Help! I need to remove my upper and lower trim so my truck can get painted!

[kookykrispy]

I plan to take my truck in to get it painted... I have the $ in my pocket for the paint job and I can't wait to get it done!

I have a full set of trim on the truck and its nice and straight... I need to CAREFULLY remove it. Please help me with some advise how to get this off my truck without damaging it... This stuff is EXPENSIVE to replace.

I don't really want to take it to the bodyshop with it on... they will simply tape over it and it will not look as good.

I did a search, but didn't really find any exact method or good how-to description for removing this stuff without damage.

I also need to remove the tailgate upper trim and the taillight trim.

I want to get this all stripped and ready to go into the body shop on Monday... so please help!

[tim21391]

i work at a body shop and we use a wax wheel thats hooked onto a drill type thing.. or i use laquer thinner.. never had to take tailgate trim off so cant help ya there...

[thirdstreettito]

I dont know how, I dont keep trim...

[ChevLoRay]

The trim is held on by fasteners. To get to them, I had to remove the door panels. The nuts are 3/8-inch. Same for the fenders. At the ends of the trim, there are phillips-head screws. Where the black portion of the trim is found, that's where the screws will be. The fasteners are attached to the trim, and you will find that some of them will not be usable after you have removed the trim. If you didn't have this much work in mind, you may want to re-consider the taping of the trim, knowing the body shop will tape it off before they paint it. You may get a better deal if you remove the trim and the clips and you know you will be getting a paint job that doesn't have different-colored body underneath the trim, should some of it get knocked off/dented/whatever.

Take your time, and you can do it.

[sleepertruck72]

When I removed my lower trim I tried to find all the retaining nuts. You will make easier if you remove the inner fenders so you can have easier access to the ones on the front fenders. The cab has one nut in the rear corner that I had to play with. The ones on the bed are fairly accessible. I am not sure about upper trim those were already MIA It was a long time when I did it, but I do remember that they also have double sided tape so you gotta play withh it and be gentle.My tailgate trim I left on just because so I cant help you there. Good luck !

[sameyrasmea72]

If you have upper and lower molding, and you want to do it right, I would take out the inner fenders. It is not that difficult, just time consuming. Just remove wheel/tire to get out inner fender after you remove all the bolts. Then you reach around, under, in, through to remove the nuts from the clips. If you are really talented you can even remove the Custom/Cheyenne emblems.

The doors should be fairly easy. Check all the ends for screws or nuts. I know the lower molding on mine had a nut behind the door hinge( good luck with that one). The middle portion of the door trim in 1972 should be stick on clips, if not look/feel inside door for the nuts for the clips

The passenger side of the cab ain’t to bad, you should be able to reach in there around the jack area and loosen the nuts. Two for each piece. If the gas tank is in the normal position, GOOD LUCK WITH THE DRIVERS SIDE CAB PIECES.

On the bed, the upper should have pop in clips at each end. The center portion of a 72 truck upper trim should be stick on clips. On the lower trim look for two screws on each side at the very rear near the bumper. On the rest of the truck bed crawl under the truck you should be able to see some pop in clips that you can squeeze together with needle nose and push out, And maybe some clips have the nuts which are easy, and there may be some stick on clips as well…….Jason

[sameyrasmea72]

This sound like a lot of work, and it is, but we are talking about your TRUCK. And when it comes to trucks, Nothing is as important as a paint job…..JMO

[pat123]

I have a 69 with upper and lower trim. Most of the lower are held on with nuts at the back of the door, fender, Box, and Cab. The most of the upper are clipped in. The bottom trim was easy, but the top was a little more difficult. I didnt really know the proper way to remove it so i GENTLY wedged a screw driver behind it and pryde. Managed to get it off with little to no damage. Before i did this i search also for info on the proper way to remove it but didnt find anything. If someone knows how to do it this it would be a great help in the future. Also by prying it off i bend it in spots, so its a little wavy. Should i be able to bend it back with no problems?

[drewdude92]

to get the driver side cab upper molding how sameyrasmea72 said good luck like it is impossible well it isnt....if you have the hole in the door for the air relief or whatever it is there is just one screw holding it in then reach your hand in and take the two bolts holding the trim on. If you dont have the relief hole or whatever its called.....gonna have to pull the tank lol

[Gray Ghost]

I tried to carefully remove mine to sell it but quickly learned that nothing of the sort was going to happen. It's a major PITA to remove all the trim, especially on the bed where you can't get to the back to remove the clips or nuts. I'd let them remove it unless you are really patient.