Window surround removal instructions

[baf3472]

Ive been looking for a while to find instructions on how to swap out the window surround from chrome to black. Ive just done it and took some pics and figured I would write up some instructions for anyone else trying to do this. I will warn you that I am the worst photographer and writer around so Im going to try my best to write these out but i can answer any questions anyone might have.
Removing the belt trim has been covered on here before so I wont go into too much detail but its basically one little screw and then you pull up and slide them out.
Those pieces need to be removed first for all 4 doors.
Rear doors
After youve removed the belt trim, you have remove the applique. They are held on with double sided tape and 3 spring clips. The way I removed them was to pull the piece back a little bit and then I used a knife to carefully and slowly cut the tape and then use a trim clip remover to pull up the 3 clips. You'll notice on the piece I removed, the clips actually came off the applique. 2 of the appliques came off like this, the other 2, the clips came off still attached. The ones that came off with the clips attached were later in the day when it had warmed up a bit so Im not sure if the heat made them easier to remove. Either way. the clips reattach easily to the applique by pushing clips down on the applique back.

After the applique is removed, you have to remove the top piece first. Theres about 2" of double sided tape on the front edge. I used a knife under the piece to cut away as much tape as I could and then used a heat gun and just pulled it back real slowly and it released pretty easily. The top piece is held on with a bunch of clips. The easiest way to remove them is with a belt trim removal tool. I didnt have that so I just pulled down real hard and was able to get them off.
These are the clips. Theres about 5 per piece

The back c-shaped piece is held on with mostly tape and 2 small clips. I used a heat gun to soften then tape and was able to pull the piece out starting from the top. The bottom is a little trickier because thats where the clips are and it also slides down over the window piece.

Installing the new pieces is pretty much the reverse. Start with the rear piece and then install the top and then the bottom. I kept the tape backing on all the pieces till everything was in place and then removed the backing and pressed firmly into place.
Front Doors
The belt moulding and the top trim piece are the same as the rear.
For the triangular piece, you have to remove the mirror. Theres 3 clips that hold the corner trim piece in place and you need to at least loosen the mirror to get to them. I tried doing it by not removing the whole door panel and just loosening the corner piece of the interior door panel and bending it back, but getting to one of the bolts seemed impossible so I removed the bolts behind the handle from the door panel and loosened the clips on the front of the door panel to be able to get to the bottom nut for the mirror. I didnt remove the door panel or mirror completely and I did have someone holding the mirror up so it wouldnt be hanging from the wires.

Sorry if my instructions arent that great but if anyone has any specific questions, I'll be more than glad to try and answer them.

 

[Techna]

Thanks for taking the time to put this together.