Ranger window and grille chrome removal

[bigmuddy]

Someone school me on the best way to remove the window and grille chrome?

I would like to shine it back and up and reinstall after my bronco rebuild is completed and back from paint.

 

[AZ73]

Both are annodized so you can't really shine them up. You must strip the annodization off to the bare aluminum to polish it. It's the annodization that's dull. Then of course you don't have the protective coating on them anymore. I chose to send to a polishing shop where they stripped and polished the pieces for me. You can have them powder coated with a clear when you're done or anodize them again. I chose to just leave them bare aluminum and will wax them. I stripped a junk piece of trim using greased lighting, did a quick polish, wiped with alcohol to clean (everclear is your friend!) then sprayed with a clear UV resistant (so it doesn't yellow) coating as a test, but the coating bubbled so I decided to just leave them polished and wax.

The grill is held on with about 10 nuts on the back side.

The window trim that's on the rubber gaskets is held in with a "j" type hook on the back pressed into a slit in the rubber. Since your gasket should be off for paint it should just pull right out. The trim that's on the door frame is "clipped" on. it's slightly bowed so it grabs the frame. Pry from the back side starting at an end and work your way around. Then again if it's at paint, you probably don't have the trim on the door frames.

 

[bigmuddy]

Thanks! Very helpful.

I guess I will look at buying new grille “chrome”

The windshield and door “chrome”. Still looks good.


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[tirewater]

My 2 cents is to try to polish it the best you can while it's on the vehicle. It's not hard to accidently tweak the molding while removing or putting it back on.

 

[pbwcr]

Use a utility knife and cut the rubber and throw it away. Take the Al parts and use oven off to remove the anodize then polish and have the things powder coated clear. Buy new rubber and install.
Yes, at least one vendor sells new "chrome" if your wallet is big enough.
If your "chrome" is dented the buy new because it is nearly impossible to repair dents.
Someone said use body filler on the dents then paint with the color of your choice.
Good luck.

 

[bigmuddy]

Use a utility knife and cut the rubber and throw it away. Take the Al parts and use oven off to remove the anodize then polish and have the things powder coated clear. Buy new rubber and install.
Yes, at least one vendor sells new "chrome" if your wallet is big enough.
If your "chrome" is dented the buy new because it is nearly impossible to repair dents.
Someone said use body filler on the dents then paint with the color of your choice.
Good luck.

I like the idea of stripping and powder paying clear. All of the trim on my rig is nice enough without dents.


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[BronCowie]

I always wondered how the windshield chrome was attached. It pulls off fairly easily, you just have to work it out of the slots in the windshield rubber gasket. Here's what the backside of the chrome trim looks like.

 

[bigmuddy]

Thanks everyone, not so much worried about the windshield chrome but am concerned about the door chrome trim and grille.

 

[68Broncoz]

It is easier to install the chrome in the rubber then install the glass into the top/ windshield.

At least that is what I was told and how I installed my windshield chrome and windshield all at one time.

Chris

 

[BronCowie]

It is easier to install the chrome in the rubber then install the glass into the top/ windshield.

At least that is what I was told and how I installed my windshield chrome and then windshield all at one time.

Chris

Yes, I've seen that in a video. I think it was TBP, they recommended installing the chrome on the rubber 1st, then put the glass in and rope the entire assy at one time.

 

[Bitch'nBronco]

I wet sanded the anodized coating off of it, got the dents out, polished and then ceramic coated them. They've held up great over the past 5ish years

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[bigmuddy]

I wet sanded the anodized coating off of it, got the dents out, polished and then ceramic coated them. They've held up great over the past 5ish years

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It is easier to install the chrome in the rubber then install the glass into the top/ windshield.

At least that is what I was told and how I installed my windshield chrome and windshield all at one time.

Chris

Great info!

How about a pic or two? Also I haven’t heard of ceramic coating other than for headers etc?


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