I know powder coating is ideal, but has anyone ever painted their coils? If so, what kind prep/paint did you use and how is it holding up to the abuse?

Well most peoples coils are covered in mud and dirt 24x7. I don't think altering the color is very common.

I know but I may be putting on a set that has a little bit of rust, so if I can strip & paint them w/o chipping, I'd like to do so.

I'd like to keep my truck as clean as possible.

just paint them, the powder coating will wear off in the same places that the paint will so dont waste your money on the PC job. just clean them really good with some soap and water, sand and scuff any bare areas or areas with chips or nicks ect, then use a good self etching primer and give it a few light coats (as instructed on the can) to give good full coverage then let that set up, lightly scuff that and spray with desired color epoxy paint, that will be your best bet against road spray and debris.

-i use epoxy paint on all my frames and metal under the truck, like axles ect. typically i get under my truck once a year in the late summer and spray all exposed metal that has been scrapped or bashed on rocks, giving it a good seal for winter, that way i keep any major rust issues from ever happening. i have never had a vehicle that has rusted out on me, and i lived on the coast for a few years and was driving my old 85 truck back then. its frame and everything under the truck looked better than the rest of the truck, and is even in better condition than the 85 truck i have now that has been in eastern oregon(high desert) 90% of its life. epoxy paint is tough as far as rattle can paint goes and its dirt cheap compared to PCing

Thanks for the info kid!
Just the info I was looking for.

Did you need to put a clear coat on anything?

do you plan on taking this thing to a car show or something? lol naw man again dont waste your time or money, i mean you can if you want to be overly redundant but if you want them to be shiny just buy the gloss black(or what ever color you chose) epoxy paint. -its what i used on my 2" receiver on my runner, though i used semi gloss black, and i would swear its gloss black, but its looks good when the truck is clean, maybe a little too good

No, but I'm not a painting expert, so I thought it would just be an added layer of protection.

Thanks for your help!

I painted a rusty set (from a northern runner) of front 99 talls a while back. Never again! I had to grind down some of the rusty areas, then etching primer, then I used VHT Chassis epoxy paint. The winds on the coils make it such a ***** to get good coverage. Rear coils are spaced much further apart, so not nearly as tedious.

if you rattle can it use this stuff, ive used it on my factory skid plates and it holds up well.

^^^^ That's the one I used

i even used it on the intercooler pipes of my trans am