Overhead Console Install Instructions

[Beastwatcher]

I gotta tell you though this add on is NICE!! Everyone should do it and its easy...well except for the beginning when you have to cut out the headliner but its all worth it!!!

This is what my console looks like. It came out of a 95 suburban I believe and was grey in color. What I did was pull the upper and lower part of the console apart and redid the console in tan "leather look" vinyl. It took a little while but came out allright I think.




Well this is the first shot of the headliner right after I made my first cut in it. I almost forgot to take all the pictures. As you can see I made sort of a template with the console by placing it where it should be and outlining it in pencil so that I would have a good idea of where to start cutting into the roof. After I did this I started cutting where the rear tabs on the console would slide into. I played it safe by cutting small and forward of the tabs so that I would not make any unnecessary cuts.




This is my first chunk of headliner I took out and this gave me a good idea of where the slots for the console were at and then I started cutting towards them being careful enough not to cut outside that penciled in area, cause that would not be covered by the console when installed.




This is what the tabs on the roof look like. This is where those 2 plastic hanging tabs slide into. There are no screws in the rear at all, they just slide into this.




You must cut all the area where the tabs will slide into so that it will all line up properly. I needed more to cut in this picture!!




These are the rear tabs I was talking about on the rear of the console.




This is a better pic of all the area cut out for those tabs and the only 2 wires that I found already ready to be connected to the overhead console. The only wire that was missing is the white wire that belongs to the remote/garage door opener. But this wire was only for the lights on the face to light up. The actual power connections for it to work are already connected up together with the dome light connector. So you will be able to operate the remote but you wont have the lights on the face while you are driving around with the lights on. But if you want the lights on then just splice that white wire with the orange wire and they will work just fine. See the next 2 pics for this.








This is how the connector from the headliner and the one from the console hook into eachother, it was a perfect fit. There was no need for any splicing whatsoever.




Now I have finished the rear and it all fits fine so I made a rough cut in the front to see what I was facing. I can see 2 more slots but that is not what I needed so I needed to cut forward of this area till I saw two holes that you will see in the next pic.




This is what the holes look like that the front hooks up into, you can kinda see exactly where they go. The only issue I have ran into is that the place where the screw must be mounted into does not have a place for the screw to be held properly so what I will do is place a small piece of wood there that I will screw into and have a solid place to hold onto.




This is how the console looked like when we were almost finished.




Well one more pic with the dome lights on for good measure. The only thing missing from this job now is that one screw up at the front of the console. I will buy the screw at the hardware store in the morning and screw this baby into place finally. I love the way this thing looks like in my truck now.



Well if any of yall need any more info whatsoever just ask and I will try my best and answer it. Next mod will be the escalade speedometer console swap. It has arrived finally and just itching to be put on. Laters!!

[TribalVision]

Didnt your Tahoe come from the factory with a console????
I thought they all had them... guess I took mine for granted

[nebraskaz71]

got a qeustion i tried taken mine out the otherday and spent over an hour tryin to unhook the wires that lil harness would not come lose............. whats the deal with it? haha

[sdtahoe]

Originally posted by Tribal Vision
Didnt your Tahoe come from the factory with a console????
I thought they all had them... guess I took mine for granted

Mine did not have one either, hope to add one in this spring. Thanks for the pics.

[Beastwatcher]

No problem glad I could help!! I just did that intake manifold gasket but forgot to take pics, DAMMMMMMM Sorry

[cooker2003]

I put an overhead console in my truck too, about 2 months ago. I love it and it adds to the interior. Anyone have any ideas about what to mount in the dead space at the front of the console? I thought about switches.....but then realized I only have a couple things controlled by switches. Throw out some ideas.

[oldsw-31]

I got a 95 pickup will it work with my 95 the same way

[sdtahoe]

From what I understand ext cabs, crew cabs, & SUV's have the bracket already in place, I you have regular cab yo may have to fabricate the rear mount. You can alway remove the dome light and look for the 2 square holes to hook into. My Tahoe has them and I just purchased an overhead console for it.

[lowdown]

The overhead console will fit nicely in the standard cabs. I put one in mine last summer.

You have to take your dremmel tool (or something similar) and cut the tabs off the back of the console. My truck is an 88, it may be different on later trucks. Also, there is no mounting hole up front either. You have to drill into the inside panel of your roof... VERY CAREFULLY! The roof is double wall, you just don't want to go through to the outside. If you have a drill stop use it, if not a good stiff piece of fuel line will work.
I ended up drilling 2 holes in the rear and one in the front. The console was then secured by 3 sheet metal screws. Remember, it's not like you have to support any weight or anything, it doesn't take much.

I butted the back of it against the plastic trim that your dome light mounts in and it worked out perfect.

If you want to see a photo of mine, click on my signature.

[88GMCtruck]

Thanks for the info Lowdown, i have wanted one in my 88 standard cab for awhile but didn't know how to mount it. I figured i'd have to drill a hole, now i know!

[b1u3m3th]

Anyone else with a '98 1500 Silverado put an overhead console in? Everything is perfectly fine on mine, except that I can't find the wires to hook up to the lights to save my life! Am I the only one, or did they just decide to play a joke on the 98's?

[88GMCtruck]

I'm not shure if the standard cabs are equipped for the overhead consoles.

I think the consoles are wired with the ligheted sunvisors, if you dont' have those, i bet you don't have the wiring either.

[lowdown]

Originally posted by b1u3m3th
Anyone else with a '98 1500 Silverado put an overhead console in? Everything is perfectly fine on mine, except that I can't find the wires to hook up to the lights to save my life! Am I the only one, or did they just decide to play a joke on the 98's?

My 88 never had wiring either...

These are the instructions I used for mine (don't know if the colors are the same with the 98) I would imagine it would work for yours as well.

Run 2 wires from above the dome light, above the headliner, out the hole, to the front of the console. Hook up the wires so the console's orange wire goes to the orange wire on the dome light and the console's black wire goes to the dome light ground.

Do not attach it to the white dome light wire, or your map lights won't work unless your dome light is on. You may have to notch a hole in the dome light assembly so it will go up flush.

These instructions were found at:
http://www.lwm.cc/oh/

It doesn't appear to be working right now and there are a bunch of broken images so maybe the site isn't active anymore.

[Grunmn]

Originally posted by b1u3m3th
Anyone else with a '98 1500 Silverado put an overhead console in? Everything is perfectly fine on mine, except that I can't find the wires to hook up to the lights to save my life! Am I the only one, or did they just decide to play a joke on the 98's?

Bummer... my 98 came stock with an overhead console

[Sick Boy]

Just did mine today good. tech!

[Beastwatcher]

No problemo!!! LOL I am glad I did mine also!! I have more plans to catch up with all these other nice trucks on this forum, I just have to do them REALLY slow...Funds are not as nice as I would like...NEED MORE MONEY

[ebxgsxr]

just wanted to say this is a great write up. very easily done. thanks.

although i do have one question...did you guys have a gap where the center of the console is supposed to meet the roof line?

[lowdown]

Originally Posted by ebxgsxr

although i do have one question...did you guys have a gap where the center of the console is supposed to meet the roof line?

I have a very small gap in mine, you have to really look to see it. If you didn't know it was there you wouldn't even notice it.



What year of a truck did you put it in?

And if you mounted it using screws, did you grind the brackets off of the back of the console?

[ebxgsxr]

mounted it im my 95 K1500 ext cab. didnt use screws, it had the holes for the 2 brackets to slide in. on my driver's side it's not that bad, but the passenger side is prett noticable.

[kirkrhughes]

Just put one in my Standard Cab 03, replacement for the short one. Now I have to pull it back down and rewire it since the lights don't come on when I open the door. Also need to remount the original dome light further back. I’m going to take apart my Valentine One radar detector and see if I can mount the controls behind the cubby hole cover then put the rest of the detector in the garage door opener space.