How's your ARB powder coating doing?

[80t0ylc]

Well, I searched and couldn't find any similar threads, so here goes. I had a surprise as I was washing the bugs off my ARB bull bar this evening. Using the water pressure to clean them off, it started lifting the powder coating off. We have good water pressure here, locally, but this was ridicules. If you look closely you can see rust spots that had formed under the coating. I don’t know how much more would have come off, but it started when a chip about as big as a dime came off. I hit it a couple more times with the hose and the rest of what you see came off. I stopped because I’m not prepared at this time to remove the bumper and finish blasting off what would come off. But, it’s unnerving to see how easy it came off with a garden water hose. Could the bugs that get left on be doing that much damage to the original powder coated surface? Anybody else see this on their ARB?

Couple of pics:

 

[Ebag333]

I personally hate powder coating. The smallest scratch, and it'll start to rust. The rust spreads underneath it and separates the powder coating from the steel. Eventually, it starts flaking off in chunks.

With paint, worst case scenario is that the spot you scratch rusts. Sand that one spot, repaint, done. If you scratch powder coating....well...good luck.

 

[Kernal]

Love bugs found in the south (and others) will eat into paint, guess the same thing might happen with powder coating?? What's the white color under the surface coating, do they use a primer before powder coating??

 

[Ebag333]

What's the white color under the surface coating, do they use a primer before powder coating??

Looks like steel to me. I think it's just the camera flash making it look white.

 

[arndog123]

No problems on any of my ARB's. Just very minor rust here and there.

 

[wayne012]

no probs down here on my arb gear or my tjm.

 

[ERG80]

No problems with my arb's powdercoating either. Had it for several years too.

Was there a chip in the paint in the area that's its flaking off?

 

[Nay]

I love this thread. Now ARB Bull Bars are succumbing to bugs

 

[kybishop]

I don't like powder coating much either. Sounds impressive but anything I have that is powder coated usually ends up popping off in places looking like the picture above.

 

[Jacket]

Just sand the affected area smooth, and touch it up with a semi-gloss rattle can. Or if the bumper is old enough, a satin or flat might be better.... Anyone that wheels their truck is going to have to do this anyway.

 

[80t0ylc]

Love bugs found in the south (and others) will eat into paint, guess the same thing might happen with powder coating?? What's the white color under the surface coating, do they use a primer before powder coating??

Looks like steel to me. I think it's just the camera flash making it look white.

Actually, it is some kind of a primer. It sanded off to bare steel. The white color is what really got my attention when I was hosing it off. At first I thought it was a piece of paper stuck to the ARB. Then it got bigger when I blasted it again . When I saw what was going on, I'm thinkin':

........... Now ARB Bull Bars are succumbing to bugs

Thank you, Nay!

 

[80t0ylc]

No problems with my arb's powdercoating either. Had it for several years too.

Was there a chip in the paint in the area that's its flaking off?

Mine is 10 years old and with no problems except this. It's held up really well - done it's job through a fender bender with a full size Dodge pkup - I incurred no damage, he could not say the same. But, the idiot pulled out in front of me on snow packed ice where I couldn't stop.

And no, there was no visible chips in that area.

 

[80t0ylc]

Just sand the affected area smooth, and touch it up with a semi-gloss rattle can. Or if the bumper is old enough, a satin or flat might be better.... Anyone that wheels their truck is going to have to do this anyway.

That's what I did and another reason I like semi-gloss black armor (whether powder coat or paint) - it's easy to fix! It just galls me that places and manufacturers charge so much extra for a process that turns out to be as fragile as paint.

 

[Kernal]

Wonder if it could have been a bad powder coating job at the ARB factory?? I had some parts powder coated last year and something was wrong with the process; the coating chipped very easily. The company that did the work went out of business a few months later.

 

[Tapage]

My powder coating paint was defeated by old rusted fence .. this kind ..

 

[firetruck41]

After 10 years, I wouldn't be surprised with what you have...

 

[Layonnn]

In my experience, having an ARB bar on a third Toyota, their powder coating tends to be some of the best in the business.

I haven't seen something like what you have unless it took a hit and maybe chipped the coating somehow to allow moisture.

 

[kybishop]

In looking at it closer, you can see dark marks that go with the area that popped off. It looks almost like someone put a asterisk or star on it with a marker or brush and they painted over it.

Wonder if something went on in the factory, they marked it for some reason then hit it with the powder coating. Whatever they marked it with did not get along with the coating.

 

[jonheld]

Dude,

Hit it with some Rustolium flat black spray and move on. My ARB front and sliders and sidebars are always leaning into trees and rocks. Isn't that what they're for?

 

[80t0ylc]

Dude,

Hit it with some Rustolium flat black spray and move on. My ARB front and sliders and sidebars are always leaning into trees and rocks. Isn't that what they're for?

Hey, no worries. It's already been rattle-canned. It's just that blowing powder coat off with a garden hose got me to wondering if any one else had same issue. Ya gotta admit that washing off the bugs is not like "leaning into trees and rocks". I'd rather scar it up wheelin' than in my driveway.