98SP0RT4X4

Hello, I'm new to the forum this looks like the right place to be for Jeep info, nice site!

I recently bought a 98 Cherokee Sport and there's a few things I want to do to it since it's obviously not a new vehicle. The truck is in prety good shape for a 98 the body has no dings, no rust and the interior has been kept pretty clean, no holes rips etc. The exterior side trim has faded to a milkish gray color along with the fenders though, I haven't been able to find replacement side trim so I am guessing this is not a new issue to some here.

The trim is in decent shape although it's faded, it is starting to lift from the body on some of the ends too.


My question is: How is this trim attached and what have other people done in this situation?

96Cherokee113

The rubber molding is held on by a sticky foam adhesive. Mine was missing on one side so I just peeled the other side off. I used a heat gun to warm up the glue so it peeled off easy. Then I got most of the foam stuff off with my fingers and used Goof Off to remove the glue. Looks pretty good. After removing one piece I notice 3 holes in a triangular formation and it appears as if it was dented there and someone used a slide hammer to pull it out and then put the trim back over it. Oh well.

TrekkerJmm

I used "Mothers Back to Black" and it brought the color back. You need to do it a few times but it makes a big difference...Tj

DEVILSTOY

if you take em off you find a rubber wheel that goes on a drill to remove the left over tape , or go to an auto parts store and find some trim black spray paint , and respray them , this paint is made for plastic just like this and holds up pretty well , or of you search google , theres a company that makes a restore agent for the moldings , i own a chevy avalanche wich has alot of plastic on it , and they fade out bad , some company made a product just for that issue so im sure if u search you'll find it

DEVILSTOY

actually here i already had it saved http://gatorbackcoatings.com/testimonials.htm they sell it in spray cans now , wich one or two cans at most will be more then enough to do your moldings

98SP0RT4X4

Thanks for the info, I'm not too sure I want to take the trim off I would rather figure out how to re-adhere the ends that have lifted since it is in decent shape and the replacements seem to be unavailable now. Any Ideas on how to re-stick them so they are tight to the body again?


Trekk, I think I'll use the Mothers Back to Black like you suggested I appriciate the feed back.

DEVILSTOY

yea i work in a body shop and have to restick moldings all the time , take them off and your best bet if go to an auto parts store and find one of those rubber wheels that go on a drill , it makes taking off the old tape way easier , you need to fully clean the old tape off the molding and off the truck , get a nice roll of 1/2" 3m double sided tape , and try to find some adhesive promoter , its just a prep solvent that helps the tape stick to the plastic a little better , retape them and stick em back on , you can run a peice of masking tape down the side of the truck to asure for a guide line and that the moldings are straight , be gentle with the rubber wheel you can dig into the molding so just do it lightly , all and all this will probly cost about 20-25 bucks with the spray paint , im not sure how much a can of the gator back stuff is but it cant be much for a can , hope this helps you

TrekkerJmm

I used double sided heavy duty 3M sticky tape to put mine back on...Tj

98SP0RT4X4

Thanks for that link, I think this might be more durable than the Back to Black. Now if I can get it re-stuck I'm set.

DEVILSTOY

back to black dont really work to well , and it fade out quick , if you have any laying around the house try some shoe polish , that usually works pretty good and dirt cheap

Desert Rat

If your going to take them off and re-stick them you may as well just paint them while you have them off.

juicy_j

I tackled this project last summer on my 98 and feel like I can offer a little advice for you on this one.

First of all, sadly once you peel off the side trim pieces they instantly begin to warp and become VERY difficult to put back on. Painting them while there still on is pretty risky as it is pretty hard to get any newspaper or something similar behind it to protect against overspray. The good news is though after fighting with my freshly painted side trim pieces trying to get them to stick I finally decided to leave them off and am very pleased with the look it gives the Jeep. I can post pics of this later today if you'd like.

As for paint, I would like to offer my reccomendation of Krylon Fusion Paint. This stuff is pretty amazing. About a year after painting my trim (all of it) and it still looks great. Krylon is different in that it actually bonds to the molecules of the plastic trim as opposed to residing on top of it like most paints. This stuff works great, is fairly cheap, and you should be able to find it just about everywhere. I'd suggest going with the flat finish.

I'm not sure if you've painted the rest of your trim (fender flares, front/rear bumpers, corner bumper pieces) but if you haven't I can tell you right now that you will want to either paint all of it or none of it. The new pieces will stick out in a good way but make the rest of it look less than great.

Hope this helps

Desert Rat

I'm with Juicy J on this one, I removed mine and could'nt be happier. I think the look of the factory lines that the molding hides is a lot better looking, Plus I dont have to keep working at keeping them black.

DEVILSTOY

well they will warp if you just pull and rip em off , you need to use like a putty knife or razor blade and work your way down without bending them and pulling on them to hard , im still undecided if i wanna take mine off , its about the only thing i left on it lol , im gonna paint em and then see how it looks before i decide if i keeping them on or not

juicy_j

Well I was very careful about taking them off, I went really slow and used a tool. Mine were really flat for about 10 minutes after I took them off but then warped heavily. I don't suggest using a puddy knife either as that will more than likely destroy the clear coat and layers below.

One thing I meant to mention earlier... Before you paint anything be sure wash it with car shampoo, let dry, then wipe with rubbing alcohol to get any oils that may be on there.