Newer trucks w/side trim problems?

black&grayHD · April 8, 2004

I've noticed the massive (and ugly, IMO) side trim on the '04 has developed a couple of spots where the trim looks bubbled, as if the adhesive is giving way underneath . I've only had it 3 weeks, anybody else notice this problem?

As a side-note, I'm not going to hassle with the dealership over it, I know they'll replace it under warranty but I'm planning on replacing it with the older style trim anyway. I like the looks better and never had any peeling problems.

03Bowtie · April 8, 2004

just peel it all off and be done with it. The truck will look much better w/o it anyways. Even better, buy the GMC molding and put that back on. It looks much cleaner. But then again, these are just my opinions.....

budchevyss · April 8, 2004

lrymal · April 8, 2004

If your dealer is somewhat decent, they might be persuaded to replace the molding with the older molding since the warranty will do something anyway. My dealer would laugh at such a suggestion.

I certainly would avoid the temptation of living the molding off for styling sake. Anything on those doors will help against dings from others.

Z71Adrenaline · April 9, 2004

IMO, trucks with the bodyside molding removed look like base model trucks. I don't understand why the 03's and 04's don't have a section of molding on the bedside like the 99-02's do?

Tungsten · April 9, 2004

IMO, trucks with the bodyside molding removed look like base model trucks. I don't understand why the 03's and 04's don't have a section of molding on the bedside like the 99-02's do?

Because if they can save money X's a lot then they do it.

seadoons · April 9, 2004

Lrymal & Tungsten, I like the molding on your trucks - and you have the new front end. I like a painted molding to match the truck with a piece of chrome to accent it. I have an '02 forrest green truck, and my molding, although a different style, is painted with a chrome strip. What I have seen on some of the new 2004 trucks, tahoes, and suburbans, is this horrible looking 4 - 5 inch think black plastic molding slapped on the side of these trucks, and it looks BAD! I would definately take it off for looks reasons - I guess you could replace it with the stuff from the 2002 model.

My brother has a 2001 model that is red, but he has black molding, which I think looks good. I guess it all depends on what color you have.

rockn69 · April 9, 2004

My three month old truck is doing the same thing, 2004 Duramax, i was wondering yesterday what was going on wih my molding

Hecktorx · April 9, 2004

I just took my black moldings off my 03 last weekend. I replaced them with moldings for an 02 GMC. IMO, I think it looks much better.

Kenny

lrymal · April 9, 2004

Lrymal & Tungsten, I like the molding on your trucks - and you have the new front end. I like a painted molding to match the truck with a piece of chrome to accent it.

Oh, yeah.... well, yes. The molding they stuck on there is good quality actually, and does look good. The molding has a nice dress-up in its design. And it works. The molding does have a few minor ding chips from doors slamming on them, so they are placed in an appropriate location, protecting the doors.

The problem is that they didn't finish the job. If they had only continued the molding to the bed as the older models. I already have a slight ding on the cargo box and it is obvious molding would have prevented it. Those wheel well flares also help a lot, but I don't know why GM didn't continue the molding to the bed.

03Bowtie · April 9, 2004

Irymal, while the moldings may help in that one specific area, what about the rest of the vehicle?? The molding is only 3" high max. If another truck is parked next to me and opens his door, my door will get dinged with or w/o molding because it sits higher. Dings are inevitable eventually, so my take on it is that if it looks better without it, it's comin' off. Everyone has their own truck and their own opinion, and I'm not disagreeing with yours, just the fact that the molding will stop people from dinging the truck. In some cases sure, but not all. I'm a big advocate of "sometimes less is more". The cleaner the better IMO.

lrymal · April 10, 2004

Actually, I prefer a clean vehicle, too. The plainer the better. As long as it is a CAR!!!!

Corvette, Jag, Just kidding.... I have never had the $$$$.

I am the world's worst kid with a truck and I am a 55 year old goat and have been this way since 1971 with trucks. I stick every piece of junk on trucks. Just look at my signature.

But, getting back to the point..., my other "line of defense" against door dings is the nurf bars. Seems car doors tend to hit those in addition to the side moldings. They stick out just far enough. If the pipes were narrower, I think the door would be at the mercy of the moldings' protection.

The fact that I have blips and a few pits on the molding indicate they stopped something. These blips and pits are not the bubbling issue mentioned earlier. You asked about the higher area... I really have no dings on the door above the moldings. Not sure why. Could be the offending door curves in and just doesn't connect with that part of the truck door's side and does its contacting toward the middle and downwards.

I'm not arguing with you, either. I mean, this is just some issue on how to maintain the purity of a vehicle's styling, and yet offer it a degree of protection against the REAL world. "After all, it IS a truck/car, etc." The '99 Pontiac Grand Am I drove had so much ugly cladding on it, but yet, that cladding did a great job of protecting that car. I can't help but think the Silverado SS's cladding offers similar protection, for example.