I am replacing the rub rail insert on my 2002 sonic 386. The new insert is just a tiny bit thicker/stiffer than the original. It is fighting me every inch of the way. I've tried lube and heat, no help. I am pushing in the bottem lip with a small screwdriver and wacking it with a ball peen (rubber mallet wasn't doing it) to seat it. It's working but it is hard and very slow. Does anyone have any tricks they would care to pass along?

We threw it in the hot tub soften it right up.

Heat gun will soften it right up. You can do about a 2' at a time with heat gun and then it cools off and get hard again. Slow process but does work. It needs to get very hot to be pliable.

I tried a hair dryer, not hot enough. Perhaps the hot tub will work, thats the excuse I need to go out and buy one!
Thanks for the replies!

might not be doable for you right now but pick a nice hot day and lie the rubber down in the sun and like was said ....just a cpl of feet at a time ....m

Heat gun makes it easy. Just heat it up till it is almost rubbery, like a rubber band. I follow right behind the wife as she heats it up.

I use a wide dull putty knife and just push the lip in. No need to hammer it in. Peice of cake. Just try to keep from pulling it (stretching it), other wise when it cools down, it'll shrink.

prefferably a hard plastic putty knife or bondo spreader...

I've heard it is better to "push" them in, trying to get as much length into the rail as possible. Otherwise, they can leave a gap at the seams when they shrink up. Don't have personal experience on this, but have seen many with the gaps over time.

on edit: Hey, this is my 1000th post!!!

I'll be bringing home a heat gun tomorrow.

Hot day in the sun last resort.