How to Replace Front Grille 2006-10 Ford Explorer and Sport Trac

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Hi, I'm Mike from 1A Auto. I hope this how-to video helps you out, and next time you need parts for your vehicle, think of 1AAuto.com. Thanks!

In this video, I'm going to be showing you how to remove and reinstall the front grille on this 2006 Ford Explorer. These Explorers could come with two different types of grilles: three bar and four bar. The process for removing and installing them is basically the same, although the emblems mount differently and you can replace a painted grill with a chrome grille, as well. Grilles on the Sport Trac as well as the regular Explorer interchange. You'll need a new grille from 1AAuto.com, flat blade screwdriver, pliers. You may need a Phillips screwdriver, we're not sure if all the clips on our grille were actually original, and you'll also need a 10 millimeter deep socket and ratchet.

There are a series of 12 clips that hold the grille: one there, six across the top with another one down lower, and then there are four down at the bottom. We're not sure all these clips are exactly right, but you can see the ones on this vehicle at the top have the little Phillips screw center. You try to lightly turn that counterclockwise and that center should come out. If not, you can see here we pry up on it a little bit with a smaller screwdriver and that helps the center to come out. Once we can pull it out, we do. These ones down at the bottom are different. You can see they have a center that pries out. We're pretty sure that actually if your car hasn't been touched that all the clips will be like this style, where you pull the center out. Sometimes the whole clip will come out with it, but this time the other part of the clip stayed in, so then we pry that out and pull it out.

Then, finally, we have a third style clip, that just pulls out. We work a flat blade screwdriver underneath to try and pry it up, different spaces, and then you want to basically just work a pair of pliers under it and pull it up and out. Again, your vehicle may only have 1 of these 3 styles or any combination of them. Once you have the removable clips you can see on the side there are three tabs that we already released. If you really look closely in between you can see where those tabs are, and you'll want to use a screwdriver to pry and release them. You can see here we use a rag to cover the screwdriver just to keep this from scratching the paint. You try and place it in where those clips are, pry between the grille and the fascia, and once you separate it you can pull out and that releases the clips. Basically, it seems like, and we'll fast-forward here, but the sides came out pretty easy. The bottom was a little more difficult.

Once you get all the tabs released the grille comes off. You'll need to switch your emblem over to your new grille, so you need a 10mm deep socket. There are two speed nuts on the back of that emblem. Remove those and you can remove the emblem. Then transfer your emblem onto your new grille, put the nuts in place, and tighten them up. When you tighten them up, you don't want to over-tighten them, just get them on there nice and snug. Like I said, they're speed nuts so they actually dig into the plastic and that's how they tighten up and hold themselves on. If you try to tighten them up too much then you could strip them and then they won't be effective.

To reinstall, put it in place, make sure it's all lined up and going in correctly. The tabs are going into the slots they need to go into. Then, nice and firm, usually tapping it with your fists to set each clip. Then I just go around and make sure that it's in there tight and moving with the bumper cover. I'll just fast-forward here as we set all the external clips. Most of them are going to be the style where you want to have the center pulled up and out. Then you put the clip in and push the center down in to lock it. If you end up breaking or losing one or two, not usually a big deal. You can skip one, but if you wanted to replace them clips like this are usually available at your local hardware store.

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