How Do Most Poeple Remove Those Body Panel Clips?

[96gstdsm]

I guess kinda a dumb question, but my side skirt fell off and all those damn body panel clips are still stuck in but broken. Anyone have a special trick or anything to get them out of there? Tried ripping a couple out but just broke off more and now nothing to grab on most of them to remove them. Tired of having that piece missing!

 

[the_skin_eater]

What part is broken? And are you talking about the black ones with the small piece that slides into the top to expand the bottom?

If so then use some pliers or a screw driver....Theres a tool you can pick up too, seen one at the local auto paint store, that takes em out.

 

[96gstdsm]

What part is broken? And are you talking about the black ones with the small piece that slides into the top to expand the bottom?

If so then use some pliers or a screw driver....Theres a tool you can pick up too, seen one at the local auto paint store, that takes em out.

The pieces i am talking about are white on my car. They are the clips that hold the side skirt part to the rest of the car. They are supposed to kinda slide onto the side skirt and then be clipped into the holes on the side of the car. The part that slides onto the side skirt have broken off leaving only the part stuck into the side of the car left. There is not really anything to grab anymore, and the way those body clips work is they spread out inside the hole so that they cannot be backed out. kinda like a barbed type of a thing. Just wondering if anyone had any special tricks or anything to get those out?

 

[IslandTSI]

Needle nose pliers, or heat up a coat hanger and push it into ht plastic. melt it and pull it out

 

[Auto RS T]

Get a bondo spreader and cut a notch in it to go under the head of the clip. Cut it so the edges are snug to the shaft. Slide the notched spreader under the head of the clip and pop it out. Maybe even an old credit card or something of that sort would work.

 

[pagosa dsm]

there are special clip removal tools. the manufactures are kd tools, lisle tools snap on tools vim tools. you can buy them fron any moble tool dealer , parts house , paint and body store. probability they will break because they are over 10 years old. the clip remover will save your panels. you can buy new clips from the dealer, the paint store, or special clip sales men. alveco, larson,curtis,wurth, winzer, . i hope this helps

 

[96gstdsm]

Thanks alot all for help. I will try one of those tools probably and just hope they wont all completely snap off. Seem to be very brittle though so might have to try one of the other methods mentioned like melting it or something.