Secret to getting driver's side kick plate back on correctly?

There must be one, but I have not found it yet. Having had occasion to get behind mine a few times, I have evidently wadded up something and not got a tab back in the right place, it stands out with a gap at the door interface...

Suggestions?

 

I too have same problem, when I did anytime fog light mod, it's either top or bottom white tabs not sitting correctly, need to buy those white tabs

 

I took the tab off (which ever one is giving you trouble) and put it back in place of where it went, and then I pushed the kick panel back onto the tab. If i'm remembering correctly.

 

After 45 minutes and lots of cursing, I finally figured out this is the correct/easy way to do it. As long as the tab is on the plastic panel and not the metal of the truck, pushing the panel back on is simple. If that tab stays on the truck it's impossible.

 

Yup pull those white tabs off the truck frame and put them into the plastic slots on the kick panel. Might be bent a little so straighten them out and you'll be good

 

I tried putting the white retainers on the kickplate but could not get the holes lined up to push in. So I left the retainers on the truck instead and then pushed the kickplate forward and it snapped in.

 

Hulk smash!

 

Lol. Man glad I saw this post. I'm going to try this sometime in the future. Its not installed back on Correctly at the moment and it annoys me.

And not just the driver's side, the passenger side as well.

 

Thanks for posting this! This has been an issue for both my driver and passenger side kick panels and now they are reinstalled correctly! (It's amazing what the search button will uncover on this forum )

 

Having same issue but my clips are bent. Anyone know the part number for those white clips?

 

These little white clips?

https://parts.toyotaofcoolsprings.com/oem-parts/toyota-cowl-trim-clip-9046709212

 

I should order a few of those... I may have broken one or two previously

 

I had to put the clip on the truck and then put the kick panel on. No matter what I tried, I just couldn't get the panel to fit any other way.

 

I believe that is the correct way to do it.

 

Thank you for bumping this thread. I have a gap in mine and thought I could hook the panel back into the metal and since I couldn't do it, it was something blocking it so I just left it alone. Now I need to get something to pry that white clip out so I don't have to deal with looking at the gap every time I open the door.

 

And...... THANK YOU!!!!

 

X2!

 

Correct way is to put the white clips on the panel and push in to place. You can do it the other way but it is not right. Just have to work it to line up with holes.

 

Thank you Sir - I believe those are it.

 

This thread saved my sanity. Thanks all!

 

The link to the cowl tabs above do not appear to be the same as mine. That looks like the screw tab that holds the panel onto the floor.

Mine have a flat piece that slides onto the panel that is not shown in the diagram. The plastic pin is also bent on an angle for some reason. Saying that, carefully prying them out without breaking them and putting them on the panel first did the trick. Also some HULK SMASH helped. Thanks everyone. My criminal detecting dash cam is in.

 

It’s impossible

 

I was going nuts trying push/align into place. So glad I found this thread. Absolutely need to pull tab out of metal, put into plastic kick panel and then push kick panel back into place. Worked perfect 1st time after trying the other way forever with no luck. Punching it out of frustration doesn't work either.

 

Seeing this has motivated me to fix mine. I just had the passenger side off yesterday installing the power tailgate lock. I tried to wiggle, push, pull, and smash it on for about 10 minutes, but the top edge of the panel kept pulling away from the door trim.

 

This will take the white clips off the post if they stuck to them.