Budbuilt Sliders...paint or no paint?

[tamadabee128]

Planning on pulling the trigger on some budbuilt sliders soon and was wondering if it was worth it to pay the extra $152 for the powder coating or should I just rattle can it myself? I'm located in Cali and don't live in any type of extreme weather conditions.

thanks

 

[Intruder]

It depends and people have lots of different opinions about it. There are actually other threads about whether or not to powder coat sliders if you search.

 

[Cheers!]

I decided to rattle can my metal tech sliders.

I spent 2 days trying to remove all the mill scale (caked on oil on the tubing from the metal foundry). I sat on the driveway on a stool with simple green, 3M red scotch pads... Then I used dawn dish soap, finished by brake cleaner in an attempt to make it oil free.

I bought fancy VHT epoxy chassis paint, I bought 4 cans @ 11 bux a can... all that work... and the paint is all coming off. Maybe the mistake I had was I didn't use a primer, but VHT phone support and the instructions on the can said not too.

Maybe I didn't clean off all the mill scale? I don't know... but being on your hands and knees scrubbing for 2 days... then not having it worked out and spending $10 for simple green, $44 for paint, maybe $10 for more supplies (gloves, scotch pads) totaling $64 bux sucks big time.

I should just have had Metaltech powder coat them for me prior to shipping.

To do it properly (powder coat) should be, acid dip the sliders, zinc powder base coat, then top coat powder.

Now I have all this time and money invested, and I need to strip the sliders (I'm thinking of dropping them off to a shop to ahve them sand blasted, and POR15 w/ their metal ready prep.

I'm also thinking of paying $200+ to have them powder coated and be done. I don't want to spent another 2 weeks on sliders.

 

[Ol'Baditude]

I decided to rattle can my metal tech sliders.

I spent 2 days trying to remove all the mill scale (caked on oil on the tubing from the metal foundry). I sat on the driveway on a stool with simple green, 3M red scotch pads... Then I used dawn dish soap, finished by brake cleaner in an attempt to make it oil free.

I bought fancy VHT epoxy chassis paint, I bought 4 cans @ 11 bux a can... all that work... and the paint is all coming off. Maybe the mistake I had was I didn't use a primer, but VHT phone support and the instructions on the can said not too.

Maybe I didn't clean off all the mill scale? I don't know... but being on your hands and knees scrubbing for 2 days... then not having it worked out and spending $10 for simple green, $44 for paint, maybe $10 for more supplies (gloves, scotch pads) totaling $64 bux sucks big time.

I should just have had Metaltech powder coat them for me prior to shipping.

To do it properly (powder coat) should be, acid dip the sliders, zinc powder base coat, then top coat powder.

Now I have all this time and money invested, and I need to strip the sliders (I'm thinking of dropping them off to a shop to ahve them sand blasted, and POR15 w/ their metal ready prep.

I'm also thinking of paying $200+ to have them powder coated and be done. I don't want to spent another 2 weeks on sliders.

Yeup! To the OP, after my experience trying to do it myself, unless you know someone who can do a professional job for less, I would definitely recommend getting the powder coating done at the time of purchase.

It depends and people have lots of different opinions about it. There are actually other threads about whether or not to powder coat sliders if you search.

^This. The search function on this forum has lead me to more information on Toyota 4Runners that any other source.
There are a few people here who seem to have had success with DIY paint jobs on sliders; you might want to hit them up via PM for some tips.

 

[Intruder]

I decided to rattle can my metal tech sliders.

I spent 2 days trying to remove all the mill scale (caked on oil on the tubing from the metal foundry). I sat on the driveway on a stool with simple green, 3M red scotch pads... Then I used dawn dish soap, finished by brake cleaner in an attempt to make it oil free.

Duplicolor Grease and Wax Remover and coarse sandpaper or scotch pad should do the trick. Took me about an hour.

 

[Intruder]

Btw, all the info you could want on painting/powdercoating sliders at this link.

 

[chiz45]

Planning on pulling the trigger on some budbuilt sliders soon and was wondering if it was worth it to pay the extra $152 for the powder coating or should I just rattle can it myself? I'm located in Cali and don't live in any type of extreme weather conditions.

thanks

I put this in the other thread, but to sum it up--BB packed my set REALLY well and they arrived in perfect condition. I ordered mine unfinished and regret it--he was charging $150 or so and I ended up paying $200 locally and it took 10 days. Add in drop off and pick up time....Unlike some of the rear bumpers we read about here, these are well packed and will arrive with coating intact.

 

[AZrunner11]

BudBuilt

I have seen how they pack their products for shipment first hand while hanging around the shop while my truck was on the lift. They really do a nice job of securing the product in the box. I would powder coat and then touch up with rattle can if the need arises. You also have color options with the powder coating if that us your thing. They can send you the color options and texture patterns.

 

[Engineer]

My 2cents

For climates where the roads are treated with salt or similar general rattle can paint (even bed liner) does not have the durability to last without needed annual maintenance (or live with your rusty sliders)

My 3 Dollars

I painted my budbuilts and at the end of the 1st winter If I was to do it again I would evaluate other options, I did not do as an intensive job as above but I did prep them well , used primer and spray on bed liner and while in non salted road climates I think they would hold up well I have not had wonderful luck (mine look ok now but I have touched them up a couple times this winter and know that my touch up jobs are just temporary covers)

If I was to do it all over again

*Evaluate the cost of Stainless (maybe aluminum?) options and paint those ( I don't care as much if some dull silver is showing through the paint but the rust tends to bleed and make it look like redneck trash (no offense to anyone who fits that stereotype)

*Stick with Mild Steel but have them LineXd or Power coated - I didn't go down this path originally because I knew that under any real use ANY coating is going to get scrapped off and need touched up, which wouldn't "match". Now if I had been thinking that through I would have realized that the only area this would happen are on the bottom (maybe sides but I am not that hardcore off road) so it wouldn't been seen anyhow.....or powder coat/line X then paint and then when you touch up only the texture would be different..........at the end of it all I realize how ridiculous of a notion that was and having just paint has created additional annual maintenance I am not looking forward to until I pay for a long term solution.

 

[470SNC]

sand, duplicolor self etching paint, and duplicolor bed liner, if it wears off just get it a retouch coat, easy peasy.

 

[Jtwo]

I ordered mine unfinished, followed the threads on the forum for painting but ended up taking them off and having them powdercoated. If I were to do it again I would just order them powdercoated unless you can have it dome for less local. I paid 100.00 to have them PC'd and only waited a week for the turn around.

 

[Marcocopuffs]

Just finished painting my sliders. It took like 5 minutes for 1 coat.... I prepped them fairly well. Maybe an hour plus in total... If the finish comes off I'll just repaint them. If you need sliders you'll probably be banging them up anyway. I put about 3 coats of paint and 1 coat of primer...

 

[Lexusbstrdchild]

Painting is 90% prepwork anyway. If you spend the time to clean and prime, your paint will stick and you will be fine. If you live in the rust belt though, I would say PC them. At least if paint them yourself you could always do touch up more easily than PC.

 

[BrianSD_42]

painting is a 2-3 year solution and PowderCoating is a 5-10 year solution. Having done both that is my opinion.

 

[Jabberjaw]

Powder coat ...

 

[tamadabee128]

Thank you for all your responses! much appreciated...powder coat it is!

 

[mazatal]

Good choice, I had Bud powder coat my front and rear bumpers, skids and sliders. Very pleased.