How to get the adhesive off after debadging your 2016 Ram 1500

Many owners like the look of the truck without all of the flashy badges. However, getting all of the adhesive off your 2016 Ram 1500 can be quite difficult. Other owners offer suggestions for removing the sticky mess.

Swiftly, from North Carolina, reaches out to members of a Ram forum for help getting stick adhesive off of his truck. He asks what other owners have tried that won’t harm the paint on a 2016 Ram 1500. “I decided to debadge the door emblems on the Ram, but for the life of me I can not get the adhesive residue off the door! I have tried GooGone and WD40. Still some residue is just hanging in there like a hair in a biscuit.”

Chill says he just debadged his 2017 Ram 1500. “I debadged and was left with a residue also. I used just regular soap and water and my finger nail to get most of it off. Then some googone and elbow grease. Finally just used some maguiars ultimate polish to get the last of it.”

Stripping all of the badges off seems quite popular recently. Jeff says he just did it to his 2017 Ram 1500 as well. “I just took all the decals off my truck last week, and have done this before on another truck. Simply go buy a can of 3M auto adhesive remover, spray it on the sticky residue just like you were spray painting, so spray it back and forth a few times, let it sit for a few seconds, then do it again, let it sit... take your thumb or finger - not your nail - and slowly work a corner by rubbing across - not INTO the paint - it will come off.”

Jeff cautions that the process takes time. “The biggest thing here is patience, and liberal use of the 3M spray. When you have most of the residue off, wash the area ( i used some dawn liquid soap), dry it off and if you have all the residue removed, hit the area with some polish and bam you will never know they were there.”

Spike, from Texas, has similar suggestions. Spike recommends, “Patience is key my friend. It has taken me days and days to get rid of that stuff. My method with Goo Gone Gel, 1. Heat area with hair drier so goo is not as hard 2. Apply gel and wait for a few minutes 3. Lightly rub with microfiber until dry.”

Swiftly updated the members of the forum on his progress and he seems pleased. “Went to the autoshop and picked up some areosol product called OOPs, recommended a trial in an inconspicuous location. Once the test drive went ok, I worked on the remnant glue on passenger side.Took it off like a knife through butter, went ahead and debadged the drivers’ side. The bulk of the glue didn't come off well. After I did what I could by hand, I let it sit overnight and the OOPs brought it out real quick, even the bulk glue areas! So now I have a bit of polishing to do, the paper towels left some fine scratches on the door area. None the less, the stuff worked well.”

Even Swiftly seemed surprised at how many different Ram 1500 owners found themselves in the same situation. Obviously the same steps should work for any type of vehicle. The biggest step is to make sure that you try the remover in an inconspicuous place to make sure it doesn’t harm your paint finish.