Lower dash (below a/c control) removal

There was a thread on removing the lower part of the dash, below climate controls. I remember it was pretty involved, but don't want to miss something and break an interior piece.

Does anyone have the link to that thread? I remember seeing and reading through it, I think it was here on TW but I could be wrong.The pice with 12v plugs, usb etc. just the grey lower dash area.
Thanks!

 

Sub'd

 

I dont have full pics or the link, but will try to recall the basics for ya.

You first remove the screws inside the bottom of the center console.

I think theres 2 more screws holding two sections of the center console together. Take them out before sliding it back/up/out. I removed the entire center piece as 1 unit. Like so;





Thats the easy part.

Passenger side is easier. Take the glove out (2 screws and some tabs that rotate into place). Any other screws on that side should then be visibile, if I'm remembering right...

The center area - remove the A/C control knobs (just pull off) and the unit (just pull out) then you can take any screw/bolts out for the radio (maybe not required to get that piece out. Dont remember, but will be fairly obvious at this point).

The driver side is the SOB. Theres a few metal brackets behind the plastic, holding various parts of the console together and to the truck. Pictures would be easier but as I dont have any... gently pull at different areas and you should feel where resistance is coming from. Theres 2 difficult bolts as I recall. You definitely have to be firm but gentle and pull some plastics aside while you unscrew behind. Funny angles and some hand scratches are likely.


You dont need to remove the plastics around/under the wheel, or the A/C vent surrounds. Everything else goes before that piece with the switch blanks.

BUT you do need to completely loosen/unscrew the piece under the wheel, as it all matches up to the piece you're trying to get out. The center piece + under wheel piece line up together then screw into the metal tabs I mentioned.

I'm not sure if I'm helping you at all, but until someone with detailed pics comes along, maybe this suffices. Heres a success pic for motivation!

 

sub'd

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...enter-console-clean-look-lots-of-pics.306779/

 

That write up is much better that what I wrote, obviously.

However, for those looking to do this, you do not HAVE to remove the dash trim under the steering wheel or around the instrument panel to get out the large center section with plugs/blanks. No need to remove the door sill or foot plate either. It does take some effort to get the center piece disconnected from the trim under the wheel and the metal tabs they both end up bolting to.


Edit: based on that writeup, I skipped pictures 11-17 and 19-22. Picture 18 shows the tricky bolt well (not the big one he's pointing at, but the small one on the right side of the picture); you would have to gently bend the trim below the wheel to reach this bolts, or else remove all the trim as he does. Nice write up @ramonortiz55! Wish I had read that before going at it, haha.

Edit 2: You have to take out the bolt in his pic 16 either way.

 

Thanks that was the thread I was thinking of!

 

Thanks for the summary! I had done it once about 6 months ago, and between that and your post I was fine!

 

Thanks for the info on disassembly of the dash! Came in handy installing the illuminated 4x4 switch.