side trim clips

[57 imposter]

Is there a sure fire way to get the side trim clips to release? I tried to get them to pop lose and they wouldn't let go . I was getting worried that I was going to bend the stainless. from the inside they look like they just barely come thru the sheet metal and look like they should come loose fairly easy.

[Ford Blue blood]

Take the nuts off the front and rear of the fender trim.  Gently lift the top portion outward until you can get a tongue depresser (or similar thin item) under the upper edge and then work toward the front (or the rear if you start up front), as you get close to one of the clips the trim should pop off.  It has been my experience that they like to come off from the top and go back on opposite the way they came off.  The clips themselves...put a screw driver between the two tabs sticking out and twist them apart, the clip will fall off.  To put them back on just use a plier to squish the tabs together.

[57 imposter]

Thanks ...if I am understanding you,it sounds like the stainless comes off of the clip first and the clip comes off the car. Is that correct? May get a chance to mess with them today.,

[RICH MUISE]

My stainless came off with the clips. Make sure you have the nuts off all the clips with threaded studs...there may be more than just the ends....I'm sure there is on the long rear fender pieces. The clips were put on with caulking at the factory, and probably has hardened so you may want to check the ones you can see from the inside and scrape off any old caulking with a small flat bladed screwdriver first. That hardened caulking may make it more difficult for the clips to collapse allowing it to be pulled out of the hole. You are correct..that stainless will distort fairly easily so go slow and careful.

[Frankenstein57]

The stainless on the doors have screws hiding under the rubber seal, easy to miss those.  Mark

[57 imposter]

Thanks guys, have to take advantage of a break in the rain to get some irrigation work done that has to be done by Sunday night ,rain or shine, and then I am going to take another run at the trim.