How I Made My Phone Charger Mount in a Dodge Dakota

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Years/Models this works on:

Dakota – 2nd Generation 1997-2004
Durango – 1st Generation 1997-2003

Phone Charger Model:

Wireless Car Charger by CHGeek
Will work with any 5/8 ball mount

I began this journey to design a new mount after discovering design flaws in the universal mounts. The two universal mounts either stick to the window/dash or clips to the vent. I first tried the stick mount but found that it blocked driver view and was awkward to connect to the power source (cigarette lighter). I then switch to the vent mount but discovered the weight of the charger plus the phone were no match for the clip and would fall off after every bump. My solution was to find a way to mount the charger using the dash without losing functionality of the controls. Without any exposed screws, I found the middle vents to be the ideal location to create a mount.

Supplies

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Supplies:

PLA 3D Printer Filament (1.75mm)
10 Small Wood Screws

Tools:

3D printer
Solidworks software or equivalent
Ultramaker Cura or equivalent
Phillips head screwdriver

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Search for prime locations where to mount the phone charger. My goals were to not modify the dash, not lose functionality of the dash controls and was close enough to the power source so that the wires would reach. Once the locations were decided, I look for ways to mount the charger. On my vehicle I found the front center vents were the best area to build a bracket.

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Brainstorm ideas on how to build the bracket. There weren’t any exposed screws so I thought the dash brace between the two vents would be an excellent source of support for my mount. Once you have a design idea, take measurements and draw out your design on paper. Use the universal mounts as inspiration.

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Using your drawings, make 3D models using Solidwork software. Don’t spend a lot of time on your first prototype because you’re likely to change measurements and design characteristics moving forward. Convert the Solidworks files to stl files and download them into 3D printer slicing software, like Ultimaker Cura, and 3D print your part. Print quality and orientation is less important at this stage, so select settings that print quickly.

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Once the part is printed check fitment and mounting characteristics. Update your drawing, measurements, 3D models and then print another prototype. Repeat this until you’re happy with the results. It took me three prototypes until I was ready to design my final part.

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Fine tune your 3D model in Solidworks and print your final part. Change the 3D slicer setting and print orientation to maximize part strength. I increased my infill, changed the print orientation and added support structure on my final print.

Finally, install the bracket to the dash using the small wood screws and attach the phone charger. Check the integrity of the bracket by putting a little weight on the charger. Route the wire so that they’re hidden and don’t interfere with dash controls.