Full PPF Rocker Protection (Lower Doors)

Installing the Lower PPF Rocker Protection

Tip: install PPF in temperate conditions, between 60°F and 80°F (16°C and 27°C). Work indoors if you can. If you have to work outside, pick a day with no wind.

1. Add water to the supplied slip solution concentrate to hydrate it.
2. Identify your pieces. Each is marked D for driver's side or P for passenger side. Per side you get a front door piece, a rear door piece, and a small sliver that goes in front of the front wheel well. The front door piece is easy to orient: the end with the curve cut into it faces the wheel arch.
3. Clean the lower half of the doors thoroughly. Use shop rags with the slip solution or whatever you normally use to wash the car. The area must be spotlessly clean before you apply anything.
4. Spray the application area on the car generously with slip solution.
5. Take the first piece and spray the top face of it with slip solution, then spray your hands. This stops you leaving fingerprints in the film.
6. Pick a corner and gently peel the film off its backing sheet. Spray the adhesive side with slip solution as soon as it is exposed. Keep the peeled film clear of anything that could contaminate it — a fold-out table is better than balancing it in the frunk.
7. Carry the piece to the car and lay it on the door straightaway. The less time it spends off the car, the less chance of contamination.
8. Check you can still slide the piece around on the wet panel, then position it. Line the top edge up with the fold on the door. Run your finger along the bottom edge and make sure the film sits above the radius of the lower seam — if it overlaps that curve, dirt will get trapped underneath. The bottom edge is the one that matters; get it right and the top edge will sit correctly.
9. Lock the film down at one end with the squeegee, then work across to the other end to push out the bulk of the slip solution. Use the felt side of the squeegee. If it starts to grip, spray more slip solution on top.
10. On the long door pieces, squeegee in up-and-down strokes rather than along the length. The lower door is slightly concave, so sideways strokes leave the middle untouched.
11. Dry the panel with a rag and inspect. Re-check that the bottom edge is still clear of the seam and that nothing overlaps at the ends.
12. Squeegee the whole piece again, even if you see no bubbles — there is almost always fluid still underneath. Look for ripples and work them out toward the nearest edge. You cannot squeegee it too much. Repeat until you are confident there are no bubbles and no trapped fluid.
13. Repeat for the other door piece on that side.
14. Fit the small sliver in front of the front wheel well last. Give the area a light spray only. Place the piece, then hold it with a thumb while you squeegee it down — it slides around more than the larger pieces.
15. Do a final check along the whole side for ripples, then repeat the whole process on the other side of the car.

Expect around 15 minutes per side if you are new to PPF, 10 minutes or less if you are experienced.