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This is so legit dude! Very niceThis thread is for all things related to the maintaining, repairing, restoring, cleaning, and parts replacing of our TJ's door and trim panels, consoles, carpet, seat covers, roll bar covers, etc. Hopefully a one-stop thread for many questions that come up. I know there are some things related to sections here that are floating out there in the forum. I've found some and shared their links in the related section, but I'm guessing I haven't found them all. If you have, or know of any that aren't linked here, share the link.
To keep you from having to scroll through to find new info, see the layout below. It will show the date that it was last updated, and what was added.
Restoring, Refinishing, and Repairing
Restoring: updated 2/21
Refinishing: updated 2/25 (SEM Product source)
Repairing: updated 2/23
Parts Replacements and Preventative Maintenance
Replacing Parts: updated 2/22
Parts Alternatives and Sources: new 2/23
Preventative Maintenance/Cleaning and Detailing: updated 2/26 (My personal method, and Products)
Restoring, Refinishing, and Repairing
Restoring:
In some cases where trim panels have begun to have a white, chalky-like surface, some have had success in using baking soda to bring back the original surface and color. Baking soda acts as a mild abrasive for removing that chalk-like top layer. With many ABS pieces, the plastic is dyed to the color that we see. So, in some cases, just because the panel appears faded, the fading may not be very deep into the plastic. Using abrasives like baking-soda on trim panels is similar to color sanding auto-body paint. Clear-coats fade, but color sanding removes that damaged top layer, returning the exterior to a new look. Unless of course the damage is too deep. In that case, the surface will need to be refinished. The same goes for our plastic panels.
Watch the video below to see how this guy's TJ dash turned out. Night and day difference!
Restoring with Baking Soda
Thanks to @moab for sharing the video link.
More restoration info will be added as we get more. Share what you've got.
Refinishing:
If restoring has failed or you just choose to refinish your plastics, spraying them with a quality color coating can bring great results. Me personally, I would go this route when there are no other options. The reason I say that is because it applies thin layer of great, but easily damaged paint. Easily damaged compared to the solid colored plastic.
I have only used SEM Products for painting automotive panels, and I can say that they have some great products.
Some other available brands:
ColorBond LVP - General colors and limited options
Duplicolor Vinyl and Fabric - General colors and limited options
VHT Vinyl Dye - General colors and limited options
With some paints, they can also be used on pliable surface also. Surfaces like, vinyl and fabrics. Even when used on these surfaces, can give great results that will have the material looking nearly new. Your results will weigh heavily on the prep work done prior to painting.
As for the SEM Products brand, for some of the older colors codes of our Jeeps, visit their Classic Coat products. For all others, go to their Color Coat products. If you don't know the color code for your TJ, you can look your Jeep's label to get the code. The label should be located in the driver's door jamb.
Here's a picture of mine as an example:
View attachment 141550
You can also visit AutoColorLibrary to help you pinpoint your code, as well as other interesting data on OE colors used around your Jeep.
If you are still having troubles in finding the specific color that you need or want, visit the "Formulas" section on the SEM Products website. From there, you can either choose to see codes by year or see color cards. On that same page, you can select to download the formulas themselves. That can be taken to a site that does custom mixing.
Example from Formulas download. Search PDF file for key words if needed.
View attachment 141570
As a side note, I spoke with one of the guys at SEM Products who advised to not rely to heavily on the color of the cap. Reason being is that the caps are sourced out to another company, so the colors that are infused into the cap's plastic is only their best effort at matching the request from SEM Products.
Chrysler Color Codes:
The listed codes are from those that were used in the TJ and in other Chrysler models. I've listed the additional colors to hopefully help clear up any confusion with mismatching paint.
AZ/LAZ - Agate (up to 2002)
C3 - Mist Grey (up to 2001)
J4 - Moss Green (up to 1998)
K5/RK5 - Medium Camel (up to 1999), Camel (1999), K4/RK4 - Light Camel (2000)
T6 - Saddle Tan (up to 1998)
DV - Dark Slate Grey (2002-2006), DB - Light Slate Grey (2002-2006), D5 - Medium Slate Grey (2004-2006)
J3/ZJ3 - Khaki (2003-2006), J8 - Dark Khaki (2006)
X9 - Landau Black
I know that Landau Black was used by Chrysler, but I can't recall the info showing when and where they used it. I believe that it was used for the "black" trim bezels in some (or all?) of our TJs. Here are a couple of images showing the color and why I believe that it was used for that purpose.
Judging a color by looking at it on a monitor is always a bad idea. Most especially when the color is represented by another site or company. I kept that in mind and pulled these three different versions of black from the website for SEM Products, then adjusted the saturation to bring out the colors that aren't always easy to see. Landau isn't quite as dark as the other blacks, so it tends to show it's blue undertones in brighter lighting. It also doesn't have the red undertones that other blacks have either.
View attachment 141552
Here is a close-up of my center dash bezel. With the bright light on it, a clear difference can be seen between the black color of the bezel and the black color of the controls.
View attachment 141555
One more. Here's a picture I came across that shows an entire color change that someone did, using Landau Black.
View attachment 141556
In some projects that I've done, I've sprayed parts black, but the black turned out to be too black. I think the Landau looks really good in there, even with it being sprayed everywhere.
If any of the info on color codes is incorrect or missing something, let me know so I can update or change what I have.
Prep and Paint
1. Thorough prep work for painting plastics is critical! When you think you have prepped enough, just do it again. It's better to put in a little extra prep work now to prevent poorly bonded paint. The time spent prepping will seem like a walk in the park when everything begins to have flaking paint.
2. Clean the surfaces using a rag, using warm (if possible) water and dawn dish soap. It wouldn't hurt to go back over the entire panel with soap and water, but this time using a soft to medium bristled scrub brush. No metal bristles. Nylon bristles.
3. Repeat the same as above, only this time use a fine grit scotch-brite pad. Those that are blue in color and sold for general purpose household cleaning will work, or you can go to Home Depot or Lowe's and pick up the grey pads. The grey pads at those places will have a label, from fine to course. For this you will want the fine grit. Be very thorough when going over the panel, covering every inch, and getting into all of the corners and tight places.
4. Let the piece/s dry, then use your choice of (safe) degreaser to wipe the piece down, using a microfiber towel, or blue shop towels. We're looking for something that won't leave "lint" or fibers behind. I have used both Windex(with Ammonia), and Isopropyl Alcohol and had good results. Just no harsh chemicals that will damage the plastic. Be cautious with touching the surfaces with bare hands, so you don't leave any oily prints behind. Probably not a bad idea to throw on some latex or nitrile gloves.
5. If you have access to compressed air, this would be a good time to make sure there are no hidden puddles of water in those tight places. Place the panel in the area you plan to spray, making sure it's at a level that you can easily spray without difficulty. This is a personal preference, but it isn't completely necessary. At this stage, I like to use tack cloths to wipe down the piece before spraying, to remove any lint, cloth fibers, hairs, etc.. Even if there is something left behind, with this paint being as thin as it is, and drying as fast as it does, it's amazing what you can easily wipe off before your next coat.
6. Next, it's a good idea to use an adhesion promoter. You can find Rustoleum Adhesion Primer at several places. I know Walmart and Advanced Auto Parts sells it. The primer is clear, the cap is clear. Either that, or you can use SEM Adhesion Promoter or SEM Sand Free. If no areas are in need of being masked off, go ahead and get both your adhesion promoter and color shaken up and ready. First coat will be the adhesion promoter. I know the SEM product calls for little to no dry time before applying the color coat, but it's best to just follow the instructions on the can. When you're making passes with your color coat, make light coats. SEM paint isn't heavy, so going fast isn't necessary. Just make sure that each pass is putting down a light coat. Follow the instructions on dry time, then return with more light coats. Repeat until you are content with the results.
Product Sources
Vinyl Pro (Atlanta, Georgia - You can call them with your SEM "Trim Color Formula" number and have it shipped to you in an aerosol can. They are a large distributor of SEM Products, and carry the full line of products.
Member project links:
Door Panel, Dash, and Bar Fabric Refinishing @Tjs TJ
SEM Khaki used to refinish door parts. Pages 1 and 2. @MountaineerTom
Repair:
As of now, I know of two parts that are notorious for problems. The crash pad and the door panels. The crash pad/defrost vent cover in our TJs becomes very brittle with age. Once the plastic reaches a certain level of brittle, one tap from a finger on the vent guard "bars" and they break. There are several ways to tackle the fragile defrost vent problem. You'll just need to choose what material, plastic or metal.
Here are some ideas and/or options used by others:
Metal Rain Gutter Guard at Home Depot or Lowe's
PVC Coated Plastic Chicken Wire Mesh on Amazon or other online sources.
Expanded Metal at McMaster-Carr Supply, or simply search online for Expanded Metal.
Wire Cloth at McMaster-Carr Supply, or again, just search online for Wire Cloth.
Depending on the severity of your broken vent guard, you may be able to get away with adding some structuring on the bottom side of each plastic "bar" by using some type of adhesive, like Epoxy. That can be found in easy to use syringes at any hardware store. You can also use a combination of metal rod or solid core wire secured to the underside of the grill pieces using Epoxy. Considering this method for your repair means that you are one of the lucky few that still have the majority of your vent guard remaining.
If you haven't seen it yet, here's the underside of the crash pad:
View attachment 141559
Like many, if not all of the interior plastic panels, the crash pad is made up from ABS plastic. On the positive side of this, ABS is really easy to work with.
You can use a heat source for removing the vent deflector from the underside, as well as for bonding your new guard onto the trim panel. Using a "plastic welding kit" will be the least destructive method for removing the vent deflector, because it retains the material to be used later, unlike cutting or grinding. The same goes for reinstalling the deflector. If that type of tool is used, you can reheat and shape the retained plastic to better secure the deflector into place. You can purchase a plastic welding kit at most hardware stores. They are essentially just a soldering iron that has removable tips that are designed for cutting, shaping, and bonding plastics. If you're careful, using a small butane torch for your heat source, along with something like a flat-heat screwdriver to achieve similar (if not identical) results.
Adhesives can also be used, like the epoxy mentioned earlier. Again, epoxy for bonding plastics can be purchased at any hardware store, among other places. Since we're working with ABS, it won't require any specific or uncommon off-the-shelf epoxy. Another adhesive that I like to use for nearly any project is Cyanoacrylate, aka CA Glue, or Super Glue. The best way to use CA glue, IMO is to use the two-part method, which requires the adhesive to be sprayed with an activator before it will harden. Something like this kit on Amazon. Using this method not only helps control the drying situation, but it causes the glue to harden in less than 2 seconds. Best of all, this method prevents your plastic from being stained by the fumes of slow-curing CA glue, leaving a small to very large white power looking haze on the plastic. An alternative to the two-part CA glue involves baking soda, again. If you choose to go with common CA/Super Glue instead of the two-part method, you can greatly increase the curing time and prevent the staining white haze, just grab up a little baking soda between your fingers and sprinkle it over the glue. The downside to this is, when the glue cures, it has very rough, rock-like feel. Not a huge problem though, just sand it down if needed.
Another one that I like to use is one that can be made at home and make for any very strong bond. What it is, it's basically liquid ABS plastic. I use a glass jar that I started by tossing in scrap pieces of ABS plastic. If you don't want to use glass, you can use plastic, just make sure that it is stamped HDPE. With my ABS-filled glass jar, I pour in some acetone. Acetone can also be purchased at any hardware store, and is useful for many projects. After you have poured in the acetone, close the lid and you're finished. Let it sit. Acetone very quickly begins to liquify ABS plastic, which will have your container left with a liquid form of the same material as many of your trim pieces. You can control the thickness of your ABS slurry by simply letting the acetone evaporate out, or pour more in. It's that simple. Using this ABS slurry between two pieces of ABS causes the solution to liquify the surface of both parts, leading to a fusing of the two.
Methyl Ethyl Ketone (MEK) also works very well, but evaporates much more slowly. If a slower drying time is what you prefer, MEK can tpically be found at the same location as the acetone. On a side note, if you want to use acetone for small projects, and don't want to buy a large can, "Professional grade Goo-Gone" is sold in small, lighter fluid-type cans, pint sized cans, and aerosols. Just check the ingredients to insure that the one you are buying contains acetone.
Repair ideas and suggestions
- "How To Repair Scratched & Gouged Interior Trim & Match TEXTURE Perfectly!" (Youtube video): Page 2
If you have any adhesive recommendations, share them.
Member Project Links:
Broken Defrost Vent/Crash Pad @Equilibrium31
Upper Door Panel Crack @AndyG
Upper Door Panel Crack @TJ4Jim
Upper Door Panel Crack @Tjs TJ
Parts Replacements and Preventative Maintenance
Replacing Parts:
Sources for used parts
Car-Part.com, Davey's Jeeps and Parts, Forum, ebay, Craigslist
There are definitely other sources. We can update the list when those source names come to mind and are shared. You can also watch this thread "Looking for used parts for your TJ?" to get notifications on any new sources.
Sources for new parts
Many dealerships also sell parts online. Searching for Mopar parts will bring up several sources for new parts. Here are a few that I have used many times, and have no complaints. Try checking the Mopar sites for contact info. From there you should be able to pinpoint what dealership it is that is selling the parts and their location. That may help in finding one closer to you and reduce shipping cost.
Mopar Parts Overstock, Mopar Online Parts, Rock Auto, Mopar Parts Giant
Remember to check another source for pricing. I've recently bought from one of the dealership sites that had a cheaper price than Rock Auto.
Parts alternatives and Sources
Stop/Bumper - Glove Box Door (Part Number: 55315051AA) Page: 2
- Dorman GM Rubber Bumper Assortment (Part Number: 961-375D) Thanks to @GaTechTJ
- If those become unavailable, alternative "Button Bumpers" can be found online for 0.25"(1/4") OE hole diameter.
Preventative Maintenance/Cleaning and Detailing:
In my opinion, our plastic trim pieces require the most attention when it comes to preventative maintenance. With these parts being constructed from ABS, their continuous exposure to the elements makes their deterioration inevitable. When these plastics aren't routinely cleaned, those surface contaminants can act as catalysts for excited deterioration of the plastic. Basically, these interior plastics deteriorate fast enough as it is. Not routinely cleaning them only makes that worse.
The sensitivity of polymers to UV radiation:
(Click the thumbnail to view the full image)
View attachment 142583
I don't routinely detail my interior. I've actually gotten pretty lazy with cleaning it at all. But, when I do detail it, I'll start by pulling out the air compressor and blasting off the brunt of the dust and dirt, while making sure to hit all of the little cracks and crevasses. After that, I use a mildly fine-haired detail brush to go back over all of the little cracks and crevasses, around the radio's buttons, air vents, etc.. After that, I follow up with some off-the-shelf cleaner and protectant. For the plastics and steering wheel leather, I've been using Meguiar's Products that I've included below.
As for the carpet, I have used Tuff Stuff (link listed below) for over 20 years, and I can honestly say that I have only come across one stain that it didn't remove. Although, I have recently been using Folex Carpet Cleaner and I have been very pleased with the results. It works extremely well for stains.
Carpeting
As we get more details on other methods, we can update this section.
Depending on the level of carpet detailing that I'm doing, I do the following:
1. Using a combination of a vacuum and nylon scrub brush, I use the brush to lift the fibers of the carpet and bring any embedded sand to the surface. Then vacuum the carpets, entirely.
2. Coat the carpet in a layer of Tuff Stuff or Folex and let it sit for a couple of minutes. Afterwards, I go back over the carpet using the same method as before, using the nylon brush. Any dirt and/or sand that was previously left behind will be brought to the surface to be vacuumed out.
3. With the newly brought out sand and dirt, I will vacuum the carpet once more. For areas that see more foot traffic, or other light stains, I repeat the process with applying the foam later and following up with the scrub brush.
4. After all has fully dried. I spray a light coat of Scotch Guard (link listed below) over the fabric.
If I am doing a more thorough carpet cleaning, I will skip that last process and use a portable extractor. I have been using one made by Bissell that works very well. I've put the link to it in the list below.
Fabric Seats
As we get more details on other methods, we can update this section.
With my seats, I only use Tuff Stuff or Folex for spot cleaning. Again, depending on the level of attention/effort I'm putting into cleaning the seats, I will either vaccum, then spot clean with Tuff Stuff or Folex, or I will break out the extractor. Just as I do with the carpet, once the seats have fully dried, I spray a coat of Scotch Guard over all of their fabrics.
I'm no professional, so take this info as you will. If you have any suggestions or methods, please share.
It doesn't sound like it from what I've described, but I do enjoy detailing. I oftentimes watch the "Car Cleaning Guru" on YouTube. If there are any videos or websites that you feel will be helpful, share that too.
It's been a while since I've read into different products and their efficacy, so I don't have a specific brand to recommend. The most important would be it's ability to protect from UV rays. For my personal preference, what is equally as important is for the product to not leave everything with a glossy shine, nor an oily residue. Both of the Meguiar's products check those boxes, so I have continued to use them.
Cleaning Products
Meguiar's® Ultimate Protectant, G14716, 15.2 oz., Spray
Meguiar's G17914 Gold Class Rich Leather
Folex Carpet Spot Remover, 32 oz
Tuff Stuff Fabric and Carpet Multi-Purpose Foam Cleaner (22 Ounces)
BISSELL Little Green Pro Heat Carpet Cleaner
If you all know of any good products, ideas, or methods for this section, let me know. I'll add them here.
