Slider Paint Recommendations

[CharlieS]

Hi,

I ordered a set of Budbuilt sliders when they had their sale, and am looking forward to getting them.

I ordered them bare, sanded and prepped for paint, so I need to figure out how to finish them when they arrive.

What do people recommend for coatings? Powder coat? Paint? If paint, what kind?

I once used a two part epoxy paint that was super durable, so I am wondering if that would be a good option. It was an industrial coating (ICT maybe?) made for coating the inside of water storage tanks, and held up well on the boat hull that I used it on.

It's winter here, and my garage isn't set up for cold weather painting (I have a heater, but it has open flame combustion, so paint fumes are a really bad idea). I need to check with some local body shops, but want to make sure I ask for the right stuff.

Thanks in advance.

 

[TimCFJ40]

If you're planning to wheel and hit them on rocks, pick your favorite spray enamel and go to town. I like Rust Oleum gloss black and hammered black finishes. So long as you can get temps into the 50s you should be able to paint them yourself. They touch up easily and hold up well. I wouldn't waste time or money painting them with anything exotic or powder coating them if you're going to use them. If you're very unlikely to hit them on anything, but just have them for insurance or looks, powdercoat holds up well as long as you don't drag it on rocks.

 

[Mixelplix]

I agree with Tim. If you're actually going to use them, rattle can them twice a year.

If you're unlikely to smack them on rocks I would use SW Macropoxy 646 and topcoat them with whatever you'd like.

 

[CharlieS]

Thank you both.

I probably won't see 50 degrees in my garage until spring, at least in a way that will allow me to paint. I could heat it up to 50, but it'd drop to frigid temps before the paint could dry.

I suppose it would be useful to say more about what I'm doing. I bought the step slider version with a flat surface, dimple down. I want a sturdier step that adds side protection. I figure this is just a prudent thing to do - if I'm going to have side steps, which I use regularly, they might as well be sturdy and provide some protection.

I'm in the Northeast, and don't wheel. I drive dirt, logging and class 4 roads, but I don't typically encounter big rocks that would cause damage here (I'm more likely to hit underneath, and why I also bought Budbuilt expedition skids). I'm more likely to hit a tree/log than a boulder.

I'd rather not have to maintain them regularly. Once they go on, I'd like to forget about them for the next 200K+ miles.

I'll check out the macropoxy 646.

I wonder if something like Line-X for the topside would work, adding some grip.

 

[08720]

Im in Ohio and if your area is anything like mine it wont matter how you finish them. Powder coat will fail and it will need re-done in a couple years anyway. crank the heat in the shop and spray away with anything (it won't matter because you will be doing it again soon enough)...turn off the heat when you are satisfied they are dry.

 

[eatSleepWoof]

Tim's got the right idea.

I disagree that powdercoat will fail; it will not, if done right. And doing it right means a thorough sand blasting, followed by a zinc primer, and only then a thorough layer of powdercoat.

With that said, tires throw rocks, and these WILL chip powdercoat. But in areas of no physical contact, properly done powdercoat will last for years and years.

I would go with something like LineX all around. It'll be the most durable product, and since you don't rock crawl, it won't require touch ups.

 

[08720]

I imagine it would be like my rear bumper on my 80. Behind the tires failed after all the chips and Ohio winters. I figured sliders would see the same kind of wear just from daily driving. What do they do for the winter roads in BC? Northeast US is terrible on vehicles.

 

[eatSleepWoof]

What do they do for the winter roads in BC?

In BC it's a pretty simple annual process:
- slash last year's budget
- anticipate "warmer than usual" winter, because the stars said so
- wait until a single event dumps a foot of snow
- shut down all transit, close schools, cry "who could have seen this coming? it only happened every year to date!"
- wait two-three days
- send a few plows down the main roads, once
- wait two-three days
- dump a few yards of free sand at the local firehouses
- watch people literally fight for the sand
- watch people list the sand they got for free, for sale on Craigslist
- wait two-three days
- reluctantly salt a few roads
- wait until winter has passed, everything has melted, and flowers start blooming
- cover every square millimetre in an inch of sand



Realistically, there's plenty of snow and sand on major routes. After ~2.5 years on the Tacoma, my powdercoated sliders had surface rust where they got chipped away by flying rocks, or slid across boulders, but all other surfaces looked pristine.