Hey all,

I just found an OEM Front Skid for my 01. I’m very new to restoring/painting metal pieces, and want to know which paint is best for these under/suspension parts. I’m up 3 inches so hoping to make it visually acceptable.

1. matte black/non-glossy is the goal - any solid tough paints that’d be good for this application? I’ve got rustoleum undercoating, but seems best for body/hardware.

2. also, how do you guys go about readying this for painting? It’s not in BAD shape, but might need a little more than a scrubbing/scotch brite session since it’s got some rusty scuffs. Pic attached.

just seeing how I can make this thing look nice and even as possible

Preciate any pics/wisdom!!

 

If it was mine, I'd sand it smooth making sure all loose paint is gone. Prime with a good primer, then apply chassis black to it. But I don't off road so it won't be subject to much abuse.

In the past I used to use spray bombs and just get under it once a year and inspect it. If it needed painting, I'd spray another light coat on it.

Then with one car, I got in the all things Eastwood. Special primers, paint, rust preventative, and so on. It worked well but I'm not sure I'd spend the money on it anymore.

If you have the ability to spray, a good epoxy primer and chassis paint would be great.

You have options. Just depends on how much money you want to spend and how excellanti you want it!

In the end, a good sanding, cleaning with alcohol or mineral spirits, rustoleum primer and rustoleum paint will give you good results.

 

Its a skid plate, so unless it is a show car, or pretty mall crawler, leave it be. Id not put under coat over bare metal, or over paint that is already damaged and scuffed. I prefer a regular paint first to seal it, then if you want a texture, do undercoat over the paint. rattle can paint goes on thin, so you need many many coats for proper coverage.

Rustoleum is good stuff, brush or rattle can, but the cheaper store brands like what ACE Hardware sells is also pretty good, and can save you money. generally the tall 16 oz can are cheaper per oz than the 12 oz can $$$$$$$.

Eastwood paint and rust convert is expensive crap, I and others have had bad experiences. they are a cheap chinese tool mail order company, not a paint maker. they have had to pull some of their products from the market cause they failed, and pissed off a lot of customers.

also a gloss or semi gloss will stay cleaner and be less prone to show oil and such than a flat finish surface.

 

While I think these are pretty useless it did not stop me from putting one on my '00.
To make matters worse my '00 is a DD and did it just for a look.
LOL.
Unless you are restoring an XJ I say just prep and paint.
Now if you are I would consider powder coating it.

 

Good to know about Eastwood. I was thinking they weren’t all that special, hence why I thought I’d go a different route this time. Or else I’m getting frugal as I get older.

I would like some type of internal frame coating though. Unless I can find something else, I’ll probably buy Eastwood’s.

And I will add skid plates to mine eventually if I score some at the JY. Yes, just because.🙂

BTW, what does “ mall crawler” mean? I have a feeling what I am building may be one, lol. If it is, I may as well own up to it!

 

rock crawler goes off road over rocks, it is raised to clear obstacles, a wheeler.

mall crawler goes to the mall, never off road, but it is raised to have the "look". leads a pampered life.

again, avoid Eastwood. what do you want for frame coat? new paint? a seasonal waxy, or oily based rust inhibater? is frame rusty or not? salt exposure expected?

i after doing weld on frame stiffeners painted inside of my frame with rustoleum aerosol. used a straw spray tip from a can of carb cleaner on the paint can by swaping spray nozzels. bent the straw to various angles to achieve full coverage, stuck stray in thru the drain holes and sprayed. my frame was internally rust free prior to painting.

 

I would break out the wire wheel to get some of the loose stuff off, then sand with 100 grit, then maybe 150 grit. Get it nice and smooth and grease free. Some of the rustoleum stuff is really not too bad. The good thing is that the plate can unbolt easily and be done again.

Side note- If you want to coat the inside of the frame, take a look at Fluid Film. I think they make an undercoat kit where you can spray it in the frame with an extended hose.

 

Thanks everyone for your inputs. To address a couple questions:
- Jeep goes off road occasionally (every month or 2) on light/moderate trails, but is also a daily when I need it. I’d like it to keep some mud splash away from the engine bay and steering stuff, not planning on bouncing anything off of it besides kicked up rocks and salt in PA winters.

- lucked out with a very clean example, so mainly just want this thing to match the rest in condition, so restoration is always a goal when I can! And turns out to be half the fun once I know what I’m doing. Hitting a show in PA in July too.




thanks everyone for your insight! I’ll give this a go and bother you again if need be!

 

For now, I wanted to coat the inside of my axle tubes since I have it stripped down for sandblasting. I was also thinking that when I get to that point, if I can get a tube inside the "frame rails", I'd try to coat that. This won't be a daily driver, but it currently doesn't have any rust. I just want to keep it that way.

I guess mine won't be a true mall crawler. I'm not lifting it and I will take it off-road if the need arises. But no rock gardens or off-road parts. I imagine it would be fire roads and the occasional 2-track. Plus, I never go to a mall!

 

@CherALkee Your Jeep looks very very very familiar. Did you buy it off a guy named Galen?

Edit - never mind. I just looked at the Jeep I thought it was. He ended up going 2 tone on his. He is over in York.