How donI remove this Stupid thing

CoCaDoRi · Jun 22, 2019

Trying to replace the poor excuse for a mud guard on my 3500....
It has this plastic thing... I don’t wanna yank too hard for fear of damaging the fender flair...
How the hell do you remove it???

duckman631 · Jun 22, 2019

CoCaDoRi said:
Trying to replace the poor excuse for a mud guard on my 3500....
It has this plastic thing... I don’t wanna yank too hard for fear of damaging the fender flair...
How the hell do you remove it???

View attachment 170829

I feel for ya. I hate that it seems every time I go to do something on the truck, I always get a curveball. They can’t make anything easy. Personally, I would be pissed as soon as I realized I have no idea how to get it off and cursing the fact they couldn’t have just used a regular fastener and I would pop it out with a screwdriver and probably screw it up . Good luck.

Tim Garceau · Jun 22, 2019

Screw head broke off, it’s plastic so drill it down about 1/2”

CoCaDoRi · Jun 22, 2019

what looks like a screw head is actually plastic... there is one on each mud guard two have the nub sticking out and two are flush.... what is on the "other end" of this - is it all plastic?

CoCaDoRi · Jun 22, 2019

duckman631 said:
I feel for ya. I hate that it seems every time I go to do something on the truck, I always get a curveball. They can’t make anything easy. Personally, I would be pissed as soon as I realized I have no idea how to get it off and cursing the fact they couldn’t have just used a regular fastener and I would pop it out with a screwdriver and probably screw it up . Good luck.

Oh I cursed alright... pretty sure the neighbors are blushing...
I didn't wanna pop it with a scre driver fer sure... the thing is in there and but good.... a happy camper I am not....

buddy guy · Jun 22, 2019

I'd slip a cutting knife blade under the edge and saw through it. and replace with original or aftermarket plastic plugs. there's a ton of them available at hardware stores..some that are better than the oem. I like the GM type where you pull up on the head with a screwdriver blade and that frees the base part to just slip out. I just had my door panels off to do the speakers this week and the screw type are for the birds. In a perfect world, tney unscrew and you pull the bottom out. Or they just turn and turn and turn, unless you also put a straight edge underneath the screw part to give the screw some additional leverage against the threads. I had a mix of both in terms of how they came out. mostly the latter.

CoCaDoRi · Jun 22, 2019

Here’s a flush one...

slinghigh · Jun 22, 2019

CoCaDoRi said:
Trying to replace the poor excuse for a mud guard on my 3500....
It has this plastic thing... I don’t wanna yank too hard for fear of damaging the fender flair...
How the hell do you remove it???

View attachment 170829

your going to want new fasteners.....use a plastic fastener removal tool ….it will go under the fastener and lifts it out and will probably break...your new mud guard should come with fasteners if not you can buy online or your dealer ….good luck...ps I have used a fork many times for a removal tool slide the fork underneath the fastener centering the fork so the pin of the fastener slides into middle of fork..

CoCaDoRi · Jun 22, 2019

slinghigh said:
your going to want new fasteners.....use a plastic fastener removal tool ….it will go under the fastener and lifts it out and will probably break...your new mud guard should come with fasteners if not you can buy online or your dealer ….good luck...ps I have used a fork many times for a removal tool slide the fork underneath the fastener centering the fork so the pin of the fastener slides into middle of fork..

Brilliant on the fork idea....

Thanks!

The new “heavy duty” flap come with metal fasteners and brackets

buddy guy · Jun 22, 2019

slinghigh said:
your going to want new fasteners.....use a plastic fastener removal tool ….it will go under the fastener and lifts it out and will probably break...your new mud guard should come with fasteners if not you can buy online or your dealer ….good luck...ps I have used a fork many times for a removal tool slide the fork underneath the fastener centering the fork so the pin of the fastener slides into middle of fork..

that's Forkin' brilliant!

(i'm here all week :banana-mario:

)

ryan russell · Jun 22, 2019

It's a plastic pop rivet.. use I punch and punch the middle out or drill it

raff18 · Jun 22, 2019

Yup that’s a plastic rivet. Use a drill the size of ¼. But make sure to hit the center bang on. Don’t go too deep either as u will hit paint.

duckman631 · Jun 22, 2019

buddy guy said:
I'd slip a cutting knife blade under the edge and saw through it. and replace with original or aftermarket plastic plugs. there's a ton of them available at hardware stores..some that are better than the oem. I like the GM type where you pull up on the head with a screwdriver blade and that frees the base part to just slip out. I just had my door panels off to do the speakers this week and the screw type are for the birds. In a perfect world, tney unscrew and you pull the bottom out. Or they just turn and turn and turn, unless you also put a straight edge underneath the screw part to give the screw some additional leverage against the threads. I had a mix of both in terms of how they came out. mostly the latter.

Great. I’m doing my speakers next week. Can’t wait to see what happens

misfit77 · Jun 22, 2019

ryan russell said:
It's a plastic pop rivet.. use I punch and punch the middle out or drill it

Yup, push it thru

buddy guy · Jun 22, 2019

duckman631 said:
Great. I’m doing my speakers next week. Can’t wait to see what happens

just don't expect them to screw out without an assist. put the screwdriver blade or tool just below the screw, not between the panel and the piece below the screw. i did that a few times and wrecked a few fasteners in the process. it didn't help the door panel wasn't on quite right (off center of a few holes) as i didn't realize that you should remove the bezel ki the panel that fits around the door handle otherwise you fight with getting the panel back on. the wrong way is possible but takes 30 minutes and a lot of cursing. the right way, the tabs just drop into the slots. lol

Marshall · Jun 26, 2019

Tim Garceau said:
Screw head broke off, it’s plastic so drill it down about 1/2”

No screw head, these are plugs, But I am thinking drilling the center out may not be a bad idea, as if you just pry them out they are buggered anyway, Body shop guys here , pipe in. you have to make new plug up of course.

Tim Garceau · Jun 26, 2019

Yep, either way if you try prying that out it may enlarge/distort the liner hole so just remove/drill the center portion that acts like a mandrel and backs up to squeeze the flange.

Rivet is junk anyway, don't compound the damage.

Runaround · Jun 26, 2019

Most auto parts stores carry many different types and sizes of the plastic fasteners. Drill it out.

james.price.58 · Jun 27, 2019

I removed a lot of those in previous Jeeps by drilling them out. Quick and easy. Used these as replacements (check fitment for the Ram!!)
https://www.amazon.com/PartsSquare-...ocphy=9013105&hvtargid=pla-569263661987&psc=1

TomB 1269 · Jun 28, 2019

FYI, Lowes carries a pretty good selection of these and the screw head type. I was actually impressed as they had more than advanced auto on the shelf.

How donI remove this Stupid thing

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