Dash rattle. Questions regarding alternate fix.

[theWIFES_S70]

I am not an engineer, nor do I have the software or a 3D printer to do so, but I really think that designing a bracket (perhaps an ABS plastic, with foam edges) that could be applied to the bottom of the dash, on the sides of the car, from the floor to the dash, would work really well. When my wife drives and I put my feet up on the dash and push a little, oh man, the car is absolutely silent!

[JimBee]

My diagnosis of this problem is the bracket by your left knee (drivers side) or right knee (pass side) breaks first. Those little brackets support the whole dash assembly from the firewall toward the cabin. So when they break, the full weight of the dash unit is hanging on the firewall mounts and that weight breaks out the plastic where the dash is bolted to the firewall.
The fix? If you catch it in time (before the firewall side of the dash starts to break), you'll need to support the dash where those little mounts by your knee have broken.
How I did it: With the dash pad off, I used my angle drill (Harbor Freight) and drilled a hole from the inside of the end of the dash through the plastic and into the steel A post. Then I forced a self threading screw through the plastic hole into the post as a ghetto "hanger". To make sure of the right sized drill bit, I tested a set up on some scrap. I think the self-threading screw was about 1/4" or 3/16" dia. with a hex head, probably 1.5" long. You want the hole in the pillar just big enough to get the screw started, then grind it in. You don't want to tighten it down hard against the plastic which is why I used a longer screw than needed (plus it's easier to get in there with a longer screw). The end of the dash is hanging on that screw, is all. It just goes into the pillar, not all the way through. I did that about 5 years ago and it has held up so far.

[theWIFES_S70]

My diagnosis of this problem is the bracket by your left knee (drivers side) or right knee (pass side) breaks first. Those little brackets support the whole dash assembly from the firewall toward the cabin. So when they break, the full weight of the dash unit is hanging on the firewall mounts and that weight breaks out the plastic where the dash is bolted to the firewall.
The fix? If you catch it in time (before the firewall side of the dash starts to break), you'll need to support the dash where those little mounts by your knee have broken.
How I did it: With the dash pad off, I used my angle drill (Harbor Freight) and drilled a hole from the inside of the end of the dash through the plastic and into the steel A post. Then I forced a self threading screw through the plastic hole into the post as a ghetto "hanger". To make sure of the right sized drill bit, I tested a set up on some scrap. I think the self-threading screw was about 1/4" or 3/16" dia. with a hex head, probably 1.5" long. You want the hole in the pillar just big enough to get the screw started, then grind it in. You don't want to tighten it down hard against the plastic which is why I used a longer screw than needed (plus it's easier to get in there with a longer screw). The end of the dash is hanging on that screw, is all. It just goes into the pillar, not all the way through. I did that about 5 years ago and it has held up so far.

Did you by chance take a picture? This sounds like a great fix!

[buffmont]

Newguy here, My 99 v70 developed the dash rattle and squeeks very annoying . After looking at several fixes, I tried the simple one, I made small wood wedges, tapped three of them about 1/4 in below the dash passenger side , they went down tight !

Then i used closed cell foam from the type you use to insulate copper pipe. Stuffed that down to cover the wedges from sight and add some squeek protection. Took it over some rough roads squeeks gone for now !

[alfatango1]

I need to do this on my 98 V70. Squeaks like a little girl from around the glove box. Maybe I'll tackle this tomorrow.