Hi

Defender 90, 1986. Just fitted a new instrument panel and put on the shroud around the steering column Is there a best order to put the screws in underneath the shroud. When I put the shroud together it is very tight against the dash and rubs on the steering wheel. Also, the instrument panel is very difficult to push down low enough to get the side screws in.

Thanks

I feel for you and I had in the past also faced similar situation when replacing parts around the steering column. This made it worse if they were plastics have warped slightly over time.

A suggestion on how to approach would be to start with the instrument panel first, and loosely position it in place and get the side screws started before tightening anything down. Then fit the lower half of the steering shroud next. Ensure it's sitting properly around the ignition barrel and not snagged on the column or the dash edge. Fit the upper half of the shroud, and loosely insert all screws from front to back. Don’t tighten fully until all are in – this allows for slight movement to align everything properly. Finally tighten gradually, alternating sides, to avoid pulling it too far one way and causing binding against the dash or steering wheel.

Hopefully this will work better!