Finish for Aluminum Skid Plate

My wife has a 4Runner on reserve. I am a member at 4Runners (joined a few weeks ago) but for some reason they have not enabled me to post on their forums. Not sure why and I have reached out to the twice. So I thought I would just ask this question here.

I am ordering a front skid plate - aluminum since we will not be hardcore off road and we live in PA so road salt is an issue. I plan to finish the skid plate myself. I would like some advice on finishing the skid plate:

1.) Spray paint - Perhaps self etching primer and a good quality spray paint. Any recommendations here would be great.

2.) Bed Liner - Spray on from a can or roll on. I think that could go directly on the plate with no primer. Advice?

3.) Powder Coat - Not sure the cost to have it done locally - may not be worth it since it is going to take stone chips anyway.

I would be glad to here any advice on these options or on other options I did not think of. TIA.

 

Are you going with a Toyota TRD skid or aftermarket? TRD skid is already anodized.

I went with #1 on my steel skid. Just get primer and paint from Home Depot or lowes (they have self-etching and automotive). easy touch-up as needed.

I have never had great long-term results from powder coating, it seems to always get small pin size rust spots, and no easy way to touch it up.

Bed liner is nice and can be touched up but hard to clean if that matters to you.

 

Another option which i chose was just to leave it raw. Why maintain a coating on something that will see salt spray every winter if you dont need to?

 

The rule is simple, No powder coat on stuff it’s mean to take an impact.

 

Thanks for the input. So powder coating is out ... which is good since that was probably the most expensive option. So that leaves painting, bedliner (not sure now if it hard to keep clean it is probably heavier too), or just bare aluminum.

 

Paint or bare aluminum.

Bed liner will peel off in strips when the skid is used, and will look getto very quickly due to dirt.

If you are going to paint, do your research on preparation and painting of aluminum. It's not the same as steel.