I am thinking of removing the giant "4x4 Off Road" stickers from the back of my 2000 Lariat (the ones on each side of the bed) and just wondered if there are any tips to removing them easily.

Are they just stickers on top of the paint that should peel off relatively easy? and then just some elbow grease to get rid of any remaining glue? or is there something I can use to make my life easier?

Thanks.

 

First take a hair dryer (med temp) and slowly warm up the sticker. Peel the "edge" up with your fingernail while continue warming. Slowly peel the sticker as you continue warming it. This will help keep the sticker from breaking. It should come off in larger pieces than trying to peel it off COLD.
After the sticker is removed, I use "3M ADHESIVE REMOVER" at O'Reillys Auto Parts or an equivalent from an automotive paint store. Pour a liberal amout on a soft cloth or old towel (not paper towels). Rub the glue area and the glue will "roll" off onto your cloth. Keep flipping your cloth as the glue builds up on it. It is a slow process to remove the glue, but you will not damage the paint finish doing it this way. Keep adding adhesive remover to your cloth as it evaporates rapidly. Make sure to wear rubber gloves because "3M" is a petroleum product that is readily absorbed through the skin. It can burn sensitive hands. Wear safety glasses in case for eye protection. Take your time and you will amazed well this procedure works. I restore mustangs and shelbys and this is the only way to do it.
Good luck,
Eric Meyers

 

Goo Gone works just as well as adhesive remover and its not harmful either! Made of orange oils, works great to get off about anything from crayons to gum to stickers anything sticky itll get it out. I used it the other day to remove my EZ tag from my windshield, worked great!!!

 

The stickers should pull off with a little patience. To remove any adhesive residue, I use WD-40.

 

You can wave over the decal with a propane torch, just be careful not to let it sit in one spot for too long as it will cause the graphic to bubble and get messy, and it should peel right up, just keep working it. You can also slide a small pin underneath it to get a start. As for the little bit of adhesive left behind, you can use adhesive remover, goo gone, or even denatured alcohol. Good luck with it.

 

i was told carburator cleaner works too but dont know if it will harm the paint or not so maybe try a test spot first ,,,,,

 

A heated pressure washer like a Hotsy brand will do the trick in seconds if you hit it at the right angle. I've seen 'em blow off like it was just a static cling or somthing. If you have any glue residue then try DX330 Wax & Grease remover by PPG. It'll pull the glue off easily and get rid of the "wax ridge" that will outline the sticker.

 

Make sure that you go back over this with a good quality wax. Also if they have been on their a while, you may have a new two tone paint due to sun fading. I found that out the hard way a few years ago.

 

The first procedure worked well for me except I used a high temp heat gun (made for paint stripping). It doesn't get hot enough to damage auto paint unless you stay in one spot way too long.

 

Hi guys

There are two main ways to do this ... melt the adhesive or dissolve the adhesive. My preferrence to to dissolve it because you can easily get into trouble with too much heat.

As mentioned by 351VENOM/LOUISIANA 3M's 8980 or 8984 Adhesive Remover is very gentle to paint and my choice (available at Pepboys,etc.). Once you've got an edge of the decal lifted you can drizzle this solvent between decal and paint to dissolve the adhesive as you go. Pull gently as the adhesive dissolves and it will eventually come off in one piece. A bit more on a clean rag will take the rest of the adhesive off the paint.

I'm pleased that 00Eddie mentioned a potential color difference between the exposed paint and that under the decal that has not been weathered. There is a bigger danger of surface damage due to weathering then pigment fade. Automotive grade pigments are nearly bulletproof but the paint surface is not. Oxidation and fine swirl mark scratches may make the exposed paint look duller than the virgin paint you will uncover. A light cut an clean (in the 5 to 7 agression range) should equalize the difference.

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Thanx for listening.