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Got the Topper Off...

shima

shima

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Hey all,

Got my topper off and ordered replacement seals and adhesive from LMC Truck.

Here are some pics if you're interested, the body seems in pretty good shape. I feel lucky. https://imgur.com/a/b8iBq

Anything I should be sure to do before putting the topper back on? Also, how do you all get those old seals off? They're stuck on there good (topper AND body).

Thanks as always -

Drew
 
I’d they are the original seals, you may have to put some extra force in it and use a scraper or blade. Some areas require a glue like sealant and once you get it all off, use some mineral spirits to wipe it down before you install the new ones.
 
Cntymnty77 said:
I’d they are the original seals, you may have to put some extra force in it and use a scraper or blade. Some areas require a glue like sealant and once you get it all off, use some mineral spirits to wipe it down before you install the new ones.
Click to expand...

Hey, thanks for the tip.

Yeah... they are sticking on there quite well. I also don't know what that junk is on the passenger side rail. Gonna have to use a scraper or something, like you said.
 
shima said:
Hey, thanks for the tip.

Yeah... they are sticking on there quite well. I also don't know what that junk is on the passenger side rail. Gonna have to use a scraper or something, like you said.
Click to expand...
It looks like silicon caulking. I’m guessing it wasn’t sealing there and someone decided to squirt half a tube in there. If that’s what it is, it should peel off for the most part.
 
Check to see if the acid in that silicone has done any damage to the paint/metal. Also try using a heat gun to soften the adhesive holding the weatherstripping on.
 
Two things I came up with when I did mine:

GM recommends a seal conditioner on the seals. Dielectric grease is on they recommend. I figured it would help keep the seals from sticking to the metal when I wanted to take the top back off, along with helping to seal a tiny bit, maybe.

Also, not sure if it was consistent, or when GM started/stopped, but when I took my top off, I noticed that there was a strip of butyl rubber (or similar black non-hardening semi-solid goop) that ran from where the cab seal meets the bed rail, angling rearward about 45* to "channel" water from the bedrail seal to the outside of the bed. Your third pic kind of shows that area, forward of the bolt hole, how the rust is kind of angling away from the top seal towards the bedrail edge. I suspect when GM did this, it was to keep water that invariably got between the cab and topper seals from traveling down the bed rails, since the topper to bedrail seal has a channel in the middle of it, or straight into the bed. I just took a thin strip of butyl rubber, stuck it on the bedrail, and used some baby powder to keep it from sticking to the topper seal.
 
rampage said:
Check to see if the acid in that silicone has done any damage to the paint/metal. Also try using a heat gun to soften the adhesive holding the weatherstripping on.
Click to expand...

Will do, thank you @rampage !!

dyeager535 said:
Two things I came up with when I did mine:

GM recommends a seal conditioner on the seals. Dielectric grease is on they recommend. I figured it would help keep the seals from sticking to the metal when I wanted to take the top back off, along with helping to seal a tiny bit, maybe.

Also, not sure if it was consistent, or when GM started/stopped, but when I took my top off, I noticed that there was a strip of butyl rubber (or similar black non-hardening semi-solid goop) that ran from where the cab seal meets the bed rail, angling rearward about 45* to "channel" water from the bedrail seal to the outside of the bed. Your third pic kind of shows that area, forward of the bolt hole, how the rust is kind of angling away from the top seal towards the bedrail edge. I suspect when GM did this, it was to keep water that invariably got between the cab and topper seals from traveling down the bed rails, since the topper to bedrail seal has a channel in the middle of it, or straight into the bed. I just took a thin strip of butyl rubber, stuck it on the bedrail, and used some baby powder to keep it from sticking to the topper seal.
Click to expand...

Very interesting, thanks @dyeager535... I am gonna have to think on that. I want to get it back on soon, but that sounds like a great thing to just take care of. Perhaps I can take it off again in the summer and add something like that.
 
Man, the old adhesive crap is tough to get off of the cab and topper. The old owner put a bunch of crap in there that is thick and hardened. I'm out in the garage chipping away at the old stuff with a hammer and flat head screwdriver. Trying my best not to scratch the paint.
 
mrk5 said:
Possible a little heat would help soften it up. Like a hair dryer or careful use of a heat gun.
Click to expand...

Yeah, @rampage suggested the same thing. I was stupid and tried to get by without because I don't own a heat gun. But a hair dryer, we have one of those. I'll give that a shot tonight. It might help keep my hands warm since my garage is freezing.
 
Justin V said:
Don't be using your lady's good one...
Click to expand...

I think she has a couple, chances are that I can grab one without her even noticing it is gone... !!

Also, a couple of quick questions to you all...
  1. On the topper itself, where I had rough spots from the gunk that was left behind, I sanded it down with a sheet of 80-grit. I wouldn't do that on the truck cab but figured I'd be safe doing it on the topper... hopefully I'm not wrong about that?
  2. Any of you guys ever paint your topper with something like RhinoLining? I figure it would make the topper even heavier, which sucks, but I may never have to worry about it ever again. Anybody have any thoughts?
Thanks as always -

Drew
 
I picked up a cheap Wagner heat gun for around $20 at Home Depot when I did that vinyl on my hood. It gets nice and hot and should get the job done.
 
Made some solid progress last night, despite the cold. When my landlord built my garage, he put a couple of whirlybirds on the roof. They let all of the heat out. I will never understand why. He said that it got too hot during the summer... then just open the garage door a little bit! Oh well.

Status of the topper:
  • Most all of the adhesive gunk is off. There is just a little bit left in small crevices / channels that I can't get to.
  • Sanded smooth wherever I could.
  • Wiped down with a rag + mineral spirits.
Status of the truck:
  • Most all of the adhesive gunk is off. Same story as the topper mainly, some gunk left in small hard to reach places. I spent most of last night chipping off the crap shown in picture #4 of my original post. Took some paint with it, unfortunately... but the metal is now smooth.
  • Did not sand anything, scared to.
  • Did not wipe it down with anything.
So, I think I am at a point where I can paint the topper, let it dry, put the new seals on, and then put it back onto the truck.

Question 1: Should I treat the truck sheet metal with anything before putting the topper back on (particularly what about the spots with surface rust)?
Question 2: Do I need to worry about the small pieces of adhesive gunk that are stuck inside hard-to-reach channels on the topper + truck cab (i.e. will the new seals not sit as well with that s*** in there)?

Thanks for any and all input as always fellas! Trying to do this job during the winter was pretty dumb of me - it has been a big pain fighting with that old adhesive in the cold. The whole reason I bought my K5 was to use it for snowboarding trips in the winter, so it was extra dumb to take on this job now!

Drew
 
If I see any rust, I sand it down and at least hit it with rattlecan. With the roof and hood of my truck doing the typical GM peeling, there is a lot of rattlecan.

The way I look at it, no matter how stupid the rattlecan looks compared to the rest of your paint, it's better than rust getting worse.
 
@dyeager535 thanks, man! I will do that.

To be honest, I am getting into sort of a rush to get the topper back on. I want to use the truck for trips up to the mountain. So, I will likely take the topper off again this coming summer and do a much more thorough job. For now sanding down the rust and hitting it with a rattlecan is good enough for me. Maybe this summer I'll actually go through the trouble of trying to find matching paint!
 
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