has anyone tried to remove the body cladding on a 2nd gen Bravada or Jimmy to investigate the real rocker panel and fender well conditions on your trucks? are they straight bolt-ons or a bunch of annoying body clips that only body shops know how to install LOL? if you can get them off can you get them back on? also do you have to remove the rear behind Tire quarters in order to switch out the main bumper?

 

Are you talking about those fancy plastic pieces behind the front wheels on the fenders? They are just screwed on and held with 3m tape. And for the front bumper, you will have to remove the grill, and ther is also a couple bolts on either side that is accessible from underneath

 

I'm actually talking about all the body clad molding all the way back but the bumper covers I was referring to are in the rear before replacing the rear bumper

 

Hmmm I'll have to take a closer look for the rest of the vehicle, but I believe it to be the same...

 

For the rear bumper, there are I believe 4-8 bolts accessible from underneat, and if I remember correctly, under the plastic trim on the bumper itself. The side pieces dont need to be removed.

to remove the side rear bumpers, there are 3-4 bolts along the body and plastic trim, and a few along the inside wheel well.

for the rocker covers, I believe its 3m along the top and screwed from the bottom.

I almost grabbed the trim pieces from a 99 trailblazer to put on my blazer lt... got too cold and had prior arrangement that led me away from them

 

that's a bummer thanks for the info though. I'm trying to decide whether it's worth it to take them off just to see the Rockers and quarter panels for integrity. I guess I wish they didn't wrap under the Rockers. It seems like that would hold a lot of water and create a lot of hidden rot. LOL come to think of it 20 years ago that's exactly why I would have put them on... to hide the Rot haha...oohh, the boring practical mind that comes with age and wisdom...

 

I grabbed the side skirts off a Trailblazer edition a few weeks back. I even removed the side skirts from a Jimmy while I was out there.
So there is probably a 7mm bolt in the front wheel well, then you'll need your handy dandy Harbor Freight special trim puller tool, the smallest opening size. There are around 6 or so little plastic rivet-kinda plugs holding them in along the bottom, and at the rear, in the other wheel well.
You can pop them out with a screwdriver or two, maybe some pliers....but that trim puller tool is VERY handy.
https://www.harborfreight.com/PanelT...-Pc-63639.html
I pulled both sides off that Trailblazer in less than 5 minutes combined.

Edit: Forgot about HOW they are attached.

There is a small seam, or groove, that it sits in. When you get all the bolts/plugs out, you will pull up and out to free them easily. There might be some adhesive or double sided tape holding underneath....a putty knife will come in handy, too.

 

thanks for the heads up guys and Jensen I will definitely get that little tool much appreciated. Do the undercarriages actually rust out and hold water because of them? My only real reason to remove them at this point would be to investigate that. Also can the plastic moldings be buffed or is the paint too thin on the plastic?

 

I would check under them. And you'd be best off painting them if they're too dull or chipped.

 

driver rear door sill-meets-wheel well...evil bubbling and Sill delam...

passenger evil bubbling just above rear quarterquarter clad.
​​​​​ugh, it has begun. do I really want to know how bad it is under the rest of it? 🙄😪