DIY Dashboard Accessory Mounting Plate (3rd Gen 4Runner)

[Wolfy]

This project is for a 3rd Gen 4Runner, but I think the concept could work for many vehicles.

Supplies:

• 22 Ga Steel from Home Depot
• 3M tape (The white stuff)
• 3m Velcro
• Tin Snips
• Angle metal and clamps
• Grinder, files, sand paper

I go through the whole process in the video:


The 22 ga steel can be cut with tin snips. I won't say easily, but it can be done.

Bending the metal this way doesn't get you a perfect bend, but it's good enough.

TIP: The 3M tape is BURLY and will leave residue that's hard to get off. The dark rubbery 3M tape is insane and a pain in the butt to get off which is I why I use the white stuff. They don't even usually sell the dark tape in the stores, but it's what comes on most adhesive mount items like phone mounts, GoPro mounts etc. I suggest getting some 3m Vinyl film and putting it down first and sticking the tape and velcro to it. It's designed to come off at some point and should not leave any residue or destroy things when you pull it back up.

Here's the support brace. This is where I used the velcro so that I can get the center stack face plate off.

Here's an image of it in use with the iPad Mini 4 mounted up running Gaia GPS. Works perfectly!

-M

 

[Quicksilver]

Interesting idea, which looks like would translate to my Xterra dash. A couple of questions: having just used velcro and tape, how does it hold up to rough roads? Any problems with things coming loose? And a similar question about the steelie mount: is the magnet strong enough to hold the phone in place during bumps and bounces?

 

[Wolfy]

The mount is plenty Strong with Just tape. The velcro on the strap that I used is under tension so it works fine. The velcro I have on the other corner isn't so great and tape would be better since I'd only need a tiny bit of it.

The Steelie is perfect for smaller phones by itself: here's video of it with my iPhone 6 (regularsize phone)
With a megaiPhone (8 Plus) I added a little support piece and that takes care of it. Mostly. I might add wings... I might also experiment with making a cradle out of the metal and ditching the steelie altogether. The steelie is just so compact and convenient it's hard to beat even though the magnet on the back of the phone is in the way.

-M

Interesting idea, which looks like would translate to my Xterra dash. A couple of questions: having just used velcro and tape, how does it hold up to rough roads? Any problems with things coming loose? And a similar question about the steelie mount: is the magnet strong enough to hold the phone in place during bumps and bounces?

 

[Wolfy]

Also, to answer the rest of your question: It's plenty solid with the iPad. The iPad does jostle on the mount a bit being that it's so janky, but it's not huge and you really have to be going GNAR to see it. Standard dirt road driving and overlanding it's solid.

-M

 

[Quicksilver]

The Steelie is perfect for smaller phones by itself: here's video of it with my iPhone 6
-M

OK, you just sold me on the Steelie with that video.