How to detail Door Jambs and other stuff?

CharlieSheen

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I am weird.I worry about abnormal stuff.Mirror-like paint is nice,but things like door jambs,door edges and under hood paint gets my attention.

I just got a 10 year old Tahoe in nice shape,very clean.It needs paint correction,I know this.But it is the things like door jambs that is driving me nuts.How do you guys go about these things to make them as close to new as possible?
 
I hit door jambs with an APC and a brush and just go to town. I wipe off all the crud I agitate with the brush then re-apply APC and wipe again to get the remaining particles. You want to be careful of any wires or grease that is meant to lubricate the door knuckle.
 
I wash them during my normal hand wash. open each door and set my firehose nozzle to really low pressure and pull back a click or 2 on the nozzle for low flow to keep from spraying the interior. I use a separate MF mitt for the jambs. Then just dry them last with my cobra supreme guzzler.
 
Great tips in there fellas ! Need to do this on my ride also .
 
I spray them with APC then use my steamer to really get them clean.
Then I use Meg's QW, love the look.
I then finish the rubber around the jambs with CG'S VRT,amazing look.
Steam makes it clean up so fast.
 
Rinse loose dirt off
Spray on APC
Agitate with various brushes
'Rinse' with HP washer
1-Step with Megs Cleaner wax by hand
Buff off
Door Rubbers etc dressed with Smartwax Smartdressing
 
I just close the door (Kidding) lol

My approach will be, diluted APC, then wash with my chenille mitt (forgot the mitts name, the green one) and soap and water.
 
Rinse loose dirt off
Spray on APC
Agitate with various brushes
'Rinse' with HP washer
1-Step with Megs Cleaner wax by hand
Buff off
Door Rubbers etc dressed with Smartwax Smartdressing

I didn't think about cleaner wax. Thanks for the tip Lawrence
 
As other folks have described, this is pretty much the way to go about it.

Have a bucket of warm clean water on hand with Towel, a good All Purpose Cleaner (I typically use Zep Citrus at 1:1 ratio) and a couple soft brushes to agitate the cleaner to break-loosen caked greases-oils at hinges.

A couple of soft small paint brushes can work well. I typically do one Jamb at a time, squirt product on, let sit 5 minutes, then go to work. I simply use a garden hose with 7 pattern spray, and use a shower setting.
With the Trigger on the sprayer, you can control the amount of water flow.

Repeat if necessary until all traces of dirts, and greases are gone. It takes time, but is not hard, let the APC do the work. Often on the Tahoes, there is a weatherstrip rail that runs the body length, this can usually be simply slipped off, cleaned, dried, and treated with a rubber treatment.

Usually, and considering the age of your vehicle, perhaps the only places that might need some polishing attention will be the rocker-sill panels which get scratched-scuffed by shoes entering-exiting the vehicle.

For these areas, a polish, and perhaps even a clear coat safe liquid compound can be used to bring back some shine, and help remove damage.

Continue on to all other doors, and don't forget the tailgate, probably the dirtiest, and the hardest of al Jambs to clean-detail.

I commonly disconnect the battery when doing this, as I might have the doors open for a few hour's time.

Dry all jambs with a towel, and warm clear water, leave doors all open to let fully dry.

The coolest product I have been using for protection, and gloss in these areas has been Ultima Paint Guard Plus. This is a Poly wipe on walk away sealant which will have your Jambs looking like wet glass.

Other Wipe On Walk Away Sealants such as Optimum Opti-Seal, Wolfgang Liquid Seal, Blackfire Crystal Seal, and other similar products work very nicely, and just as easy-well for this task.

I apply liberally, to insure very good coverage, let dry a good hour or so, and because of liberal application, one will probably see a little bit of hazing, and streaking. Simply go back with a clean MF towel, and buff-wipe all jambs to remove any excess product.

You'll find these WOWA sealants won't be leaving any dusts, or powders like typical waxes-sealants will leave behind. This will make the protective process of the jambs a breeze.

Do the final rubber-plastic trim treatment with good protectants, and products like WG Exterior Trim Sealant (WETS), Ultima Trim Tire Guard (UTTG) will work well.

Remember to relube all hinges with a good oil. I simply use good motor oil in a Oil Can with Flexible Hose to get into all the tight areas. Wipe away excess Oil with paper towels, and you are done!
Mark
 
As I mention above, this was the very first process I addressed before going onto full outside Paint Correction with PC7424XP, and Polishes, etc.

I knew well, that without masking all Door Edge Seams, a lot of this hard work would be negatively effected by Polishing Dusts, etc.

Extra work yes, but it is wise to pre-mask any and all trim before Polishing to ease clean up, and to keep these parts from being possibly damaged from the Polishing processes.
 
If your weather stripping is starting to dry out and crack a bit, I would suggest Duragloss 531. I like this product better then 1Zs' gummi rubber care stick for restoring rubber and vinyl.
 
I like to spritz with an apc, then use the tornador with steaming hot water to rinse/ scrub. Old mf to wipe clean, then a spray wax or sealant.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using AG Online
 
As I mention above, this was the very first process I addressed before going onto full outside Paint Correction with PC7424XP, and Polishes, etc.

I knew well, that without masking all Door Edge Seams, a lot of this hard work would be negatively effected by Polishing Dusts, etc.

Extra work yes, but it is wise to pre-mask any and all trim before Polishing to ease clean up, and to keep these parts from being possibly damaged from the Polishing processes.

Thanks for all of the Tahoe specific info,wasn't expecting that.:props:

Thanks for the masking tip.I know better,but usually glide past that,and end up paying for it later,I hate taking steps backward.
 
Steam is great. For really grungy jams, steam and hot water blast.
 
I wasn t expecting these finds when I first started reading this thread , great info here !
 
Thanks for all of the Tahoe specific info,wasn't expecting that.:props:

Thanks for the masking tip.I know better,but usually glide past that,and end up paying for it later,I hate taking steps backward.

These tasks sometimes seem mundane, and boring. I think we all do wipe downs of Door Jambs after washing, but full blown details-restos such as this can take time, and usually, it's a lengthy "can of worms", where one thing leads to another.

But it does have its rewards that every once and awhile, this is done. That often, many people have clean exteriors, and interiors, then the Jambs look horrid.

Keeping all hinges lubed prevents things like premature door sag due to worn Hinge Pins. The old "ambulance" style doors on Yukons-Tahoes-Suburbans would often get so bad, one would almost need a crowbar to open them.

When I first started as a member of this forum, and a very kind member (Dave) sent me a great "care package" with UPGP included , it was then I discovered these quite amazing wipe on-walk away sealants.

Of course my curiosity was piqued, and a little light went on to try such products in this particular application. It was like a new detailing discovery for myself.

I'm finding I'm using these WOWA Sealants all around the house, on audio equipment, countertops, appliances, shower stalls, etc etc.
Mark
 
Steam would be the fastest. Spray with APC then hit it with steam. Gets in all those tight places

+1 on dg 531
 
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