Has anyone come up with some rocker trim tricks?

[Modifier]

I have spent the better part of 2 hrs. trying to get my dang rocker trim to stay on. I knew what I was getting into, but come on this is ridiculous. I have brand new trim pieces L and R. I have brand new 904 clips from Blunt. I can get the trim popped on but then it just wants to pop back off. Frustrating! The entire front suspension rebuild was easier!

Has anyone come up with any tricks? Any different clips that work?

[gwb72tii]

3M makes double sided foam adhesive tape specifically for auto trim

i had to use it on my son's car that has alpina flares that, because of a slight misalignment in their fitting, caused an interference between the rocker trim and the front panel. the tape is basically gorilla snot applied to foam tape, super strong and tacky

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001OX78CU/ref=oss_product

[gastephens]

There are multiple problems you will/have encountered:

1. The holes may be enlarged from rust and will not hold the plastic fasteners.

Glue them in. If they almost fit, clean the holes and surrounding area very well, removing any rust scale and alcohol to get a clean surface. Put a blob of JB Quik on there and set the plastic fastener in it.

OR

Drill new holes. Make sure you paint inside the new and old holes to stop rust.

2. The plastic fasteners do not hold the trim well.

Make sure you have the right ones. I have two types and one type fits better than the other. Not sure where I got them or when.

Bend the metal on the back of the trim to make the plastic fastener snap in tightly.

3. Your trim may be bent up and wants to pop off.

Use the metal screw-on fasteners at both the front and the rear of the trim. Drill a small hole for the rear one that you can reach from the rear wheel well. Make sure you paint inside the hole to prevent rust.

[MikeWooldridge]

Just finished this same problem:

2. The plastic fasteners do not hold the trim well.

Bend the metal on the back of the trim to make the plastic fastener snap in tightly.

This will fix the problem. Generally, the trim has been off and on before, and the metal has flexed enough that the opening is too large. As was mentioned, bend the metal on the back of the trim so when you snap, it locks in place. In my case, I had to really overdo it to get the clips to hold. The other scenerio would be to relocate the holes so you're putting the clips in an area that has not been bent inwards by the clips. But then, you've go more holes to contend with.

Hope this fixes your problem. It did on mine.

[worzella]

This too, gave me grief... but if you ensure the metal is straight and tight as the previous poster suggested, my only advice is this.... when you install it,

don't try to place the rocker against the clip and push.... instead, tilt the trim slightly and hook the bottom edge under the bottom of the clip and then

apply upward pressure on the trim.. and as you push up, then push in till you here the nice snap sound.

By doing this, you don't deform the metal and instead get the metal edges

behind the clip 4 corners.

Good luck!

[worzella]

This too, gave me grief... but if you ensure the metal is straight and tight as the previous poster suggested, my only advice is this.... when you install it,

don't try to place the rocker against the clip and push.... instead, tilt the trim slightly and hook the bottom edge under the bottom of the clip and then

apply upward pressure on the trim.. and as you push up, then push in till you here the nice snap sound.

By doing this, you don't deform the metal and instead get the metal edges

behind the clip 4 corners.

Good luck!

[gastephens]

Yeah, what he said. That is the approach for the upper trim too.

[Modifier]

Yeah, my problem is the fact that the new clips will not hold the trim on. Well, it does but then it just pops back off. The clips do stay in the holes on the car just fine - no rust there. And, the trim is brand new so it hasn't come on and off (yet lol). I do like the idea of the bolt at the back of the trim like the front one - I will have to do that for sure. Thanks guys!

Oh, and I have attempted to tilt the trim first. The upper trim worked so well doing this - not the rocker trim though!

[Pierre]

Thank you for reaffirming my decision to delete the rocker trim and weld the holes shut.

[Modifier]

Pierre - That is the exact thought I had as I was attempting to install them this afternoon. I already deleted my side molding so not sure why I didn't just do the same to the rocker trim. Oh well.

[gastephens]

I recall having that same reaction the first time I tried to deal with it. It sounds like you have the ill-fitting plastic pieces. If I recall correctly, they are too fat. I think that I might have re-profiled mine with a Dremel in order to get them to fit right.

Get yourself a beer. Pull off the entire trim piece and take it to a comfortable well-lit spot. Get one of those friggin plastic pieces and sit down and play with the fit. Figure out why it won't stay in the trim and then fix it.

[1453aalapapa]

this problem will NEVER go away. we sell a lot of the clips. bmw has "reproduced" them, and the repro ones are a tad smaller than the old ones. of course, they have been told many times they are the wrong size. and this is NOT the only part

[gastephens]

That's right, they are too small. That is why I bent the metal to make them fit. I try to lose these headaches right after I have them!

If you have any of the original fasteners, I think you can use the center pins from the new ones to re-use the ones that fit.