Birchall
Dick Chown Award 2016
I Am not sure that tools help all that much on these particular panels.
They can certainly help a lot on most trim panels, they are great tools.
But on the rear interior side panels it is more a case of scary sharp tugs to get them off.
Take out the rear plastic panel that goes from the tailgate lock area to the floor (4 screws)
I start at the tailgate, remove the bulb inspection panels, prise the trim away from the tailgate side rubbers. It is quite flexible and you can get your fingers in far enough to give a sharp tug away from the tailgate surround towards the centre of the car. there is one small clip in the area and unfortunately it tends to break a "leg" off. Then higher up and on the side near where the seat belt comes through (just to the left of that is a very tough clip.
Be brave and get one hand into the aperture of the bulb inspection hole and the other hand on top by the glass and again a very sharp tug.
Unclip the split where the seat belt fabric comes through. Press down on the lower side of the opening and it opens up.
I then open the rear door and remove the lower door shut plastic trim, or at least enough to get it out of the way of the edge of the side panel.
Then slide a screwdriver or nylon trim remover from the tool kit in where the side panel joins the rest of the trim (it is curved around the rear wheel tub) there are three (I think, perhaps four) very easily popped connections there (like press studs)
Then with the side panel edged away from the door rubber strip and one more grab and tug to get the final clip that is in between the door andn the seat belt reel.
That is it. Then you can find the bolt holes and captive nuts on the wheel arch area (mine were hidden behind some tar sound insulation sheets.
If there are tar insulation sheets there you need to get them off or the metal rails will stick out slightly too much and if it is on both sides, the folding floor will be too tight. So remove it, at least where the rails go. (It is quite brittle so it comes off easily)
You will need to decide what you are going to use for the rearmost mounting holes, as mentioned they do not have the captive nuts. So I would just use a nut and bolt, Ideally the original bolts (there are seven each side) with suitable nuts.
Repeat this on the other side and refitting is (as usual) the reverse. But try and make sure that you have as many clips as you can from the three that are needed (the ones with the white nylon mountings).
I have never needed the trim tools, but you could use them in one or two places on the trim if it helps
Steve B
They can certainly help a lot on most trim panels, they are great tools.
But on the rear interior side panels it is more a case of scary sharp tugs to get them off.
Take out the rear plastic panel that goes from the tailgate lock area to the floor (4 screws)
I start at the tailgate, remove the bulb inspection panels, prise the trim away from the tailgate side rubbers. It is quite flexible and you can get your fingers in far enough to give a sharp tug away from the tailgate surround towards the centre of the car. there is one small clip in the area and unfortunately it tends to break a "leg" off. Then higher up and on the side near where the seat belt comes through (just to the left of that is a very tough clip.
Be brave and get one hand into the aperture of the bulb inspection hole and the other hand on top by the glass and again a very sharp tug.
Unclip the split where the seat belt fabric comes through. Press down on the lower side of the opening and it opens up.
I then open the rear door and remove the lower door shut plastic trim, or at least enough to get it out of the way of the edge of the side panel.
Then slide a screwdriver or nylon trim remover from the tool kit in where the side panel joins the rest of the trim (it is curved around the rear wheel tub) there are three (I think, perhaps four) very easily popped connections there (like press studs)
Then with the side panel edged away from the door rubber strip and one more grab and tug to get the final clip that is in between the door andn the seat belt reel.
That is it. Then you can find the bolt holes and captive nuts on the wheel arch area (mine were hidden behind some tar sound insulation sheets.
If there are tar insulation sheets there you need to get them off or the metal rails will stick out slightly too much and if it is on both sides, the folding floor will be too tight. So remove it, at least where the rails go. (It is quite brittle so it comes off easily)
You will need to decide what you are going to use for the rearmost mounting holes, as mentioned they do not have the captive nuts. So I would just use a nut and bolt, Ideally the original bolts (there are seven each side) with suitable nuts.
Repeat this on the other side and refitting is (as usual) the reverse. But try and make sure that you have as many clips as you can from the three that are needed (the ones with the white nylon mountings).
I have never needed the trim tools, but you could use them in one or two places on the trim if it helps
Steve B
