Disappointed with VHT epoxy on sliders...

When I got my Mobtown sliders, I saw the VHT epoxy paint recommended by a few people. So I figured instead of dropping $150+ locally for powdercoat, I'd save some money and go this route....I wire wheeled, wiped down with acetone really well and then used 5-6 light coats of the epoxy just like the back of the can says to do. The finish LOOKED really nice, but here we are a few months later, and the epoxy is chipping around all the welds and is starting to rust around all the welds. Shoes are leaving scratches all over them where passengers are getting in and out, so they're rusting in there as well. In a few places it almost looks like rust is starting to form over the top of the epoxy. At this point I guess I'm going to have to uninstall the sliders and take them and have them blasted and powdercoated. Did I do something wrong with the prep before I painted? Is this VHT epoxy just that bad? Anybody have any advice for me?

 

If you wheel I'd strip them and paint them with Rustoleum or Krylon for easy touch ups. If you're more a Forest Service or Fire Roads and awesome camping guy I'd strip them and get them powder coated.

 

Powder Coat or Bedliner would hold up best.

 

No primer before the epoxy?

 

I used a metal etching primer before paint..... of course, I used rustoleum type stuff. They seem to be holding up ok. I've got to touch up the under side though.

 

The can says it's a one step epoxy coating that doesn't require the use of a primer.

 

I must have done something in the prep phase to make the epoxy not hold up well. It's just flaking off around the welds, and shoes are scratching them.

 

Shouldn't have to strip them completly, remove the sliders and clean the surface rust then get a few cans of gravel guard rovker coating and put about 3 coatings on.

 

Did POR15 on mine with no top coat and my sliders aren't even chipping or peeling where someone backed into me. My bumper with rustoleum spray (and primer) is chipping like a MFer. Different impact areas but the POR15 has definitely been the better coating in my opinion.

 

POR15 isn't UV stable. You should have top coated it. I used POR15 as a base coat and painted on top of it as well.

 

Wire wheel is often too smooth for paint prep. I suggest blasting them with coal slag media to get a really rough surface, then POR-15 or Chassis Saver, with a top coat of satin rustoleum for UV protection.

 

My worry is that if I go over them with anything else, they're just going to continue to chip...

 

There are a few local places that media blast....I guess I should have just had them powdercoated in the first place. After it's all said and done I'll probably have spent around the same amount on products and prep to fix these.....

 

That's almost exactly what I did. I applied POR15, let it dry, lightly scuffed it up a bit, primed it and used textured rustoleum paint on top.

 

I used rustoleum on mine initially. Held up pretty good but the underside, as expected, got all chipped up and started to rust in a couple spots. I went to touch up the bottom of the sliders with rusoleum bed liner thinking it will be more durable, and it is. I really liked the texture and feel of the bed liner stuff, its much less slippery than regular paint. I liked it so much I decided to just repaint the entire slider with it. I love it! highly recommend the rustoleum bed liner for the sliders

 

I half ass sanded mine and used rustleom bedliner. High traffic areas got some grip tape to help standing and prevent scuffing.

After a winter I did have a few touch ups to do. Which was to hit the rust with rust neutralizer and respray. I just hold cardboard to prevent paint getting on the truck.

It definitely gets chipped from rocks flipping up off the tires. But the benefit of not powder coating is you you can easily spray little sections and make them look new again

 

I may pull them off, use a rust neutralizer on the few small rust spots and go over them with the bedliner spray.....

Is this the stuff?
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Rust-Ole...ategy=PWVUB&visitor_id=Z_ub47hX7CvSLPDQUkNcjw

 

that is what i used and its been great

 

Thats what I used on our APs. 3 coats and prepped by sanding with 80 grit. 3 weeks or so and its fine, but time will tell.

 

I debated about how to paint mine but I finally had them powder coated, holding up great after a few months.