Slider Powder coat with Rustoleum bed coating question

I just got my sliders from DWreck today, and want to have them powder coated tomorrow. I don't do any offroading around a lot of rocks, mostly just sand. They are going to be zinc plated (for the rust out here) then powder coated and I was thinking of laying them upside down and putting a thick layer of rustoleum truck bed coating so they would be more resistant to chips from gravel/road debris. Do you guys think it will hold up well enough to justify powder coating?

(I know some of you are asking why I got sliders if I'm not a trail warrior. I got them because I'd rather have them and not need them than need them and not have them, plus I want protection from door dings as well as a lifting point, and they look pretty effing sweet )


edit: posted here cause I didn't know where else to post it, and more people look under second gen

 

Check into what actually sticks to zinc plated metals. Some paints aren't compatible and will actually bubble. I don't know which ones will do so for sure, I just know there are compatibility issues with some paints on galvy surfaces.

In all honesty though, I wouldn't waste the money on powder coat if you're just going to use bed liner. A regular metal primer will work just fine.

 

Why would you zinc, then powdercoat, then paint? Seems triple redundant...

 

The powder coat'er said he zinc plates everything like this for rust protection, which makes sense and is included with the cost of coating so why not. The powder coating will give a great durable finish/aid in rust protection but will likely chip/thin after a while from rocks/gravel just thrown up on the highway, this is where the layer of undercoating comes in. i am only going to spray it on the bottom of the rails. like how on the bottom of out door panels the paint is orange peeled for about 6 inches, i assume its for a similar purpose.

 

I'd spray the whole thing in bedliner if you're going to do it.

 

I want to zinc it regardless of what i do, for rust. are you saying I should skip the powder coat and just apply the bed liner? or triple up and do all three? I am more concerned with stuff rusting up here in NY than I have ever been in my whole life haha

 

If everything is applied correctly, I think the powdercoat is a waste of money (personally, I think the zinc coating is also but that's just my opinion and if you live near salt water, added protection isn't a bad thing). A zinc coating, a compatable primer and a good coating of bedliner will be all you'll need. Just make sure you let the primer fully cure before applying the bedliner and ask the zinc plater what he would recommend for paint (to make sure Rustoleum will stick and how to prep the zinc plating).

Honestly, if the bedliner holds up, nothing below it should ever see the elements. If you scrape them over rocks, you will need to recoat regardless of what you do or they will rust.

 

yeah the zinc is a must up in this salty sht hole . I might just prime/undercoat. You have a valid argument

 

good point, I thought about getting the powder coat and bedlining the whole thing top to bottom for the same reason. i know the powdercoat is a bit excessive in that application, but i just dont want to worry about rust. do you think just zinc/rustoleum liner are good enough as long as i watch the bottom for bare metal?

edit: and if i do just line the bottom, i would do everything on the bottom

 

I spent $30K on the truck, so to spend $200 on powdercoating and another $30 on bedliner seems like a good investment for protection, to me at least all my mod money is from you taxpayers (GI Bill money) so thanks

 

3 solid coats of self etching primer, followed by 3 solid coats of Bedliner. Tough enough for mall crawling, rust-free and easy to touch up. Problem with PC is that if you ever DO use your sliders for their intended purpose, it'll scratch right off just like any paint/bedliner etc.

Here's mine before install. No problems yet. (minor trail use... no salty east coast roads...)
bare


primed


'Liner'ed

 

Prime them and get them coated with Line-X premium.

 

haha thanks!

i was quoted $250 a piece for line x, that was my original plan until they told me that price