Refinishing OEM Side Steps....??

The powder coating is flaking off my OEM side steps. What product would be budget friendly and stand up to the abuse they take? Ideally, I would have them Bullet Lined, but that will exceed my budget at this point.

How do I remove the plastic steps without damaging them? Thanks....

 

Mornin'

Not sure about removing the plastic step part without any of the clips that hold them on breaking. There's probably a couple of options to reattach them if that happens. 3M tape would be my first choice. Construction adhesive my last.

As far as refinishing them, you can use a wire wheel attached to a drill to knock off all the loose coating. But you'll want to be a little aggressive everywhere in case there are other spots it's loose. If you apply any coating over loose spots it's just going to flake off again.

Once you're sure you've removed all the loose coating, you're going to want to apply a primer. I'm pretty sure the OEM side steps are aluminum so make sure you buy the correct primer. Buy lighter color if they have it. It will help to see the coverage over the black. Then likewise that will help with the final coating. Using a lighter colored primer will make it easier to see the coverage.

Your friend has shared a link to a Home Depot product they think you would be interested in seeing:

Rust-Oleum Professional 15 oz. Flat White Interior/Exterior Aluminum Primer Spray
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Rust-Ol...terior-Aluminum-Primer-Spray-254170/202531910


Your friend has shared a link to a Home Depot product they think you would be interested in seeing:

Rust-Oleum Automotive 15 oz. Black Truck Bed Coating Spray
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Rust-Ol...lack-Truck-Bed-Coating-Spray-248914/202097787

A lot of people will say that the best finished painting results always begin with proper preparation. I cannot stress how true this is. Set up an area outside if you have the room to hang them. You can use two 6' ladders, or one of those articulated ladders supported somehow. Then buy some cheap bungee cords to hang them, or wire clothes hangers.

The most important thing about spray painting is do not rush it. A hundred thinner coats will take forever but the end result will be near professional. You'll appreciate taking your time. Trust me.

Once they're reinstalled, you can do touch-ups very easy with this bedliner paint too.

Post up some before and after pics

 

Thanks! I'm now considering going with Monstaliner. I like that it has a smoother finish than other liners and is UV stable. It's a little bit more than going the Rustoleum route but I think it'll be more durable in the long run.
Unless someone comes up with a sure fire trick to remove the plastic without damage, I'll tape them and the end caps off.

I'm hoping that 1 quart will do both sides.....

 

I have some rhino steps on mine. Recently pulled them off along with Bull bar and had them sandblasted and painted by my paint guy. Was under 200$ and well worth it. They were peeling in the corners with some rust starting to form

 

If you ever plan on going off road, maybe you should consider sliders.

 

My serious off road days are long gone. Now, with new knees, getting in is sometimes problematic so operating just as a step is helpful. If serious off roading was in the cards, I would opt for a spray on liner for sliders. But the fact remains, I baby our Tacomas...

 

Those look great. Do you know what kind of paint he used on them? Was it a base coat clear coat or something else?
Also did the aluminum anti-skid plates come on the step bars or you added them?
I have a nice set of step bars in my garage that need to be repainted. The guy I got them from had a crappy powder coat paint job done on them and they are all faded badly.

 

Thank you. It’s was base coat of semi gloss black automotive paint with a flat clear. Didn’t want it glossy. The skid plates came on it and I just took a wire wheel and some aluminum polish to them. They were a dull gray before after being used for so long. They look stainless now in person. Same process for the Bull bar that’s not in the pic. The sandblasting really helped overall

 

As in most projects, there's always a surprise. 2 rivnuts on the steps broke free. Fortunately they were at the end where once the end cap was removed, I could grab the spinning portion and remove the bolt. The removal of the plastic steps isn't going to happen. As seen in the pics, the fasteners aren't accessible to release the plastic. And finally. the powder coating was sheeting off far worse than I thought......

 

Would a long set of forceps allow you to squeeze those plastic pieces to release the steps? That’s how some of the original powder coat on mine was flaking on the bottom. You could tell it was a thin coat put on to save money of course

 

Pliers or forceps would have to be 3 feet long. In the pics, visible are only 2 fasteners. There's 2 or 3 more deeper in the tube....

I'm curious to find out who actually manufactured them....

 

Rip them off and 3M tape them back on. Use liquid gel paint stripper safe for aluminum and completely strip them.

Or

Take off the steps, take them to a powder coater.

Or

Buy a set of OEM Predators from someone taking them off to put on sliders. They will be easier on your knees and look better.

I've had them all, am old and my knees tell me that all the time, so I'm speaking from experience. The Predators are a true step into the cab.

 

It maybe thin. I don't have a mil tester. I formerly worked in the powder coating dept. at a metal fabrication shop. Once the coating is breached it introduces corrosion onto the substrate and thus the peeling begins. A great deal of it can be prevented by using a zinc phosphatizing wash. Most often in a production environment, manufacturers use an iron phosphatizing wash and still others don't phosphatize at all. It all looks good going out the door but the zinc phosphatizing is the most corrosion resistant and most expensive....

Like any finish coating, prep will make or break a job.

 

Why did he use a flat clear over a semigloss paint?

 

I’m thinking it was flat or semi clear as I didn’t want it to be shiny

 

It definitely has a sheen to it. probably used satin on it maybe?

 

Prob satin would have been better verbiage. It’s about the same type of sheen as they come with originally.

 

Having the steps removed I now find it easier to get in and out of the truck. Go figure......

 

I only use mine for washing and waxing the roof and bumping my boots on them to knock the dirt off.