Jeep Cherokees are made to go off-roading and be taken through extreme conditions. With all the possible mud, water and rocks being flung onto your Cherokee, the paint can chip easily and make your vehicle unsightly. Quick fixes for this are the mud flaps behind the wheels and the rocker panels under the doors. The rocker panels protect the area of the Jeep that receive the most wear. The original rocker panel is made out of a hard plastic rubber-type material. You may want to replace your rocker panel with a custom chrome rocker panel.
Slide the putty knife under the end of the rocker panel, between the rocker panel and the steel frame panel underneath it. Slowly pry the rocker panel end up. The adhesive on the original double-sided auto tape is very good, so this prying may take some time. Use the putty knife to pry up about an inch of the end of the rocker panel
Grab the pried-up portion of rocker panel in the center with the pliers. Slowly pull the rocker panel out and away from the vehicle until it comes off.
Apply rubbing alcohol to a rag. Circularly scrub the entire area under the rocker panel with the rag to remove any adhesive stains.
Unroll the double-sided auto tape. Lay the new rocker panel face-down on the ground. Lay the double-sided auto tape on the rocker panel. Use a utility knife to trim the length of tape to the exact size of the rocker panel. Most rocker panels have this tape pre-applied--but if not, peel the back off the piece you cut to size and firmly press it against the rocker panel.
Position the rocker panel against the area in which the old one was located. Once you have the rocker panel matching the exact seam line along the base of your doors, begin to peel the back off the double-sided auto tape. Have a friend hold the panel in place. Start on the front of the rocker panel (closest to the engine), and slowly peel the back off the double-sided auto tape while having the rocker panel just slightly angled away from the side of your vehicle. As you peel the back off the auto tape with one hand, slide your other hand along the top of the rocker panel to stick it to the side of your vehicle. Once you have the rocker panel on, run your hand firmly over the entire rocker panel again to make sure you got every bit of adhesive on the double-sided auto tape to stick.
Do this to both sides of the Jeep Cherokee.
