Wheel Arch Moulding Etc

[mick3pugs 1]

Hi guys,

 

Am having some work done on my 205 Gti auto and would like to know how easy it is to remove the rear wheel arch mouldings and other mouldings, without snapping anything!

 

Any advice please??

 

Mick

Edited June 14, 2010 by mick3pugs

[Obey_R 23]

I just pulled! Nothing has broken off, but some of the clips were already missing.

[Paulmac19 4]

Remove the trim insert first then gently remove the little black clips and the rear trim should now come off

 

The door trim is pretty much the same ie remove insert remove clips but under the trim you will prob just end up with rusted clips that you can't reuse and they are no longer stocked by pug

 

The front arch has little o ring retaining clips that go through the front wing remove these first on the inside of the wing prob covered in muck then remove trim and black clips hey presto Simples!

Edited June 14, 2010 by Paulmac19

[GLPoomobile 958]

Here's how I do it.

 

First, the red trims. On the longer strips you can just pop them off the clips by gently levering under bottom edge with a flat screwdriver. On the short strips on the front wings they usually won't come off that way as they are held on to a different type of clip, so I usually leave these in place and just remove the arch with them on. More on that later.

 

Next remove plastic clips that are under the red strips. These slide off to one side only. I usually use the flat of the screwdriver on one side and give it a shove, and if you've got the right direction it'll just pop off the rivet thing.

 

When you've got all the plastic clips off, the door trims can be slid downwards and removed.

 

Now the arches. These are held in by a combination of barbed plastic plugs, and smooth plugs that are secured behind the arch by those nasty spiked washer things. IIRC the washers are usually fixed at 9 o'clock, 12 o'clock, and 3 o'clock. You need to get inside the arch and work those washers off the clip with a screwdriver. You can just go for brute force and yank the trim off, which will pop the washer off as the arch comes away, but I don't recommend it as you can snap the plug (and as it's part of the arch moulding, you don't want to do that as it won't fit flush with the wing when you refit it).

 

Once all of the above is done, you literally just start pulling the trim from the car, making sure you hold it near to each barbed plug (ideally one hand either side of a plug at a time, if you can get your hands in), and making sure you don't bend the trim too much. Most of these plugs will probably need to be replaced as the plastic barbs are very delicate. And as for the short red trim I mentioned earlier, that is held on by 2 (IIRC) barbed plugs too, but if you try removing it in situ you will no doubt bend the delicate metal, which is why I recommend leaving it on the trim and just pulling the arch off complete.

[flipperthebushkangaroo 2]

Here's how I do it.

 

You need to get inside the arch and work those washers off the clip with a screwdriver. You can just go for brute force and yank the trim off, which will pop the washer off as the arch comes away, but I don't recommend it as you can snap the plug (and as it's part of the arch moulding, you don't want to do that as it won't fit flush with the wing when you refit it).

 

Does anyone know of a tool that works well at removing these clips i always end up fighting with them worried that if i'm too rough it will break the plug as mentioned by GLP, some sort of screwdriver claw thing perhaps?

Please note my use of correct technical termanology!!!!!!!!

[mick3pugs 1]

Thanks all,

Managed to get the trim off....just before GLPoomobiles very informative post,using the brute force method!!!but it worked (though I thought I was going to bend the arch or brake the trim)!!!!!

Cheers.