If you’re looking at swapping your Silverado center console, we will be looking to see if it’s possible in this post. There are several reasons why some Chevy users want to do a Silverado Center Console Swap. It may just be about giving your car extra storage space, maybe for an armrest or somewhere to place your coffee mug.
Whichever one is your reason for wanting to do this swap, it is possible. The project can be completed using essential DIY tools. You also must bear in mind, most importantly, that to do a center console swap on your Silverado, you will need the correct replacement console for your car’s year and model. You also must be willing to put in nothing short of 2 hours of work.
If you’re willing to proceed with the swap, everything you need to carry it out from start to finish is provided in the article. This includes what you must consider before doing a swap.
Which Silverado models have a center console?
If you’re looking for a model of the Chevy Silverado with an already installed center console, then look from the 2017 Silverado 1500 upwards.
Hence, it would help if you carried out any swap on them. All models of the 2017 Silverado 1500 band upwards feature ample interior storage.
The center console is present in all vehicles that have front bucket seats. This offers as much as one cubic foot of storage space.
This is about 25% of the extra room than what’s obtainable in a grocery bag, large enough to hold a laptop computer.
The center console has enough space for hanging files for users who use the vehicle as an improvised rolling office.
It also features ambient lighting controls and map pockets at the side. Space for cup holders, as well as reconfigurable compartments, are also provided.
Can You Replace the Center Console on Silverado?
The center console of your Silverado can be replaced if you want to. However, you have to be aware that the process is slightly labor-intensive.
The result, however, is quite compensatory based you now have a brand new console without any damage.
If you’re using an older Silverado model, you can upgrade it to a newer console. It is even possible to switch your old part for a console with a whole new different color.
In most cases, you replace the entire body of your center console. Some of the parts of your center console that you find in retail shops include:
01. Lids:
These parts are what protect the items that are kept in your console. They also have an extra duty of serving as your armrest.
They are designed to have comfortable cushions matched with highly durable latches. Depending on your Chevy Silverado’s year and model, they come in different styles and colors.
02. Center Trays:
These trays are insertable in your Silverado 1500, 2500, and 3,500 consoles. They have various compartments where a user can store pens, office materials, etc.
If you want to purchase a new tray perfectly compatible with your Silverado model, make sure you buy an OEM accessory.
03. Cup Holders:
These parts allow you to store drinks and delicate items. They can also be replaced when they get damaged.
04. Latches:
If your center console latch is terrible, you can replace them. They are just locking mechanisms.
What are Considerations Before Swapping the Centre Console in a Chevy Silverado?
The design
The first thing you need to consider before changing your Silverdo center console is the type of console you’re going for. There are two types.
The older console typically has a 2 part assembly. The first part is located beneath the dash section, where you have the cigarette light and the power outlet.
In the installation process, this part is installed first.
From the point where the first part ends begins the second section. It extends between the Silverado seats ending flush behind the front seats.
Another option for the center console is the single unified console. This single unit begins from under the dash and stops flush where the front seats are.
For newer Silverados, this is the part installed in them. If you’re looking at installing this part in pre-2007 Silverado, you’ll need to have many components replaced.
This implies having to remove the bottom section of your vehicle’s dash and replace them on the driver and passenger sides.
All of this incurs more cost and ultimately boils down to what you’re more interested in.
How to Remove Chevy Silverado Center Console
The center console located between your vehicle’s front seats may be replaced or removed temporarily to enable access to other components or parts of your car space.
Luckily, the console is quickly taken out with very few tools in just simple steps. So, fowl these steps to get your console out of your Silverado vehicle.
Tools required
- Head screwdriver (Philips)
- Socket wrench
Procedure
- Locate the nuts beneath the driver’s side and loosen them. Do this to the passengers’ side with a wrench. There are four nuts for each front seat, and to gain access to the bolts, the seat would need to be shifted forward and backward.
- Once this is done, they should come out loose. Lift the seats and have them detached from the studs keeping them in position and take them out of your Silverado.
- Get to the front tray found directly beneath the instrumental panel and take it out. Just by using your hands, the tray should budge.
- Once the tray has been successfully removed, it’ll expose a wiring harness. This wiring harness serves as a bridge between the instrumental panel and console wires. Has this harness disconnected?
- Then little by little, drag the trim away from the console. After that, gently separate the trim from the console.
- Locate all the mounting screws and remove them through the console using your screwdriver. Note that you’ll see some screws at the bottom of the cup holders. They can also be found in the rear tray. Also, note that for the new model Sikwbrado, there are no screws.
- Once you have successfully removed all the screws, you can gently take out the console from the Silverado.
How Do I Install the Center Console?
If you’re going to carry out a two-section installation, you need to install the first section located directly beneath the control panel.
This shouldn’t be a hassle to fit. The part that may seem tricky is when you now have to bolt it.
The bolting section is found inside the panel, so you may have to push in your hand to get it done. If your hands are big, this may be a big problem.
A feasible solution would be to try a long extension. After this, you can now install the center part and bolt it down. It should also sit firmly without any problems.
Just make sure that you get everything appropriately lined before bolting it down. If you have a newer construction console, you have to install and get everything lined up before bolting down.
The process isn’t complicated at all. Follow the more detailed steps outlined below.
- Put the console back in its original place and insert the screws exactly where they should be.
- Now for the console trim, reposition it and hold it in place.
- Then the wiring harness wire is back in the opposite manner as you disconnected them and have the front located under the instrumental panel replaced.
- Then the next thing to do is place the front seats over the studs. Then, screw the nuts down to every corner of the seat base. Ensure the bolts are correctly tightened to keep your seats from moving around.
If you’re looking for a guide on how to install the locked vault of the center console, follow the steps below;
- Remove the mounting hardware and the carpet from the safe.
- Keep the hanger-on. The lock vault will match with the stock file hangers.
- Now take away the rubber pad at the bottom of the console bottom. You can use a runner tab to do this.
- The next step is to remove the nuts. To do this, you need two tools: a ratchet and a 10mm socket. You can now remove the 10mm nuts from the console with these.
- Now open the locked vault, then gently place it in the empty console. After this, the next thing to do is to have all holes in the locked vault lined up with threaded holes at the console’s bottom.
- Again you need two tools at this point. A ratchet and a 10mm socket. With these, you can then tighten the provided hardware.
- In the bottom of the vault, place the carpet provided.
- Now ensure the locked vault is faster securely inside the console. The file hanging abilities should be retained. Now set the code using the instructions that come with the locked vault.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Do I need a professional to install your center console?
Depending on your expertise in handling car accessories, you may or may not need a technician to replace your console.
Many people agree it doesn’t take much effort to replace a center console for a vehicle like the Silverado.
It has some pretty fragile components; you want to be sure you’re good at handling them.
Also, It takes less than 3 hours of work time to install a center console on the Chevy Silverado vehicle, and most of this time is spent unscrewing bolts and carefully disconnecting the wiring harness.
If you seem a bit clumsy or careless when handling wires, it is recommended you hire a technician to help you out.
Besides this, all the procedures and steps needed to replace a center console on your Silverado are pretty straightforward to grasp.
Bear in mind, however, that replacing or changing your center console is a much more complicated procedure than just taking them out.
The latter is more DIY-friendly and takes lesser time to do. Hence you should ensure you’re experienced to be able to replace your car’s center console. If not, hand it over to a technician.
What are some things I must consider before buying a center console?
After you’ve made up your mind to have your previous center console replaced, you need to consider a few things before making an order.
The size and aesthetic value of the console may be of primary concern to you.
However, Chevy Silverado, made with plush interiors, needs quality material that matches that look and sustains the car’s value like the previous stock center console.
Finding a fake center console doesn’t take much, as there are a lot of ingenuine products offering cheap consoles with compromised quality.
Another area you must look into is how much space you’re willing to give up to accommodate your new console.
Some consoles take up much space but provide valuable parts to help you store certain items.
If this is a priority, you can settle for big consoles. But make sure you know how much space your new console would take up in your car.
What kind of items can my Silverado 1500 console take?
When it comes to the question of the kind of times suitable to be stored in your console, it all boils down to the weight and nature of the item.
Cumbersome items that could press down specific console compartments should be kept away to prevent them from breaking down quickly.
A reasonable estimate ensures that items above 9.5kg are kept from the console.
Conclusion
The center console is one of the attractive features of the post-2016 Chevy Silverado.
They contribute to the roomy and quiet nature of the Silverado interior, but they also provide spaces where you can keep certain items.
However, you may no longer find your stock center console undesirable and what to have them replaced.
We have provided a step-by-step guide on how you can remove and replace your Chevy Silverado center console. Have a great ride time!