How to Remove Body Molding
- 1). Turn on the heat gun and heat the body molding you want to remove. Some types of moldings use an adhesive backing to secure the molding to the body panel, while other vehicles use retaining pins or clips. For adhesive moldings, you'll need to heat the molding to at least 80 degrees Fahrenheit to make the adhesive pliable enough for you to pry it off.
- 2). Place a clean rag or cloth flat against the body molding you want to remove to protect the paint around the molding.
- 3). Wedge the teeth or the flat edge (depending on your specific tool) of a trim removal tool underneath the body molding you want to remove. Trim removal tools are essentially small crowbar devices sold in most auto parts stores, and are designed for removing trim and body moldings on vehicles. Be careful that you do not dig into any unprotected part of the vehicle and that you do not accidentally distort the surrounding body panel.
- 4). Pry up on the trim to pull it off the vehicle. Make sure you are not denting or deforming the surrounding panel during this process. This can be tricky, so you need to be very gentle while you are prying on the molding. For vehicles that use an adhesive backing, you may need to start on a corner or an end of a body panel and work your way around or across the panel you want to remove. Once the panel has been pried up, do not let it rest against the body again, or it will adhere to it as the adhesive cools.
For pin or retaining clip-type molding, once you pop the clip out of its position, you can move on to the next clip. Be careful not to accidentally break the molding, as many body moldings are made of plastic and will chip or crack rather easily.
