Bandrada

I'm selling my beloved F150, and I need to remove a bunch of stickers.

FTR, the only thing I haven't tried is chain lube.

TIA

ThermionicScott 

A Dunlop 0.73mm nylon guitar pick.

Bandrada

Better than a razor blade? These stickers are OLD, and they weren't cheap. The "residue" is a mm thick.

I need chemicals.

HillRider

Kerosene or OMS will work on most without hurting the paint. WD-40 (aka OMS with a bit of oil) usually works and is handy in the spray can. Acetone works on the stickers but will probably damage the paint.

Bandrada

I was able to remove the stickers from the paint, no problem. The stubborn ones are on the window and chrome bumper. My next step was going to be thinner for the residue.

lostarchitect 

I use goo-gone.

Bandrada

Hopefully with better results than me.

My neighbor recommended 3M adhesive remover, but it's more costly than the Goo-Gone. I'm already selling this truck on the cheap, the detailing is just an added bonus for whoever buys it.

ghause

Maybe 90% rubbing alcohol? It got the airbag warning stickers off my sun visors.
Soak with a paper towel.
Mayonnaise if that doesn't work.

Bandrada

So far, the best approach has been boiling some rags in hot water and "soaking" the sticker, but it's time consuming

KLiNCK

Try using a hand held hair dryer.
By slowly warming the sticker/decal the old glue glue softens and then you can lift a corner and peel it right off.

Bandrada

Nice! I have a heat ***

Thanks!

lol, heat guhn.

ThermionicScott 

Nylon guitar picks are much softer than razor blades so they won't scratch the paint, while still having a sharp edge that can get under those stickers. You'll still need chemicals for the residue.

achoo

Goo-gone is just scented mineral oil, isn't it?

Bandrada

Smells like ant pheromones. I was thinking that baby oil would have been a lot cheaper, and maybe even doubled as a chain lube.

jwarner

i use a UHMW wedge I cut get the sticker started, and some isopropanol to cut the glue residue left over by the four pounds of warning and other stickers they put on bikes these days. It hasn't seemed to damage the paint yet.

(yes, before anyone gets their panties in a wad... I am exaggerating about the "four pounds" bit, and I am sure that the sticker telling me to put the front wheel on before trying to ride the bike has probably saved countless lives).

Bandrada

While we are on the subject, I use a carpet razor to remove spoke protectors. Which begs the question: why do high end bikes still come with those things?

Thanks everyone for your contributions. I will update later on when I stop procrastinating.

redcon1

Goof-Off is like industrial strength Goo Gone. Works quicker and better to dissolve the adhesive. Available at most big-box stores.

Bandrada

Yep, goof off would have been a much better alternative, but in the end the thinner did the trick (not on paint)...along with some help from little tool I came up with, a cheap pair of locking pliers from harbor freight and a beefy straight blade.

leob1

[QUOTE=jwarner;17256747 the four pounds of warning and other stickers they put on bikes these days. [/QUOTE]

That's about right.

+1 on the Goof-off.

SlowJoeCrow

Goo-Gone, Goof Off, D-solv it et al are all based on citrus oil rather than mineral oil which is their selling point. Along with hot air from a blow dryer or its industrial equivalent, a plastic scraper and patience your sticker will go away. For really stubborn stuff I think 3M makes a special Scotch Brite disc that magically erases stickers and residue.

mconlonx

I thought the active ingredient was an industrial citrus product...?

mconlonx

A bodywork guy once showed me a rubber disk for an air-powered die grinder, which he used for taking off stubborn stickers while doing minimal damage to paint and finish.

Bandrada

In any case, it worked about as well as citric degreasers.

fietsbob

Best? 3M Makes an adhesive solvent.

Wilfred Laurier

I used to work at a shop that sold two of their own brands of bikes, and the less expensive one was usually just close-out lots purchased from a low-cost Canadian supplier, and the 'brand' was changed by removing the old brand stickers and applying the new ones.

And the stickers were removed with a heat ***

edit
damn text censor!

A heat G - U - N