Rain Drip rail chrome trim

[Rinkle_Stinkle]

I know these are like mining for gold but I'm trying to get all my facts together on trim parts for when I paint the rig.

Does anyone know anyone else that can make these? I know they are no longer sold and many people look for knock offs, but the reviews on the knock offs are really bad as they don't hold up to weather and don't fit well.

If anyone has a set laying around too I could be very interested in those too as long as they are in good condition.

[letank]

not even sure how the trim can be removed without ruining it

[Rinkle_Stinkle]

not even sure how the trim can be removed without ruining it

from what I know its just a slip over. I have seen lots of posts in the past of people replacing them but it appears that they have been discontinued and no one makes them anymore.

[letank]

When I tried to remove mine they started to break. May be a little heat?

[candymancan]

The plastic one i just ripped ofc and broke them in like 10 peices. they are junk. There is no way to take it off in one peice.. They are normally already cracked.

The stainless steel ones i got mine and the rear window from a 79 cherokee cheif. I used a old fasion like 50s flat bottle opener. Ace hardware sold em. came off really easy and no dmg. To find them youll just have to scour ebay.. Or find junkyards that might have them. I had to drive 2 hours away to that 79 cherokee. That junkyard posted an ad in craigslist and i went up asap and got the drip rails for 5$ and the back peice for 10$

https://imgur.com/a/PrI84

[Rinkle_Stinkle]

The plastic one i just ripped ofc and broke them in like 10 peices. they are junk. There is no way to take it off in one peice.. They are normally already cracked.

The stainless steel ones i got mine and the rear window from a 79 cherokee cheif. I used a old fasion like 50s flat bottle opener. Ace hardware sold em. came off really easy and no dmg. To find them youll just have to scour ebay.. Or find junkyards that might have them. I had to drive 2 hours away to that 79 cherokee. That junkyard posted an ad in craigslist and i went up asap and got the drip rails for 5$ and the back peice for 10$

https://imgur.com/a/PrI84

so the 79s and before were stainless and after that they became plastic? mine are starting to crack really bad and it looks like the clear coat is separating and yellowing.

[candymancan]

Yea i think 83 for the cherokee cheif is the last year and for wagoneers im not sure what year stainless ended but i think it was 80 and under.. Ive see an 82 wagoneer and it had the plastic.

Im not sure why they did the plastic.. the XJs all had stainless up into the 90s.. Ive wondered if the XJ stainless rails will fit.. might not be as long but still

Dont qoute me on the years all i know is i saw the 79 had shiny rails in the pics and so i rushed over and poped em off with that flat old fashion bottle opener. The stainless rear window trim you have to drill out the two bottom rivets. And to mount it on my jeep i used rtv.. Probly wont ever be able to get it off with rtv on lol but there wont be a need for that

Honestly ive seen 4 wagoneers all in the 70s and none had the stainless rails... either someone took em off.. or they didnt have them to begin with.. Not sure what the deal with that was.

Yea mine were yellow and cracked too. they all are

[Rinkle_Stinkle]

Yea i think 83 for the cherokee cheif is the last year and for wagoneers im not sure what year stainless ended but i think it was 80 and under.. Ive see an 82 wagoneer and it had the plastic.

Im not sure why they did the plastic.. the XJs all had stainless up into the 90s.. Ive wondered if the XJ stainless rails will fit.. might not be as long but still

Dont qoute me on the years all i know is i saw the 79 had shiny rails in the pics and so i rushed over and poped em off with that flat old fashion bottle opener. The stainless rear window trim you have to drill out the two bottom rivets. And to mount it on my jeep i used rtv.. Probly wont ever be able to get it off with rtv on lol but there wont be a need for that

Honestly ive seen 4 wagoneers all in the 70s and none had the stainless rails... either someone took em off.. or they didnt have them to begin with.. Not sure what the deal with that was.

Yea mine were yellow and cracked too. they all are

That's really good to know. I'll be on the look out for those moving forward.

I really wish someone would find a generic piece of trim for a different current or earlier vehicle that could replace them. I know they have plastic stuff but then I'd be replacing it every 2-3 years and that's not really a solid fix. I have also contacted a lot of custom trim shops and everyone has given me a "we can't do that" response.

[kansasboy001]

There is some diy chroming products on the market today. They look surprisingly good. I've been wanting to try to simply chrome the drip rails themselves but am waiting till I repaint

[Rinkle_Stinkle]

There is some diy chroming products on the market today. They look surprisingly good. I've been wanting to try to simply chrome the drip rails themselves but am waiting till I repaint

are you talking about the spray on chrome? if so I'm ok with using that IF the rails aren't cracked... mine are severely cracked. What I'd really like to find it someone that can bend the rails out of stainless and i'll chrome them myself if its cheaper.

[candymancan]

Why chrome stainless ? Stainless is superior to chrome if you ask me.. Easier to polish and doesnt pit overtime

[Rinkle_Stinkle]

Why chrome stainless ? Stainless is superior to chrome if you ask me.. Easier to polish and doesnt pit overtime

You're right.. I am very sleepy this morning and wasn't talking right... I meant steel...if I could find someone to bend stainless I'd just stick with those but I seem to be running in to dead ends with those.

[kansasboy001]

There is some diy chroming products on the market today. They look surprisingly good. I've been wanting to try to simply chrome the drip rails themselves but am waiting till I repaint

are you talking about the spray on chrome? if so I'm ok with using that IF the rails aren't cracked... mine are severely cracked. What I'd really like to find it someone that can bend the rails out of stainless and i'll chrome them myself if its cheaper.

I wasn't talking about the plastic/tin drip rail trim pieces. Those come off and the actual drip rails that are welded to the body are below. These shouldnt be cracked unless your jeep was in some accident. The old wagoneers and cherokees just had these bare with paint and no trim pieces. Im saying you could just chrome paint those right on the body.

[Rinkle_Stinkle]

There is some diy chroming products on the market today. They look surprisingly good. I've been wanting to try to simply chrome the drip rails themselves but am waiting till I repaint

are you talking about the spray on chrome? if so I'm ok with using that IF the rails aren't cracked... mine are severely cracked. What I'd really like to find it someone that can bend the rails out of stainless and i'll chrome them myself if its cheaper.

I wasn't talking about the plastic/tin drip rail trim pieces. Those come off and the actual drip rails that are welded to the body are below. These shouldnt be cracked unless your jeep was in some accident. The old wagoneers and cherokees just had these bare with paint and no trim pieces. Im saying you could just chrome paint those right on the body.

ah! I see what you are saying. that is a possibility I hadn't thought of. I would rather/ prefer to find something to slide over top but I guess in the worse case I could do as you stated.

[SJTD]

There's a big gap between the roof rails and the windshield rails under the trim so painting isn't going to fly without some metalwork.

My solution: http://www.ifsja.org/forums/vb/showthread.php?t=164564

Couple posts down.

[Rinkle_Stinkle]

There's a big gap between the roof rails and the windshield rails under the trim so painting isn't going to fly without some metalwork.

My solution: http://www.ifsja.org/forums/vb/showthread.php?t=164564

Couple posts down.

that's a very good solution. I may end up going that way if I cant find an easy way to get stainless rain trim.... I still don't understand why someone doesn't make it... I mean being the only one on the market you know that you could make bank off it especially since I believe it would fit most years so one design for all...

if I knew more about making trim and bending metal id even be tempted to make them.

[candymancan]

It was being made there was a website that sold brand new stainless rails, but last i tried to go on it the site was down and it wasnt being sold anymore i guess ?


SO its my understanding that some wagoneers and cherokee's had the stainless rails.. others didnt and were just painted ? So i guess you have to get lucky like i did.... I guess i got really lucky lol

Here isa pic of the chief i found the rails on

https://imgur.com/a/KLOX8

[Rinkle_Stinkle]

It was being made there was a website that sold brand new stainless rails, but last i tried to go on it the site was down and it wasnt being sold anymore i guess ?


SO its my understanding that some wagoneers and cherokee's had the stainless rails.. others didnt and were just painted ? So i guess you have to get lucky like i did.... I guess i got really lucky lol

Here isa pic of the chief i found the rails on

https://imgur.com/a/KLOX8

wow you really DID get lucky to find a good set on that. I'm going to be on the look out for them... I may also post on a facebook group to see if anyone has them lying around.

[candymancan]

Yea lol the Jeep was completetly stripped minus the engine, no trans, transfercase interior was gone cept two nasty seats, and the drip rails and tailgate glass trim was still there.

Drove 3 hours away to get it as well, and paid $5 for the rails and 10$ for the rear glass trim. Funny thing is i went there twice, first time was just for the tailgate glass chrome peice. Then i saw it had the drip rails so i drove home, and had to ask people how to remove em, then i bought that bottle opener and drove another 3 hours back and poped em off lol.

[Rinkle_Stinkle]

Yea lol the Jeep was completetly stripped minus the engine, no trans, transfercase interior was gone cept two nasty seats, and the drip rails and tailgate glass trim was still there.

Drove 3 hours away to get it as well, and paid $5 for the rails and 10$ for the rear glass trim. Funny thing is i went there twice, first time was just for the tailgate glass chrome peice. Then i saw it had the drip rails so i drove home, and had to ask people how to remove em, then i bought that bottle opener and drove another 3 hours back and poped em off lol.

I actually think I found some in a pick and pay that someone is going to pull for me. if it wasn't across country I'd do it myself but a plane ticket isn't worth it. The guy who will pull them said he wasn't going to ask for a lot... (not really sure what that means) so there's a possibility I may have scored a good deal on them since most everyone else quoted me $800 plus shipping for the set... Um no... never in a million years would I pay that.