H3 upper grille removal step by step

[Bananatank]

Make sure you get the edges really good. Flip it over on the face and spray around the edges from the backside. Then flip it and spray the front. I didn't and I can see chrome around the edges on mine. I gotta take my grill off again to replace all the clips I broke so I'll respray it. I don't wanna have to take it off again for quite some time cause those clips cost me $30.

Well now i gotta be all careful once you told me that lol. I still haven't done my grille bc im so picky on what to use to paint it. So you had some trouble with the grille coming of hu?


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[digglesworth]

Well now i gotta be all careful once you told me that lol. I still haven't done my grille bc im so picky on what to use to paint it. So you had some trouble with the grille coming of hu?


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its a common problem... theres 4 clips (2 on each side) that take a good tug once all the bolts and nuts are out. they are old and brittle. sometimes you get lucky and they don't break. I did not. I think 3 of the 4 broke. maybe even all 4. its good to have them on hand or at least make sure your local dealer has some. mine didn't and it took a few days to get em. they were around $8/each. that's really the only thing that can go wrong.

 

[1sBtrThnN0ne]

The benefit of dip is if you want to remove it later. If you don't plan on going back to chrome, just use the spray on bed liner. I used dip on my grill and its held up real well but I will be respraying it with bedliner once the weather allows.

 

[Hayden]

Alright thx!


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np, heres the pics



in this one you can see how its hard to get clean

 

[Bananatank]

np, heres the pics

View attachment 14006

in this one you can see how its hard to get clean

View attachment 14007

That looks really good. Will be doing this mod soon how many and did you go through if you can remember? And how long has it been on? Also can I ask what b/g you used? Lol sorry about all these questions.


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[mantracker]

Mine was chrome. I removed it, sanded it with an orbital sander, (80 grit), and took it to a Line-x shop. they line-xed it for $60.00. It's been on there for four years, and still looks like new.

 

[Bananatank]

Mine was chrome. I removed it, sanded it with an orbital sander, (80 grit), and took it to a Line-x shop. they line-xed it for $60.00. It's been on there for four years, and still looks like new.

A lot of ppl have suggested line-xing it. But i just don't know if i like that look of texture very rough imo. Really like the plastidip. But I want something to be on there a while but the bedlining does that well sns plastidip doesn't. So still deciding.


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[Bananatank]

So i looked at how i could take this grille off and it appears that the previous owner of my vehicle looks like he just barely hit another car or pulled into something just barely on accident idk just speculating. But it appears the grille is scuffed up in the front a little. But it looks like the bottom part of the grille took the actual hit because it appears to be offset and drooping. So if i take the grille off im probably gonna have to take that off. If anyone has a pic of how to remove the bottom grille that would be a huge help. I may also have to be careful bc it appears the grille itself is getting a little scuffed from the hood but you can only see it if you open the hood. Guess I'll be fixing some things this weekend


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[Hayden]

That looks really good. Will be doing this mod soon how many and did you go through if you can remember? And how long has it been on? Also can I ask what b/g you used? Lol sorry about all these questions.


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Dont be sorry about questions haha, its how you learn things i was the same way and still am! But i used 2 or 3 cans i cant remeber which for some reason but im leaning more towards 2. its been on for 3-4 months probably and if by b/g you mean background i just put in on those cinder blocks just like in the pic i posted earlier and did it outside haha

 

[Bananatank]

Dont be sorry about questions haha, its how you learn things i was the same way and still am! But i used 2 or 3 cans i cant remeber which for some reason but im leaning more towards 2. its been on for 3-4 months probably and if by b/g you mean background i just put in on those cinder blocks just like in the pic i posted earlier and did it outside haha

Lol no i was talking about your brush guard lmao


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[Hayden]

Lol no i was talking about your brush guard lmao


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:shameh, its the oem one, was an option at purchase

 

[Bananatank]

:shameh, its the oem one, was an option at purchase

Kk just wondering.


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[Airborne]

Hey Banana,
I Plastidipped my grill about a month ago. (While it was still snowy here). It has held up decently for "normal" wear. I mean it has been washed a few times (drive through and hand wash with pressure washers) and out on the roads with snow/ice/salt for a month. It still looks really good. That being said.... I have been spending a lot of time under the hood doing performance mods. I always put a blanket/old towel on the grill or where ever I am working so my belt or what ever doesnt scratch anything. This last time I was under there for several hours and spending a lot of time working directly working over the grille. After I cleaned everything up I pulled the blanket off and had a part of plasti dip stuck to the blanket. It only pulled part of it off but it left a chunk about the size of the quarter showing that ugly chrome. I got the can out and patched the missing part back up. The beauty of Plasti dip is that its extremely forgiving. Meaning you can "patch" a part that came off and you wont be able to tell the difference. BUT.... I don't like having to patch things.
The grille of the truck is literally the front line of everything we driving into. My biggest concern are rocks on the freeway etc. After the one experience with the blanket it was pretty evident that putting plastidip on a part of the vehicle that is meant to take abuse will lead to patching and fixing down the road. No doubt about it.
I am going to remove mine and do a bed liner on it. A quick search will show you there are several options for the bedliner. Roller, spray can, pro spray with a gun etc etc. I think you may be scared of the "textured" look of a bedliner. I would look at the spray can options in that case. They leave a finish just like plastidip. What I'm getting at here is that plastidip and fingernail polish are about the same category as far as I am concerned. They last decently and can be removed when you want but ask your girlfriend once one of their nails chips they want to get them done again. You will get a rock on your grille and have a nice ugly chrome piece shining in the sunlight while the rest of your grille is all blacked out and bad ass. You will be bugged by it I'm sure.

Plastidip does has its place on my vehicle ie my fake air cleaners are done as well as the fake hood vent and they are still perfect. I would look really hard at how many times a year you want to "fix" the plastidip on your grille or living with little chrome pieces shining through from road hazards that will hit it.

 

[Airborne]

Here is a pic of mine done. There is no doubt it looks a million times better. The question is now how you go about doing it.
Check out hayden's second pic you can see in the upper right corner of the grille the chrome is showing through.

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BTW I just left it on the truck when I did it. I took my time taped the parts off that needed it and made sure to hit all the angles.
A heads up a paper towel works PERFECTLY to shield the head lights and signals and you don't even need to tape it in there just slide it in. (saves time)

 

[Bananatank]

Hey Banana,
I Plastidipped my grill about a month ago. (While it was still snowy here). It has held up decently for "normal" wear. I mean it has been washed a few times (drive through and hand wash with pressure washers) and out on the roads with snow/ice/salt for a month. It still looks really good. That being said.... I have been spending a lot of time under the hood doing performance mods. I always put a blanket/old towel on the grill or where ever I am working so my belt or what ever doesnt scratch anything. This last time I was under there for several hours and spending a lot of time working directly working over the grille. After I cleaned everything up I pulled the blanket off and had a part of plasti dip stuck to the blanket. It only pulled part of it off but it left a chunk about the size of the quarter showing that ugly chrome. I got the can out and patched the missing part back up. The beauty of Plasti dip is that its extremely forgiving. Meaning you can "patch" a part that came off and you wont be able to tell the difference. BUT.... I don't like having to patch things.
The grille of the truck is literally the front line of everything we driving into. My biggest concern are rocks on the freeway etc. After the one experience with the blanket it was pretty evident that putting plastidip on a part of the vehicle that is meant to take abuse will lead to patching and fixing down the road. No doubt about it.
I am going to remove mine and do a bed liner on it. A quick search will show you there are several options for the bedliner. Roller, spray can, pro spray with a gun etc etc. I think you may be scared of the "textured" look of a bedliner. I would look at the spray can options in that case. They leave a finish just like plastidip. What I'm getting at here is that plastidip and fingernail polish are about the same category as far as I am concerned. They last decently and can be removed when you want but ask your girlfriend once one of their nails chips they want to get them done again. You will get a rock on your grille and have a nice ugly chrome piece shining in the sunlight while the rest of your grille is all blacked out and bad ass. You will be bugged by it I'm sure.

Plastidip does has its place on my vehicle ie my fake air cleaners are done as well as the fake hood vent and they are still perfect. I would look really hard at how many times a year you want to "fix" the plastidip on your grille or living with little chrome pieces shining through from road hazards that will hit it.

This is perfectly well worded because i love how plastidip comes out in the matte black color and thats one thing i don't like about bed lining it. From what I can see most of the ppl who bedline their grille it either greys a lot or it's very textured but i also think thats a good thing almost like that texture looks good on a hummer so im torn. This morning i was planning on doing plastidip until i read this lmao. So what are some suggestions for probably spray on bedliner then? And a pic of what you used please.



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[Airborne]

Check this out. She used bedliner spray and it came out just like the plastidip matte look.
http://www.hummer4x4offroad.com/for...MustangGirl666-s-2007-Hummer-H3X-Build-Thread

Specifically look at her mirrors. They look exactly like OE plastic mirrors. Hope that helps.

 

[Bananatank]

Check this out. She used bedliner spray and it came out just like the plastidip matte look.
http://www.hummer4x4offroad.com/for...MustangGirl666-s-2007-Hummer-H3X-Build-Thread

Specifically look at her mirrors. They look exactly like OE plastic mirrors. Hope that helps.

Yea hers looks good but I'm looking for ppl who have done it over the grille so i have something to compare it with I've been suggested duplicolor a lot so if anyone has a pic of theres that would be great. My only two problems with Bedliner are the texture which isn't to bad and the loss of color and its hard to clean i hear.


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