Does anyone have experience taking off the dashboard panels in a 92 F150 (or something similar)?

My alternator went a few weeks ago & in the middle of its replacement, I noticed a small plume of smoke (and a burning smell) coming from a vent at in dash (on top, center - directly behind the radio). Once the alternator was installed, my radio, AC/heat no longer worked.

Prior to me purchasing it, this truck had sat (previously) for several years and became home to several generations of mice; I am thinking they chewed through some wiring back there & when the alternator surged, a wire(s) burned. I have removed the radio, but need to take off the major panels to get better access to the wiring clusters. I am able to locate and remove all of the screws on the entire dash, but even with this, the dash panels do not pop off easily... also trying to get back in there to clean out any mouse sh$t!

I browsed the forum for articles & decent diagrams, haven't found any yet....bought a Chilton's book, but the diagrams are too small to make out what's going on.

Can anyone help a girl out? Any suggestions on better literature that might have larger, more clear pics and/or instructions?

Thanks!

 

Cue the crickets...

 

You trying to get the whole dash out? what part you having trouble with? The dash pad or the whole thing??

 

It looks like I have to remove the steering wheel to get the panel that covers the instrumentation off....without taking that off, I can't take off the panel that spans from the center to the passenger side. In other words, to remove that panel (trying to get full access to wiring pigtail behind radio/heat/ac), does the steering wheel need to come off, and the instrumentation cover panel?

Basically I've got all of the little stuff off (glove compartment, radio, XLT Lariat trim panels on the dash etc.), but it's the big stuff that's restricting my access to wiring. None of the pigtailed wiring is accessible through the hood of the truck that I can see.

Thanks for responding!

 

Any chance you can get a picture of where you are at?? You shouldn't need to remove the steering wheel. I know I have had a couple vehicles dashes completely out without taking the steering wheel out cause I was driving them like that. Haha

 

Look @ my pics I changed my dash a while back if that's what u want 2do