I know what happened. Chances are when you removed the steering from the column, you "snapped" the ABS coil. I did the same thing when yanking off my dash and sure enough the SRS light is glaring. I was following the Haynes Manual and part of the reset procedure said unwind it a number of turns and when re-installing the wheel and turning it, I had a snap. Besides the obvious SRS circuit connection, this could be the only other problem to happen.
Removing the dash is not a pretty or easy thing. It takes plenty of time. I don't see how you were able to crack the top panel if you had unscrewed the hood, side and instrument panel screws. I think once loose, you can just gently lift the top, release the clips and connection and the cluster comes off real easily.
I got pics if you need further help Good luck