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Drip Edge

sbilbrey

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Marysville, Ohio
Hello,

I just bought a 99 XJ that has certainly been well used.

One thing that I have never seen before is that on the drivers side the drip edge looks like bare, sharp metal, like a cover piece is missing. The other side looks like it has some sort of a cover over that (as does every other car I have ever seen with a drip edge).

What is this cover? Does it just snap in place? Where would I get one? Is it possible to take one off another XJ and put it on mine?

Thanks,
Sammer
 
They are just held on with internal clamps. Mine kept coming loose so I just ripped them off. You can get them from another xj. But I believe they have to be the same body style if I'm not mistaken.
 
It snaps/glues in place - not sure where to get one, but you can always try being very careful at a scrapyard.
 
The cover piece is just what you think it is, a long strip of sheet metal. It's held on with clips that go over the pinch seam and then gets pressed onto the clips. They bend when they are removed so you more or less have to buy new unless you can find one at the junkyard that will come off easily
 
I was thinking that it would be almost impossible to remove one without bending.

Any idea where to pick up new? I thought I would see it in the Essentials catalog, but nothing.

Sammer
 
Price and availability pretty much restrict you to the junkyard.

Practice the removal technique on the side you don't need and then go after the side you need.
 
getting it off the clips is easy, the problem is that it's glued at the ends so you have to cut through the glue which is impossible with the trim piece still on

maybe you can hack away the drip rail under the glue then try to pick at the glue later at home but that I learned to just live without after looking at it
 
They come off relatively easily at the junkyard. With your thumb on the outer edge and index finger on the inner edge, start just over the front door and roll it towards the roof. Work your way towards the ends being careful not to bend it. The clips lose their grip and the whole piece comes off. If they're glued you should be able to cut that union with a razor knife (box cutter) and you are in business.
 
I've found usually you can re-bend clips like that. It's tedious and usually doesn't work quite as well, but they do work. For instance, I've reused the push-nuts ($%$^ing things!) holding my dome lights up a few times, just have to mostly flatten them out with a pair of pliers and then press them back on.

That being said, the part number for the clip (for 94-96 and probably others) is 3500 2115. The only vendor I found in my 45-second, lazy google search was http://www.fourwheelerhb.com/listitems.aspx - use their part number search and it comes right up. My parts catalog lists it as "AR" (as required) so I think their $1.90 is "each" pricing, not sure how many you'll need.

EDIT: just a thought... mask everything else off and throw some rust converter/primer on the very edge of the metal before you glue the new drip edge on, if you have any rust at all.
 
If you do, you'll get to see a beautiful bare pinch seam instead.
 
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