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Avid light bar rusting - what to do??

Discussion in '2nd Gen. Tacomas (2005-2015)' started by drthomas60, Mar 26, 2012.

  1. Mar 26, 2012 at 5:41 PM
    #1
    drthomas60

    drthomas60 [OP] Member

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    So I got an Avid Light Bar and cleaned it up with acetone - let it dry and coated it with about 4-5 coats of primer, waiting a day between each coat. I then rattle canned three coats of rustoleum paint again waiting a full day between coats.. I have had this on my truck about a month and low and behold tonight I noticed a shitload of rust forming in various spots.:mad: primarily the joints and on the end caps of the main bar. I was wondering if anyone else has seen this and what you did or if any suggestions. I could rattle can over it, but I am afraid it will only come back.. did I do anything out of line? It looks good otherwise, but man I am really concerned this is going to be a long term problem if not taken care of early on. Any suggestions would be appreciated - thanks.:eek:
     
  2. Mar 26, 2012 at 5:46 PM
    #2
    Large

    Large Red

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    Take it to a shop & get it coated with a warranty.
     
  3. Mar 26, 2012 at 5:54 PM
    #3
    CanisLupus

    CanisLupus Member since 2011

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    Matt
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    I had the same problem a little bit after I painted and mounted my Avid Lightbar. I noticed a small amount of rust in the crevices of the weld for the center bar so I just applyed 2-3 coats of the Rustoleum Bedliner I used for the original paintjob. It filled the small crevice and the rust and I've haven't a problem with recurring rust ever since, and that was a couple months ago. I would just attempt to rattle can it and see how it goes.

    GL,

    Matt
     
  4. Mar 26, 2012 at 6:12 PM
    #4
    cooktaco

    cooktaco Well-Known Member

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    Strip the paint off and use POR 15 on it. You can get the small kit that includes the metal prep and the POR 15 paint. Treated properly, it will absolutely kill the rust and it will not come back. The POR 15 can be diluted and sprayed or you can just brush it on. It is self-leveling so it fills the pitts and leaves a smooth finish. Stuff is hard as nails and it won't chip very easily on the front of the truck. Takes a little more time than rattle cans but the light bar is right out front as far as looks go, worth the time.
    Here's a link if you want to go that way http://www.por15.com/
    Good luck
     
  5. Apr 24, 2012 at 5:41 PM
    #5
    POR15 Guy

    POR15 Guy New Member

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    As a demonstration, we have various steel pipes and pieces that we have people bang together, with hammers, etc. You should see their faces when the POR-15 is really not damaged, and the metal is all bent to heck.

    Yeah, the bad part is that you've already spent more $$ and time on stuff that won't work well than you would have on POR-15. If you were calling me for this issue, I'd send you a can of stripper, a POR-15 mini-frame kit with a spray can of ChassisCoat or primer so that you wouldn't have to worry with it anymore.

    Even with a bedliner product, you'd do well to remove the rust first, because if it's active under the paint, it will be active under whatever you put on top of it.
     
  6. Apr 26, 2012 at 5:33 AM
    #6
    POR15 Guy

    POR15 Guy New Member

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    After prepping/painting, use a pure wax, but steer clear of the petroleum-containing waxes. Carnauba wax is not cheap, but it works wonders sealing the topside.
     
  7. Apr 26, 2012 at 5:48 AM
    #7
    Primersinmyshoe

    Primersinmyshoe Old Sheepdog

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    I had mine powder coated like wolfpack a couple years ago. No rust at all. That was $110 well spent.
     
  8. Apr 26, 2012 at 8:17 AM
    #8
    iroc409

    iroc409 Well-Known Member

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    Powdercoating would be best. You could also use SEM Rust Shield, and it will go bare over metal (no need to prime). It is used a lot for frame paint... I just bought some to fix the rust on my truck's frame.

    I found it at a local auto paint shop.
     
  9. Apr 26, 2012 at 9:00 AM
    #9
    angrysam

    angrysam Huh?

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    Rusting at the joints like that I would wonder if you scuffed the welds enough. Those tend to be a little harder than the metal so you have to really work on them to get the material to bond. They're also the toughest areas to do.....
     
  10. Apr 26, 2012 at 11:40 PM
    #10
    Mach375

    Mach375 Habitual Violator of Wheeling Rule #2

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    Too much to list, but enough to get me in trouble. Repeatedly.
    POR-15. End of story.
    Used the stuff for years. There's nothing quite like it. Harder and tougher than anything on the market. Just make sure you only get it on what you want it on -- the stuff is the next best thing to unremovable! Hell, it doesn't even come off with sandblasting (well....it takes a long time). And you don't even need to remove the rust first!
     

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