Car clip guides

Practical guides for finding, removing and fitting car clips and small fasteners. If you are new to this, start with how to measure a clip, then pick the guide for your job.

Getting started

How to measure a car clip so the new one fits

How to measure a car clip so the new one fits

Car clips are not universal. Two clips can look the same in a photo and still differ by a millimetre on the stem, which is enough to make…

4 min read Read guide →

How to remove car trim clips without breaking them

How to remove car trim clips without breaking them

Most broken clips are broken on the way out, not the way in. The good news is that a few habits cut breakage a lot. This guide covers…

4 min read Read guide →

Should you reuse car clips or replace them?

Should you reuse car clips or replace them?

After taking off a panel you will have a handful of old clips. Some can go back in. Others will leave the panel loose or rattling. Here is…

3 min read Read guide →

Finding clips for your car make

Finding clips for your car make

Many of our products name the make they are listed for, such as Toyota, Holden, Ford, Honda, Mazda, Nissan, Hyundai, Subaru, Isuzu, Mitsubishi, BMW and Volkswagen. That is…

3 min read Read guide →

Trim removal tools: what to use on clips and panels

Trim removal tools: what to use on clips and panels

The right tool is the difference between a clean job and a pile of broken clips and scratched paint. A basic trim tool kit costs little and covers…

3 min read Read guide →

Clip types explained

Rivet clips vs scrivets: what is the difference?

Rivet clips vs scrivets: what is the difference?

Push pin rivet clips and scrivets do the same job: they hold a plastic panel to the body. They look alike from the outside, which is why people…

3 min read Read guide →

Christmas tree clips: where they are used and how to fit them

Christmas tree clips: where they are used and how to fit them

Christmas tree clips get their name from the ribbed, cone-shaped stem. The ribs grip the edge of the hole, so there is no separate pin. They are one…

3 min read Read guide →

Speed clips and U-nuts explained

Speed clips and U-nuts explained

A speed clip is a small spring steel clip that slides over the edge of a panel and gives a screw a thread to bite into. You will…

3 min read Read guide →

Screw grommets: what they do and how to size them

Screw grommets: what they do and how to size them

A screw grommet is a small nylon insert that pushes into a hole in a panel. When a self-tapping screw is driven through it, the grommet spreads behind…

3 min read Read guide →

Plastic vs metal pop rivets for car panels

Plastic vs metal pop rivets for car panels

Pop rivets join two parts from one side. On cars you will see two kinds: plastic (nylon) rivets that hold trim and liners, and metal blind rivets that…

3 min read Read guide →

Jobs by area of the car

Refitting a door trim panel: which clips you need

Refitting a door trim panel: which clips you need

A door trim panel (door card) is held on by a mix of clips, screws and hooks. Taking it off to fix a window, speaker or lock is…

3 min read Read guide →

Bumper, wheel arch liner and splash shield clips

Bumper, wheel arch liner and splash shield clips

Bumper covers, wheel arch liners and splash shields take a beating from water, stones and car park kerbs. When their clips go missing, panels sag, flap at speed…

3 min read Read guide →

Replacing grille and garnish clips

Replacing grille and garnish clips

Grilles, badges and garnish strips are held on by clips that are designed to be hidden. When one breaks, the part rattles, sits crooked or lifts at one…

4 min read Read guide →

Sill and rocker panel clips: replacing loose side mouldings

Sill and rocker panel clips: replacing loose side mouldings

Side skirts and sill mouldings sit low and take hits from kerbs, gutters and stones. When their clips break, the moulding drops, flaps or leaves a gap.

4 min read Read guide →

Toyota body flare clips: how to pick the right one

Toyota body flare clips: how to pick the right one

Toyota 4WDs and utes hold their wheel arch flares and body mouldings on with plastic clips, and many of these clips are colour-coded. It is common to find…

3 min read Read guide →

Cable ties, hoses and washers

Cable tie sizes: width, length and which to choose

Cable tie sizes: width, length and which to choose

Cable ties are sold by width and length, written like 4.8 x 200 mm. Width mostly sets the strength; length sets how big a bundle it can go…

3 min read Read guide →

Using cable ties on cars: engine bay and wiring tips

Using cable ties on cars: engine bay and wiring tips

Cable ties are one of the handiest things in a car toolbox: wiring for lights and accessories, loose hoses, trailer plugs and looms that have dropped. A few…

3 min read Read guide →

Hose joiners: straight and T joiners for small lines

Hose joiners: straight and T joiners for small lines

Small rubber and plastic lines in a car, such as windscreen washer hoses, vacuum lines and breathers, often split near a fitting or need a branch added. A…

3 min read Read guide →

Sump plug washers: sizes and when to replace them

Sump plug washers: sizes and when to replace them

The sump plug washer sits between the drain plug and the oil pan. Its job is to seal that joint so oil does not weep out. It is…

3 min read Read guide →

Still not sure which clip you need? Call 0499 001004 with the make, model, year and where the clip goes, or browse all categories.