I saw the thread before but of course I cannot find it now. How does the trim around the windshield and the rear window come off? I have the trim removal tools but a picture of the retaining clips would help a lot. TIA!
I havent done autoglass in a few years, but our clips kind of look like this. Side cutaway view.
TRIM PEICE
........11............<-------------Tool slides in here, or from the side, and bends the bottom (III) forward.
.......11...III
.......11....III
........11...III
..............III
IIIIIIIIIIIIII
PINCH WELD
The pinch weld peice needs to be pried out from the top just a tad to release the hook (bend) in the clip.
I believe it is this style, and you can come in from the side with that tool that looks like a flat arrow head with no point, hook the lock tab, and gently bend it out, while at the same time gently bending the inner lip of the molding towards the glass to **** the lock bend away from the hooked part, then lift.
i took a small piece of thin flexable but somewhat strong sheet metal, put a upward bend in it about 2 inches from the end, then i notched the end in a V shape and i pried under the trim, and pop off comes the trim
Matt these are the clips from my front windshield, the rears are just a slightly bigger is the only difference between the 2.
You can buy new front clips if you need to, but new rear clips are non existent.
Hope this helps?
It's difficult to describe how to use that tool, and it doesn't come with instructions. Just remember that at no time do you need to pry anything AWAY from the body of the car. Do that, and you can damage the trim or break the clip.
Slide the hook on the end of the tool (either side, it's an ambidexterous tool)under the trim, then slide the hook along the trim until it engages the side of the clip. Then you rotate the handle of the tool, in plane with the glass, so the hook bends the clip enough to release the trim piece. The trim should just about lift itself away from the body.
Once you get the first one you'll see how easy it is. The first one is frustrating, though.
Get the tool, be gentle, and take your time, it takes patience (and looking at your car, it looks like you have a lot of it ). I was replacing my windsheild and I juat used a small screw driver, but I cracked the glass AND I mangled the clips (I bought new ones anyway). If you don't feel like doing it yourself, which is understanding because it is irritating, go to an auto glass shop you trust and have them remove it, they break it, they buy it too.
Oh, and the pictures of the clips that Almost Stock so graciously posted, the first one is what they look like installed. There are little pegs on the body surrounding the glass, the middle channel int he clip snaps on the peg, with the side shown in pic 1 facing the glass/you.
Reinstallation is easy, install the clips, the gently snap the molding onto the clips (that are already installed on the body). Go to 50 resto and get new clips while your at it, their cheap and you have the reassurance of fresh clips.