put them in the oven at 350 degrees for I think 10 minutes or so , and they come right apart budREDD04 said:
Door handles and mirrors
- Thread starter amtrucker22
- Start date
Stinker said:
as crazy as that sounds i would try that but no oven.....army doesnt trust me with an oven apparently in the barracks haha:dontknow:
here ya go
I got this for ya'll off Dodge talk, so its not mine, but relatively easy to do for those that want red, blue, silver or any other color for that matter
Ok fellas, much discussion has been had lately about clearing your headlights and the possibility of painting them to match your truck. I will show you how, step by step. However first please understand that I am not a professional mechanic, I do have a lot of experience but, my ways are exactly that, and there is probably thousands of ways to do this. So if I say thingy or use the wrong term, please bear with me. I am not sure how to add pictures right on the page (But I do) so you will have to settle for attachments (Not anymore...). Here we go.
Step 1- Removing the light
There are 3 screws marked by yellow circles and one tab yellow square holding your light on.
Two are easy to get at but the bottom one is a little trickier but not too bad. Use a 10mm socket and an extension to get the bottom one. I recommend putting a towel down on the bumper when getting at the bottom screw so you don't mess up your paint. Just push down on the bumper and you should be able to get at it, you may need 2 extensions. On the passenger's side, the tab is easy to get to. Reach in and squeeze the top and bottom of the tab as you wiggle the light and you will feel it let loose. Also, remember that there is a rubber seal with about 6 tabs on the inside of each light, see picture.
I just unhooked each and left the seal hanging there. Ok, the light is out and now you can see on the picture where the screws were just so you can get an idea in your head before you start.
The drivers side tab is impossible to get to through the engine compartment, so I removed a couple screws from the wheel well liner but it shouldn't be a problem for you low riders since you probably don’t have liners (SLAMMED1)
Step 2- Separating the light pieces
This isn't too bad. Just remember one thing.... Patience!!! You'll be prying it open like a clam shell but if it doesn't noticeably give, then the glue is not hot enough yet, put it back in the oven for another 5-10. Put the light, lens down, on a towel in the oven on a cookie sheet at 150 degrees for 10 min.
Take out the light after ten minutes and pry up the 2 little tabs that is the inner part of the light, see pic.
Don't pry up the side with the 3 little tabs first, do the side shown in the picture.
Part 3 Seperating the halves of the (sandwich)
Now you can see that it isn't so hard to get them apart. Keep prying at it until you have it separated.
You will notice that the glue starts to harden after you leave it out of the oven, which is a good thing since it’s only messy, and you only need it hot to separate the two halves. Some have said that you need to grind off the tabs which hold the light together like a sandwich, but I did it without grinding them off just so I could have the added comfort of strength on the finished product...more is more.
Part 4- Removing the middle
In my opinion, this was trickier than separating the two halves of the sandwich. Only because it is so fragile. I say fragile meaning the chrome part of the middle of the "sandwich" is very sensitive and scratches easily. So if you aren't blacking them out or adding color, BE VERY CAREFULL. In this picture, you will see me pointing to a very important tab. This holds the middle chrome piece in.
With a small screwdriver, reach in and pry it up just enough to clear the lens. KEEP IN MIND IT IS PLASTIC AND WILL BREAK IF YOU PUT TOO MUCH PRESSURE ON IT.
This tab acts as a spring of sorts by keeping pressure on the chrome piece in the lens. So now that you have the tab portion of the chrome out, you can just pull up on it all and it will come out like this.
Part 5 Removing the reflector (The whole reason were here)
So, it comes to this. All this work for this piece of plastic. Some say to grind off the tabs on the back of the reflector. I just cut mine off with a box knife. Just remember to be careful, if you are not blacking out, don't scratch the chrome middle. I always had a towel lying on the counter to act as a soft non scratch surface ALSO, VERY IMPORTANT!! I didn't realize this at first, but when you remove the reflector it will leave 2 small and 2 large holes that are very noticeable, no DUH
Just thought you should know that going into this. I decided to fill mine and then paint.
Part 6- Painting or blacking out
I couldn't just take out the reflector. I am an over achiever and a perfectionist so I went the extra mile and painted mine to match my truck. Taping the chrome piece is crucial. There are no defined lines, so you have to decide what you are going to paint and what you are not, but if you paint the whole thing, you will not have very good headlights as the chrome interior acts as a reflector. SO you MUST!!! tape it off. This was the hardest part of the whole thing, (see perfectionist comment above). I finally realized that using a flexible tape would allow me to "bend" the tape around the corners so I used electrical tape just near the edges then painters tape to cover up the "bowl" portion. I say painters tape because it usually comes off somewhat easy and is not too sticky. If you use any other real sticky tape, it will pull the chrome plating off.....Trust me.
Part 7- Filling in the holes
I opted to fill in the 4 holes left by the reflector.
Dare I say bondo in this forum? NO!! I used 2 part body filler (paste and a catalyst). Mix a little up at a time and fill in the holes using a generous amount since you are going to sand off the excess anyway. There is a portion of the chrome middle piece that has the "beam deflector". Since you are going to be fiddling around painting and taping it, I removed this just to avoid breaking it, it's not hard, turn over the whole chrome piece and gently pry the tabs and pull out the bulb looking thing.
It makes taping that side (high beam side I think) easier. REMEMBER, the more you touch the inside "bowl" chrome reflectors, the more time you have to spend cleaning your finger prints off and take the chance of scratching them or something else, (Don’t get glue in these areas if at all possible) Ok, with either a block sander or a directional sander, sand down the parts where you filled the holes. Don't worry about sanding off the chrome, you’re painting anyway. Ok, make sure your lines are taped and all is covered and paint away. Make sure it's dry before handling, no one wants fingerprints. Replace the beam deflector and remove tape.
Part 8- Putting it back together
Alright!! We're almost done. Once you have accomplished your goal (just removing the reflector or painting), it is time to reassemble the light. This is pretty much the opposite of taking it apart but through my experience I found some useful tips. This is a good time to mention, if you got finger prints, or anything else on the INSIDE of the lens, get it out or you will be cursed at looking at it every time you wash your truck. Now, insert the chrome middle like you took it out, the non-tab end first. Take notice that the middle sort of sits suspended on tabs. Don't force it to touch the face of the lens. Look carefully, you will see little tabs on the chrome piece and recessed parts of the lens where the chrome tabs go. Put them all together and you know you have it right. Once the middle chrome section is firmly seated in the lens, it's time to go back to the oven. Again at 150 degrees, put both the lens portion and the headlight assembly potion back in. This time just to loosen up the glue on both halves. Before you do that though, take time to notice the "trench" that outlines the black headlight assembly see picture. This is where you’re going to be putting glue. After about 5-10 min in the oven, the glue should be pretty sticky again. Fill the "trench" up with glue all the way around. I recommend using this type of glue, I am almost positive it is the same kind, it smells the same when hot.
Before it all cools down, put the halves back together, snapping all the tabs over their respective posts.
It may take some muscle but it's not too hard. You will hear popping from the glue as it seats back into place. Once you have it all back together and all tabs in place, let it dry for about 20 min.
Part 9- Put lights back in
Pretty straight forward. You should have already put the fender liner back in place on the drivers side, you won't need access to the inside of the wheel well to put the light back in. IMPORTANT!!! Remember to hook up your bulbs first!!! If you put the light back in, screw it in and everything, you will have to take it all apart to get the bulbs back in the light. The wires are plenty long enough to do it first. Hopefully you were paying attention when you took them out, I didn't cover this as I feel bulb replacement is easy and I didn't want to patronize anyone. I would make sure that the blinkers and lights work at this time just to make sure. Pressing on, there are 3 half-inch plastic guideposts that go into corresponding holes. Pay close attention to the one beside where the square tab goes in on the outer part of each light. By outer, I mean away from the radiator. Line that up that post and put it in. Make sure you also line up the guideposts on the grill sides as shown in picture one in thread 1 (part1). You should now be able to "snap" the light back in. Then replace the screws, re-attach the rubber 6 tab inner light seal and you are done my friend. I hope that this has been informative. It just goes to show, don't be scared, try it and you will be rewarded. I am open to criticism but be nice. I am only helping.. I can take some pictures during the daylight tomorrow for all of you that would like to see. Rage on!!
I got this for ya'll off Dodge talk, so its not mine, but relatively easy to do for those that want red, blue, silver or any other color for that matter
Ok fellas, much discussion has been had lately about clearing your headlights and the possibility of painting them to match your truck. I will show you how, step by step. However first please understand that I am not a professional mechanic, I do have a lot of experience but, my ways are exactly that, and there is probably thousands of ways to do this. So if I say thingy or use the wrong term, please bear with me. I am not sure how to add pictures right on the page (But I do) so you will have to settle for attachments (Not anymore...). Here we go.
Step 1- Removing the light
There are 3 screws marked by yellow circles and one tab yellow square holding your light on.
Two are easy to get at but the bottom one is a little trickier but not too bad. Use a 10mm socket and an extension to get the bottom one. I recommend putting a towel down on the bumper when getting at the bottom screw so you don't mess up your paint. Just push down on the bumper and you should be able to get at it, you may need 2 extensions. On the passenger's side, the tab is easy to get to. Reach in and squeeze the top and bottom of the tab as you wiggle the light and you will feel it let loose. Also, remember that there is a rubber seal with about 6 tabs on the inside of each light, see picture.
I just unhooked each and left the seal hanging there. Ok, the light is out and now you can see on the picture where the screws were just so you can get an idea in your head before you start.
The drivers side tab is impossible to get to through the engine compartment, so I removed a couple screws from the wheel well liner but it shouldn't be a problem for you low riders since you probably don’t have liners (SLAMMED1)
Step 2- Separating the light pieces
This isn't too bad. Just remember one thing.... Patience!!! You'll be prying it open like a clam shell but if it doesn't noticeably give, then the glue is not hot enough yet, put it back in the oven for another 5-10. Put the light, lens down, on a towel in the oven on a cookie sheet at 150 degrees for 10 min.
Take out the light after ten minutes and pry up the 2 little tabs that is the inner part of the light, see pic.
Don't pry up the side with the 3 little tabs first, do the side shown in the picture.
Part 3 Seperating the halves of the (sandwich)
Now you can see that it isn't so hard to get them apart. Keep prying at it until you have it separated.
You will notice that the glue starts to harden after you leave it out of the oven, which is a good thing since it’s only messy, and you only need it hot to separate the two halves. Some have said that you need to grind off the tabs which hold the light together like a sandwich, but I did it without grinding them off just so I could have the added comfort of strength on the finished product...more is more.
Part 4- Removing the middle
In my opinion, this was trickier than separating the two halves of the sandwich. Only because it is so fragile. I say fragile meaning the chrome part of the middle of the "sandwich" is very sensitive and scratches easily. So if you aren't blacking them out or adding color, BE VERY CAREFULL. In this picture, you will see me pointing to a very important tab. This holds the middle chrome piece in.
With a small screwdriver, reach in and pry it up just enough to clear the lens. KEEP IN MIND IT IS PLASTIC AND WILL BREAK IF YOU PUT TOO MUCH PRESSURE ON IT.
This tab acts as a spring of sorts by keeping pressure on the chrome piece in the lens. So now that you have the tab portion of the chrome out, you can just pull up on it all and it will come out like this.
Part 5 Removing the reflector (The whole reason were here)
So, it comes to this. All this work for this piece of plastic. Some say to grind off the tabs on the back of the reflector. I just cut mine off with a box knife. Just remember to be careful, if you are not blacking out, don't scratch the chrome middle. I always had a towel lying on the counter to act as a soft non scratch surface ALSO, VERY IMPORTANT!! I didn't realize this at first, but when you remove the reflector it will leave 2 small and 2 large holes that are very noticeable, no DUH
Just thought you should know that going into this. I decided to fill mine and then paint.
Part 6- Painting or blacking out
I couldn't just take out the reflector. I am an over achiever and a perfectionist so I went the extra mile and painted mine to match my truck. Taping the chrome piece is crucial. There are no defined lines, so you have to decide what you are going to paint and what you are not, but if you paint the whole thing, you will not have very good headlights as the chrome interior acts as a reflector. SO you MUST!!! tape it off. This was the hardest part of the whole thing, (see perfectionist comment above). I finally realized that using a flexible tape would allow me to "bend" the tape around the corners so I used electrical tape just near the edges then painters tape to cover up the "bowl" portion. I say painters tape because it usually comes off somewhat easy and is not too sticky. If you use any other real sticky tape, it will pull the chrome plating off.....Trust me.
Part 7- Filling in the holes
I opted to fill in the 4 holes left by the reflector.
Dare I say bondo in this forum? NO!! I used 2 part body filler (paste and a catalyst). Mix a little up at a time and fill in the holes using a generous amount since you are going to sand off the excess anyway. There is a portion of the chrome middle piece that has the "beam deflector". Since you are going to be fiddling around painting and taping it, I removed this just to avoid breaking it, it's not hard, turn over the whole chrome piece and gently pry the tabs and pull out the bulb looking thing.
It makes taping that side (high beam side I think) easier. REMEMBER, the more you touch the inside "bowl" chrome reflectors, the more time you have to spend cleaning your finger prints off and take the chance of scratching them or something else, (Don’t get glue in these areas if at all possible) Ok, with either a block sander or a directional sander, sand down the parts where you filled the holes. Don't worry about sanding off the chrome, you’re painting anyway. Ok, make sure your lines are taped and all is covered and paint away. Make sure it's dry before handling, no one wants fingerprints. Replace the beam deflector and remove tape.
Part 8- Putting it back together
Alright!! We're almost done. Once you have accomplished your goal (just removing the reflector or painting), it is time to reassemble the light. This is pretty much the opposite of taking it apart but through my experience I found some useful tips. This is a good time to mention, if you got finger prints, or anything else on the INSIDE of the lens, get it out or you will be cursed at looking at it every time you wash your truck. Now, insert the chrome middle like you took it out, the non-tab end first. Take notice that the middle sort of sits suspended on tabs. Don't force it to touch the face of the lens. Look carefully, you will see little tabs on the chrome piece and recessed parts of the lens where the chrome tabs go. Put them all together and you know you have it right. Once the middle chrome section is firmly seated in the lens, it's time to go back to the oven. Again at 150 degrees, put both the lens portion and the headlight assembly potion back in. This time just to loosen up the glue on both halves. Before you do that though, take time to notice the "trench" that outlines the black headlight assembly see picture. This is where you’re going to be putting glue. After about 5-10 min in the oven, the glue should be pretty sticky again. Fill the "trench" up with glue all the way around. I recommend using this type of glue, I am almost positive it is the same kind, it smells the same when hot.
Before it all cools down, put the halves back together, snapping all the tabs over their respective posts.
It may take some muscle but it's not too hard. You will hear popping from the glue as it seats back into place. Once you have it all back together and all tabs in place, let it dry for about 20 min.
Part 9- Put lights back in
Pretty straight forward. You should have already put the fender liner back in place on the drivers side, you won't need access to the inside of the wheel well to put the light back in. IMPORTANT!!! Remember to hook up your bulbs first!!! If you put the light back in, screw it in and everything, you will have to take it all apart to get the bulbs back in the light. The wires are plenty long enough to do it first. Hopefully you were paying attention when you took them out, I didn't cover this as I feel bulb replacement is easy and I didn't want to patronize anyone. I would make sure that the blinkers and lights work at this time just to make sure. Pressing on, there are 3 half-inch plastic guideposts that go into corresponding holes. Pay close attention to the one beside where the square tab goes in on the outer part of each light. By outer, I mean away from the radiator. Line that up that post and put it in. Make sure you also line up the guideposts on the grill sides as shown in picture one in thread 1 (part1). You should now be able to "snap" the light back in. Then replace the screws, re-attach the rubber 6 tab inner light seal and you are done my friend. I hope that this has been informative. It just goes to show, don't be scared, try it and you will be rewarded. I am open to criticism but be nice. I am only helping.. I can take some pictures during the daylight tomorrow for all of you that would like to see. Rage on!!
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