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DIY: Door hinge protection film

jmcdtucson

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Tried to install the R3 hinge protectors. It was impossible for me to get a satisfactory install. There were no instructions so I ruined the first one not knowing the tricks. If you're not familiar with the product, watch the r3 offroad instruction video.

Also the plastic wasn't cut all the way through so I had to finish many of the cuts myself and didn't get them perfect. I spent a lot of time trying to install a second one, but ended up ripping it off. Just couldn't get it good enough - it was visible at the edge cuts with many imperfections, some from my cuts.

MVIMG_20180901_131227.jpg


After an hour or so I gave up and just cut the ends off and covered the fronts of my hinges. That turned out fine.
If you have more patience than I do or have worked with this kind of material before, or if the cuts are all the way through the plastic, you may have better luck. It's a neat product, just takes a while to get the hang of it. I may have got a bad set without the cuts going through.

IMG_20180901_145836.jpg
IMG_20180901_145903.jpg


After 3 hours of work I have the fronts of 4 hinges nicely covered and it feels like I'm getting the hang of it.


Also be a more careful reader then I was when ordering - you need to buy 2 kits (at $20 each + $7.50 shipping) if you have the 4-door model. So the cost is about $55.

MVIMG_20180901_131237.jpg


IMG_20180901_145903.jpg
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aug0211

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Tried to install the R3 hinge protectors. It was impossible for me to get a satisfactory install. There were no instructions so I ruined the first one not knowing the tricks. If you're not familiar with the product, watch the r3 offroad instruction video.

Also the plastic wasn't cut all the way through so I had to finish many of the cuts myself and didn't get them perfect. I spent a lot of time trying to install a second one, but ended up ripping it off. Just couldn't get it good enough - it was visible at the edge cuts with many imperfections, some from my cuts.

MVIMG_20180901_131227.jpg


After an hour or so I gave up and just cut the ends off and covered the fronts of my hinges. That turned out fine.
If you have more patience than I do or have worked with this kind of material before, or if the cuts are all the way through the plastic, you may have better luck. It's a neat product, just takes a while to get the hang of it. I may have got a bad set without the cuts going through.

IMG_20180901_145836.jpg
IMG_20180901_145903.jpg


After 3 hours of work I have the fronts of 4 hinges nicely covered and it feels like I'm getting the hang of it.


Also be a more careful reader then I was when ordering - you need to buy 2 kits (at $20 each + $7.50 shipping) if you have the 4-door model. So the cost is about $55.

MVIMG_20180901_131237.jpg


IMG_20180901_145903.jpg
Cuts were also not all the way through on mine. I was able to work through it but it created more of a headache than seemed necessary.
 

mikej

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All of the cuts were fine on mine, but it took me a while to get not terrible at the install. The first door took me over an hour and a half and the remaining three collectively took an hour (with the last door taking about ten minutes). It took me forever to understand the right amount of liquid (too much was usually my problem).
 

IPvFletch

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Another idea is to just rhino line them or something.. or maybe someone could make an armor plate that mounts in-line and protects/deflects the rocks away...
 

BrntWS6

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Do the door sill protectors go up and over the lip? The spot mopar door sill protectors leave exposed closer to the seat.
 

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BrntWS6

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These hinge protectors are kind of a PIA to get right. I tried it with just a little less baby shampoo and it seemed to stick better. Also a lot of heat, I don't see how you can get them without heat. The problem areas I sprayed while heating it with my hair dryer at the same time, then held down in place while it cooled.
 

PGFDE121

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So I saw that someone mentioned the rear hinges were taking all the abuse, is that the general consensus?
 

PGFDE121

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Had some left over helicopter tape which I used to protect my carbon fiber mountain bike. Used that to cover the leading edge of the hinges.

Removing it could leave some sticky residue but it's much thicker than paint protection film and much more malleable which makes it very easy to install. Took 5 minutes to do both sides.
how did the install look?
 

KodyT215

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So I saw that someone mentioned the rear hinges were taking all the abuse, is that the general consensus?
Depends on your set up. Tire tread, tire width, wheel offset, fenders... The more aggressive set ups will sling debris starting at the front hinges. As a side note, I bought a roll of 4" wide xpel from amazon, made a paper template, cut xpel to fit and installed all 4 in less than an hour. It's the round, leading edge of the hinge that takes the bulk of the beating
 

BrntWS6

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Yeah are people getting any wear on the flat part of the hinge? The full hinge may be overkill and they suck to install.
 

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PGFDE121

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Depends on your set up. Tire tread, tire width, wheel offset, fenders... The more aggressive set ups will sling debris starting at the front hinges. As a side note, I bought a roll of 4" wide xpel from amazon, made a paper template, cut xpel to fit and installed all 4 in less than an hour. It's the round, leading edge of the hinge that takes the bulk of the beating
I just put ACE rock sliders on, so the lip seems to keep rocks from being thrown up.
 

Bob Burd

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I paid the $40 for the door hinge 3M kits, way overkill. Only the hinge portion facing front needed covering, just like the OP did. I just cut off the rest of the 3M material and didn't bother trying to do the whole hinge. Also, I found only the rear door hinges and lower front hinges get rock chips on a stock JLUR, fwiw. I touched them up with paint before applying the material.
 

tts42572

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Did you need to deal with the whole liquid spray with this stuff or is it just peel and stick?

Think it would it cause paint damage if you ever had to remove?

I decided to install 3m ppf on the door hinges today and took some pictures of how I completed it. This isn’t a very difficult task just requires a lot of time and patience.

First I order a small roll of film from amazon. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01LWPKZCF?psc=1&ref=yo_pop_mb_yo_pop_mb_pd_t2

When it arrived I taped it to a flat surface over night to get out any wrinkles.

Next using blue painters tape I created templates of the 3 sections of the door hinge I was covering. This will involve some trial and error when cutting the tape to fit.

I then layed the template over the back of the film and used a sharp utility knife to cut out. Need 8 total of each section.

After cleaning the surface, peel the back of the film off and apply the film in a rolling motion from one side to the other (prevents bubbles). Then firmly press down/rub the film to secure it.
You may mess up a few times in the beggining but there is more than enough film to use if you do. I also placed a line of film on the edge of the back doors too.

That’s really all there is to it. Hope this helps if you plan to do it.

Jeep Wrangler JL DIY: Door hinge protection film IMG_20180901_145903


Jeep Wrangler JL DIY: Door hinge protection film IMG_20180901_145903


Jeep Wrangler JL DIY: Door hinge protection film IMG_20180901_145903


Jeep Wrangler JL DIY: Door hinge protection film IMG_20180901_145903


Jeep Wrangler JL DIY: Door hinge protection film IMG_20180901_145903


Jeep Wrangler JL DIY: Door hinge protection film IMG_20180901_145903
 

Ifraaz

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I just did mine today.
Jeep Wrangler JL DIY: Door hinge protection film 20211103_130402
Jeep Wrangler JL DIY: Door hinge protection film 20211103_110434

Just did the front facing parts of the hinges. And the plate on the lower part of the hinge that is exposed as well. Lots of trial and error getting the right shape and size but worth it in the end
 

BrntWS6

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I removed mine as they eventually bubbled and looked terrible. I have a sahara with rubi take-offs. It seems the running boards may protect the hinges plenty. I have driven down a ton of gravel roads since 2019 and have 0 chips on my hinges.

These things were a waste for me.
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