Dash reinforcement

[ford4ever]

Hello all!

What is everyone doing to reinforce behind the dash? for gauges, drop mount column moubts, ect.
Do you frame it out with metal tubing for the frame work glassed in? Plywood? pictures will help greatly!

Thanks, Mark

 

[bobs66440]

I'm not sure about other bodies, but on my Spirit extended body I just glued & glassed a metal plate to the back of the dash with a tube drop welded to it. That's it. I bolted it in while it dried (about a month) and filled the holes afterward. The dash structure is already pretty strong there. I'm keeping an eye on it and there's no flex or cracking there or where the windshield brackets are. That being said, more reinforcing can not hurt...

The gauges & switches aren't very heavy so I don't think any reinforcement is necessary there...

 

[Lee_in_KC]

If I had mine to do over, I would run a hoop of 1" square tubing up from the frame, around the inside of the cowl and back down to the frame, located such that the windshield mounts could bolt to it. I would run a bar straight across at the bottom edge of the dash for mounting the column drop and reinforcing the bottom of the dash.

 

[EX JUNK]

If I had mine to do over, I would run a hoop of 1" square tubing up from the frame, around the inside of the cowl and back down to the frame, located such that the windshield mounts could bolt to it. I would run a bar straight across at the bottom edge of the dash for mounting the column drop and reinforcing the bottom of the dash.

That's just about the same thing that I did on mine, Lee, only used 3/4" square tubing. I ran a 3/16" plate from the frame to the tubing that ran up the side panel and across the back/bottom of the dash and back down the other side to the frame. I also glassed the tubing to the bottom of the dash. The 3/16" plates are also two of the ten body mounting points.

Jim

 

[Lee_in_KC]

...only used 3/4" square tubing.

Yeah, as I typed that I was thinking 1" is probably too big...

 

[TrackTV6]

I have this structure fabricated out of 1" square tubing under my dash and cowl area to support the steering box, steering colum and the windshield posts will also bolt through it.

 

[ellis8500]

On my Spirit 27T I did not need to reinforce the dash for the column mount nor the gauges.

 

[ford4ever]

Thanks guys for all the great info!

 

[Mr T Bucket]

I'm in the process of doing this now. Or was when I last worked on my T back in.....spring???? Dash, gauges, windshield mounts, column, body and door hinge mounts will all tie together.