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svt jackpoint covers not sitting flush

hotdimmes

Hard-core CEG'er
Joined
Dec 26, 2003
Messages
4,112
Location
New Britain, CT
Is there any trick to getting these things to be completely flush with the sideskirt? Mine are definitely in there..but the top of the jack cover is still kind of recessed. It's like the top isn't clicking into place...but it is!
 
Is there any trick to getting these things to be completely flush with the sideskirt? Mine are definitely in there..but the top of the jack cover is still kind of recessed. It's like the top isn't clicking into place...but it is!

As you know, the things get gummed up with dirt like you read about. Even a little debris along the edge can foul up the fitment. One thing I thought about doing once was gluing a spring inside the "V" of the jack cover so that it pushed it out into the skirt clip to ensure flushness. I never got around to it, though. Recently cleaned, however, my jack covers look good.
 
Well everything is freshly cleaned and painted. The jack covers are each missing 1 tab on the front...but I would think that would make them stick outward..not inward..
 
When I had my SVT painted last fall, I bought brand new side skirts from ford, and the jack covers still had fitment issues. SVT sideskirts look great, but they sure can be a pain!
 
When I had my SVT painted last fall, I bought brand new side skirts from ford, and the jack covers still had fitment issues. SVT sideskirts look great, but they sure can be a pain!

yeah they are a pain. i say you get rid of the passenger side one and give it to me :laugh:
 
One thing I thought about doing once was gluing a spring inside the "V" of the jack cover so that it pushed it out into the skirt clip to ensure flushness.
Not a bad idea :cool:

Mine don't wanna fit at all, they're extremely tight. I just shoved them up there so they wouldn't move and I hope I never have to take ehm off again :blackeye:
 
If you wanted to go totally nuts, you could dremel the edges just a bit and then sand them gently with about 500 grit, test fit them, and then paint them once you're satisfied. You may notice that the fitment is currently a bit tighter at the bottom that at the top. This may help to alleviate that. A lot of work, admittedly, for a part that makes the car run no better at all.

I might also suggest the "percussive maintenance" approach, wherein you perfect the art of beating the crap out of it from the bottom with the heel of your hand until it fits satisfactorily. :cool:

If you're a real perfectionist, have your body guy bondo right over them, sand, and paint, leaving no evidence of a gap, creating a one piece look. If you do this, you'll have to make sure that you have a way of making sure that the skirt stays suspended properly, as, from memory, there's a body pin up under the jack cover holding the affair to the car, and you wont be able to get back in there after you seal up the jack point.

Or, find a spot where you can't see the jack covers at all, like the front or back of the car, sit down on the lawn, crack a beer, light up a cigarette, and forget about it. :cool:
 
Mine were sagging a little bit so i pulled them off, heated them up a little and spread them apart, then reinstalled. They look much better now. Helps if you clean all the dirt and wax out of the grooves too.
 
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