Line-X ARB bumper?

[musthave]

I'm on my next vehicle build. Body prep work is in progress and it's slowly getting ready for paint.

I just picked up ARB front and rear bumpers. Considering using Line-X color matched paint instead of keeping black or color matching regular paint.

Has anyone Line-X'd an ARB? Do they come out looking nice? Pictures?

 

[Grench]

I didn't Line-X any of my armor, but I did do body color matched Line-X for the roof. It has been >10 years, so it has faded a bit more than the rest of the truck, but not bad. I did black bed liner for the lower half of the doors and the rocker, but the doors are rotting out from the inside, so it turned out to be mostly a short term cosmetic fix.

As to doing Line-X on the ARB, if you currently have any rust coming through the powder coating, get it blasted to bare metal and painted with tractor paint first then Line-X'd? Everything that I have had that was powder coated has flaked away and rusted pretty bad - I have had several pieces blasted and re-powder-coated and that lasts maybe a year before the powder coating falls off in large areas.

 

[ERG80]

I monstalined my truck bumpers black years ago. The textured liner is more difficult to keep clean than smooth paint.
(It’s supposed to be uv stable but he faded quite a bit. Again, it’s monstaliner not line-x so uv properties will be different.)

 

[musthave]

The bumpers are brand new. The ARB black fades quickly. Powder coat never lasts as long as I'd like. That's why I'm thinking of Line-X. It's $650 to Line-X front and rear along with carriers. A lot to pay, but if it lasts 7 years or better with minimal fading, I'd be ecstatic.

 

[Box Rocket]

I personally hate the look of bed liner on bumpers/sliders. Also, when you drag them on rocks it often peels in large chunks and is way more difficult to touch up. So I wouldn't do it if I were you. If you don't like the original powdercoat, get them re powder coated with some quality PC and do whatever color you want.

 

[musthave]

I personally hate the look of bed liner on bumpers/sliders. Also, when you drag them on rocks it often peels in large chunks and is way more difficult to touch up. So I wouldn't do it if I were you. If you don't like the original powdercoat, get them re powder coated with some quality PC and do whatever color you want.

I hadn't considered that. Good point. Thanks for bringing the obvious to my attention. So much for that idea, saved money though.

 

[Bludozer]

I personally hate the look of bed liner on bumpers/sliders. Also, when you drag them on rocks it often peels in large chunks and is way more difficult to touch up. So I wouldn't do it if I were you. If you don't like the original powdercoat, get them re powder coated with some quality PC and do whatever color you want.

Agree. I hate the look, but that is a personal opinion, what isn't a personal opinion is what happens when you wheel with them, any dragging/slamming/whatever generally results in large pieces coming off as one piece...don't think it'd be fun staying on top of that!

 

[Cass007]

I agree with Box Rocket as well. Unless the build and bumpers are purely cosmetic, a powder coating will hold up much better than the Line-X or Monstaliner for bumps and scrapes.

 

[ppc]

The bumpers are brand new. The ARB black fades quickly. Powder coat never lasts as long as I'd like. That's why I'm thinking of Line-X. It's $650 to Line-X front and rear along with carriers. A lot to pay, but if it lasts 7 years or better with minimal fading, I'd be ecstatic.

I've had my ARB front bumper for about 15 years. For about half of that time it lived outside. I haven't noticed fading, its more like oxidation that gets a cleaner/wax occasionally and looks like new to me.

 

[toyota guy]

The bumpers are brand new. The ARB black fades quickly. Powder coat never lasts as long as I'd like. That's why I'm thinking of Line-X. It's $650 to Line-X front and rear along with carriers. A lot to pay, but if it lasts 7 years or better with minimal fading, I'd be ecstatic.

They told me it would be $400 for LINE-X on my 4x4 labs rear bumper, when i picked it up they said "oh it took more than we thought" and it was $650! The finish is very nice though and is holding up well for me, i have had several different powder coats fail in 1-2 years so I'm done with it. The salt and rock chips in the winter ruin powder coat fast, line-x also has a lifetime warranty, or so they say. I don't believe anything anyone says anymore. Mine gets wheeled but i don't scape the rear bumper on rocks so its perfect for me.

 

[BILT4ME]

I'm on my next vehicle build. Body prep work is in progress and it's slowly getting ready for paint.

I just picked up ARB front and rear bumpers. Considering using Line-X color matched paint instead of keeping black or color matching regular paint.

Has anyone Line-X'd an ARB? Do they come out looking nice? Pictures?

Consider having it blasted to remove the powder cot, then using the John Deere Epoxy primer and Blitz-Black tractor paint to coat the front and rear bumpers.

The tractor paint is VERY durable (I had my fresh sliders on, dragged them down some rocks and it didn't scratch or peel) and John Deere has spray bombs of touch up paint!

 

[stpetedale]

A good UV blocker does wonders for powder coats. I like 303 UV blocker. It actually does what it says. Keeps it looking good.

 

[haulin auss]

I typically agree with @Box Rocket on this one, but I got my 80 with both bumpers, sliders, and rocker panels already Line-X'ed black.

I don't recall the exact date it was done (don't have my records on hand) but I believe it was over 10 years ago, for whatever that's worth.

My feelings so far:
- 90% of the trails I do are tight VT class 4 roads and it does a fantastic job of protecting the rockers from nasty branches and other sharp edges protruding into the trails
- It turns my tube sliders into a great step with a ton of grip.
- They SUCK to clean, especially after a muddy adventure. The PO had the stock wheels done too and then removed it because they were always dirty and impossible to clean.
- When I do clean them, I use a mix of Meguiar's all purpose cleaner and water with a scrub brush. Takes awhile and usually results in a couple bloody knuckles, but the Line-X looks brand new afterwards, no faded black color or anything.
- Adam is right that the underside of my Slee bumper is missing some patches of Line-X from putting the full weight of the truck down on some rocks. However, I am surprised at how well the Line-X has stayed together and hasn't spread at all. No bubbles or anything despite the torn off sections.

If I were doing it all over, I wouldn't have done the bumpers or sliders, but depending on how you plan on using the truck and in what terrain, I would certainly do the rockers again.

Oh, and for what it's worth, everyone LOVES the bedliner. I get almost as many comments on that as the damn dorkel.

Edit: I can’t take any detailed pictures of the wear since it’s off getting a rebuild and turbo , but here are some I dug up from my phone: