Avalanche side/back cladding stickers

[DarkWolf]

Is there any pointers as to applying the cladding "Avalanche" stickers, like how soon can the truck be washed and will they stay on? Should I rough up the cladding first? Should I have them put on by a Body shop? Thanks in advance!

 

[brsofla]

Bought some about 4 months ago. I had to sand off the paint I'd used prior to the decals, then washed with strong soap. The application went well except around the ends of the skinny parts. Like the ends of the "E" and "A". After about a month I went back with some liquid adhesive and glued the ends down.

They seem to be attached o.k., but I never run this monkey through a car wash. Only by hand and very lightly around the letters. I guess I'm too chicken to test the strength of the adhesive.

Hope that helps.

 

[okrednk]

I too am curious to find out how well they hold up to some elbow grease.

 

[JerseyAv]

I've had my decals on for about 3 months and they are holding up great!
Here's what I did:
1. washed and dried the cladding with good soap (meguiars)
2. wiped the cladding with rubbing alcohol.
3. used a hair dryer to warm up surface (this probably isn't necessary now, but it was kind of cold (March) when I put the decals on and they didn't want to stick very well)
4. applied the decals and rubbed for a couple of minutes to make sure they were set.

That's it. I wash the av once a week and not one letter is peeling (knock on wood)

One more thing: I found it was easier to apply the letters when I cut them into individual letters. When I tried to put it on in one piece like a bumper sticker, it was hard to line up and the letters didn't match the cladding exactly.

I'm really happy with the way they look and really add to the appearance.
Go for it, you'll be glad you did.
Good Luck!

 

[gthomas]

Mine have been on for nearly a year now. I washed the cladding with Dawn dishwashing soap and made sure I had rinsed it very well. Waited for them to dry, applied the decals and rubbed them down. I've washed the truck many times and had no problems with them staying on. I've probably put at least 25,000 miles on the truck with those stickers staying put.

 

[DarkWolf]

Well here's the story,they sent me 4 sets instead of 3 so i tested one and Jerseyav was right do them individually...they line up much better that way!
The other thing is that i'm going to have to mask off the outside line and putting the decals on then clear coating them with about 3 coats so that they stand out more.

 

[GPM1972]

I purchased mine from AutoTrimDesign and have had them on for close to 2 years. I used 3M adhesive/tar remover to prep the surface before installation. I don't use automatic car washes but do ocassionally use a high pressurer do-it-yourself car wash. Even when I hand wash, I usually go over the cladding with a soft bristle brush. In either case, I've not avoided spraying or brushing the decals and they're holding up just like new.