How to remove black badge overlays

What is the best method to remove the black badge overlays on the exterior without damaging them?

 

Heat gun, a non marring pry tool, and lots of patience.

 

Honestly, it may be easier to de-badge and re-badge. I had black overlays on my originals but didn't like it so de-badged and re-badged with new ones that have red TRD and black Off Road

 

This is what I would do. Remove and replace with new badges.

 

Where would you buy the badges? Thanks for the replies

 

I knew the trend would eventually come around full circle.

 

Hahaha, I didn't like the overlays I bought because you couldn't see the definition between the letters, they were all melded together. I tried to make mine look better by using touchup paint to provide definition but it didn't work well.

I think I got my replacement badges on ebay

 

Thanks FN. As far as trends, I'm so far from trendy. My wife just took delivery of a new nautical blue TRD ORP. She likes the OEM wheels and silver valance so I suggested she ask to not have the black out kit put on. I thought it was dealer installed? Either way, the outside emblems are blacked out.

 

Heat gun will melt the thin material used to make the overlay. I melted my “Limited” on my Tundra when debadging. I moved the heat gun faster when removing the rest of the emblems.

Didn’t try this but I suggest using steam to remove overlay adhesive.

 

I think black badges look great. Mine were overlays and I wasn't happy with the quality.

That's why I changed mine. I took the originals off with fishing line and broke them trying to get overlays off, because the tape was quality

 

I used my hairdryer rather than a heat gun, there’s less of a chance to burn or melt anything. Then, as others have said dental floss, and I used rubbing alcohol on a cotton pad to clean off the leftover sticky. I didn’t break any of the plastic badges, they’re in a ziploc bag should I ever change my mind.

 

Those Ebay overlays are not engineered well enough. The 3Ms are weak. Hundreds of ebay sellers with knockoff overlay and emblems advertised as OE/OEM.
Stick with OEM after removing everything. So many rebadging videos on youtube.
Get original nightshade emblems using part number from dealership.

 

Take fishing line and do a sawing motion and it will come right off. I wouldn’t use a heat gun

 

I was hoping to remove the black overlays rather than the whole badge. Buying all of the exterior badges is more than I want to spend unless my wife demands otherwise. Guess they will stay put for now. I appreciate everyones help!

 

As if there's not enough 90's chrome on these trucks already...

 

Old-school chrome on metal is one thing. Plastic chrome is something different altogether.

 

Enlighten us as to the difference.

 

Those Shiny chrome don't tarnish/weathered unlike black finish. Just the that shiny chrome no longer fashionable.
Hence switching to black emblems/overlays. However, don't go the cheap route on a 50k vehicle.

 

real chrome on metal is pure chromium applied through an electrolytic process. Thickness varies depending on application but it is hard bonded to the base metal and can be deposited at around 30 microns per hour. It is durable and polishable.

chrome on plastic is a couple of microns aluminum vaporized on to plastic with a clear coat finish.

 

I know the look has become less fashionable. Black finishes do tend to dull. Once you scratch the clear coat of plastic chrome, it's going to look like shit too.

IMO, black finish and plastic "chrome" are both the cheap routes but we aren't going back to metal bumpers and trim in chrome finish. it's too expensive and it weighs too much.

I'm more in the de-badging camp.

 

Which has absolutely nothing to do with the issue at hand. Thanks for the Google cut/paste though.

 

So you asked for something that has nothing to do with the issue at hand and that's what you got.

Did your comment about trucks having enough 90s chrome have anything to do with the issue at hand, removing black overlays? No, it didn't.

My first reply to this thread was a suggestion to remove and replace. What have you contributed that is relevant to the issue at hand?

 

I never asked a question, sport. But my comment was a hell of a lot more relevant that your Google cut/past #19. Move along.

 

You asked him to “enlighten us as to the difference” and he did. I’m lost as to how you decided to then battle over him answering your specific question.

 

Yes, you did, sport.

You have fuck-all to do with whether or not I move along.

 

LMAO - the issue was the display of chrome on 4Runners. You gave a Google cut/paste of chrome on metal vs. plastic. Not real hard to understand how that has zero applicability to the issue, but you've made your Google cut/paste points. Another for the ignore list...

 

that's the best reply I could have hoped for

 

I just removed my black overlays this morning…50° in the garage. I cut a slice in the fat part of the letter with an exacto knife then just inserted a nylon pry tool between the overlay and the chrome letter and just worked them off. Took more time to remove the glue off the letters than it took to remove the overlays then installed body color overlays

 

So you had to cut a small
slice in each letter? Was thier tape under where you cut into them? I worry about hitting the chrome underneath with the knife, but this seems like a good way…