get a junkyard and reinforce the backside with somethin, and get some vinyl spraypaint from autozone... that's what i would do....

 

Mine is new, the PO replaced it already. But if i were in your shoes and bought a new one i would take the time to run 2 or 3 layers of fiberglass resin/cloth on the bottom of it to reinforce it as suggested above.

But thats just me i love fiberglass, but im not about to risk shattering mine taking it out to do it.

 

Geno's Garage is a great place to order things from. I have ordered from them several times, and the shipping is reasonable (Ground), and the quality of the products is great.

 

And it's people like you who always cry the same arguments:
1) Why can't "they" make good tools/goods in the US?
2) Why are all of our jobs going to China?
or, the best one:
3) If it breaks, I just go back to Wal Mart/Harbor Freight and get a new one.

Great genius in number 3. For what you spend in trips to the store to repeatedly replace the junk you bought could have been solved the first time in buying quality. I had a POS sawzall from Harbor Freight that fell apart in my hands during use. Was told if I'd saved the receipt I could have had a new one for free. Instead, I spent $120 on a DeWalt that has been running like a champ for 5 years. The final straw for me was the ****-ty parts tumbler from Harbor Freight. After the fourth one, I got so disgusted I returned it, got a refund, and vowed to never buy the junk from that store again. I don't want a tool to fail in the moment of truth (middle of the job). That's plain stupidity and foolishness.

 

I can not agree with you more VWandDodge.

I am having the same dash issues as some of you on there. I was going to pull the gauge cluster to change the bulbs when the bezel started breaking apart in my hands. After that, the dash started breaking apart trying to get the bezel off. If it wasn't for me picking up the truck cheap ($400 for a SLT Laramie ext. cab) I would of ditched it a long time ago. But the styling is nice, ride is nice and its roomy as hell inside there so I decided to fix things up a bit.

Found this on eBay. If anyone knows any place cheaper, let me know. I've searched high and low and have only found dash caps, not an entire dash.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...K%3AMEWAX%3AIT

 

Like I said, do what you got to do man. I always love when I am grouped into a stereotype My hand tools are craftsman, but if I need something that is going to get abused or I do not mind low quality based on how often I might use the thing, I do not see anything wrong with harbor freight tools. I have purchased a set of impact sockets for $15 and I purchased the corded impact gun for $30. At $30 you are correct. If the thing breaks I will chuck the thing. I also have a service set for $40 for ball joints / ujoints that will get abused by the impact gun. And some other odds and ends that were on sale like a security torx bit set for $7.99 just in case I ever need one, and one of the "third hands" for soldering stuff for $1.99. Thats all I have purchased from harbor freight to date.





Ironic... you say you can not agree more with VWandDodge about getting quality, and in his last post he was talking about spending more (buy the $330 dash) that is the complete dash I posted instead of the caps you are finding... and yet you ask is there any place cheaper. If you agree with him so much, throw the $330 on the dash + paint + ship for the dash. Go on, spend the same amount of money you bought your truck for

 

I got a swell idea and its from you guyz info...Buy a salavage yard dash, at a good price,hoping its way below gino`s. And take fiber glass sheets and resin , and reinforce the back side of the dash...WALLA..!!!! reinforced dash thats strong an lasting....what do you think about that....yeah i stole it from yakkier...my bad but gr8 idea. if the dash cost me 100. and the resin 40 im in the green....and use my harborfrieght paint brush to lay the resin cause it was cheap and disposable and i did not pay a lot for it. haha

 

The problem is that the plastic is such a low-quality product that it will still degrade in heat and cold. It will also become brittle due to temperature changes (ie heating the cabin during a cold day). Add to that the fact that fiberglass and plastic will not bond well, the end result will be akin to pissing in the wind. Just a messy, wasted effort.

 

VWandDodge,I have to take issue with you on Dewalts quality,the triggers on their sawzalls and drills are pure junk.We have had 3 drills and 1 sawzall take a crap and they want 80 bucks to replace one single trigger.Junk.Now Makita,thats the good stuff.

 

i posted that first