Need help on priming for Line-X

Hey Tacomaworld. need some advice on how to prime my new steel bumper for Line-X. my plan was as follows

-Clean
-Sandblast
-Clean
-Prime
-take it into shop for line-x

Questions:
1. is this the best way to do it?
2. the biggest question i have is how to prime it. what do i use? looking for a quality primer and i dont have a spray gun, so does that mean im stuck with rattle can or can i just paint it on. thanks for any input.

Edit: called the shop and they told me to use a self-etching primer. but didnt tell a specific kind or whether it has to be sprayed on or if i can paint it on.

 

Self etching primer is the specific kind. The brand doesn't matter - get a good quality rattle can.

 

k thanks. i have stumbled across a wide variety of rattle cans. Rust-Oleum sells for about 5 bucks a can wheras the SEM sells for 20. worth the difference?

 

Not for a bumper.

 

Prep is more important.

 

yea i have sand blaster and i have heard thats the best. the shop quoted me 400 to do all of it and half that if i prepped it myself.

 

The best way to do it is always how the manufacturer says to do it. And it looks like the Line-X shop gave you bad information about self etching primer. Is there another shop nearby that could do the job instead?
http://www.line-x.lv/files/LINE-X Substrate Preparation - Quick Reference - Canada.pdf

 

Some great info there. To be honest im not sure the shop i go to actually uses "Line-X." i guess i have just gotten used to saying that as a generic word for Bed liner. Only reason i was considering that shop was becuase they do spray their bedliner on hot and becuase the front bumber they did still looks good and i want the textures to match. So i guess i need to call them and find out exactly what produxt they use and if that product does infact require a self etching primer. However from what I'm reading, the sandblasting does the etching part.

 

I had Line-X do my 1st gen bed and they sand blasted and sprayed the entire bed for $400