Paint Headlights
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_McLovin_
Joined: Jul 2008
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From: earth
Paint Headlights
This is how I did it, not how you have to do it but it worked for me. Sorry for the lack of pictures but I wasn't planning on doing a hot to when I was tackling the task.
1.Remove the Headlight from the truck and bulbs from headlight.
2. Cook each headlight one at a time at 250 degrees for 10 minutes.
3. Immediately after removing the light from the oven get something prefferably plastic and pry a corner of the headlight apart. DO NOT use anything metal to pry the headlight apart because the plastic will be soft and will deform. Getting a corner to initially break free is the toughest part. Once the corner is loose pull the assembly apart with your fingers. I wore mechanics gloves because of the heat.
4. Remove the inner reflector piece from the clear lens. 2 Torx screws.
5. Remove old glue from clear lens and black backing assy. I had to reheat the parts a couple of time to keep the glue soft enough to pull off. Once it cools it gets as hard as a rock and will not come off. Just be sure to never let the parts cook over 10 minutes at a time. For me the glue came off in 2 to 3 inch strips.
6. Remove orange reflector piece and tape the area behind the orange reflector part(some people just paint this area) and tape the turn signal reflective surface(just the round concave portion). Sand with 400 grit.
7. Paint with your choice of spray paint. I have a Dark Stone Metallic color so I used Dupli-Color Dark Graphite and it was an almost perfect match. I also used 3 light coats to avoind runs.
8. Once paint is dry remove tape, replace orange reflector piece and and reassemble back into clear lens. Be sure to clean fingerprints and dirt on the inside of the clear lens first.
9. For the glue I used a very liberal amount of black silicone sealer I bought from Lowes. Place it all the way around the backing piece in the grove where the old glue was removed.
10. Reinstall clear lens back onto backing piece and let the silicone cure completely before re-installing on truck. About 24 hours. And Voila a cheap great looking alternative.
Here are the rest of the extra pics I have of random stuff.
Backing Piece:
Back of the reflective piece.
Again sorry for the lack of pictures but I wasn't thinking of doing a write up when I was doing it. Hope this helps.
1.Remove the Headlight from the truck and bulbs from headlight.
2. Cook each headlight one at a time at 250 degrees for 10 minutes.
3. Immediately after removing the light from the oven get something prefferably plastic and pry a corner of the headlight apart. DO NOT use anything metal to pry the headlight apart because the plastic will be soft and will deform. Getting a corner to initially break free is the toughest part. Once the corner is loose pull the assembly apart with your fingers. I wore mechanics gloves because of the heat.
4. Remove the inner reflector piece from the clear lens. 2 Torx screws.
5. Remove old glue from clear lens and black backing assy. I had to reheat the parts a couple of time to keep the glue soft enough to pull off. Once it cools it gets as hard as a rock and will not come off. Just be sure to never let the parts cook over 10 minutes at a time. For me the glue came off in 2 to 3 inch strips.
6. Remove orange reflector piece and tape the area behind the orange reflector part(some people just paint this area) and tape the turn signal reflective surface(just the round concave portion). Sand with 400 grit.
7. Paint with your choice of spray paint. I have a Dark Stone Metallic color so I used Dupli-Color Dark Graphite and it was an almost perfect match. I also used 3 light coats to avoind runs.
8. Once paint is dry remove tape, replace orange reflector piece and and reassemble back into clear lens. Be sure to clean fingerprints and dirt on the inside of the clear lens first.
9. For the glue I used a very liberal amount of black silicone sealer I bought from Lowes. Place it all the way around the backing piece in the grove where the old glue was removed.
10. Reinstall clear lens back onto backing piece and let the silicone cure completely before re-installing on truck. About 24 hours. And Voila a cheap great looking alternative.
Here are the rest of the extra pics I have of random stuff.
Backing Piece:
Back of the reflective piece.
Again sorry for the lack of pictures but I wasn't thinking of doing a write up when I was doing it. Hope this helps.
Last edited by exitwound; Sep 10, 2008 at 07:30 PM.
Junior Member
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
I did this project today...Getting them apart and old glue off sucked...but I think it was definatly worth it... I have a white truck and did mine black.. man it made the truck look alot meaner.
Oh also I did not sand mine down. I wiped them clean and used a clear adhesion promoter primer worked well..I used dupli-color high heat black because I had it and figured it can't hurt with the heat from the lights and all
Oh also I did not sand mine down. I wiped them clean and used a clear adhesion promoter primer worked well..I used dupli-color high heat black because I had it and figured it can't hurt with the heat from the lights and all
Last edited by billy26; Sep 14, 2008 at 08:54 PM.
Junior Member
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
i put them directly on rack. but I would clean them well before you bake them. I really didn't think anything of it but i have some little dots you can see when my headlights are on that I have to think maybe was junk on the lenses and when I heated them up it possibly melted little tiny spots.
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Member
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 38
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From: Alberta Canada
Right on guys, was kinda thinking of doing something like that on my 04 heritage... Was actually just going to get that spray on tint and do the outside but that would be better. Just wondering now if i should paint black or a dark blue... wonder how a dark blue would look on a black truck... I really don't want to have to do it twice... LOL!!! any thoughts on if you think the blue might look good?
~Josh
~Josh