Is anybody going with the factory door edge guards? Who is installing?

 

I got them and installed them myself. Just be sure to buy a bottle of touch-up paint at the same time. Download the installation instructions if you want to know why. I know someone here did the install without the scraping and paint, but that could lead to a poor fit and the guards coming off at some point.

 

I installed the door edge guards on my Acura TL a few years back as well as on my friends Civic. They can be a little difficult to work with as they are stiff painted metal/aluminum strips molded to match the contours of the door. My advice is to take your time and use a rubber mallet. You might also want to find a second person to help keep the bottom portion of the door edge guard in place while you tap the top portion of the guard onto the door edge.

Either way, it's not too difficult and you shouldn't need touch up paint if you are careful.

 

Yea, you really do need a rubber mallet. The guards come with a scraping tool to use to scrape off sealant on the inside of the door and the touchup paint is used to paint over the metal that was scraped. If you scrape off the sealant and don't use the paint, it could be trouble a few years down the road. If you don't scrape, it might still fit but I could see how it might not be a tight fit and could come loose later on.

 

Maybe this: http://www.clearmask.com/ would be better. This is a link to those clear 3M material door edge guards.

 

What are the door edge guards made of -- metal?

 

From my post above....

They can be a little difficult to work with as they are stiff painted metal/aluminum strips molded to match the contours of the door.

 

Sorry, I didnt' read it carefully. I would think that you would rather have something other than metal. What is to keep the door edge guard from chipping?