Jon M
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- January 12, 2017
- Messages
- 736
- Reaction score
- 155
- City, State
- Mount Pleasant, SC
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 2015 Explorer XLT
-
Performance Upgrades - Maintenance - Modifications - Problem Solving - Off-Road - Street Trucks.
Covering the Explorer, ST, Sport, Lincoln Aviator, Sport Trac,
Mercury Mountaineer, Mazda Navajo, Ford Ranger, Mazda Pickups, and the Aerostar.
Featuring H.I. - Human Intelligence.
Register Today It's free!
Has anyone put these on?
- Thread starter Jon M
- Start date
Elite Explorer members see no advertisements, no banner ads, no double underlined links,.
Add an avatar, upload photo attachments, and more!.
Rainlord
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- June 16, 2017
- Messages
- 178
- Reaction score
- 101
- City, State
- Zurich, Switzerland
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- Explorer 2012 XLT
I actually just ordered those from AliExpress, and original Ford black door handles. So once they arrive I can give feedback on them unless someone else already has them
Rainlord
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- June 16, 2017
- Messages
- 178
- Reaction score
- 101
- City, State
- Zurich, Switzerland
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- Explorer 2012 XLT
Alright, so they finally arrived and I can post an update.
Price:
For AliExpress they're actually quite expensive. I feel like half the price would've been appropriate as we're not talking "amazing piece of engineering".
Packaging:
Well packaged. Each piece in it's own pocket of thick plastic and the 4 middle pieces in one place. Comes in a cardboard box.
Feel & Initial Impressions:
They are made of metal, although it's very thin metal and they would bend easily if you weren't careful. They weren't completely "clean" when they arrived, some of the white protective film was still on the edges, so they will need a quick "clean up" before you put them on. One of mine had a slightly different shade of color, rather bronze/blue-ish than black. But I decided to not let it bother me as they anyway change color depending on weather and reflection (see pictures).
Fit:
Mostly quite well actually. The part that goes around the handle (I'll call it the handle wrapper going forward) is pretty spot on size-wise. The plate that goes in the middle is too short by about 1cm (0.4 inches) on each side. It's actually not that much of a bother unless you look closely but I feel like this could've been done better. In fact, I wish they had just been one big piece and you were forced to take the handle off to install them. Would've been easier and look better. But it's fine as it is. That piece is the part you don't see until you're up at the door.
Installation:
They come with 3M tape on the back, and for once for a "china product", it's real 3M tape. I used alcohol to clean the area first, then 3M adhesive promoter (not included, but I seriously recommend it, it's like black magic) and after that they stick like crazy, they will not come off without massive amounts of work. This was a problem on one of the handles because I lined it up poorly initially and needed to move it. And after prying it off, the 3M tape isn't as flush anymore, so I may have to manually re-do the 3M on that one later. So be careful and go slow is all I can say. The plate in the middle is also a pain to get right as you're short on space. If you have a friend, have them keep the handle pulled out while you attach it. If you don't have friends, it's still doable. However, here's a tip that will save a headache: First take the handle wrap-around piece and set it in place, but set it so that it barely touches/sticks to the car. Then do the plate and attach it properly. Then push the wrap-around in. That way the top & bottom will be flush from the start. I didn't do this at first and one of the corners of the middle plate was "above" the wrapper, and trying to get it to move into place was a nightmare. Using this method, the other 3 went easy. They're quite flush against the metal, and if you didn't know better and do a good job installing them, they could almost look factory.
Pictures:
Sorry I didn't take closeup, let me know if you want one.
(I installed black door handles along with them, as I never liked the chrome ones).
Verdict:
I was a little on the fence after screwing up the installation a little, but in the end and after a day of randomly glancing at them, I like them. I feel like they fit in, and they do protect the "hole" from scratches. We'll see how they hold up over time, but I don't see why they wouldn't unless they rust...
Price:
For AliExpress they're actually quite expensive. I feel like half the price would've been appropriate as we're not talking "amazing piece of engineering".
Packaging:
Well packaged. Each piece in it's own pocket of thick plastic and the 4 middle pieces in one place. Comes in a cardboard box.
Feel & Initial Impressions:
They are made of metal, although it's very thin metal and they would bend easily if you weren't careful. They weren't completely "clean" when they arrived, some of the white protective film was still on the edges, so they will need a quick "clean up" before you put them on. One of mine had a slightly different shade of color, rather bronze/blue-ish than black. But I decided to not let it bother me as they anyway change color depending on weather and reflection (see pictures).
Fit:
Mostly quite well actually. The part that goes around the handle (I'll call it the handle wrapper going forward) is pretty spot on size-wise. The plate that goes in the middle is too short by about 1cm (0.4 inches) on each side. It's actually not that much of a bother unless you look closely but I feel like this could've been done better. In fact, I wish they had just been one big piece and you were forced to take the handle off to install them. Would've been easier and look better. But it's fine as it is. That piece is the part you don't see until you're up at the door.
Installation:
They come with 3M tape on the back, and for once for a "china product", it's real 3M tape. I used alcohol to clean the area first, then 3M adhesive promoter (not included, but I seriously recommend it, it's like black magic) and after that they stick like crazy, they will not come off without massive amounts of work. This was a problem on one of the handles because I lined it up poorly initially and needed to move it. And after prying it off, the 3M tape isn't as flush anymore, so I may have to manually re-do the 3M on that one later. So be careful and go slow is all I can say. The plate in the middle is also a pain to get right as you're short on space. If you have a friend, have them keep the handle pulled out while you attach it. If you don't have friends, it's still doable. However, here's a tip that will save a headache: First take the handle wrap-around piece and set it in place, but set it so that it barely touches/sticks to the car. Then do the plate and attach it properly. Then push the wrap-around in. That way the top & bottom will be flush from the start. I didn't do this at first and one of the corners of the middle plate was "above" the wrapper, and trying to get it to move into place was a nightmare. Using this method, the other 3 went easy. They're quite flush against the metal, and if you didn't know better and do a good job installing them, they could almost look factory.
Pictures:
Sorry I didn't take closeup, let me know if you want one.
(I installed black door handles along with them, as I never liked the chrome ones).
Verdict:
I was a little on the fence after screwing up the installation a little, but in the end and after a day of randomly glancing at them, I like them. I feel like they fit in, and they do protect the "hole" from scratches. We'll see how they hold up over time, but I don't see why they wouldn't unless they rust...
Rainlord
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- June 16, 2017
- Messages
- 178
- Reaction score
- 101
- City, State
- Zurich, Switzerland
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- Explorer 2012 XLT
Featured images
Featured images
Similar Threads
