we've done a few of these, and never been very successful removing the side moldings from the metal channel that holds them in, without bending them up.

any advice on removing these side moldings?

scott

I believe there are three little indentations on the molding that slide down and snap into corresponding indentations on the metal trim attached to body, I use a chrome tool or panel tool and at the top of each side I dimple the indentation on the molding so it comes loose from metal trim then grab molding firmly and slide upwards along the w/s while applying outward pressure, the remaining indentations should slide to a smooth area of metal trim and it should pull right out. Then just undimple your molding so it snaps back in.

We had a service technician from Lexus so us how he doneit and he used a tool that looked like a screw driver so I grabbed the torch and bought some stanley flat blade srcew drives and bent them at a 45
and then we pull up away from glass toward your body while pressing in the tabs. we place one hand on the moulding at the tab and pull while pushing the tab never bend ,scratch or damage any since we started using this method. dont damage the locking strip on the body.

GOOD ANSWERS ONE OTHER THING IS SOMETIMES IT IS HARD TO SEE WERE THE TAB IS SLIDE TOOL OF CHOICE FROM TOP DOWN AND DO IT BY FEEL THE FIRST THING YOU WILL HIT IS THE RIVET THAT HOLDS LOCK STRIP IN PLACE THE NEXT IS THE TAB YOU NEED TO PUSH IN ON PUSH IN BEFORE YOU PULL UP OR IT IS HARDER TO PUSH IN AND IT WILL COME RIGHT UP THEN AFTER FIRST ONE IS OFF YOU WILL SEE WERE ALL THE TABS ARE ONCE YOU GET THE FEEL IT IS CAKE THEN ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS SPEND A HOUR ON MIRROR

thanks for the insight. the install went without incident (aside from the rearview mirror)

i appreciate the help on this.

scott

thoes mirros SUCK