RE: Gen II overhead console

From: Jeff Durling (jdurling@bellsouth.net)
Date: Fri Jun 20 2003 - 09:31:59 EDT


>Is there anything above the headliner to fasten it to the roof or do
you
>have to install it?

What goes above the headliner is a bracket that holds the console up. If
you get a console make sure to get this bracket. All of the holes to
hold it in place are already pre-drilled in the structural support that
is above the headliner. It's pretty easy to do just think it through,
especially when cutting the headliner.

My understanding is the dealer still stocks these (bracket and console)
but I don't know the price. I would buy the bracket from them but not a
console. The older dodge caravan overhead console looks like it may use
the same bracket. When I go to the junk yard again I'll get one and
compare it. IF that's the case then that should help out since I have
seen several consoles without the bracket.

A LITTLE INSTALL INFO:

To understand this here's how I hung mine. I popped the cover off the
dome light and loosened the screws that hold the housing to the roof. On
the bracket for the console there are two holes in the front for
mounting and two slots in the back I guess for variation between the
RC's and the CC's. After I removed the housing I saw the mounting holes
where the rear of the bracket is fastened to. I lined up the console on
the roof with the mounting holes above where the dome light goes about
mid-way along the slots on the bracket. I took a razor and trimmed down
each side of the bracket in the headliner stopping a little before the
end of the bracket. I took the bracket down and cut out the headliner
and then used the bracket to widen the hole enough for it to fit up
there. Don't cut any further back on the bracket then the slot and screw
hole in the middle, maybe and inch past that since the bracket is far
longer than the console. Slide the bracket up through the hole and above
the headliner so that you can attach it at the rear. In the front you
will now see the two holes in the roof for the front of the bracket. At
least Dodge was nice enough to have these pre-drilled. Attach and then
attach the console for a fit then you do the wiring. Most likely it
would be easier to drop the headliner for that.

The console are hard to test due to the way they are wired and several
different things are fed power separately. It's easy to test the lights
but more difficult to test the compass/ temp display due to the way it
is wired. I finally did mine last night after several hours of playing
with it.

>The open connector for the "off road lamps" is located
>under the washer bottle on a 92 Gen 2.

Is this the one for the light bar or the fog lights? I haven't started
to go through the wiring for this yet. Right now mine are just
temporarily hooked up.

Jeff Durling

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-dakota-truck@bent.twistedbits.net
[mailto:owner-dakota-truck@bent.twistedbits.net] On Behalf Of Steve
Mills
Sent: Friday, June 20, 2003 2:23 AM
To: dakota-truck@dakota-truck.net
Subject: Re: DML: Gen II overhead console

Is there anything above the headliner to fasten it to the roof or do you

have to install it? The open connector for the "off road lamps" is
located
under the washer bottle on a 92 Gen 2.



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