Early dashboard versus later compatibility

[fastbroshi]

Hello Everyone,

Are the early dashes ('03-'04?) perfectly compatible with the later ones? The reason I ask is I see people mentioning swapping them but the conversations are centering around difficulty of removal, gauges compatibility etc. No mention of if any of the later dashes' hardware, clips and such need to move over too. I'd hate to swap to a later one, only to find out my early gauges won't fit.

Mine is all cracked up and I'd like to simply remove my early dash and replace with a good condition later one. I don't want to swap guages or anything like that. Just a dash for a dash.

 

[ArthurKotb]

Did you look up the part numbers and see if they were the same?

There was a recall for my 2004 dash which started cracking almost at the end of the recall. That first dash would scratch if you even looked at it. I'm glad I was able to get it replaced for free.

 

[fastbroshi]

Part numbers appear to be unique. But as I've seen in the past, that doesn't necessarily mean the parts themselves are different. The different part number might be just because I'm comparing different year vehicles.

 

[AuSeeker]

I'm not sure about the difference in year models...but I do know that the dashes are different depending on the stereo system...if it has a JBL system there's a speaker hole in the middle of the top of the dash pad, if it's non-JBL system there no speaker, they both will fit any model but you may have to eliminate the dash speaker if you use the pad without the hole, there's a plastic trim to trim out the speaker hole.

 

[fastbroshi]

That's the info I was looking for AuSeeker, ty!

 

[SocalSam]

I'm not sure about the difference in year models...but I do know that the dashes are different depending on the stereo system...if it has a JBL system there's a speaker hole in the middle of the top of the dash pad, if it's non-JBL system there no speaker, they both will fit any model but you may have to eliminate the dash speaker if you use the pad without the hole, there's a plastic trim to trim out the speaker hole.

This. I wanted to swap my 03 dash and was going to cut the center speaker hole. Then I started to look at how well used the rest of my truck was. It wasn't worth the effort.

 

[fastbroshi]

Despite being well-used as you say, I'd still probably choose it over a 5 year old Hyundai or Kia any day of the week. These trucks are well worth investing in to keep on the road.