Paint for Suspension Parts That Resists Chipping.

[vanapplebomb]

Hey guys,

What do you guys paint your suspension components with? I am looking for something that will resist chipping. In the past I have used rubberized undercoating...and it worked...sorta. Maybe truck bed liner would work better? If anyone has any ideas, fire away

[bren]

Check out this thread: thegoodvolks.proboards.com/thread/6411/great-paint

[vw1s]

I use rust-oleam. Yes it chips. So will ANYTHING else you apply! Why not use something that is readily available and easy to recoat?

[VDub63 ( Steven )]

Powdercoat?

[MadMike]

Years ago it was Imeron or emron made by Dupont Now it Powdercoat or bed liner
Try some epoxie paint for The 'Fridge' I picked up a can of black at local hardware

[bren]

Enron (sp?) Is what we used on the bus for the white top. Nice stuff.

[vw1s]

Imron, bedliner, powdercoat, etc., WILL chip! When it does, and you want to repair it, have fun sanding for days to get it smooth, BEFORE you re-coat, only to find you missed a spot AFTER it's been re-sprayed! What if you change your mind and want to weld on a shock or caliper mount, ever try to weld on powdercoated parts? Just ask Bren about adding light tabs to his rail....just saying, you better be 100% before powdercoating. I know it sounds cheap, maybe a little cheesy, but, rust-oleam protects well against non impact intruders, such as rust, and, in the event a re-coat IS needed, break out a scotch bright then spray! At $4 a can, you can re-coat a quite a few times for the same price as most of the alternatives. Parts WILL get scratched, do you want a $4 repair, or a $40 repair?

[vdubdriver]

I've used Rustloleum Protective Coating. You can buy it in a spray can or in a quart can. It"a tougher than other spray paint and is easy to reapply if necessary, as Patrick mentioned.

[vanapplebomb]

Thanks for the reply guys! Just wondered if there was something more chip resistant than good old spray paint, not chip proof

Has anybody tried VHT epoxy rattle can paint? Supposedly a lot of people use it for suspension parts in the Mopar world.

[81pumagtc]

I really like VHT's paint, but you have to heat it to cure it. For large parts, or an unsympathetic "other half" this can be an issue.

Don't even think about powder coat...you can't fix it, and to remove it so that you can re-fix it, you have to remove the paint in a special oven!

Thinner is better for chip-resistance in spray pain, and paint + hardener is the best, but needs to be sprayed by a spray gun.

Also, when you want to heat cure paint, let it dry, start the heat at 200 degrees, and bring it up 50 degrees per hour each half hour until 350 degrees, and let it heat for another hour at 350. Then, turn the oven off, and let it cool two hours before you handle it.


Dave Riedle

[vanapplebomb]

Out of curiosity, what does baking do to rattle can paint other than cure it faster?

[MadMike]

Stinks up the house worst then 'Wet Dog'

[81pumagtc]

Some paints, like VHT, have to "cure". Curing the paint releases the aerobatic solvents that are in the paint, and generally, that makes the paint thinner.

Also, some paints, and most likely VHT, the molecular structure rotates, and interlocks, improving durability. The secret is to start at low heat, and to slowly increase heat until you have reached the desired temperature over time. The surface volume of the paint decreases, and it will get a bit thinner as the solvent leave. If you do this correctly, and slowly, it works great, and you are rewarded with a nice, hard finish.

MadMike is correct, it does stink a bit. Should not be too bad, though. What often happens, however, is that folks start off at high temperature, causing the top portion of the paint flash over, sealing the part and not allowing all of the solvents to leave. This can cause the paint to burn or melt, which is a bad thing.

Do it slowly, and it will be hard, thin, and durable.




Dave Riedle

[thedirtydutchman]

Ive used my grill to "bake" paint like VHT etc. Start off on low and let it cool off then whent to a higher temp. Works great. Most of my exhast systems on quads were done this way and they all held up.

[81pumagtc]

Yup. That works fine.

The key is to start low, and then totally cure the heat at a higher temperature to get the substrate (paint) to interlock at higher temperatures.

Interestingly, you have to increase temperatures similarly when you powder-coat parts.


Dave Riedle