Dashboard cracked ...

[iamdub]

Yeah that's why I am looking into maybe something "easier" but of course that never works and I don't feel like spending the price for the dash, and installation costs and have the problem 2 years from now again.

I think it is heat related.. because sometimes the gap wiil close, when it is warmer and the sun is on it

Ron

Heat triggers the problem by making the plastic brittle. But, the root problem is lack of support. That wide area between the cluster hump and passenger airbag doesn't have enough support ribs to keep the plastic from flexing. The left and right ~25% of the dash doesn't have enough area to flex so the cracks form where the flexing part meets the non-flexing part: On the left side of the gauge cluster and on the left front corner of the passenger airbag. Sure, more cracks develop elsewhere but these are pretty much guaranteed. I think the dash has been revised to include more ribs/webbing for the center area. It may or may not have a new part number.

 

[Rocket Man]

Heat triggers the problem by making the plastic brittle. But, the root problem is lack of support. That wide area between the cluster hump and passenger airbag doesn't have enough support ribs to keep the plastic from flexing. The left and right ~25% of the dash doesn't have enough area to flex so the cracks form where the flexing part meets the non-flexing part: On the left side of the gauge cluster and on the left front corner of the passenger airbag. Sure, more cracks develop elsewhere but these are pretty much guaranteed. I think the dash has been revised to include more ribs/webbing for the center area. It may or may not have a new part number.

My 02 has practically no support either but you never see them cracking, so IMO it’s more the quality of the plastic. I’m thinking they used a lot of recycled material in these. The stuff was so brittle it broke from just barely moving it where my 02 is 6 years older and when I was working on it, it felt more flexible and never cracked at all.

 

[iamdub]

My 02 has practically no support either but you never see them cracking, so IMO it’s more the quality of the plastic. I’m thinking they used a lot of recycled material in these. The stuff was so brittle it broke from just barely moving it where my 02 is 6 years older and when I was working on it, it felt more flexible and never cracked at all.

Hmmm... Looking at it from that perspective, I'd have to agree. It's incorrect to say that the root problem is the lack of support. The extra support is actually needed only because of the cheap plastic material. So, the root problem is the material used as it doesn't age well which is further exacerbated by heat (and/or UV?) exposure.

I'm looking at it in the sense that we can't change WHAT the dash is made of. We can only reinforce it so that what it IS made of doesn't bend.

When you got that new dash, did you notice if there was more webbing underneath it?

 

[Rocket Man]

Hmmm... Looking at it from that perspective, I'd have to agree. It's incorrect to say that the root problem is the lack of support. The extra support is actually needed only because of the cheap plastic material. So, the root problem is the material used as it doesn't age well which is further exacerbated by heat (and/or UV?) exposure.

I'm looking at it in the sense that we can't change WHAT the dash is made of. We can only reinforce it so that what it IS made of doesn't bend.

When you got that new dash, did you notice if there was more webbing underneath it?

There was a little bit extra in one area by the airbag I believe but IMO not enough of a change to help much but who knows, it might.

 

[RichardCranium]

The cracks don't bother me since this is my 2nd Tahoe of this body style (and I have both cracks listed in my sig ). I've been considering a soft dash cover though, not only to cover the cracks and prevent more.......but to cut out dashboard glare. My 35% windshield tint helped drastically with that, but it'd certainly help more. I'm just waiting for someone to post about getting one and them being completely happy with what product they purchased....

 

[Ron C]

would be interesting to see if one could glue something underneath to bridge the gap and hold it together. However I don't want to start messing with it if I get glue coming out that crack and also, if I strengthen that part, that there is another next weakest spot/link that might crack and would be more difficult to fix.

If anyone successfully mitigated the crack appearing on the front left corner, I'd like to hear (that is without taking the dash out)

thanks,

Ron

 

[Doubeleive]

I figure if I ever buy a replacement dash I am going to epoxy some of those red cheese sticks, popsicle sticks or something similar to all the weak spots underneath before it gets put in, mine has the center speaker and the edges around it are very thin and have broke primarily I figure because the center speaker has no support underneath it so it just bounces up and down, I pulled the speaker and put padding underneath it so it no longer moves at all.

 

[XEALOT]

Have any of you guys heard of dash flocking? If I was going to do anything to remedy cracks and glare, I think it would be something like this.

 

[992dr]

That looks good. Hey if its good enough for Rally drivers, its good enough for me, hah.
I just dread the task of removing the dash itself. Not going to be a fun project.

 

[Doubeleive]

looks like it would be impossible to keep clean dust would just settle in and stay

 

[Ron C]

looks like it would be impossible to keep clean dust would just settle in and stay

yeah.. and it looks like you have to fix the crack to begin with .. plus.. I don't see how it would prevent cracks and therefor even prevent them.

Ron