Took my rear bumper off when i was installing my hitch and decided i want to paint it. Its got some surface rust on it and peeled paint so it sure could need it. What i need to know is how do you guys go about sanding it down? like what grit sandpaper and stuff like that. Dont plan on watersanding and all that stuff but i do only want to paint it once. Prep, primer, paint thats all im gonna do. probably gonna rattle can it to but i do want to get a good clean look.

 

when i did mine i used a green scuff pad to scuff the surface. then wiped it down with some degreaser and threw a few coats of Hammertone on it,

 

just like a scotch brite pad? I've never tried them on something to prep it for paint, did it give a good finish?

 

worked well for me, but then again my XJ is a trail rat and looks aren't as important to me

 

Yep I scuffed mine up with steel wool and painted them with bed liner paint worked great and its not too shiny

 

That'll probably be how i go about it, my dad painted the front bumper before i had it and spent hours sanding it. I thought all that prep was major overkill for a simple bumper lol.

While im at it, I may paint my front grill and headlight bezels. Found out my grill was green....never really noticed it until i saw it in the light, now its very noticeable to me. What could i paint those with so they dont stand out as better looking than all the other plastic pieces?

 

just make sure you take the time to prep it right and itll turn out fine

 

i would sand it down with 80 grit sand paper to get all the really nasty stuff off, black primer it, then sand the primer with some 220 grit, then paint it. if you put some time into it then it will come out real nice

 

i used a wire wheel for rust!

 

thats what i used on my hitch lol, took all of 10 mins to prep and primer lol

 

The finish coat all depends on the base. Prep work may take alot of time but will help with a better finish. As far as wet sanding....if you are painting to match your jeep and want a nice gloss finish then it will help to sand with a 600 grit before the top and clear coat. If you are just looking to get the paint to hold then make sure you get ALL the rust off and put on a good primer and paint. A primer sealer would help too.

 

after you primer it take a few minutes and wet sand it then close your eyes and run your fingers over it to see where you missed, then once your happy with how it feels then shoot it with paint, itll come out alot smoother, thats how i even paint the roof racks i build and they come a lot nicer that way.

dont let anyone talk you out of rattle canning it. if/when you hit it on a rock like i do i can just touch it up with paint so it at least looks the same color lol

 

that sounds like a plan, I have plenty of time because im out of school all week. I have 60 grit from where i tried to use it on my hitch (got tired and got to where i didnt care, so wire wheeled it) So would 60 grit work? Trying to go as cheap as i can, Thinking about painting the bumper with the Rust off paint that i used on the hitch, you think it would hold up pretty good?

 

i used the black rustoleum on mine and that held up just fine so i dont think you would have a problem using the rust off

 

definitely rattle canning it, been using an industrial sharpie to hide the brown rust spots where the paint is chipped...actually hold up well for about a month or two before you can notice again lol. I may wet sand it like that if it comes out that nice.

What do you guys use on the grill and stuff?

And does the heat gun work on the 96 and back flares? Also would it work the same on the seals around the doors and the mirrors? IF i could have all that done then i would be REALLY happy.