powder coat or just paint?

[BlueDogBandit]

I'm going to tear the truck apart while the axles are being done and clean everything up? I was going to glass bead the suspension and either paint or powder coat it. Obviously the powder coating will be much more expenisve. Will paint be fine, or should I spend the extra cash?

 

[Gopher]

i believe the powder coating will look nicer longer and wont' crack. The paint after a while will crack and you'll have to repaint them again. I'd say in the long run the powder coating will be the best bet in both time and money. I remember theres a powder coating place down by me and that is really good. I'll research a little and let ya know. What do you want done?

 

[rock883]

I guess this would be the perfect chance to ask. What is the difference in regualr painting and powder coating, how is powder coating so much better? Also, I painted my frame a few months ago, looks alright, but, would look better if I had someone do it. How much would that cost to have someone paint it and all the little crossmembers and all? Thanks

 

[BlueDogBandit]

rubber-like coat

the powder coating will give it a heavier, ruberish coat. It will look the best, BUT it is expensive. Also, the surface has to have a lot of prep time spent on it before it gets done. I know that powder coating is the best, but with suspension parts that I know are going to be abused by rocks and dirt from heavy four wheel'n, would it be easier just to paint and repaint about once a year.

 

[Perry]

Powder coating is the way to go.
Powder coating is baked on so it is easier to keep clean also. It is a lot more, but it is tuff.
It also comes in a lot more colors then it used to. You can also get it in a texture if you want.
Good luck in your choice.

 

[Rick]

I got both my front and rear bumpers and my nerf bars done for less than $200. That included a black undercoat with a clear coat on top to bring out the gloss. The shop did all the surface prep. I just brought them the painted pitted up pieces and they blasted it to perfection.

I feel that they did a lot for $200.

Someone said the surface is rubbery, that's not true the surface is super hard.

It's true about the rocks and stuff tearing up the surface. If you paint it you can always do touch ups. If you powder coat it your stuck with what you have until the next time you tear it down.

 

[RytM1]

You can also check out Eastwood http://www.EASTWOODCO.COM, they have a powder coating kit that you can use at home, and offer about 50 colors. To coat small parts, they suggest curing/baking the parts in an oven, but have come out with a new infrared curing system that lets you cure larger parts of any size. I don't know how well it really works, but it could save you some $$$.

 

[Perry]

RytM1
I have heard it works well for small stuff.
The one thing, DO NOT USE YOUR HOME STOVE!!!!
If you plan on doing a lot go buy a used stove. I was thinking of doing that at one time and putting it down at my dad's shop, but never have yet.

 

[Dre]

POR-15

I would just use POR-15 paint. Needs a bit of preparation but well worth it. After it dries it's hard as metal, protects against rust and looks good long time. Check their website. I tried it, looks and works perfect!!

http://www.por15.com

Later,