Body Decals - Jeep Wrangler 1997 Manual

23 - 18 BODY
REMOVAL AND INSTALLATION (Continued)

BODY DECALS

TJ decals (Fig. 11) are durable tape decals with a
adhesive backing.
To eliminate blisters and air bubbles in a decal,
pierce them with a needle or pin. Force the trapped
air out of the hole.
A heat gun can also be used to remove small wrin-
kles and irregularities in a decal.
Fig. 11 TJ—Decals
REMOVAL
NOTE: The key to successful decal removal is to
apply heat to area and slowly peel the decal from
panel.
(1) Clean the surface as necessary.
(2) Place a piece of masking tape above or below
the decal as a reference mark.
(3) Start at one end of the decal and apply heat
with a heat gun. Slowly peel the decal from the panel
by pulling it back. Do not pull the decal outward
from the panel.
INSTALLATION
(1) The area that will be covered by the decal must
be cleaned with an cleaning solution to remove any
residue paint. Freshly painted surfaces must be thor-
oughly dry.
(2) Clean painted surface with a commercial wax
and silicone removal solution. Wipe surface with a
clean cloth and allow to dry.
(3) Position decal and carrier on panel and hold it
in-place with pieces masking tape.
(4) Lift the bottom edge of the decal and carrier,
use the tape sections as hinges, and reverse the posi-
tion of the decal and carrier.
CAUTION: Always remove the carrier from the tape
stripe/decal, never remove the tape stripe/decal
from the carrier.
(5) Bend a corner of the carrier outward, separate
the corner of the carrier from the decal.
(6) Using the masking tape on the body panel,
align the decal.
(7) Separate the carrier from one end of the decal.
(8) Hold tape decal firmly against the panel sur-
face while separating the carrier from the decal.
(9) Inspect tape decal with reflected light to check
for defects that could have developed during the
installation process. Remove all air and/or moisture
bubbles.
TJ