working on customers cars years ago and getting done and wondering where the left over fasteners went .

When was a kid my parents house was the last one on a dead end, no cul-de-sac just straight road then end, last house an it backed up to the woods/wetlands-ish...the house was built on fill and about 10ft past the side of the driveway it dropped down about 15ft, picture the edge of a mound of dirt, nothing steep but a nice, slow, gradual hill... guess where all the 'extra parts' went, i swear after my mom died and he sold the house there was prob enough 'parts' to build a car... motors, transmissions, transfer cases....whenever i worked on something and extra nuts, washers anything, yup, into the woods.....when my parents weren't home my 2 brothers and i would roll shit down the hill, it would hit the swampy wet crap and if heavy enough start sinking, since it was all woods we would cover it with leaves, branches etc, you'd never know unless you went looking... plus if my dad saw he he would of prob buried us down there. We were assholes...last time i went by there i saw the edges of a k5 blazer top poking out......ive 'grown' up now....well sort of...

My OCD will not let me leave it with unused fasteners. Shit, sometimes I lay out screws as I remove them so they go back in their original holes even if they're identical to the ones around them. When finishing up a heater core replacement in my '98 S10, I went to put in the LAST screw that went in the center of the dash under where the defrost vent snapped in. I dropped the screw down the defrost duct. After a few expletives, I just started backing out all the other screws to pull the dash back out to fish the screw out of the air box. Afterwards, realized that I probably could've just put the floor vents on and drove around a bit and it would've ended up in the floorboard.

I now do the same, since ive 'grown up', line up screws, nuts whatever, and put them back in the same hole... when i pulled the tail lights and appliqués i was doing it and i said if anyone saw they would say..... what's wrong with you....lol

 

[devious1]

started off as a little crack and now its starting to sag FML

 

[chilleblanco36]

I added a dash cover.

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[devious1]

which dash cover? can you attach pics? i'm thinking about doing the same.

 

[chilleblanco36]

I will take a few tomorrow. It's simply the carpet type dash cover. Looks better than all the plastic to me

It's like this

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[chilleblanco36]

Here you go. Better than a cracked up dash. Only wish it was a little lighter in color

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