Hey guys, I'm kind of new here, but here's my first post. I've had a real problem with my roof rusting, and I've decided I should probably fix it before it gets any worse. There aren't any holes (yet) in the roof, but it's kind of checkered with rust all over. I was thinking about just sanding it down and spraying it with some black Rustoleom, but i've also heard about acid-etch primer and bed liner. Any ideas on which is the best one? Thanks!

 

yeah you need to get on that soon...as long as you sand well and put some good paint you will be allright

 

Bring it as far down to bare metal as possible.. If your concerned about punching thru the metal if there's a particularly bad spot or two, maybe look into a good rust sealant. Turpentine to clean up the loose stuff. And roll on is by far better than spray on. The physical action of applying it makes for a good, even bond.

 

This is a good job for a beginer. Sand as much of the rust off as you can.This will make it last as long as possible.Also remove the roof rack. The windshied trim should be removed too. 80 grit is the first paper to use. An electric or air powered orbital or "DA" sander works the best.. The primer gets put on after the 80 grit and a good cleaning with final wipe. An alternative could be acetone or Brake clean. This helps get any oil off the surface. But more important it will clean all the dust out of the sanding scratches to give the absolute best paint adhesion. Before priming if there are any crusty rusty spots treat them with a rust killer like RUST MORT. If you dont have a spray gun a roller will do a pretty good job of laying down Rustoleum rusty metal primer. Thin the paint with about 25% acetone. This will make it lay out smoother. Either let the primer dry a couple days or as soon as its dry to the touch paint the final color.
My self Id go with white over black. Personal preferance.
A sander $60
sand paper $20
Acetone Gal $20
Qt rusty primer $11
Qt color $11
Rollers $15
Rust Mort $15
2 rolls mask tape $8
So for about 150 bucks and a couple of days of work you can have good results you wont be imbarrassed with.
Ron

 

Thanks for advice guys (especially Ron- now I've got a step by step plan), looks like I'll have to tackle this one of these weekends... Do you guys know what to do about the black trim stripes on the roof? Do they pop off, or should I leave them there, or is it even worth it? Thanks

 

They are on with double sided tape. The will probably be ruined when removed.
Ron

 

Sorry I haven't been on in a while, but since I've posted that me and my dad have finally finished the roof. We first had to grind everything to the bare metal, then we used some Rustoleum rust remover to get off some of the rest of it (That's the first photo). Then, over the course of a week or two (with work and school it took a while) we put on coats of primer, sanded it, more primer, and sanded it again. Then we put on some body filler to fill in most of the bumps, and then sanded it again. Finally, we were able to put on the final three coats of black primer, put the roof rack back on, and it's done.

 

Here's the rest of them...

 

looks great, good job.

 

that roof should out last the rest of your Jeep lol!!!

 

Nice job!

 

So guys back to the original question is a DA sander the same as an RO sander for random orbit and is any random orbit better than just a plain ol orbital and does anybody have any specifics as to which brand, size... other than being corded I should try.

 

I have a couple of DeWalts at work that have been used for years. I also like the fact it can be used for other projects. Around 80 bucks.

Ron

 

Invest in a gas mask from your local Army surplus store... stops the rust dust from getting everywhere.

 

Or you can get a painters respirator ....