Heat gun to refinish cladding.

[Zuke]

I did some searching but didn't find much on the 4R cladding.

Has anyone used a heat gun to refinish all of the grey cladding on a 4R. I found a bunch of youtube videos of people doing it with jeeps but no 4R. Anyone try it and more importantly have photos.

I have 3 panels that have faded at different levels so i am just looking to get them all back to one color.

 

[Pirate VI]

I don't have cladding, but have done it on my Jeep a few times. It works better than you would believe. I have even done it on the interior of the Jeep. I would just give it a try and see if it works, you can't screw it up. Heat guns are only $20 at Walmart in the paint section.
This is only a semi permanent fix, I found I did it to my Jeep about every year and a half, although the Jeep was in the Virgin Islands, where the sun is more powerful and damaging.

 

[Zuke]

Thanks for the input. I did read up and find a few photos of Chevy Avalanche owners trying on their cladding. Most had great results but say its time consuming.

 

[NJshadow93]

I did some searching but didn't find much on the 4R cladding.

Has anyone used a heat gun to refinish all of the grey cladding on a 4R. I found a bunch of youtube videos of people doing it with jeeps but no 4R. Anyone try it and more importantly have photos.

I have 3 panels that have faded at different levels so i am just looking to get them all back to one color.

I was looking into the same thing. My cladding isn't that faded but has some light brush scratches. If you use this method please post pics and your experience! I'll post pics if I give it a try

 

[Zuke]

I will gladly do some before and after photos. I am trying to borrow a heat gun from a co-workers. He has one that is a professional grade and should take less time. If he can't find it I will use the $20 wal-mart special.

 

[CDM4RSD]

I have used a heat gun on my cladding. It is time consuming but it does work much better than you’d expect. I used medium heat on my craftsman heat gun, held the gun about 1-2 inches from the cladding. Move the gun back and forth 2-3 inches until you see the color change. Do not touch the cladding with the gun or hold the gun in one spot - you will melt or burn the cladding.

 

[hinmo24t]

ive heard of the heat gun trick but i think you can get streaks??

tape them off and use a satin-black paint or a satin black plastidip...i did it with jeep TJ fenders and it worked well.

for rubber/dashboard/faded trim, one of the best products on market is called 303 aerospace. its pricey but very quality (nasa used i believe)