1st Gen. Lunch Table - General Discussion

My buddy had an older 90s model Silverado and man the rattles on that thing.....

We'd go down a dirt road and his dash would rattle and shake to the point that I thought my knees were going to catch it. I'm glad that we are no where near that level of worn down.

 

Naw. It’s everyone. And I’m pretty sure the no-drill fix is simply to replace the seals, I just don’t know if the problem is to do the lower vertical rails inside the door, or the upper U-shaped window channel seal around the upper door frame.

I got the bright idea to “plump” the upper U-channel surround by wedging foam backer rod in behind the flap on that seal, and one (or two?) people on here tried it and claimed it worked well to reduce the window rattle. But I haven’t gotten any backer rod to try it myself. I need to get a roll of 1/4” and 1/2” to give it a go, but I always forget to add it to my next store run/order.

 

The 90s was a tough year for GM and Ford on their trucks. They still didn’t quite have the plastic formulations down in a way they survived in ultra cold and ultra hot weather, so they’d crack to bits. I posted pics of that specific Sierra on here, the dash had a hole so big in it that you could put a full palm the top of the radio. It was cracked mildly when I bought it, driving down ATL’s pothole riddled roads, I wound up with a new crack or two every year.

 

That's exactly how his was. Holes all in the top of the dash and cracks even further down. It was pretty bad.

 

I agree. I think that it's the worn out weatherstripping / run channels that are causing the rattle. When we replace a door on a vehicle and put on a new weatherstrip it makes the door a bit hard to close at first. This settles over time once it sits out in the sun a bit with the doors closed.

I did find an interesting TSB on a door rattle that was shown to be caused by the window regulator. Toyota apparently redesigned the regulator to correct this. (AC only)

 

Mine has a rattle to it under some conditions

 

Yeah, it was a joke with the 88-98 trucks. The only intact dashboards come from trucks from way up north, but you’re almost guaranteed to crack one of those taking it out, and if you manage to get it out. You’ll crack it reinstalling.

Don’t get me wrong, the prior generation to those had some issues, but nowhere near as bad. And you could buy glue-on “dash caps” that would help hold things together, but it was superficial. And even with those, things like the long windshield defrost vents are wide open, which does nothing to keep the flat stabilizers in the long slots of the dash from cracking off and falling down into the vents.

It sucks because I love tbh box styling of the OBS ‘88-98 pickups. Classic look. But the plastics in them are an absolute joke.

 

Looks like it only covers 2000-2005 though; guess they corrected in 2006 but I still have the issue

 

“Conditions” in my case are:

• Window is more than 1/2” open, but less than 60% open.
• Hit any bumps in the road.
• Window glass rattles

If the window is more than 60% open, I don’t get any rattles, I guess because it’s better secured by something farther down the line.

Likewise, if it’s less than 1/2” open, just barely cracked, it is still snug enough to not rattle.

The symptoms make me feel like the problem is when the window is no longer making contact with the topmost (horizontal) part of the channel seal. Like, the upper half of the vertical seals aren’t sufficiently holding the window in place. But why would it rattle, like, What specifically is rattling?? I can tell it’s the glass. But it has to be jumping against something, I think?

 

Steel dashes & aluminum door cards.

 

Probably one of these items here. I'd put my money on the guide channels being worn out.
(Access cab diagram)

#2= Guide channel front. RT side part number 674010C010 / LT side part number 674020C010
#3= Guide channel rear. RT side part number 674030C010 / LT side part number 674040C010
#4= Glass run upper. RT side part number 681410C010 / LT side part number 681510C010
#5= Glass run lower. RT side part number 681430C010 / LT side part number 681430C010

 

This is the way.

 

I think it’s probably #4, honestly. Last time I checked it was like $175 or something absurd like that though. Enough it wasn’t worth the risk to buy it without knowing 100%.

But I think my AC cab is different because I thought there were 3 total pieces.

 

Anybody using a dashboard mat/cover? I saw a few on Amazon and eBay.
I don't have a cracked dash and I don't want a cracked dash. I am thinking about this again as we head into summer. Last summer I used a windshield sunscreen/cover when I parked ok n a surface lot at my work.
My search of the forum didn't show much. Is it not really a problem?

 

there is a not so sweet spot isn't there

 

Dashes cracking in FGT is not* really a problem. I’d skip the scAmazon shit though. DashMat (authentic product, at least) has a solid reputation, I’ve used them for decades now. It’s how I covered the hole in my old GM p/u. Good color matching for the most part, too. Good fitment. Good customer service. And you don’t have to worry about anything stupid, like bizarre chemicals used with cheap foreign products staining or chafing the dash. I’m pretty sure if you go to Search above, type in (no spaces) DashMat, and check the “search in this sub forum only” box, you’ll find chatter on here about DashMat from others who’ve used it in their FGT.

In the case of GM and Ford, it’s a combo of UV and excess heat that causes the dash to crack up. Using a UV repellant like Aerospace 303 on your plastics will help significantly reduce the issue on plastics decaying from UV. Covers help for the same reason.

 

Good guess, I searched with a space. I will check that brand out. And I started using 303 detailer a year or so ago and definitely agree, good stuff. Appreciate the info

 

Yup, found this thread: https://www.tundras.com/threads/dashmat-what-you-got.75977/

And @Dakillacore here you go, a pic of my '98 Sierra's dash is in there:

​

 

https://www.covercraft.com/product/uvs100-premier-series-custom-sunscreen/UVP

 

Wow. Makes me wonder what happpened to the luxury 70s cars with the padded pleather dash.

 

Ha! Yup the infamous dash. I do love the body styles of those truck and even the 80s/90s F150s.