I've read recently about needing to wait until paint cured before waxing. Should I aslo wait to try to remove the FX4 sticker? And what's the best way to do that?

Thanks

 

Bodyshops use what looks like a big round pencil eraser on a drill or grinder. A hairdryer or heatgun works well but don't get your paint too hot with the heat gun. The adhesive will get soft and you can just peel it CAREFULLY. The adhesive that remains on your truck can be removed with alcohol or a commercial prep used for that. Make sure it is a RECOMMENDED fluid that won't damage your clearcoat. Wax might even remove the remaining adhesive.

 

Yup a hair dryer works just start at one end and work across. Pulling as you go.

 

For our '97 the best way was to order the "sticker delete" option! Too bad they don't offer that any more. For the 2003's "4x4" sticker, I simply told them I didn't want it on my truck and by the time they delivered it to me it was gone. Of course they put their dealership sticker on the tailgate, argh!! So I used a hair dryer to gently heat it up and peel it off. Just use a fingernail to ever so gently get under an edge, then start peeling.

Duncan

 

don't let your wife catch you useing her good hair drier, bad things could happen

 

 

You don't want to EVER get alcohol on your paint, it will ruin your clearcoat.

 

Goo Gone woks good at removing the adhesive......About the dealer sticker.....I was skimming through all the papers that they make you sign when you purchase your truck and there was a place to sign to authorize them to put that crap on the truck.....I didn't sign it.

 

Goo Gone rocks. I love that stuff. Does anyone know if it will damage the clear coat, especially on a new order with fresh paint?

 

3M makes an adhesive remover that is clear coat safe. I got it at West Marine in aeresol for about $14. Denatured alcohol will not hurt your clear coat. Manufacturers of imports use it to remove the Cosmoline coating.

 

I spent a few years at a high end bodyshop paying my way through college. We would either use a heat gun, which is basically a hair dryier on steroids, or we would park a vehicle in the sun and let the body panel heat up and soften the adhesive on the sticker or emblem. On my FX4 I parked it in the sun last spring and then slowly removed the sticker from back to front without doing any harm to the paint underneath. I also removed the dealers silly little emblem less then 30 days after the truck was assembled without doing damage.

 

I have a 04 I removed the 4X4 stickers with my finger nail to get started and they peeled right off easy in one peice

 

I am a Honda Motorcycle owner and they have the best cleaner that I have found. WD-40 works great on removing sticky residue (but leaves a greasy residue behind that requires further cleaning) and I had used that for some time until I was given a can of Pro Honda Cleaner and Polish. I used the cleaner to remove a state park sticker from plastic and it worked perfectly! It also removes bugs easily without scrubbing. Just spray it on and let penetrate for a sec or 2 and then just wipe them off, turn the towel and buff to a high shine. At only $5 a can, seems to be a bargain. It removed the dealer lettering from the back of my Mom's GTP without even peeling sticker off first. I just sprayed it on the sticker that had been in the sun a bit, let soak and wiped almost all of the lettering off in one swipe. Another spray and it was off!

 

Honda Polish R O C K S. I use it for clean up on my Harley, cars, quad, etc. Never removed stickers with it, but it doesnt surprise me. Works great on painted surfaces, plastic and chrome.

 

Thanks everyone. I'll give that Honda stuff a try, after my truck gets here. 4 wks and counting....