Original roof rack strips removal (2 Viewers)

[Hatari]

I designed and had fabricated the roof rack in the photo about 7 years ago for my ’92 80. At that time, I coated the finished rack with POR-15. It was starting to show some age and fading so I removed it a couple of weeks ago and had it stripped and powder coated which also matches the ladder much better now. I am not anticipating reinstalling the original luggage rack and would like to get rid of the 4 ribs/strips on the top and plug the holes. Here is my question… I took the end caps off of one of the strips and with a small rubber mallet was able to tap the cover forward about 8 inches. At that point I checked the adhesion of the part under the cover. I found no screws and it (the base part) is tightly boded to the top. Does anyone know if these base strips can be removed without damaging the top and paint? Worst case I guess I can live with leaving them on as they’re really not visible. I had no problems removing the original rack frame. Any input will be appreciated.

 

[06reg4x4]

so the ribs slide on that rubber portion? I wanna pull mine off to paint. And have been wondering about that.

 

[Hatari]

so the ribs slide on that rubber portion? I wanna pull mine off to paint. And have been wondering about that.

Yep. Light tapping with a rubber hammer (after removing the caps) will get the covers off but the base is bonded to the top somehow. That’s what I’m trying to figure out. I’d like to remove all of it.

 

[tmxmotorsports]

It's like 3m sticky tape stuff can peal it off and use one of those decal eraser tools that goes on a drill to get the rest off.

 

[Hatari]

It's like 3m sticky tape stuff can peal it off and use one of those decal eraser tools that goes on a drill to get the rest off.

Thanks for the info and understood. May try applying a little heat with a heat gun to peel the strip. I have one of the decal erasers and will use it to clean up the residue. Will post a shot after it’s done.
Thanks again.

 

[jpoole]

The plastic strips pulled off of the roof of my '97 easily but it was Summer as I recall. If the weather is cool then heating up the strips before peeling them off should help though it wouldn't hurt to try pull them before you apply heat.

You should have adhesive and foam residue left after each of the plastic strips is pulled off and as you know a pinstripe removal tool will make quick work of most of that:

Amazon product ASIN B000IHK2TY
Do a follow up wipe with denatured alcohol and you will be back to clean paint.

You may want to apply a wax or protective coat after all of that stripping.

 

[Hatari]

The plastic strips pulled off of the roof of my '97 easily but it was Summer as I recall. If the weather is cool then heating up the strips before peeling them off should help though it wouldn't hurt to try pull them before you apply heat.

You should have adhesive and foam residue left after each of the plastic strips is pulled off and as you know a pinstripe removal tool will make quick work of most of that:

Amazon product ASIN B000IHK2TY
Do a follow up wipe with denatured alcohol and you will be back to clean paint.

You may want to apply a wax or protective coat after all of that stripping.

Thanks much for the input. I’ll try letting it sit in the sun for a while and use the heat gun if necessary to pull the strips. I have used the rubber erasers before to remove all the pinstripes. They work great. I agree that the top will need clean-up attention and a good coat of wax after the removal of the strips.
Thanks again for the input!

 

[Hatari]

I designed and had fabricated the roof rack in the photo about 7 years ago for my ’92 80. At that time, I coated the finished rack with POR-15. It was starting to show some age and fading so I removed it a couple of weeks ago and had it stripped and powder coated which also matches the ladder much better now. I am not anticipating reinstalling the original luggage rack and would like to get rid of the 4 ribs/strips on the top and plug the holes. Here is my question… I took the end caps off of one of the strips and with a small rubber mallet was able to tap the cover forward about 8 inches. At that point I checked the adhesion of the part under the cover. I found no screws and it (the base part) is tightly boded to the top. Does anyone know if these base strips can be removed without damaging the top and paint? Worst case I guess I can live with leaving them on as they’re really not visible. I had no problems removing the original rack frame. Any input will be appreciated.

View attachment 3506260

View attachment 3506261

Thanks all

I designed and had fabricated the roof rack in the photo about 7 years ago for my ’92 80. At that time, I coated the finished rack with POR-15. It was starting to show some age and fading so I removed it a couple of weeks ago and had it stripped and powder coated which also matches the ladder much better now. I am not anticipating reinstalling the original luggage rack and would like to get rid of the 4 ribs/strips on the top and plug the holes. Here is my question… I took the end caps off of one of the strips and with a small rubber mallet was able to tap the cover forward about 8 inches. At that point I checked the adhesion of the part under the cover. I found no screws and it (the base part) is tightly boded to the top. Does anyone know if these base strips can be removed without damaging the top and paint? Worst case I guess I can live with leaving them on as they’re really not visible. I had no problems removing the original rack frame. Any input will be appreciated.

View attachment 3506260

The plastic strips pulled off of the roof of my '97 easily but it was Summer as I recall. If the weather is cool then heating up the strips before peeling them off should help though it wouldn't hurt to try pull them before you apply heat.

You should have adhesive and foam residue left after each of the plastic strips is pulled off and as you know a pinstripe removal tool will make quick work of most of that:

Amazon product ASIN B000IHK2TY
Do a follow up wipe with denatured alcohol and you will be back to clean paint.

You may want to apply a wax or protective coat after all of that stripping.

Parked the 80 in some direct sun this afternoon and warmed up the top and strips. Tapped the covers off, used a trim tool and paint scraper to lift one end of each. They peeled off and, as you said, left some tape residue but that will “erase” I’m sure. All 4 are off and all parts could be reused if need be. I’m planning to have the 80 painted early next year and this will be a great help to the painter I’m sure!
Thanks again for he tips.

 

[Kernal]

IME the 3M eraser wheel works well to remove old adhesive. I would be very careful if you use anything like Goof Off or Goo Gone, they are known to soften paint IME, however it may be more of an issue with single stage white (no clear coat). FWIW

 

[CJK]

That adhesive is a pain in the dick. I have the pinstripe eraser but wanted to be less aggressive so I used steam to soften and peel the adhesive (much like you’d remove PPF)

 

[Hatari]

That adhesive is a pain in the dick. I have the pinstripe eraser but wanted to be less aggressive so I used steam to soften and peel the adhesive (much like you’d remove PPF)

Good to know about an alternative. I have a small steamer. I may try some of both methods. I do have a fair amount of that adhesive remaining on the top. I’ll give it to whoever made this adhesive for Toyota the strips on my top were bonded as tight as they must have been almost 32 years ago! It’s amazing that paint didn’t come off with the adhesive that did peel.
Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[CJK]

Good to know about an alternative. I have a small steamer. I may try some of both methods. I do have a fair amount of that adhesive remaining on the top. I’ll give it to whoever made this adhesive for Toyota the strips on my top were bonded as tight as they must have been almost 32 years ago! It’s amazing that paint didn’t come off with the adhesive that did peel.
Thanks for the suggestion.

Toyota Engineers also choosing roof rack adhesives to last 20+ years in the desert without maintenance

Steam was good at softening it so I could peel it, but it took a long time. I would probably go for a product like 3M Adhesive Remover if I were to try it again.

 

[jpoole]

If you want to get the stuff off quickly, just run the adhesive removal wheel at a decent RPM and don't stay in one place too long. The wheels work by generating heat through friction and then slinging off what has softened. As long as there isn't grit or something on the adhesive/area and you don't sit in one spot too long there is no risk to the paint with the wheel. The wheel itself will start to smoke before the paint is overheated.

There will be melted and then re-solidified goo left behind and while you can get all of that off with the wheel it's faster/easier to just wipe it off with denatured alcohol. If any of it doesn't come off quickly hit those spots with the wheel and then wipe again. Of course, just a quick wipe and don't keep the surfaces saturated in solvent long as they can start to soften the paint layers.

Other heat sources are just going to add more steps and make removal take longer because you are separating the heating and mechanical removal steps. The wheels are easy to use and to control the heat with. More speed and pressure equals more heat, etc. The metal under the paint will dissipate the heat pretty well so working these on metal surfaces is pretty forgiving.

If you want to use a wheel like this on a plastic surface then you have to be very very careful as the heat doesn't dissipate as quickly and the plastic will start to soften, etc.

 

[CJK]

If you want to get the stuff off quickly, just run the adhesive removal wheel at a decent RPM and don't stay in one place too long. The wheels work by generating heat through friction and then slinging off what has softened. As long as there isn't grit or something on the adhesive/area and you don't sit in one spot too long there is no risk to the paint with the wheel. The wheel itself will start to smoke before the paint is overheated.

There will be melted and then re-solidified goo left behind and while you can get all of that off with the wheel it's faster/easier to just wipe it off with denatured alcohol. If any of it doesn't come off quickly hit those spots with the wheel and then wipe again. Of course, just a quick wipe and don't keep the surfaces saturated in solvent long as they can start to soften the paint layers.

Other heat sources are just going to add more steps and make removal take longer because you are separating the heating and mechanical removal steps. The wheels are easy to use and to control the heat with. More speed and pressure equals more heat, etc. The metal under the paint will dissipate the heat pretty well so working these on metal surfaces is pretty forgiving.

If you want to use a wheel like this on a plastic surface then you have to be very very careful as the heat doesn't dissipate as quickly and the plastic will start to soften, etc.

Great tips here — thanks for sharing.

Takeaway is also to use the wheel in a home depot parking lot instead of your garage

 

[Kernal]

Also, if you buy an eraser wheel don't be tempted to buy a generic eraser, some cheapos cost much less than the 3M wheel but don't work as well. FWIW.

 

[Hatari]

Also, if you buy an eraser wheel don't be tempted to buy a generic eraser, some cheapos cost much less than the 3M wheel but don't work as well. FWIW.

I hear you. We usually get what we pay for. I think the one I have is a 3M. I erased all the pinstriping on the LC with it. It worked great. May need a new one for this project.

 

[Hatari]

If you want to get the stuff off quickly, just run the adhesive removal wheel at a decent RPM and don't stay in one place too long. The wheels work by generating heat through friction and then slinging off what has softened. As long as there isn't grit or something on the adhesive/area and you don't sit in one spot too long there is no risk to the paint with the wheel. The wheel itself will start to smoke before the paint is overheated.

There will be melted and then re-solidified goo left behind and while you can get all of that off with the wheel it's faster/easier to just wipe it off with denatured alcohol. If any of it doesn't come off quickly hit those spots with the wheel and then wipe again. Of course, just a quick wipe and don't keep the surfaces saturated in solvent long as they can start to soften the paint layers.

Other heat sources are just going to add more steps and make removal take longer because you are separating the heating and mechanical removal steps. The wheels are easy to use and to control the heat with. More speed and pressure equals more heat, etc. The metal under the paint will dissipate the heat pretty well so working these on metal surfaces is pretty forgiving.

If you want to use a wheel like this on a plastic surface then you have to be very very careful as the heat doesn't dissipate as quickly and the plastic will start to soften, etc.

Thanks for the continued input. I previously used the eraser to remove all the pinstriping and learned a lot about the speed and heat doing that. I’m the second owner of this 80 and the first owner (a Dr.) used it to go to his office so it was in pretty good shape when I bought it 10 years ago. I’m actually taking care of these kinds of details and dismantling some of the body parts in preparation of putting it in the paint shop after the holidays for new paint and dent removal. But, all the input is appreciated as I’m trying to be careful to not cause any blemishes not already there.

 

[jpoole]

some cheapos cost much less than the 3M wheel but don't work as well.

This is very true and the variety of wheels are optimized for different speeds and jobs (though some are just inferior).

I've been through a dozen or so of these wheels in recent years including the 3M wheels, a few Astro varieties, etc. My most used wheel is the one I listed above (Astro 400E). If you have the 3M wheel already, roll with it as it's definitely good but if you are buying a new one I'd try the Astro instead. That Astro handles higher temps/speeds a little better and wears more evenly in my experience, though that's pushing these a lot harder than you need to just removing adhesive foam.

The temps at which the wheel starts to break down/soften will be a limiting factor if you use one of these for larger jobs. Some wheels start to smoke/melt earlier and also wear less evenly. Those same wheels can be better at a lower RPM as they heat up more quickly, like if you have a slow drill and need to maximize the bite that you get with it. As you push higher speeds and temps some wheels perform a lot better.

I also find these wheels inevitably get out of round as they wear which will cause chatter/bouncing. I will re-round them and also shift the angle of the outer edge periodically as I run through a wheel. I spin the wheel at high speed and typically use a cheese-grater plane to do this re-rounding. It's a lot like turning wood and you have to have a steady setup to only remove the high spots and avoid hitting the low spots as you re-round them.

Way too much info on pinstripe removal tools I'm sure, but it's there for the searchers and bots now. I think these tools are not well enough known, considering how useful they are, so I like to try to pass along information on them. They are a much quicker, easier and less risky option for coating removal in many situations and I've appreciated all the time hard work or chemical exposure they've saved me over the years.

 

[CJK]

This is very true and the variety of wheels are optimized for different speeds and jobs (though some are just inferior).

I've been through a dozen or so of these wheels in recent years including the 3M wheels, a few Astro varieties, etc. My most used wheel is the one I listed above (Astro 400E). If you have the 3M wheel already, roll with it as it's definitely good but if you are buying a new one I'd try the Astro instead. That Astro handles higher temps/speeds a little better and wears more evenly in my experience, though that's pushing these a lot harder than you need to just removing adhesive foam.

The temps at which the wheel starts to break down/soften will be a limiting factor if you use one of these for larger jobs. Some wheels start to smoke/melt earlier and also wear less evenly. Those same wheels can be better at a lower RPM as they heat up more quickly, like if you have a slow drill and need to maximize the bite that you get with it. As you push higher speeds and temps some wheels perform a lot better.

I also find these wheels inevitably get out of round as they wear which will cause chatter/bouncing. I will re-round them and also shift the angle of the outer edge periodically as I run through a wheel. I spin the wheel at high speed and typically use a cheese-grater plane to do this re-rounding. It's a lot like turning wood and you have to have a steady setup to only remove the high spots and avoid hitting the low spots as you re-round them.

Way too much info on pinstripe removal tools I'm sure, but it's there for the searchers and bots now. I think these tools are not well enough known, considering how useful they are, so I like to try to pass along information on them. They are a much quicker, easier and less risky option for coating removal in many situations and I've appreciated all the time hard work or chemical exposure they've saved me over the years.

Really appreciate all that you shared.

The exact reason I didn’t use one of the wheels is that I couldn’t find enough info when I was searching so I was concerned I’d burn through the clear coat.

 

[Hatari]

Really appreciate all that you shared.

The exact reason I didn’t use one of the wheels is that I couldn’t find enough info when I was searching so I was concerned I’d burn through the clear coat.

I agree as far as their unique usefullness. It made short work of aged pinstripes. I didn't burn the paint and just cleaned up the areas "erased" and waxed it.