Removing Grille

Dous

Dous

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I am trying hard to here to remove the grille on my '99 base 4runner. Is there any trick to it. I know about the six clips but they are so hard to reach! I am trying to paint it black to match the factory finish. Thanks
 
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I ended up breaking most of my clips trying to get the damn thing off. There is a better way to do it, but I didn't read up on it before I hacked my way throught it and I just ended up zip tying the grille back on (which is better IMO - it doesn't rattle at all now and it'll be easy to cut them off next time). Someone will probably chime in with the correct way, but this worked out just fine for me.
 
I agree with brian. The first time I did it, it just jammed screw drivers in every which way to get the pressure tabs to release. it was a PITA, and i broke about half of them doing it. The second time around, I just tore them out and went with the zip ties. much easier to access every time since.
 
You might have to have somebody show you how, but once you see how to do it it's really easy. There is a little black plastic tongue that sticks out of the tab, press that down and it will release pressure on the clip allowing you to take the grill out. Don't try to force it, it should just pop right out and go back in the same way. My grills out, if this doesn't help I'll take some pics.
 
broke half of my clips also...i think u can break them off , just make sure you have 2 or 3 that are unbroke
 
rusm said:
You might have to have somebody show you how, but once you see how to do it it's really easy. There is a little black plastic tongue that sticks out of the tab, press that down and it will release pressure on the clip allowing you to take the grill out. Don't try to force it, it should just pop right out and go back in the same way. My grills out, if this doesn't help I'll take some pics.
Click to expand...

Don't look at the top ones first. It will confuse you (everything that you see stays on the truck). Get down on you knees and look at the middle ones from outside the truck. You'll see the 'tongue' easily and the wider part in the grill plastic where you press it down to and the grill just pops out. After that use a small screwdriver to slide the tongue down by accessing the top ones from the side and the middle bottom one from below. It's really easy once you see how it is done on the middle ones.
 
Yeah that tab within the clip is easier to press down on with a flat head screwdriver imo. It will release with hardly any force though, so if you force it, have zip ties ready to go. Mine has 7 clips too
 
look at the grille from the front. you can see the tabs that you push down on and its was easier to do from the front rather than from the top
 
Thanks for all the help, it only took 5 minutes to take off once I knew what to do. I only broke 1 clip! Its been painted black and clear coated, high gloss :surfer:
 
have 4 hands...

with someone else putting just a bit of forward pressure-not a lot just a bit-then as each clip comes loose it does not want to nest back into place.

Having a second set of hands is really helpful, yes you can do it alone but why risk breaking the clips? same concept with the 2nd gen grilles also.
 
Ron Helmuth said:
with someone else putting just a bit of forward pressure-not a lot just a bit-then as each clip comes loose it does not want to nest back into place.

Having a second set of hands is really helpful, yes you can do it alone but why risk breaking the clips? same concept with the 2nd gen grilles also.
Click to expand...

The first time, I bungeed one side to my tractor parked nose-to-nose with the 4Runner. Then I worked the clips from that side to the other. I didn't break ANY. I wasn't a genius; I tried and failed for half an hour before I came up with this approach. It comes off a LOT easier once it's been done a few times. (This is true of many things.)
 
From another thread:

It's part # 90467-12040 $0.73 at ToyotaPartsZone



90467-12040 - OEM Toyota CLIP


I personally didn't order any, as I got another grille from a wrecker with the clips attached. Between my grille and the wrecker one, I had 1 clip spare! As others have stated above, its a matter of taking a small slot screwdriver and pushing the tab down and pulling. The middle clip is the only awkward one. I found that if you remove the clip from the grille and clip them into the mating slots on the truck, its easier to snap the grille back in.
 
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