Advice on best frame coating? (1 Viewer)

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I have read through the FAQs and searched the forum but there doesn’t seem to be a clear winner when it comes to the best way to restore a frame.

I’ve got an ‘81 BJ42 stripped down to the frame. The rust is only surface rust with a couple small deeper rust spots that will be cut out and new pieces welded in.

I want to remove all of the rust and then finish the frame to prevent rust for many years to come. What’s the best method? Do I have it hot dipped and then galvanized? So I have it blasted and then powder coated or covered in bed liner? What is the best way to make this survivor frame as impervious as possible? If price wasn’t much of a concern, what would you do to have the ultimate frame?
 
This depends on where you live. If you’re in the Southwest, a quality automotive primer/paint system will be fine. If you’re in the rust belt, galvanizing would be a good bet.
 
I went with sand blasting, hot dip galvanizing and then epoxy paint on my 78' 45. Sand blasting and paint cost $750.00, galvnizing cost $175.00.
 
Would bed liner on galvanized be better than primer and paint. I’m going to have the entire underside of the new body with a smooth bed liner material.
 
Sandblast then rust shield from SEM. Great stuff, never let me down...looks great too...
 
Would bed liner on galvanized be better than primer and paint. I’m going to have the entire underside of the new body with a smooth bed liner material.

I can’t think of a single topcoat you would apply directly to a galvanized surface. See my post above.
 
I’m going to sandblast then hot dip galvanize mine then top coat with Masterseries AG111.

To me Galvanizing seems the best solution as it is an immersion process and will cover everything and there will be no moisture left in any seams or joints, which could persist in a blast/paint type job unless you pulled the C channels apart. It’s probably overkill for many climates/uses but I want the best.
 
One question to ask yourself is...are you going to do any modification to the frame later on? I had to grind down spots to weld different things, but my 55 is far from stock. A good paint would let you work on the frame and then touch up later.
 
One question to ask yourself is...are you going to do any modification to the frame later on? I had to grind down spots to weld different things, but my 55 is far from stock. A good paint would let you work on the frame and then touch up later.

Hopefully I’m not taking your comment out of context, and no offense meant here but I’ve seen folks make this comment before and it doesn’t make sense to me. I personally don’t see a problem working on a galvanized frame.

If you do plan to modify the frame and you live somewhere that rust isn’t a problem, maybe the little extra effort required for galvanized isn’t worth it for you.

There seems to be a consensus that has been propagated here that you simply cannot work with galvanized steel after the fact. Yes, it’s a bit more work, sure you’ve got to chase threads and you can make particularly nasty fumes if you jump right in and weld on it. However if you grind off the zinc in the weld area while wearing a respirator and wear one while welding those risks are minimized if not eliminated.

I bring this up because I have seen people make a big deal about not wanting to work with galvanized at all, even with proper prep and protection, on account of fumes... the same people who smoke 2 packs a day and don’t want to wear a respirator while welding or grinding all day (which makes silica dust and fumes from resin binders). Which exposure is really worse?

If I have to modify something later (which I don’t plan to do), I have to remove a coating one way or another. If I have to grind through the galvanizing down to bare steel in a spot to weld - true, my entire frame isn’t galvanized anymore but it’s still let’s say 98% galvanized and the remaining 2% is now paint. I’m topcoating mine anyhow so the mod/repair can be made to match, so aesthetically it will be the same and I will still have 98% of the frame much better protected than paint alone.

My $0.02 on the topic..
 
No offense, I was just thinking of my experience and moving spring shackles a few times, brackets for different things, but my 55 is heavily modified. You're right, at least most the frame is gal. and most important the inside of it is coated.
 
Ultimate protected frame? In my opinion remove all rivets, split all pieces, have it all galvanized, then assemble with grade 8 bolts.

Ooh, this is an interesting idea. I like it. Grade 8 galvanized bolts with flat washer under the bolt head and a lock washer under the nut?
 
I would just use nylon lock nuts
What’s the advantage you get from tearing it apart and using bolts? I would assume it’s to make it easier to repair in the future. Is that it?
 
Don’t waste your time tearing your frame apart and putting it back together! Why do 90% more work for 5% return? You live in the desert!
I understand what you’re saying and yes, my truck will live in the zero-rust desert. But I may not live here forever (I have my eye on properties somewhere between Tahoe and Yellowstone) and I plan on having this truck forever and would like to spend the time/money to do it right now so I don’t have to restore it again later.
 
What’s the advantage you get from tearing it apart and using bolts? I would assume it’s to make it easier to repair in the future. Is that it?
It's so u can tear it apart and remove all hidden rust. Use bolts to reassemble just because u gotta hold it together some way. Easiest would be bolts, u could use rivets too if u wanted but bolts you can always tighten up if need be.
Will you post any pictures you got of your bolted frame?
I haven't done a frame up rebuild. My frame has very little rust and I don't drive my cruiser when snow melt is on the roads. If I had to repair a frame though I would split it, fix it and put it back together. I did remove the rear pieces, remove the rust, and reassemble with bolts, but not the whole frame. I don't have shop or garage access to go that far. Well I didn't at the time, I probably could now but my frame is going to last a long time with my use of the rig. Those pics are in my build thread below. But here is one.
20170521_015515-1008x756.jpg
 
Those pics are in my build thread below.View attachment 1610021

I was reading your build thread and I saw the before and after pictures of you cleaning up your brake calipers and I was wondering what process you went through to clean it up so nicely. I'm impressed with now nicely it came out. I'm also rebuilding my 3B and I've got it all pulled apart and I'm cleaning up the parts. Right now my process is soaking in diesel with light brushing to get all of the oil and dirt off of the part. Rusty parts go into Metal Rescue rust remover. I was thinking about doing very light media blasting to get down to bare metal and remove the stains from the silver colored parts. I was planning on doing a clear coat on the silver parts and black on the rest.
 

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