Emblems are the identity for your vehicle. Without the emblems your vehicle is just not the same.
There are many reasons that you may have to replace a genuine emblem or a nameplate on your vehicle. The most common reason is that for some reason people like to steal emblems off of vehicles, we don’t understand it either, but they do. Other reasons could be the carwash tore them off, or you just want to replace them because they become faded and dull over time.
Whatever the reason is there is a right way to go about putting them on so that the emblem lasts, fits right, and does not come off again.
When seeking out an emblem to add to your vehicle, or replacing one be sure to buy the genuine part Genuine parts last much longer, and look better for many more years than the Cheap Chinese imitations.
Here are the simple steps that you can perform to be sure your emblem is attached correctly.
What you want to have on hand before you start.
- Emblem adhesive remover (acrysol) available at your local auto parts store.
- Emblem adhesive. Also available at your local auto parts store.
- A clean lint-free towel or rag
- the new emblem(s) you want to install.
- A bubble level
- Painters Tape
Step 1 First you will want to remove the old emblem. The Easiest and most effective way will be to use a heat gun. A Heat gun will melt the adhesive on the old emblem allowing you to pull it off. Just be careful when using a heat gun not to leave its sitting on the paint to long, or you could damage the paint. Just use it long enough to soften the glue to remove the old emblem. We don’t recommend prying the emblem off with a knife or with a sharp tool as you could scratch the paint. Note Some emblems have pins on the back that go through holes into the sheet metal. If this is the case for your vehicle on the inside of the sheet metal there will usually be some type of nut holding on from the other side. Be sure to save these nuts because you will need them later to reattach the emblem.
Step 2 After removing the old emblem you will have some adhesive still left on the paint of the vehicle. You will want to have some emblem adhesive remover, also known as Acrysol on hand. This chemical is readily available at most auto parts stores. Acrysol removes glue from painted surfaces, but does not affect the paint.
Step 3 You next want to clean the area where you will be putting the new emblem very well with rubbing alcohol. The purpose of doing this is that it will remove all the old wax and other residue that would keep the emblem from sticking permanently to the surface.
Step 4 If the emblem is being placed in an area that requires it to be level, what you want to do is use a bubble level and mark the area using some painters tape exactly in the area at the emblem is going to be attached.
Step 5 If needed get your Emblem adhesive Ready. Many emblems come with adhesive already attached. This makes it very easy as you just peel and stick. However, Not all emblems come with adhesive. Once again your local auto parts store is your best friend. While you are buying the adhesive remover , go ahead and pick up a tube of emblem adhesive. Emblem adhesive is similar to superglue but not exactly. It is a clear type of glue that is made especially to bond plastic to painted metal.
Step 6 Attach your new emblem. If your emblem has adhesive on it from the factory simply peel and stick the emblem. Be sure to put it on the level line that you marked with painters tape earlier. If your emblem does not have adhesive and does not have pins put a thin line of emblem adhesive around all the edges of the emblem where it will meet the painted surface. A little bit goes a long way, do not coat the mating surface of the emblem with a thick amount of adhesive. The reason for this is that if you do this, once you push the emblem onto the vehicle that he’s will spread out the sides and will not look right and is very hard to clean off once the emblem is stuck on.
Step 7 Hold the emblem perfectly straight until the adhesive dries. Most emblem adhesive dries very fast and should not have to hold more than a minute or two in most cases.
Note If your emblem has pins on the back. There are two ways to attach the emblems this way. Some vehicles use pins on the back only to attach the emblem. If your emblem has pins that come off the back and go through the sheet metal of the car then you will need to unscrew the nuts from the back of the pins on the old emblem and pull the emblem off that way. You reattach the new emblem same way. Just be sure you kept the nuts from the first step and use the same nuts to reattach the new emblem by just turning the nuts to cut grooves into the plastic of the posts of the new emblem. For added security you can also add a very thin layer around the mating surface of the new emblem and the painted surface.
Step 8 You can then pull off the painter’s tape and cleanup the area around the emblem.
That’s it it’s really easy to do, you’ll have your car or truck looking great in no time!