Have my first de-badge coming up 2012 Ram 1500

For de-badging I have always used the same method with success even on old badges (over 5 years). Clean area around where badges are to prevent your hand hitting loose dirt. Use braided fishing line around 45lb test. Making sure the line is against the back of the badges and not near the paint. When taking off adhesive pull back at a 45 away from the adhesive. It comes off really easy this way. Then use Naphtha to take of all the remnants. The when it looks like it is all gone immediately wash the area (I usually hit it with the foam gun and wash twice). Then claybar the area to get rid of the adhesive you can't see. Then apply wax/sealant to the entire area.
 
Make sure you find out if the owner wants to save the badges and provide a disclaimer that they are not always salvageable.

Heat gun on low setting
Fishing line
Reheat remaining adhesive and peel back with the face (not nail) of your thumb, rolling is back helps
Spray adhesive remover on towel and hold towel against any stragglers to soften
Finish with a polish
Even after 3 years there may be some ghosting that can't be fully removed
 
I just did this to my new Ram Sport and took off a pea sized chunk of paint out with it down to the primer. I was as careful as they come but you just never know what the paint is going to do. Guess what I am working on fixing this weekend....
 
Love the idea of a disclaimer & saving the badges. The ghosting will be something I warn him about. It's a dark olive color so hoping the correction will blend it pretty well.
Great tips, keep em coming!
 
[video=youtube_share;tE4oeLHHb_U"]How to Remove Car Emblems - YouTube[/video]
 
Well, I can say that at least it looks a LOT better once the badges were off. I left the Hemi one but that is it. The doors look 25' long now. I love it. The paint is the Maximum Steel Metallic so it should be an easy fix. I got some OEM paint and some Langka to get at it. But thanks.

As for the ghosting, it will go away after a couple of weeks. Its going to have to sit in the sun so the UV rays can get to it and even itself out. No amount of sanding, polishing, grinding the paint will make it happen sooner. But I DO love it. It kind of elevates the truck into something more.
 
Just one thing, you can't remove the Brand badge on most vehicles (the center one on hood and trunk) they are usually fixed directly to the panel by plastic rivets and there are holes in the panel there. Most of the other badges can be removed easily. Some of the new one are also riveted to the panel. You can tell if there is space between the badge and the panel.
 
The below was taken from this write-up I did back in 2014. This write-up on car detailing covers so many detailing topics it could be a how-to book.

Flex + Rupes vs Ceramiclear Paint - How to detail a Mercedes-Benz SL 550




Carefully heat the vinyl letters and underlying adhesive using a Heat Gun. You can also use a Hair Blow Dryer. For really stubborn adhesive have some fishing string handy or even dental floss.

2007_MB_SL500_Red_005.jpg




I just used my thumbnail to carefully scrape the softened letters off the paint and then wiped the area down using Xenit by Stoners to remove the sticky residue.

2007_MB_SL500_Red_006.jpg




:)
 
Dapper Don said:
I just did this to my new Ram Sport and took off a pea sized chunk of paint out with it down to the primer. I was as careful as they come but you just never know what the paint is going to do. Guess what I am working on fixing this weekend....
Click to expand...

This is why I avoid jobs like this.

Something so simple for little money can cost you thousands in damage.

Its very easy to mess up in this line of work.

That sucks that it happened.
 
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