Xpel ultimate - hood hinges

[J-Dub]

The pattern in your pic is exactly what I was hoping to receive in the first place (maybe with the edge of the film being a bit closer to the hinge). I'll go back to these ass clowns in a few weeks (waiting to see if a few little bubbles disappear) and I will ask them to redo it. Your pic is a custom cut, right?

No this is a pattern cut

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[ek1]

No this is a pattern cut

Sorry if this sounds stupid., but by "pattern" you mean someone typing the make/model/year of the car into some software and then using a cutting machine to "Print" patterns (i.e. individual pieces), correct? I.e. no manual cutting of any kind.

What film is in your pic? I am asking because the guy actually showed me Xpel's software on his laptop and I could clearly see huge holes around the hinge area. Same thing is shown on their web site:

 

[Deleted User 38384]

Trying to do PPF on my 392. Went to pick it up today and discovered that the installer left a 1" gap around hood hinges "because that's the way machine cuts it". I spent 30 min explaining to him that I don't care about the stupid machine and I want him to cover the hood fully and cut the film around the hinges. He showed me Xpel's program oh his laptop and the pre-cut film for the hood does in fact look like this (the red areas are where the film ends)

I am 99% sure he is just being lazy and does not want to invest time info carefully stretching the film and covering the entire area around the hinges. He also claims that he can do full coverage if I let him remove the hood hinges (Heeeeeeaaalll no!) This incompetence is REALLY pissing me off.

Can someone with PPF on their hood please post some pics of how the film covers the hinge area?

Can

Just remove the hood hinges yourself. I've done it before. It's not that complicated. It's pretty easy to line it up again afterwards. I mean taking one look at my Jeep you might expect me to have done this already, but if you look at it you can't tell that I've done it already.

 

[J-Dub]

That's correct. There are two main software programs used for PPF right now, DAP (Xpel) and CORE (owned by Eastman), with other small ones but these are the big two. This is STEK film, cut with CORE software. This is how our patterns look in core for the 392 (1st photo) which is much larger around the hinges than the standard Rubicon (2nd photo). If this were me installing it, I would use the hinge section from the standard and blow out the edges so that the only piece I had to line up was the hinges, and hand cut the edges. The cowl would get hand cut and the windshield bumpers would be removed.

 

[huyfishin]

Sorry if this sounds stupid., but by "pattern" you mean someone typing the make/model/year of the car into some software and then using a cutting machine to "Print" patterns (i.e. individual pieces), correct? I.e. no manual cutting of any kind.

What film is in your pic? I am asking because the guy actually showed me Xpel's software on his laptop and I could clearly see huge holes around the hinge area. Same thing is shown on their web site:

yes pattern would be precut from a PC. Unfortunately the pattern will only be as good as the designer that made it. Its always hit and miss. Some good and some bad.

I did my own PPF since i do it for a living. It is possible to cover closer to the edges.

Sorry for the dirty images. Jeep is dirty and i just went into my garage to snap it real quick.

This is the first JL I did in 2018. I just snapped a quick photo for you to see. It was precut on core software using Llumar platinum paint protection.

This is my pattern i used. As you can see it doesn't cover 100% but its close enough. unfortunately it looks like xpel pattern doesn't cover all the way in. Which also surprises me since its supposed to be one of the best.

 

[J-Dub]

yes pattern would be precut from a PC. Unfortunately the pattern will only be as good as the designer that made it. Its always hit and miss. Some good and some bad.

I did my own PPF since i do it for a living. It is possible to cover closer to the edges.

Sorry for the dirty images. Jeep is dirty and i just went into my garage to snap it real quick.

This is the first JL I did in 2018. I just snapped a quick photo for you to see. It was precut on core software using Llumar platinum paint protection.

This is my pattern i used. As you can see it doesn't cover 100% but its close enough. unfortunately it looks like xpel pattern doesn't cover all the way in. Which also surprises me since its supposed to be one of the best.

I used to think so too but after installing for a couple of shops local to me that are Xpel shops I am quickly realizing that isn't the case

 

[huyfishin]

That's correct. There are two main software programs used for PPF right now, DAP (Xpel) and CORE (owned by Eastman), with other small ones but these are the big two. This is STEK film, cut with CORE software. This is how our patterns look in core for the 392 (1st photo) which is much larger around the hinges than the standard Rubicon (2nd photo). If this were me installing it, I would use the hinge section from the standard and blow out the edges so that the only piece I had to line up was the hinges, and hand cut the edges. The cowl would get hand cut and the windshield bumpers would be removed.

You beat me to it LOL I just screenshot my own core software.

Jdub is correct. with a little extra time the installer could have extended out the hinge areas using xpels software.

I'll be honest. At times when I cut film out for customers that have special requests. It makes our job sometimes more difficult.

Sometimes we dont know how well it fits or where the film ends. Its hard to estimate howmuch we need to extend it at times. We just cut out what we are given from the manufacturer and the customer gets what they get.

The only time I would redo something is if the precut is extremely bad with poor fitment. what you have i would consider industry standard for 95% of North america.

 

[huyfishin]

I used to think so too but after installing for a couple of shops local to me that are Xpel shops I am quickly realizing that isn't the case

Yup true. They were the innovators and the brand that set the bar. But other companies have caught up.

 

[ek1]

You beat me to it LOL I just screenshot my own core software.

Jdub is correct. with a little extra time the installer could have extended out the hinge areas using xpels software.

I'll be honest. At times when I cut film out for customers that have special requests. It makes our job sometimes more difficult.

Sometimes we dont know how well it fits or where the film ends. Its hard to estimate howmuch we need to extend it at times. We just cut out what we are given from the manufacturer and the customer gets what they get.

The only time I would redo something is if the precut is extremely bad with poor fitment. what you have i would consider industry standard for 95% of North america.

That's funny. One of the things the guy said was "The job is 95% perfect". I said "Why didn't you tell me that your price quote covered 95% of the work and getting 100% costs more?"

 

[ek1]

I used to think so too but after installing for a couple of shops local to me that are Xpel shops I am quickly realizing that isn't the case

Can you please take a pic from a distance of like a foot? Something that shows the entire hinge with film coming close to it. The guy kept telling me that what you have in your pic is "impossible to do without removing the hood hinges" (direct quote) and I kept telling him he does NOT need to remove the hinges because film goes AROUND them.

 

[huyfishin]

That's funny. One of the things the guy said was "The job is 95% perfect". I said "Why didn't you tell me that your price quote covered 95% of the work and getting 100% costs more?"

You should take these photos into the shop and show them what you want. Show them the core software precut.

The option they gave you to remove the hinges was only to deter you from get it done. I highly doubt they would have done it.

 

[ek1]

Just remove the hood hinges yourself. I've done it before. It's not that complicated. It's pretty easy to line it up again afterwards. I mean taking one look at my Jeep you might expect me to have done this already, but if you look at it you can't tell that I've done it already.

It looks like the Jeep is painted after the hood is installed, so everything (hinges, hood, bolts) are covered with paint completely and sealed. Jeep's shitty hood design causes the hinges to sit at the bottom of the pool of water that gathers in the hinge depression area during every rain/snow. I am afraid that if I remove the hood, the pain surface will be broken and water will seep into tiny gaps between the hood, hinges and bolts, causing it to rust.

 

[ek1]

You should take these photos into the shop and show them what you want. Show them the core software precut.

The option they gave you to remove the hinges was only to deter you from get it done. I highly doubt they would have done it.

You are absolutely right and this is why I was looking for pics from jobs that were done correctly.

Once the guy told me this "impossible" BS, my immediate response was "You are saying this is impossible to do without removing the hinges, but what happens if I bring you multiple pics showing you it IS possible? Are you going to magically change your tune?"

His answer was silence. What can I say? Freaking kindergarten. Typical NYC. Keep in mind, I never questioned the price and did not ask for discounts, etc. I paid the price he asked, so I expected him to do the job I asked for.

 

[Deleted User 38384]

It looks like the Jeep is painted after the hood is installed, so everything (hinges, hood, bolts) are covered with paint completely and sealed. Jeep's shitty hood design causes the hinges to sit at the bottom of the pool of water that gathers in the hinge depression area during every rain/snow. I am afraid that if I remove the hood, the pain surface will be broken and water will seep into tiny gaps between the hood, hinges and bolts, causing it to rust.

I wouldn't worry about that too much. If anything I found the paint line to be the number one reason why I had no issues lining it up afterwards. Also you have to remember that the hood is aluminum. Meaning the likelihood of it rusting or corroding is pretty unlikely. You could potentially cause it to corrode, but you would have to smash it up pretty good. Mind you I've smashed mind up really good, and it's not corroding and it survived one winter storm, one ice storm, a shit ton of mud, multiple rainstorms, and still no corrosion.

The hinges however, I believe they would probably be steel. But as long as you line it up again, there won't be any issues with a gap. No more than what came from the factory.

The only bit of advice I could give you, is that if you do remove the screws from the hinges that attach to the hood, make sure you abruptly pull the hood away from the hinges. Meaning the opposite direction of the hinges. Mine were sticking together a little bit just because of the paint, but me being me I knew enough to yank the hood Forward from the base where it attaches to the hinges so that not to scrape the hood at all and also because it would create the best line between the paint on the hood and the paint on the hinges. If you peel it off sideways you risk tearing away more paint than you would want to. Your best bet is to just yank real quick from the base.

 

[huyfishin]

You are absolutely right and this is why I was looking for pics from jobs that were done correctly.

Once the guy told me this "impossible" BS, my immediate response was "You are saying this is impossible to do without removing the hinges, but what happens if I bring you multiple pics showing you it IS possible? Are you going to magically change your tune?"

His answer was silence. What can I say? Freaking kindergarten. Typical NYC. Keep in mind, I never questioned the price and did not ask for discounts, etc. I paid the price he asked, so I expected him to do the job I asked for.

Make sure if you go in. just be kind to the installer as long as he is willing to work with you. Keep in mind a day of taking off film that is wrapped around the edges is gonna be a pain. The labour just to remove it and the cost to reapply new film on is gonna cost them. Assuming its a small business and they also have rent and need to eat. The only reason i say this is because he didn't choose for the pattern to be designed this way. He was just installing what he was given. Assuming the rest of the install was clean with no dust and dirt ect then he tried his best with what he was given. I've seen way worse installs with cut up paint, stretch marks and sand everywhere.

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