Removing specific armor pieces from set

[Whitestrake]

I'm wanting to know how to remove shoulder guards from a armor set without removing the lower body, or learn how to change the lower body all together. The armor I'm wanting to change right now is the Prototype Ranger combat armor from the ADAM mod. I don't like the combat armor shoulder guards on it since they slip and don't fit with the riot gear duster. I already tried using Geck and NiF and found that removing the shoulders also removes the entire lower body. I'd be up for completely replacing the lower body with the normal Ranger combat armor legs but I don't know how.

 

Please bear with me since I'm new to mesh modding, but those shoulder guards on that armor are killing me since its one of my fav armors. I'd really appreciate some help or advice since I tried on my own and I really don't wanna jack everything up in my game.

[madmongo]

Sometimes you get lucky and you can just remove the part with nifscope. That only works when the parts are all separate.

 

If you want to remove a part that is not separate, you have to load the nif into your favorite 3d modeling tool (Blender or 3ds Max), chop off the parts you don't want, then export it back out as a nif. It's fairly simple if you know what you are doing. It's an awful lot to learn if you don't.