Dome light lens

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ragtop69

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My dome light lens on my '95 XLT began falling out a few weeks ago. I would invariably find it on the floor of my back seat area and would re-install it by pushing the four teeth into the slots on the fixture. A couple of days later it would drop out again. It looks to be the original lens since it is yellowing as a function of age. The last time I put it back in the fixture the lens cracked. I've ordered a new one from LMC but I am wondering why a lens would suddenly begin falling out after two and a half years of my ownership and twenty three years of previous ownership. Is there some secret to installing these things?
 

Skitter302

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Not with any of my 4 Broncos.
 

miesk5

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Yo Ragtop,
It's due to plastic degradation, and/or fading, caused by UV exposure. UV light breaks down the polymer bonds within the plastic causing a slow deterioration of its flexibility and color retention.

Consider:
Dome (2000 F 150) installation info & pics in a 94
Source: by lakemarykid (Curtis)

Dome Mod, LED Info & pics in an 88
Source: by RescueBronc
Excerpt, "After the usual rigamarole of messing with something 20 years old and those freaking plastic clip wire holders breaking..."
So look for a later year light
 

BBill1

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I had that problem. I resolved it with a heat gun. Gently softened the lens and spread it wider so it clipped in better. It worked, but I eventually upgraded to the clear lens and LED bulb.
 
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ragtop69

ragtop69

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Great! I got the replacement lens for my dome light from LMC two weeks ago and, wait, you'll love this, it's too wide to fit into the fixture. If I hold it up with the original piece, which keeps falling out, it is wider by the thickness of the plastic. About 1/16". If I get one end into the slots it won't fit into the fixture and sits on the outside portion of the fixture rather than dropping into the stupid retainer tracks. I had a sagging headliner repaired a few months back and I believe that they would have had to remove that fixture to do that job. If it was run down too tight could that distort the fixture enough to cause these problems?
 
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ragtop69

ragtop69

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Yo Ragtop,
It's due to plastic degradation, and/or fading, caused by UV exposure. UV light breaks down the polymer bonds within the plastic causing a slow deterioration of its flexibility and color retention.

Consider:
Dome (2000 F 150) installation info & pics in a 94
Source: by lakemarykid (Curtis)

Dome Mod, LED Info & pics in an 88
Source: by RescueBronc
Excerpt, "After the usual rigamarole of messing with something 20 years old and those freaking plastic clip wire holders breaking..."
So look for a later year light
That might explain the original piece falling out of the fixture, but it doesn't explain the new one not fitting into the hole.
 

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