When I had the redo in 2021/2022, I kept my original bright metal door edge guards, but they are beat up by time's ravages. I haven't put them back on my new doors with the new paint as I was sort of concerned they would scrape paint away, but it's been a few years now. I did try some of the chrome mylar aftermarket ones, they don't make the turns into and out of the Dent area without bunching up. I tried some thin white ones, they would not stay put. I found some white silicone rubber stuff in a roll, might try it, and I know there are PPF type strips, but it will yellow as I heard it told.

I might try the clear PPF strips to protect the paint from the OEM metal (after detailing & polishing) as I slide put the originals back over that PPF strip?

With or without, I'm pretty careful where and how I park, so maybe is best without?

 

Today I picked up a pair of "clear" flexible door guards, kind of rubbery, like silicone maybe. They blend better than black or chrome mylar. No substitute for care, but they'll provide a cushion.
I can just cut one in half and run it from below the dent's lower edge downwards, it'll work.

 

I don't believe there is such thing as OEM ones. they were just a common JC Whitney add on's.

If they were original the Marti report should show it . I never ever saw them on a new pickup.

 

Interesting. I remember Dad had them on a couple new Plymouths, just assumed were offered by Ford too. Judging by the look, they do save door edges a bit of grief.

Maybe these soft ones will too, plus the struck object, What started me thinking of them again was seeing a door opened into a buggy corral rail in front of our H-F store. Wouldn't help in all cases, like that lawyer from up north when I took a ticket and radar detector back to his car for signatures, he had swapped seats with his GF or wife who was driving while I wrote, but whom had gone berserk in a fit. I walked up on the passenger side, was a Mercedes, late at night, tapped the passenger door glass with a knuckle to get her to open up, and she threw that door open before I could reach to stop it hitting my pristine galvanized guard rail. Wrecked the edge of her door as it bounced off. I told her what the guard rail did, and handed her the Escort Elite and she yelled "I don't want it" and it went sailing over the guard rail into the weeds as I jumped back. He got out of the driver side then to look at his car door, and asked me to give her a minute more to calm down, and I told him she had better as if she flung my summons book like that, she was going to have breakfast on the county.

Poor guy.

 

Ford did make a set for the dents. I bought a set back in 2010 from ebay. They're made of anodized aluminum and are so flimsy I don't think it would save the door with a slight impact of swinging the door open. You can see it here.

 

Here are some after market ones, 8" long, chrome and I don't know if they will fit, but the link is below. Check out their other molding options.

​​​​​​https://www.automotiveauthorityllc.c...d48747c6d56d2c

 

Yes, anodized aluminum, will scar, and it is a stiff aluminum alloy as they grip well .... and they are notched on the back side so they follow the tight curve to follow the door edge into / out of the "Dent Valley" and over the peak at the rocker area, but keep the exterior and very edge of the door covered ... and while they will not protect door skin wrapped edge from a strong impact that would bend the door, they will protect the door from edge rust caused by chipped paint.

I still have them, they are not bent up either. Just surface scuffs, scratches (resulting from their job over the last 48+ yrs) but wet sanding and a buff will cure that. I do want them back on, but I just don't want to scar or chip the paint putting them on. I keep thinking the right narrow tape wrapped just over the edge with maybe 3/16" exposed first might work.

I was exploring for other ideas or something temporary / easy in the mean time. Was mine , but it was a really light bump, more like a tap, was no chips, etc.​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​

 

I bought this and put it on my window channels. I had some left over so I also put it on the door edges as my door opens close to a brick wall. It's been working fine for a couple of years and it's cheap.

 

Thank You .... Did it follow the bends well? I just looked at my metal ones, more small ding "mini dents" than I recall.

 

Yeah, pretty good. Probably not perfect, but my truck is far from that. Here is a picture:

 

Thank You .

Looks great from here, exactly where some others fail.

In my cart now.

 

Looks great. What holds it on ? Package says adhesive, but looks like maybe just friction.

 

Yeah, it has some kind of adhesive inside the groove, but I think it stays on snug without it. I have removed a piece and put it back on without issue. There was no residue.