Painting bumpers (2 sand or not 2 sand)

I am getting my truck painted pearlescent white. My question is

To sand or not to sand?

The bumpers, do i sand them or no to paint. I have heard that the rubber in our plastic bumpers cannot be painted it will flake off. is this true? Is there anything i can use to seal this besides obviously clear coat?

Those of you who have painted bumpers or know a bit on the subject want to inform me before i make a stupid mistake?

Also, if not sanded will the paint match alright? Help me out here lol

Thanks,

Jason

 

[Glacier991]

I cannot speak to Explorers on this subject. This summer I painted a Suburu rubber bumper which had large areas where the paint had departed after a few encounters with immovable objects. I sanded with 320 grit first by sander and discovered it produced too much heat, and thereafter by hand... I did a basecoat/clearcoat with flex additive (critical!!! on the bumpers) and while it took a few more coats of the base than I was used to spraying on metal... once the clear was on it looked fabulous.

Saw it a month ago and so far so good... time will be the judge. My vote ? Sand, but handsand and make sure there's flex agent (that stuff ain't CHEAP!!) in the paint blown on the bumpers.

 

[xmodster3o3]

Go ahead and paint them, I painted my whole truck and also went ahead and painted my bumpers.

If your going to paint your chrome bumpers make sure you sand really good, every single spot or else it will fake. also use a really good primer. For the plastic make sure you take any plastic you have to paint off the bumper and paint it seprately, if you don't the plastic will move and wrinkle your paint between the metal and plastic. Also sand the plastic really good also with a good primer.

One more tip when i painted mine i didn't use as much hardner as the paint maker said to use, doing this will make the paint bend with the plastic instead of chipping.
Heres mine...

 

[4FordFamily]

how much is it and where can i get it? this flex stuff

 

[96SportWheelin]

A lot of companies make a cleaning compound for plastics,rubber,any type of molding etc..... This cleaning compound lets you paint these materials w/o any probs. My dad owns a body shop and he uses this all the time w/o any probs.
-Cody

 

[spindlecone]

SEM makes automotive flexable cladding paint, heres some info on painting plastic www.sem.ws.
Is all in the prepwork, using the proper adhesion promoters etc.
I did mine over two yrs ago, is still in perfect condition

 

[Glacier991]

Try any automotive paint supply store. Usually they sell a particular brand of paint, and will have the flex additive for that brand. There are also some companies that make a generic additive - I recommend you stay with a brand "system". I use PPG because my supplier carries that system and I am comfortable with it.