i just got my bumper from nates4x4 and i was wondering whats the best way to paint it? any good brands? and should i try and sand it so the paint will stick better?

 

Cant go wrong with a couple cans of either Rustoleum from either Lowes or Home Depot. Just prep your surface and spray away. You can get a good finish and when it gets scratched up offroad, a can of touch up is less than 5 bucks.

 

Yeah stick to cheaper spray paint because it will get trail rash on it over time.If you got money to burn powder coat it.

 

Powdercoating is definitely the best way to go... If you have a couple hundred to burn

 

If youre not going to powdercoat make sure you prep it good for a long lasting finish.

use a red scotchbrite pad to get rid of any surface rust, then wipe it down with a solvent or paint prep. shoot some self etching primer to give it a good base, then finish in the top coat of your choice. I recommend epoxy paint, or some kind of textured finish, or bedliner/hurculiner for extra durability.

 

Considering your from NY.. i'd use POR-15.

It'll repel the winter salt better than a spray bomb coating.

 

I would use POR15 or chasis saver (same product different name) and then use rustoleum for the top coat. POR15 and Chasis saver are UV sensitive so if its out in the sun like a bumper it breaks down and changes color. Both are tough as nails and will prodect it from the weather and salt and then the Rustoleum is a cheap touch up if you do scratch it. I went this route on my axles and suspension when I sand blasted it and it has held up really well. Still looks brand new.

 

Which did you use for your axles? I'd love to see pics. I have a quart of Chassis Saver I plan on using for the same reason.

OP, I have a Nate's front bumper as well. I used self-etching primer and Rustoleum Hammered spray. It came out pretty darn nice. I've already scratched it up some but it has held up really well and repels water nicely. My challenge with the Nate's is the empty space they left exposed in the winch fairlead area. I'm considering redoing my bumper and welding that area shut, because I have some rust in there now because I couldn't get paint in there very good.

 

I used chasis saver. I sprayed it which is tough to do cause you have to thin it quite abit. I would roll or brush it on if I used it again. But here are some photos with just chasis saver

 

Its hard to see those photos are tiny but it looks really good. I used the antique satin. If i had used the gloss I'm pretty sure it would have looked like crap. That stuff is really hard to spray evenly especially on an axle.

 

The POR-15 Chassis paint is not UV sensitive, at least it wasn't. It's recommended as the top coat.

 

You are correct sir. I just looked on quadratec. The chassis coat is a top coat and not uv sensitive. The rust preventive coating however is uv sensitive.

 

Looks good! I have the Aluminum Silver Chassis Saver that I planned on using as a "primer" of sorts, I heard it's good for filling in little pits left from scrubbing rust away. I'd like to do Antique Satin over that. I'm excited to get that done!

 

Oxford.. can you use regular reducer when thinning the chassis coat? Remember the ratio?

 

Yes I used the chasis saver specific reducer. According to the can you have to use their reducer. And IIRC there is not a specified ratio. And even if there is I didnt use it. I use a hvlp gun and I just kept mixing a little bit more until it was spraying out somewhat even. There was really no science to it.