How To: Remove and paint door handle bezels - Discussion thread

Alright, I know this ain't gonna be ground breaking, but a few people have been asking around on how to remove and paint the door handle bezels. So here goes!

Step 1: Remove the two screws holding the door bezel on behind the rubbery handle.


Step 2: Pull apart bezel by pulling out on the handle and slipping a screwdriver or hand up front to ease out the little clips.


Step 3: Remove the wiring harnesses. This can be a bit tricky if you haven't done it before. There are little clasps on the sides. What you have to do is squeeze the bottom of the gray part and pull away. This can require a screwdriver to pry it out, but BE GENTLE!!!! *****Note: This is ONLY on the power options. If you have manual windows, mirrors, and door locks this does NOT pertain to you, and you may continue on with the process. Skip this and step 4.

***Note: There are two screws on the master window buttons. Unscrew these, and the buttons will fall out of the bezel, but leave the little frame.


Step 4: Squeeze metal tabs in towards the buttons (or window button frame in this case) and remove the buttons/frame.


Step 5: The rubber door handle will have two screws, one at each end. Unscrew these, and gently pull back on the handle, towards the thin side of the bezel. This is caused by two little nubs on the handle to keep it from spinning around on the screws.


Congratulations. You have now completely taken off your door handle bezel!




A little note, I suggest you use primer, at least two coats, before you go ahead and paint it with the color paint you are using. I used a "Ruddy Brown" on my truck by Krylon, and that made the color pop nicely. I then used Duplicolor Perfect Match paint from the auto parts store, to match my exterior. I put two or three coats on of that, let it dry, then put two coats of clear coat on. GO LIGHTLY ON THE COLOR MATCH PAINT. If you put it on too heavy, it will not only run, but it will have little circular holes where the paint acted like wax was in it. Here's my trio....



This is in it's primer stage:


This is what it came out like when finished:


GOOD LUCK! :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

 

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Going over it with 380 grit first wont hurt either. Definitely go light on the color!!

 

Nah, it wouldn't. I just primered it then sanded it with 400, then another coat of primer. Let it dry, and light coats of the color match.

 

Haha well whatever works. Mine came out good like that

 

i see finger prints in the final product...... lol

 

Yeah, then I took it off to repaint it and ****ed it up more lol And then I ran out of paint. Hahahaha. I gotta get some 200 grit on it to take more paint off then redo it.

 

sweet man! really makes me want to paint mine blue lol

 

Do it up. I love it. It offsets the cab so much

 

yea i really like the look, the red fits good. i feel the blue might be over the top

 

Depends on what shade

 

factory match if i would

 

I think that would look good in there. Just don't overdo it

 

lol blue everything!


.....jk

 

I'd come blow your truck up hahahaha

 

noooooo!!! hahahah

 

lol I think an OHC, stang dome, and the door bezels would be enough.

 

oh yea forgot about my OHC haha. id probably just do the door bezels and the radio bezel. id kinda like to do the black part around the dash cluster too but blue for it could be bad

 

Hmmmm.... That might look alright. Give it a shot. Worst thing that would happen is that you would have to put paint thinner on it and pull it off.

 

yea i spose, id wait till it warms up anyways so ive got time to ponder lol

 

Yeah haha