I got vey lucky and grabbed a flawless dash pad for $30 from Crazy Ray's. I have found the threads on how to replace it. I just need tips on some related issues.

It is cold here in Md. I'm thinking of waiting to spring to replace the dash pad. Is there any particular penetrating chemical I can repeatedly treat it with to help keep it from cracking in the future?

When I turn on my defrost debris briefly blows out on to the dash and in to the air. It's pretty much fine dirt and what I'm guessing is filter material (the truck sat under a tree for years, so there was a lot of nature I had to clean out of it). Can you advise on what else I should replace while I have this pulled apart?

Happy New Year

 

Heater core, evap core. Remove the heater box while the dash is out, and pull it apart, and thoroughly clean it. Make sure all the various doors operate correctly, and freely...

Also look under the plastic grill at the base of the windshield (outside) that's where the heater intake is, clean that out as well.

 

Thanks for manning up and fixing your truck instead of coming on here just to b!tch about how dodges suck and we should sue them because your dash is cracked. I replaced mine (in my '95) which was destroyed top to bottom, and it was a world of difference in how much I enjoy driving the truck.










Be careful not to pinch any wires during the reassembly, there is a lot to pay attention to.

 

Where is the best place to find a new dash pad assembly for the '96 Ram? LMC Truck's catalog only shows them for '98 and up.

 

The new OEM parts are ABS plastic, which means they will not crack like the original ones.

www.wermopar.com has the best prices on OEM parts that I have found.



Part # 5EY72RC8

 

Thanks!! My dash pad is just starting to crack a bit, so a replacement is in my future..

 

Some really good advise and recommendations ....

I ll have to look in this a bit further ....

 

Thank You for That Link, I have been trying to find something like that for a while.
I need to replace just about all my plastics in the dash, just about everything holding all of it together has been cracked or splitting.

 

Mine too.

 

A lot of "Discontinued" parts... our trucks must be getting old.