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Help installing trim

blackbetty86

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Oct 2, 2022
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What's the best way to install stainless trim back on the drip rail? 86 power ram just got it back from paint and body work and I have a really nice set of trim that I don't want to mess up. I'm only going from front center to driver side and I know that the door side is under the piece that comes around the windshield. I'm thinking this needs a forceful but light touch to install correctly.
 
I've done a few of these. There is no good way to describe in writing how to do this. It is VERY difficult. You'll need to start in the bend, middle of the over door piece. But before this go look at a bunch of other pickups with this trim, you'll find out how poorly these actually on the drip rail from the factory. Now go find a rubber hammer and a lot of patients (and maybe a spare set of trim).
 
Thanks Captain, Good cleaning and a little polishing and inspecting for any deformation of the trim lip that catches the rail I grabbed my rubber mallet and my patients on Thursday and gave it a try. I started just as you suggested in your reply. I placed the door piece and kind of found the sweet spot in the bend that would put the end (which is capped) just past the end of the drip rail down by the door handle and hooked the top side of the rail first just forward and aft of the 90 degree bend, did same with the windshield piece and checked how well the pieces overlapped up top just past that turn. All was looking good, small sigh of relief gather some more patients and start clipping these things on right! wrong. This is where it gets very difficult. Now by doing some research on u tube earlier in the day I found some very good vids on stainless trim and learned that its best to hook the top first and snap on the bottom last and use the mallet only when absolutely necessary with the lightest of taps possible. Well I used this technique with success to a certain degree. After SEVERAL try's to snap it all in place I stopped, thought about this for a bit, walked around to the passenger side to have another look at that 90 around the door which is still factory installed as far as I can tell, and I noticed that the bend isn't actually clipped on but looks like it is. The top lip of the trim is narrower and kind of just follows the bend and gets wider again in the straight part. I thought this has to be correct, so I continued on with a few more attempts and finally got it all snapped in place. WHEW! patients totally gone but had just enough. Stood back and looked and looked for anything wrong or off about it. It looks great, glad that's done. Sorry for this long post but if it helps just one person dealing with their trim troubles then that's a winner. Now on to the cab visor, whare in the hell did I put my patients. Thanks Cap..
 
Visor install went very well, will post some pics of truck when I get her done.
 
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