Molding Removal A Few Simple Steps to a Smoother Look Written by Travis Noack
Within the custom truck realm there are modifications that demand higher skill levels and also warrant a bit more bills to be peeled from the mighty wallet. While we certainly commend those enthusiasts who can pick up a welder and delete countless factory annoyances from their ride, to make it more visually appealing the simple enhancements that virtually everyone can do are great ways to get started. Take removing factory side molding for example, original equipment manufacturers think they are doing you a huge favor by putting protective molding down the side of your truck, when what they are really doing is cluttering up the truck's looks and taking away from the factory lines and features. In this segment of "Two-Minute Tech" we show you a simple, quick and extremely cheap way to enhance your truck's look by removing your side molding. Our '99 Chevy CK 2500 still featured the original moldings and they had to go. The right tools for the job and a little patience are all it takes to say goodbye to those pesky side moldings forever.
Our crew cab project looks 10 times better without those annoying factory side moldings.
The first step is to spray 3M side molding and emblem removal tool lubricant around the edge of the molding to enable the molding removal tool to get under the molding without scratching the paint.
A special molding removal tool, which can be had at most auto body stores, is wedged under the edge of the molding and a few clicks of the trigger quickly lift the molding up and away from the body.
Once the molding is lifted, a bit of muscle is used to continue peeling it away from its resting place.
The moldings ended up on the shop floor and were eventually hauled to the trashcan-useless and ugly.
A Crud Thug stripping wheel, available from Snap-On Tools, is used to remove the adhesive left behind by the molding. Once all the adhesive left behind was removed, some rubbing compound and wax was used to bring out the luster of the paint which was trapped under that molding for so many years.
I'm interested in doing this to my truck but don't have the resources that provide the Crud Thug. I sure can't afford one anyways. Is there another way to remove the leftover adhesives?
Posted by T.J. Martineau, on October 8, 2006 at 2:00
