Dash Recover Trim Fitting Instructions

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1 Tools required. We use a spray trim/carpet adhesive but a brush on contact glue will work just as well. Good scissors, very sharp knife, bradawl/scriber and hot air gun/hair dryer. Also carrying out this work in a warm environment is of particular benefit. Kitchen table is superb if you can get away with it! Remove the dash top as per Land Rover instructions, dash top should be cleaned to remove any loose parts, dust, etc and wiped down with solvent to prepare the surface for the adhesive. Any repairs can also be made prior to this. Ensure that any loose areas of the original covering are either reglued or trimmed back (especially to the back of the dash top) as this affect the fixing of the Recover Trim. Ensure the Recover Trim oriented correctly, the wider section goes to the top face of the dash. Position the Recover Trim to suit your personal preference for stitching alignment, (below left & below) the stitching is positioned on the corner of the dash top. The in-vehicle fitted picture at the end shows the stitching aligned more on top of the dash top to clear the instrument binnacle but run through the front edge of the ashtray instead.

2 Once aligned, hold the Recover Trim and carefully turn the whole dash over, check alignment and mark the back of the trim, as a guide for later, along the edge and ends and inside the ashtray hole. Following the manufacturers guidelines, apply the adhesive to the marked area between the pen lines and stitching only. If advised, also apply to the corresponding area on the dash top. Carefully position the Recover Trim on the dash and press down, trying to keep and even pressure to avoid over compressing the sponge backing which can cause slight undulations in the finished effect. Now allow some time for the adhesive to go off (follow manufacturer guide lines) before proceeding as the Recover Trim will be pulled tight and should not move.

3 Once the adhesive has bonded, turn the dash over and trim the ends of the loose part nearest the screen edge to allow the flap to be turned inside. Apply adhesive to the flap and dash top inside face as before, fold Recover Trim flap in and apply pressure as before, a little more pressure can be applied here as it will not be seen and a good bond is advantageous. Again leave the adhesive now to go off properly. Carry out a few trial fits of the front flap to familiarise yourself with the process and where any awkward areas are going to be, these will usually be around the areas where the dash changes profile above the instrument binnacle. When carrying out the next stage the Recover Trim should be pulled quite tight to ensure a good finish, the stitching should not be pulled off line unless the adhesive has not bonded properly, however, do be aware of this and be careful to maintain the alignment. Apply the adhesive and once ready, begin pull the flap over the front of the dash, starting in the centre and working up to the instrument binnacle area only at this point.

4 Once the centre is fitted correctly you can move to the binnacle areas. The material can ruck up here due to the profile change so needs to be warmed to soften it a little and then pulled tight to remove any possible folds/loose material. Only warm the material enough to make it a little more pliable. This picture shows how the warmed material conforms to the shape of the dash top more readily when pulled tight. Even pressure is then applied again all along the front and underside faces to ensure the correct adhesive bond. Again once the adhesive has gone off, carry out a trial fit of the flap to go inside the dash. You will probably have excess material around the areas of the profile changes, carefully cut the flap using the scissors and if necessary remove small pieces of loose material to ensure the flap will lay flat once bonded. This area is not easily visible but care should be taken to avoid affecting the finish. As before it is best to work in the centre section first and once this is done, move to the two small outer sections past the binnacle areas. When you are happy with the fit, the adhesive can be applied and the three flaps rolled in and pressure applied to bond these in place.

5 With the centre and end sections fixed, the binnacle areas can be tackled, again a little warmth can assist with getting the desired fit. This also allows the binnacle areas flaps to be bonded on top of the main areas is there is an overlap, rather than trying to get everything bonded at one go. The remaining loose areas of material at the ends of the dash can now be trimmed off flush with the dash ends. Also ensure at this point that these areas are bonded correctly apply adhesive and stick as necessary. Move now to the ashtray, using the bradawl, make holes in the corners of the ashtray area from the inside being careful not to break the glue or put a hole in your finger! Then from the outside, use the knife to slit the material diagonally from corner to corner. Back on the inside, the adhesive can be applied and the four flaps turned in and pulled tight to be bonded inside. If there is excess material, this can be trimmed prior to applying the adhesive. Excess can also be removed from inside the dash vent areas to allow the fixed vents to poke through from underneath, also check the bond around the edges and address as necessary.

6 With the excess material removed the ends of the vent apertures can be marked using the bradawl. Then slice the material along the centre of the vent aperture. Any additional adhesive required can be applied and the edges around the aperture pushed in properly, use the heat gun if required to get the desired fit. Finally any remaining excess can be trimmed back to clear the vents. All screw holes can now be marked/punched through the material, using the bradawl so that they can be located more easily when refitting the dash. It advisable to add an extra washer under the main 3 fixing screws, nearest the screen so that the washer pulls the material tight within the hole and also the screw will spin on the washer and not twist the Recover Trim. Refit the dash as a reverse of removal, if the heater control or grab handle end plates are too tight, some material can be removed to ease fitting. Be careful to only remove enough to retain the edge under the plastic covers.

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