James Anders
Member
You can ask - but most likely they will refuse. Apparently it's some kind of regulatory thing.
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Definitive S Refresh Front Plate Bracket Removal
- Thread starter ZeroDarkSilver
- Start date
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- Tags
- Model S
You can ask - but most likely they will refuse. Apparently it's some kind of regulatory thing.
theslimshadyist
Active Member
No biggie, I just went ahead and ordered your bracket removal tool so either way I will get the damn thing off!
James Anders
Member
Then the only other annoying thing to remove is the very sticky adhesive. Some have used Goo Gone. I had a spray can of 3M Automotive Adhesive remover which worked well. Just takes a bit of time to push and rub and kind of roll the gook off.
Thanks!
Thanks!
jelloslug
Active Member
If you pull the tape parallel to the bumper it won't leave any residue behind.
I figured I would add my experience to this thread as well. This is copied and pasted from my comment on the waiting for delivery thread.
"It did end up being very easy to remove and took me less than 10 minutes. Just follow the instructions from the main thread on it. I got the special wrench to undo the weird screws, but I barely used it as I think I could have almost done the entire unscrewing of those by hand. I would still recommend spending the $10 to have it just in case.
The only thing that sucked was getting it started in pulling it away from the double sided tape. Once you get it started you just keep pulling until it is off, but you might be swearing up a storm as you try to get a grip on it and get it started"
I will add I pulled parallel to the bumper like jelloslug mentioned. I also had absolutely no issues getting the rest of the tape residue off. I simply rolled it using my fingers and it came right off.
"It did end up being very easy to remove and took me less than 10 minutes. Just follow the instructions from the main thread on it. I got the special wrench to undo the weird screws, but I barely used it as I think I could have almost done the entire unscrewing of those by hand. I would still recommend spending the $10 to have it just in case.
The only thing that sucked was getting it started in pulling it away from the double sided tape. Once you get it started you just keep pulling until it is off, but you might be swearing up a storm as you try to get a grip on it and get it started"
I will add I pulled parallel to the bumper like jelloslug mentioned. I also had absolutely no issues getting the rest of the tape residue off. I simply rolled it using my fingers and it came right off.
fallen888
Participant
Thanks for all the tips. The 90 degrees pliers from Amazon worked brilliantly. If you have clumsy hands like me, watch out that you don't pinch your hand with the pliers if they slip off. Tried to remove sticky bracket without heat, but ultimately relented and applied some air from a hair dryer.
fallen888
Participant
Yep, I ended up pinching my fingers with the pliers, squeezing the finger tips too hard when pulling the plastic piece off, and burnt my hands when heating the plastic with a hairdryer.
But I did it and it was totally worth it!
But I did it and it was totally worth it!
one5n1neSDoo
Member
Model S M.D.
Ludicrous Radiologist
lakerholic
Member
Thank you so much for creating this thread. You made something that would've frustrated the hell out of me - not to mention probably caused me to inflict damage on my car trying to pry off the license plate - so easy. Took 15 minutes start to finish, including a quick wipe down and wax of the area covered by the plate.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
Btw, if anyone has (or has access to) a pneumatic socket wrench, you can just use the best fitting socket you have and let er rip. Took each bolt out in about a second.
Model S M.D.
Ludicrous Radiologist
@ZeroDarkSilver
Thank you so much for this info. I took mine off the night of delivery. I used the 90 degree pliers from Amazon and they worked like a charm, although I pinched my fingers a few times. I ended up putting my iPhone on the fender upside down with the flashlight on, shining on the screws in order to accurately loosen them. Mine weren't loose like others, I needed to use the pliers.
I used a hairdryer to get the initial "pull" going. I thought my fingernails were going to rip off or I was going to break the bumper, but it eventually came off.
Most of the glue came off and I was only able to "roll" some of the residue off. After getting a blister on one of my thumbs, I took it to my local detailer (who advised against using goo gone) and he used this to take off the rest of the glue: (The finished product looks awesome!! I'll post pictures after my xpel/opticoat)
Thank you so much for this info. I took mine off the night of delivery. I used the 90 degree pliers from Amazon and they worked like a charm, although I pinched my fingers a few times. I ended up putting my iPhone on the fender upside down with the flashlight on, shining on the screws in order to accurately loosen them. Mine weren't loose like others, I needed to use the pliers.
I used a hairdryer to get the initial "pull" going. I thought my fingernails were going to rip off or I was going to break the bumper, but it eventually came off.
Most of the glue came off and I was only able to "roll" some of the residue off. After getting a blister on one of my thumbs, I took it to my local detailer (who advised against using goo gone) and he used this to take off the rest of the glue: (The finished product looks awesome!! I'll post pictures after my xpel/opticoat)
lakerholic
Member
Devastating. Can't imagine marring that nose with a plate. Love the arctic assassin look.
James Anders
Member
The problem with the angled pliers is that there's 5 lobes on the screw head. So, you can't get the pliers diametrically opposed and hence there's a tendency to slip off the head. If you have a pair of these angled pliers - it's worth a try, but it's an awkward tool at best. It's awkward to grip the head off center and then trying to rotate the screw head. This is why i made up this cheap little socket tool.
Tesla License Plate Socket Adapter by SlippinJimmie on Shapeways
Tesla License Plate Socket Adapter by SlippinJimmie on Shapeways
nhirsch
Member
Seems like Apple influenced the choice of those damn screws: Pentalobe security screw - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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