USA1 Dash Pad Troubles

[Grandpas_Truck]

I just bought a dash pad from USA1. After doing some research, I thought they would have the best dash’s out there. Went to install, and there is no physical way to make it fit without hacking up my truck. One of the little metal bulge (mounting surface?) on the dash was not installed correctly so the dash either sits about a half inch too far back or too high. I sent USA1 a text (they are currently closed) and I will update if they will let me return or not. I doubt they will since these are made to order, and I ordered probably the least popular color…
Any suggestions if I can’t return?

 

[bucket]

I can't see what's going on in that photo? What metal "buldge"?

 

[Grandpas_Truck]

I can't see what's going on in that photo? What metal "buldge"?

I tried uploading other photos but they are apparently too large

 

[bucket]

I tried uploading other photos but they are apparently too large

Phones these days are capable of some very high quality photos. If you send them in a text message to yourself, it should be a downgraded quality that you can then save and then post here.

 

[Ricko1966]

Phones these days are capable of some very high quality photos. If you send them in a text message to yourself, it should be a downgraded quality that you can then save and then post here.

Ohhhh!!! Now I understand, I couldn't post pics when I had my LG phone,never knew why,I'm guessing the camera was too good on it.

 

[Sad Sack]

What I have experienced is to Keep pic file size to 3MB +/-

Some Format choices -

BMP - good
JPEG - better
PNG - best

Or open pic on computer then take a Sniippet and paste into chat.

Doings pics on the phone direct can be a pain.

 

[bucket]

Ohhhh!!! Now I understand, I couldn't post pics when I had my LG phone,never knew why,I'm guessing the camera was too good on it.

I don't know how other phones are, but my phone I got several months ago, you can select from 12, 50 or 200 megapixel when taking a picture. 12m is the only one I can use if I want to post that photo on any message forum.

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[Sad Sack]

I don't know how other phones are, but my phone I got several months ago, you can select from 12, 50 or 200 megapixel when taking a picture. 12m is the only one I can use if I want to post that photo on any message forum.

You must be registered for see images attach

Yup, 12 mp gets you in the 3MB +/- range

 

[hoagster]

ok so there should be 6 metal clips that go into slots on the cab you could have missed one or a couple. The only way to see it is to remove the ash tray, glove box and guage cluster. or slide it back and get a helper to push down in those area's to make sure the clips slide under the slots. If a clip is above the slot it will be hard to fit the front edge under the window seal. Hope this helps

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[mtbadbob]

I bought a urethane repop and I had to do a bunch of grinding & shaving to get it to remotely look good. Dashes Direct makes a couple varieties and are main suppliers for many of the secondary distibutors who sell them, i.e., places like USA 1. LMC, etc. I do not know if they are who makes the pads for USA 1 for sure, but I believe a pad may vary from one to another. Dashes Direct made my urethane pad & it has an obvious flaw in the mold at the top rt corner above the instrument cluster bezel. Mine has it, and every pic I see of one, shows it. I wish I would have spent an additional $100 and got the actual vinyl covered one, as I believe they're of better quality.

 

[gilby959798]

ok so there should be 6 metal clips that go into slots on the cab you could have missed one or a couple. The only way to see it is to remove the ash tray, glove box and guage cluster. or slide it back and get a helper to push down in those area's to make sure the clips slide under the slots. If a clip is above the slot it will be hard to fit the front edge under the window seal. Hope this helps

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

Did you have this covered?

 

[hoagster]

Did you have this covered?

Yes, my mom and dad were upholstery wholesalers the only ones north of Sacramento. My dad had it upholstered and it was looking sad so I took to the upholstery shop that bought their bossiness when they retired. He followed what the guy did and it came out awesome. Its a metal frame pretty easy to cleanup. I added the vent covers since I found a whole ton of crap in the vents, and unused roll of certs that my dad ate like candy when he quit smoking when I was a kid. The newer vents i think they came out in the 80's fit just have carefully Dremel the corners and press them in. I need warmer weather to reinstall it, that picture it was just placed to get it out of the spare bedroom.

 

[oldspwr]

My Brother and I recently installed a USA1 dash in his 1981 stepside. It took us a whole Saturday to make it fit right. We had to use a small belt sander to grind away some of the material on the back side of the padded dash to make it fit right. Although it was a pain, at the end of the day it fit very well and we were happy with it...

 

[Bextreme04]

You might have to do some trimming. They do get their dash pads from Dashes Direct like most others. There will be some mild trimming needed in the corners and around where the gauge bezel mounts.

 

[Cousin_Eddie]

Best of luck. I went through the same thing when I bought a dash from them as well. It would never slide up tight against the window and it also had a hump in it. The slots where the clips slide into the new dash were to high so the dash wouldn't lay down right. No amount of grinding or trimming would fix the issue. My truck has the front speakers in the corners and the new dash was raised on both sides because of it. I trimmed and trimmed and it didn't help. I even removed the speaker mounts and attached the speakers directly to the dash. It helped a little but after a weekend of fighting with it and ending up with something that had waves in it as well as a gap around 3/4" of an inch between the windshield and the edge of the dash pad I gave up. I ended up taking the old dash, removing the cracked vinyl and gluing a coverlay on it. It looks good and the fit is right.