desitdt
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- May 9, 2009
- Messages
- 116
- Reaction score
- 0
- City, State
- Tallahassee Florida
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 2000 Explorer XLT AWD
My car has been plagued with the chrome on the sides becoming faded and getting moisture between the layers. I have been wanting to replace these for a while but didnt want to go taking anything off the car that i could not fix. Well i was washing my car the other day and the piece of chrome started peeling off and i found out it was a sticker.
Here you can see the old chrome trim on the side of the car.
This is what the one strip looked like after i pulled the Chrome sticker out.
I replaced it with black trim as i am in the process of blacking out the Ex. I got the trim from http://www.vinylgraphics.net/products/166-Fender-Trim-and-Wheel-Well-Molding/5460-716-in-Black-Wheel-Well-Molding-by-Trim-Gard/ and needed roughly 12-13 feet. I bought them from http://www.vinylgraphics.net/products/166-Fender-Trim-and-Wheel-Well-Molding/5761-716-in-Black-Wheel-Well-Molding-by-Trim-Gard/ in 3 sections of 5' but they sent me a single roll of 15'. I would not trust that they will due this every time so contact them before buying if your concerned. If they do in fact ship them to you in sections of 5' you will need four, one for each door., which is still cheaper than one 20ft roll.
If i had to go back and do it again, i would get trim that is 1/2 inch or maybe even 5/8. I measured the factory trim and it was right at 7/16 but the shape of this particular trim is a bit different, and you can fit something a bit bigger into the space. Something like this would fit nicely http://www.vinylgraphics.net/products/166-Fender-Trim-and-Wheel-Well-Molding/5609-58-in-Black-Wheel-Well-Molding-by-Trim-Gard/.
It is also very important to get some degreaser and clean the metal before applying the trim, mine was very very dirty.
And here is the finished product. You have to push the trim into the little grove where the old trim was.
Here you can see the old chrome trim on the side of the car.
This is what the one strip looked like after i pulled the Chrome sticker out.
I replaced it with black trim as i am in the process of blacking out the Ex. I got the trim from http://www.vinylgraphics.net/products/166-Fender-Trim-and-Wheel-Well-Molding/5460-716-in-Black-Wheel-Well-Molding-by-Trim-Gard/ and needed roughly 12-13 feet. I bought them from http://www.vinylgraphics.net/products/166-Fender-Trim-and-Wheel-Well-Molding/5761-716-in-Black-Wheel-Well-Molding-by-Trim-Gard/ in 3 sections of 5' but they sent me a single roll of 15'. I would not trust that they will due this every time so contact them before buying if your concerned. If they do in fact ship them to you in sections of 5' you will need four, one for each door., which is still cheaper than one 20ft roll.
If i had to go back and do it again, i would get trim that is 1/2 inch or maybe even 5/8. I measured the factory trim and it was right at 7/16 but the shape of this particular trim is a bit different, and you can fit something a bit bigger into the space. Something like this would fit nicely http://www.vinylgraphics.net/products/166-Fender-Trim-and-Wheel-Well-Molding/5609-58-in-Black-Wheel-Well-Molding-by-Trim-Gard/.
It is also very important to get some degreaser and clean the metal before applying the trim, mine was very very dirty.
And here is the finished product. You have to push the trim into the little grove where the old trim was.
