Eurovan Dashboard Cubby Installation

[Itsamoto]

Part 1: Installation Differences for Eurovans vs T4s

Having now done the installation a few times, I thought I would share some pointers on the installation. First off its important to state that the dashboard cubby was designed to fit european T4 models which have different mounting brackets in place. For us Eurovan owners, it means some of the screw holes/mounts are not used. I can't say whether or not this makes the installation of the cubby less safe or not, but I am very confident that the cubby installs solidly based on my own installations.

The european RHD T4 models have 2 additional brackets behind the glovebox that facilitate the cubby attachment using a total of five M4 screws and one M5 side mounting bolt with a speed nut. In our late model Eurovans (97-04 w/padded dash) those two brackets were not required for the knee bolster mounting, and so the mounting is done with just three M4 screws and one side mounting bolt. The real bonus is that half of the mounting hardware (the 3 required M4 screws) are in the van already and can be repurposed for the cubby installation.

I searched the VW catalog for the missing brackets, but was unable to find them as I believe that one of them is actually welded to the dash's sub frame -- making them part of a different sub-assembly and not individual part numbers. Again, that aside, I'm very confident that these install just as solidly without those brackets being used.

Screw Mount Locations

Showing the five M4 screw mounting positions used in european installation.
NOTE: Only the top three screw positions are used in Eurovan application. The lower left position can be secured with a zip-tie.


European Model Mounting Brackets

European soft-dash (97-03) -- right side bracket shown circled. This bracket receives the horizontal screw from within the cubby (bottom right position in the picture above).
NOTE: This bracket is not required for the cubby installation.

Left-side cubby mounting bracket

Ignore the arrow! You can see this bracket has vertical mounting position, for the bottom-left screw.

Short-nose Bracket Similarity

Interestingly, that right-side bracket (seen on the European models) seems to be very close to what is found in Eurovan hard-dash (90-96) versions. See also on the RHS, the side mounting speed nut/clip location

Eurovan Cubby Side Mounting Bracket (late model with airbag)

The only bracket we need in our application -- used to hold a speed nut/clip and receive the side mounting bolt.

Side Mounting Bolt-Cover

The side mounting bolt cover is hard to find -- and I was told by VW that it's no longer available. They are designed for fitting an M5 Hex head bolt, so if you're going this route then source an appropriate bolt (M5 @ 25-35mm length) and speed nut. Its the same part that is used on the upper dash, so if you can source one from the junkyard or steal the one from your drivers side!

[Itsamoto]

Part 2: Removing the Passenger-Side Knee Bolster

The knee bolster is held in place by 2 bolts on the right had side, and one screw and nut on the left hand side. All of this hardware is hidden, and so the knee bolster side panel and centre console's lower-mid panel must be removed.

Requirements:

• Phillips Screw Driver
  
• 13mm Socket w/Driver
  

Procedure

1. Start by removing the black panel/shield that is beneath the knee bolster. There should be 2 plastic press-in screws in the front that you pry up and pull out, after which the panel can be unhooked and removed.

2. With the black panel removed, remove the screw that holds the bolster bracket to the centre console's lower panel.

3. Remove the middle panel of the lower centre console (four M4 screws).

4. With the panel removed, use a 13mm socket to loosen and remove the retaining nut (highlighted area) that holds the knee-bolster to the left hand bracket.

5. Remove the knee bolster side panel by locating, and then pressing the small retaining pins inward until they fall out of the panel. Do not just pry the panel loose as it will damage the retaining pins (just in case you'd rather keep your knee bolster).

6. With the pins out, the panel can be swung open and removed.

7. With the side panel removed, use a 13mm socket to remove the last 2 retaining bolts.

8. Remove the knee bolster!

[Itsamoto]

Part 3: Installing the Dashboard Cubby

Requirements:

• 1 Eurovan Dashboard Cubby
  
• Phillips Screw Driver
  
• 13mm Socket w/Driver
  
• Side Mount Hardware Option 1 (OEM): M5x22 Hex Head bolt w/ speed nut/clip and one bolt cover cap (NLA).
  
• Side Mount Hardware Option 2 (Lowes) : M8x25-35 bolt w/speed nut/clip.
  
• 2 Filister Head Screw: M4x22 (See step 1 below)
  
• 1 Filister Head (Eurovan dash panel) Screw: M4x32 (See step 4 below)
  
• 1 Zip Tie
  

Procedure

1. With knee bolster removed, check the black horizontal bracket for two M4x22 filister head screws and remove them. These two screws will be re-used in securing the cubby on the upper left and and upper right screw mounting positions (see image in part 1).

2. Install the speed nut/clip over the plastic tab on the right hand side. Note that if you are using a nut with an extended thread (like I am) that you should face the extension inward as there is very little clearance with the cubby.

3. Position the cubby onto the dashboard. The cubby has two tabs on the back of it along its top edge. Those tabs should sit ontop/above of the notches (shown in step 1) -- fit this first and then rotate the cubby down into position, tucking it behind the weather stripping. The cubby should be snuggly fit in place and the reveal parallel to the bottom of the airbag panel.

4. Fasten the cubby to the dashboard bracket using the top 3 mounting positions.

Note the following screw size/locations as the centre top screw position will need to be a longer M4x32* screw:

[li]Top Left: M4x22[/li]
[li]Top Centre: M4x32*[/li]
[li]Top Right : M4x22[/li]
[li]Bottom-Right: NA[/li]
[li]Bottom-Left: Zip tie to bracket[/li]

* This screw can be repurposed from the dash fittings where it is used in less vital/visible locations -- such as the lower mid panel, or holding the lower cup holder to the centre console.

Eurovan Dash Mounting Screws

Top: M4x32 sourced from lower cup holder
Bottom: M4x22 - sourced from cubby mounting bracket


5. Secure the final mounting bolt through the side of cubby to the speed nut. You should be able to reach in behind the cubby upto the speed nut location to help get it aligned with the bolt. Do not over tighten as the tab is just plastic and could break easily.

Note in this application I am using the M8 bolt and no bolt cover.

6. Reinstall the centre console lower mid panel and the black panel that sat beneath the bolster. The black panel's push-in fittings are not used with cubby, but the panel should still be able to tuck up in behind and then back onto its mounts for a secure position.

Finished and ready to use!

[gakali]

Interesting retrofit. Thanks for sharing. Really don't see why VW couldn't have devised a lower glove box for these vans when the airbags came along. I could see how the limited sales over here could dampen non-essential tweaks like that but they sold lots in Europe. Maybe something to do with the age of the platform by that time...
_________________
Why do it? Because you can.

1999 Eurovan
2003 A4 Avant 1.8T Quattro
1992 W201 190e 2.3 Mercedes
2006 W220 S600 V12 Twin Turbo 5.5 Mercedes

[Itsamoto]

One story is that the knee bolster was there to improve the safety rating of the van for the us market. I guess having the knee-bolster there probably garners a check mark of some sort for improved safety -- although I would be interested to hear anybody's account of how the knee bolster performs in a crash -- because they are actually a real tank (its plastic over an aluminum shell that is steel reinforced) and easily weighs 10lbs.

Its seems like the side to late 90's generation VWs were designed to meet US passenger-side air bag requirements (that were to come) while also being able to be full of useful storage in the rest of the world markets.

In European T4s -- many of them have an upper glovebox (where the passenger air-bag is) and then the lower cubby below. Same thing for the Mk3 golfs and I believe B4 passats -- all of which have a similar dashboard configuration with an upper glovebox or airbag -- and then below either glovebox, a dash tray or a knee bolster.

[jjvincent]

VW seemed to be hell bent on knee bolsters for years. The old Rabbits (German ones) had that knee bolster that went across the dash and has those places to store things (i.e. change). They worked great as long as you didn't move the car at all. VW even pushed the knee bolster thing on the Rabbits when they put in the dash from a Chevy Malibu (that was the joke back in the day). Along with that seat belt attached to the door that served as a way to give you a rug burn when you opened and closed the door.

You have to remember, VW was screwing up left and right back in the 90's. The Fox was done because it had no passenger side airbag. Corrado was done because of no OBD-II compliance. EV was done because of no passenger side airbag. The elusive 1993 Golf/Jetta that only 5000 were allowed in without a passenger side airbag. VW dealers were a ghost town in 1993/1994 as the only thing they could sell was a Passat and the Corrado (which was a real flop).

My guess is that the EV in 1999, ended up being a vehicle that just barely passed crash testing. VW probably did crash testing a few times and when it finally passed, they called it a day and went ahead to sell it.

Also, a tidbit for any of you, the 1987 Porsche 944 Turbo was the first car in the US with a passenger side airbag (regular 944 is was an option). I was always wondering when I ran a 944 Turbo in Showroom stock back then, if the airbags were ever going to deploy for some unknown reason.

[Xtremjeepn]

It wasn't just VW. Any car that was developed before airbags that got them later in the production run typically had a knee bolster.

Some of those cars lost things like glove boxes. Others it didn't matter at all.
_________________
http://www.cavevan.com

[Itsamoto]

Originally I thought at the knee bolster was designed to give way and absorb knee impact safely. I toyed with the idea of cutting the cubby space into on my own -- but the thing is a rock-solid piece of armour.

Beneath its surface is a little bit of cushion and then aluminum reinforcement and steel brackets.

Knee Bolster Back

Knee Bolster Cross Section

This thing is pretty heavy too -- probably close to 15lbs.

[jjvincent]

One thing to remember is that the crash standard for the VR6 T4 is 20 years old. So, as we look at things today, there are times that certain things don't make sense.

It might have been something as simple as that knee bolster only had to deform 3" to make it pass the standard. As odd as it sounds, something that simple might be all that was needed to get it to meet the standard.

Same thing is for the thickness of the dashboard foam. It is literally down to 0.5 mm just so they get it to pass the specifications set forth at the time.

Interesting thing is that the flammability standards of an automotive interior is pretty much non existent but that cancer causing new car smell is high up there on the EU and US priority list.

[Xtremjeepn]

Unfortunately we don't make cars safe because it's a good idea or because it's the right thing to do. We make cars safe because it's required and a selling point!
_________________
http://www.cavevan.com

[57 Zwitter?]

Did I read somewhere that a glove box from an early Eurovan 93,95 will bolt right in place of the knee bolster found in later Eurovans? If so why isn't anyone doing that swap. There are many 93s
being parted out these days!

[gakali]

Maybe I'm a glass half full type of person these days but I like to think things like impact cushions (ie. knee bolsters) do provide a level of increased crash protection under certain conditions. The likelihood of ever having to truly rely on them may be miniscule but I'll trust the engineering.

I did install an early glove box on my passenger airbag equipped '96 Jetta once though...

Of course there are the "seatbelts kill people" non-seatbelt wearers out there I actually know of one.

Not trying to troll on the glove box conversion here that's not my intent I'm just adding my 2 cents to the safety issues mentioned above. I'm thinking a custom center console may be in my future to deal with the lack of accessible storage. Fastened to the seats or floor for safety of course
_________________
Why do it? Because you can.

1999 Eurovan
2003 A4 Avant 1.8T Quattro
1992 W201 190e 2.3 Mercedes
2006 W220 S600 V12 Twin Turbo 5.5 Mercedes

[Xtremjeepn]

[jakefromstatefarm]

Good thread here & interesting discussion. As for me, I'll take the storage space and skip the bolster!

[IdeaNerd]

[Abscate]

There's a long standing difference between impact standards between US and EU. In EU, passengers are assumed to wear seat belts, in the US, they aren't

This means we get a crazy pile of bolsters and anti submarine junk in our cars to try to protect the Darlose people who don't buckle up. EU just lets evolution cull them.

The cabin hardware difference between my X3 and my partners in Austria is incredible
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.ssS!

[Itsamoto]

[Tusabes]

It's actually good that there's a gap between the glove box door and airbag do that the airbag door can fully open in a crash

A piece of grey tape will cover that unfinished area

[YOGIVW]

[Gruppe B]

you'll have to trim off some of the dash plastic but can be brought back to original without anyone noticing the difference.

The color does not match as the 1992 Eurovans used molded plastic while the Late Eurovans had a bonded vinyl type of coating over the dash and knee braces.