Painting your own sliders?

I decided to get a set of sliders, and am still on the fence whether I should pay an extra $120 for powder coat or just use self etching primer and some black rust oleum or rattle can black.

The sliders will see mild off-roading and are just bolts ons so they’re more for protection from door dings.

Anyone rattle can their own to save a buck?

 

Judging by the icy taco as your avatar, you’re somewhere that gets snow and probably salted roads. I’d get PC as it’ll withstand the elements that much better.

With that said, all my stuff is rattle canned

 

I prefer rattle can, specifically bedliner for armor. Makes it easy to touch up when they do get scratched.

 

Yeah I we ended up with some snow down here in Virginia, but from what I’ve seen they use mostly sand.

Powder coat might be worth it just for the longevity and everything.

 

I had same concerns when I got my bare sliders, decided too powder coat them so they have a solid "foundation" (if you will)...all touch ups will be rattle can.

after picking them up from the coater......glad I spend the money.

obviously it's about money and convenience for the owner....your call, they both will look good, done right.

 

Rattle can works great too. I cleaned mine real well with a degreaser then put on a couple coats or self etching primer and a couple coats of spray on bed liner. However, on the inside where the slider touches the frame I just used regular black paint so there was no gaps or "obstructions' from the bed liner texture.

I like this for two reasons. It gives me a little texture when I step on them so there is no slippage and anytime I get a little rash or scrape on the slider I can just touch it up and not have to worry with getting them recoated.

 

don't waste money on powder coating sliders and skids (or even bumpers really) if you intend on using them for their designed purpose. It's a waste of money because the powder coating won't hold up, just mask off areas you don't want to hit with paint using tape and cardboard/grocery bags and go to town with a rattle can...touch up as needed

 

Not to mention, proper prep and handiwork with a rattle can will look just as good to most people's eye as powder coating will.

 

I rattled mine. Kinda wish I powder coated them as right now where the rocks hit are rusted to all hell (will need to do a thicker coat on these locations). I did drag them on a rock at some point (don't recall every doing this, but I have 12" scratch down one of them) and have rust there now too. But touch up will be pretty simple to do once it warms up and will match the rest.

If you plan on using them, don't powdercoat them. If you don't plan on beating them up, powder coating may be a good easy clean option.

 

You can fix a lot of door dings with how much you're spending on sliders. Ridiculous. If they are mainly for "door ding protection" is there even a reason for making this thread? Rattle can and save yourself the money for these outrageously priced "door doing protectors".

 

Powder coat.
$120 is a good deal

 

One long gravel road and it won’t matter anyways. I’d just paint it realizing it will be a annual maintenance thing. PC will need stripping and paint if it fails too, especially if you use them as sliders.

V V V there, you see? V V V

 

from experience, it's annoying to spray paint sliders. I did 2 coats of self etching primer and 2 coats of gloss black.

By the end I was really wishing I forked up the monies for PC. Besides, you can always spray paint over the PC after you use your sliders. My sliders get an annual refresh

 

Or, to throw a wrench in everyone's sensibilities... powdercoat them, because it's only $100ish bucks and you're not doing heavy offroading, and the powdercoat looks pretty good.

And if they get scratched up from using them, then they're going to have nicks and grooves, and your surrounding armor is going show wear, and it won't matter if you decide to touch them up with a can or have the whole mess re-coated.

-Craig

 

I rattled can'd my All Pro Apex sliders. Did some light clean up with a grinder, sand, clean with mineral spirits, gloss black for the mounts / frame contact points, and bed liner for the rest. I had put gloss under the bedliner but it's not worth the trouble. It's really easy to touch up, which if you go off road at all, you'll need to do.

My roof rack from baja rack is powder coated, and has chipped in places where my plastic canoe has rubbed or damaged the powder coat, or from limbs getting snagged. Powder coat is fairly fragile if you expect to use your armor.

 

Line-X, did that on my last truck after powder coat was all chipped up after a year on gravel roads. Looked great after 3yrs with the Line-X.

 

sent you a pm

 

I bought mine from California shipped it to PA. Small surface rust was a huge pain in the ass to clean before rattle can with primer than bedliner. if I did it again I would get it powder-coated and just hit it with bedliner.

 

Steel it. $30 a can but it’s pretty much powder coat in a can.

 

Www.monstaliner.com

Dare you to pick a color other than black.