BAJA RACKS RUST!!!!! Any solution???

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My rack is rusting away. This is my second Baja Rack that has rusted. I took it to a local powder coater. He thinks that the metal was not prepared properly before being sprayed.
Any suggestions?

Here are picks from my two racks. Baja Rack did replace the first rack and may help with the second.
 
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I'd get it media blasted and go with a good zinc-rich primer and an epoxy coating. If powder coating isn't done right, it will chip and flake like that. Most of the time it happens because the part wasn't baked long enough or was baked too long.
Use a paint made for chassis parts.
The best would be the black e-coating and a couple epoxy layers like the Land Cruiser frames get, but you won't find anyone that can e-coat stuff that will do 1-off work.
 
Blast it and POR-15 it.

I rattle-canned my IPOR rear bumper and wish I used POR-15 instead... I used POR-15 UV-rated on a ATV frame and it is pretty solid stuff.
 
My local expert said that when the metal comes from the factory it is coated with oil to prevent rust. If the metal is not properly cleaned and treated before powder coating it will not adhere. Seems to be the case here. SUCKS!!!!
 
Mine has zero use. I bought it for looks but, now it's getting rusty.
May be time to sell it! Any takers for light rust full size flat rack???
 
Sand the rusty parts lightly. Hit em with POR-15 and then rattle can some bedliner on there.
 
Mine has zero use. I bought it for looks but, now it's getting rusty.
May be time to sell it! Any takers for light rust full size flat rack???

:confused:
 
What state do you live in?
 
I got a DiamondRax rack two years ago and big patches of the powder coat is lifting off the metal with rust underneath. Mostly on the box mounts. It started on the edges of metal sheet last year, and has exploded this summer. I only drive it in summer. For well over $600 you'd think you could get a quality finish. The construction is quite good. I guess I'll see what they say. I thought they built a high quality product. :meh:
 
The solution is to move out of New Jersey. Sorry :flipoff2:.

I bought a car out of Newark once, it had rust on just about every metal fitting, shocks, brakes and flaking all over the frame, hitch etc (it was only 6 years old). I will never buy another car out of the northeast again. Your rack does seem a little extreme depending on how old it is. You basically have corrosion attacking your vehicle up there 24/7 - 365 in between sea salt and road salt.

When I lived on Guam, rust was a huge issue for all vehicles (Guambomb = rusted out piece of crap car). Anyway, I discovered a device that everyone swore by - an electronic rust inhibitor. Similar to this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/ELECTRONIC-...L-MODULE-AUTO-RUST-WARRIOR-SALE-/331402252988


Might seem kind of hokey but like I said, all the experienced rustaholics swore by it. If I lived where you do, I'd POR-15 the rack and try the electronic rust inhibitor. Good luck in getting it resolved.
 
I've had my Baja Rack for over 4 years now, and it has a few rust spots, all in spots where I've dragged my RTT's mounting rails across it while removing & installing. When the RTT is off, the rack is usually loaded with paddle boards, surfboards, and kayaks - all dripping wet with salt water. While I agree that the powder coating on the rack is not as good as perhaps it could be, I'm still impressed with the abuse it has held up to. But I didn't buy my rack for looks either - it gets abused, it looks abused, and I just hit it with a rattle can now and then. And while it's been some time since I contacted cs, I have met a couple of the Bajarack guys down in Vista, CA and they are stand up guys. Maybe their powder coating quality has changed over the last 4 years, but I would buy another (after giving the Gobi Rack$$ another look) - it's a great medium-duty, light-weight rack.

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I bought a Warrior rack back in 1998 and used it on 2 different rigs until I sold the rubicon January of 2014. It was steel and still in great shape,,, however,,, at year 5 the rear hoop rusted out and after several fixes, ( cutting and welding in new pieces ) I threw in the towel and had a new rear hoop fabbed for me using stainless steel, for over 250 bucks... Overall the rack served me well with this fix, but still, every spring or two, I'd take the entire rack down, brush blast the rusted areas and rattle can it... That's a lot of maintenance to keep it going.. Lesson? My next rack will be aluminum ....
 
just bought a baja rack off mud a couple weeks ago (used). if i did not pic it up super cheep id be pissed..cuz its peeling like a banana with surface rust under the coating. wire wheeling all the loose coating areas then treating with acid then prime & paint. should be ok for a while.
 
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