Disappointed with VHT epoxy on sliders...

A lot of products say that but it's B.S, you have to use a true self etching primer if you want the metal sealed in properly

 

Powder coating on my old sliders from my 1st Gen was cute but not after driving on gravel roads for 5 days. So I learned that it’s going to take repainting to keep that new look. As others have said, including Mobtown, self-etching primer and bedliner are a good way to go. I also painted my new Mobtown steel skids that way and they are holding up well.

 

I'm just another guy chiming in to say that power coating is not all that.

I paid extra to have BAMF powder coat their sliders before shipping them to me. They are very well manufactured, and they looked great when unpacked. But the road salt during the first winter in northern IL caused a LOT of rust, especially on and around the BAMF badge that is tack welded on to the sliders.

I ground the BAMF badge off, primed that area, and then sprayed the entire sliders with bed liner. It has held up well (Rustoleum brand) through two subsequent winters, and is easy to touch up. However, the area where the BAMF badge was attached still rusts FROM THE INSIDE. I believe that something about welding that badge onto the sliders has really encouraged rust. No other area rusts, including all the welded junctions, even through salty winters.

Frank

 

What was the temperature when you painted them? Honestly, isn’t tough to do a good job prepping sliders because of all the tight corners. It’s pretty much why we recommend powder coat. The next best option is to buy the cheap portable media blaster from harbor freight and blast them.

 

Bzzzzzzzzzzzt, wrong but thanks for playing. "Sealed in" requires a sealer. Some primers are sealers and some aren't. Etching means the product literally etches the surface to create micro ridges and valleys to help the coating product to adhere. The old school way to do that when I was painting long ago was to use acid. Acid etch. Now sealerss, primers, and epoxies can all self etch if that's how the chemists want to design the product. The product he is discussing adheres to properly prepared steel just fine. It doesn't require a primer.

 

Bzzzzzzt wrong, I used the same VHT product he did and it is shit. Had to strip it off and start over with a self etching primer then re top coat with VHT and now there is zero rust growth under the paint. I understand your point about true sealer but an acid based self etching primer does the trick. Hop into any of the fab threads and you will hear the same thing and most from personal experience will suggest the SEM self etch primer or a red oxide self etch primer then just a light scuff with grey scotch bright before top coating.