My 97 dash and dash frame core mount assembly are junk " no surprise right" my question is will a 98 Dash & dash frame core mount assembly work without issues, as in all electronic asy?

 

Nope. Shape of the cluster changed, and the way all the gauges worked changed as well. You would have to update the PCM/wiring harness as well.

 

yikes, the 94-97 dash is so much more than the price of th 98.. Thank you so much for the reply

 

Neither one of 'em are cheap. Might try car-part.com, see if you can find one in reasonable condition nearby......

 

I will Chers

 

I found a good lower dash assembly out of a '96 Dodge Ram 1500 that someone listed on Facebook Marketplace. They were parting out the truck and the lower dash was still available. I pulled the lower dash on one of the hottest days last summer and later went back for the HVAC box. This way, I could properly rebuild the complete dash (new top dash) and the HVAC box (new heater coil, A/C coil and blend doors) units and just perform a swap as time permits.

 

Replacing them is no small chore, I have a complete dash down my basement with zero cracks but i have to wonder... After i replace my cracked dash how long this one will last before cracks show up. There are a few places that you can get new dashes.
https://www.genosgarage.com/product/...1ELKNymQdsOnpc

https://www.dashcoversplus.com I believe was the one that had the lifetime warranty. Cant find them(www.dashcovers.com) anymore. And tell me when facebook replaced the .com. You can dashcoversplus on there but no more .com.

 

The new ones you see on the market are a different formulation than the originals, and are less susceptible to UV damage. That said, my 96, with the grey interior, the dash was perfect when I sold it. My 98, on the other hand, with the tan interior, was already cracked, with chunks missing, when I bought it.

 

To attempt to combat the UV exposure to the dash, I try my best to use a windshield shade to keep the sunlight off the dash when I'm not in the truck...