Need suggestions for custom coating on new rock sliders

Hey all, getting ready to pick up my new RCI sliders and wanted to get some suggestions or ideas for protecting my sliders. I kind of didn't want to go with black from the manufacturer to see if shops near me had other options.

I am assuming shops can powder coat on any color? Can I add a clear coat lol, or even a clear coat over the bare steel would look sick.

Thanks

 

Are there ways to keep raw metal look?
Clear coats?
Yup

Will they last….sorry pal

whether you go with some sort of clear powder coat or POR15s stuff
It just won’t work out n “maintaining” them will be beyond Elm Street

I truly wanted the same thing n realized it wasnt worth it

I did play with different mixes of rattle can that resulted in silver/stainless/aluminum/hammered kinda guy but in the end haha just don’t dude

 

Satin black powder coating has been my go to for years. The shop I use is always doing a run of parts that are satin black so I just ask them to include my parts, that shortens the turn time to just a couple days. Although I had my boat trailer done in white and the gas tank in my Chevelle in metal flake silver, each time it took longer. Cad plating would give the look of bare metal and rust resistant. Galvanized is tuff stuff, many options out there, just bring a credit card.

 

Yes you can clear coat over steel. It's not going to last. Bedliner or powder coat is your best bet. I went with bed liner for easy touch up. The are sliders, they get beat up

 

Get some sliders for your sliders.

 

If you get them out on the trails, they'll eventually need spray paint touch-ups. Black powder coat or black semi-gloss paint are the best starting points.

 

I bought sliders in the raw. In the end it seemed painting them had the best value. Rocks will scrape off anything that is applied, then you'll touch it up with paint.

 

Preparation of steel surface before painting is critical for long lasting paint. Welds and corners are hard to penetrate -so extra care needed by person painting to prevent a thin coating.
A good coating job is technical and application details should be carefully followed.

 

Thanks chat gpt

 

If you plan to off-road or gravel road your T4R, your sliders are going to get scrapes and chips in whatever finish you put on them.

I purchased mine raw and used RaptorLiner on them. After only a few adventures, there were multiple chips on the bottom from gravel being launched from the front tires and a couple of scrapes where they were doing their job protecting the rocker panels. Now, every few months they get an inspection, a good cleaning and a fresh coat of flat black rattle-can Rustoleum on any new chips or scrapes.

But, they are yours so you can finish any way you chose. However, if you are actually using them for their intended purpose, you will be dealing with chips and scrapes like the rest of us….

Cheers,
Bob

 

This has also been my experience. When I first got them, I called a couple shops for quotes. The first one couldn't handle the size, and the second one the cost for sandblasting and coating was more than the sliders themselves. In the end I just painted.

It took me a whole weekend and about 60 or $70 worth of supplies. By the time the process was done I wished I had just paid the extra money up front and had them powder coated by the manufacturer.

I'll say the prep is key, I spent nearly a whole day just on prep alone before touching any paint. They've held up remarkably well, better than many other powder coated sliders that I've seen. Yes, they'll scrape and chip with use, but the paint has done a remarkable job of sticking and preventing rust the past few years.

My experience with bed liner on my old Grand Cherokee was that it was very hard to clean, it always looked dirty because mud and road grime would just stick to the textured surface. It also flaked off a lot and needed near constant attention.

 

Definitely need some of that product Clark W Griswold was working on in Christmas Vacation....it'll make your sliders sliiiiiiide

 

I agree with Trail Runnah, at least you have a sealed product with the factory powder, then if you scrape them up (usually on the bottom) hit it with some Rust Oleum.

 

I use skateboard wax.

 

I followed this from I believe the MetalTech site. My sliders turned out very good.

Stuff you need:
2 Red Scotch Brite pads
1 Car wash size bucket (make sure no car wash residue is in the bucket, some have waxes etc in them that you do not want)
1 Single-use pack of the cheapest laundry detergent powder (has to be powder) you can find. (Coin Op Laundry mat vending machine stuff, or $1 store)
1 Pair of rubber dish type gloves (the gauntlet kind that goes up your forearms, again $1 store)
2 Old bath towels
Primer: Paint of choice
Top Coat: paint of choice
Hose + access to water. BEST results hot water. At least use hot water in your wash bucket, then cold on the hose.
Note on water: Using hot water is the best for wash and rinse. Not everyone has a hot water spigot on the side of their house. However, there is one on the back of your laundry washing machine and sometimes at your hot water heater. I personally have run a 50' hose into my house to the laundry room. I even did this in college at my apartment complex! If cold is all you have for the hose, that's fine just fill your wash bucket with the hottest water you can stand.
Note on the weather: If it's a hot sunny day, let the sliders pre-bake in the sun for a bit. They will get real hot careful handling them. But having them hot will help with the cleaning. If COLD, warm them up a bit like in your house overnight, then move them where you can wash them. I would never suggest washing them in your tub or shower inside......

PREP:
#1 most important step is the prep. You have to remove all oils, weld splashes etc. paint pen markers, sharpie marks from the guy bending the tube, etc. it all has to come off. We are using the cheapest laundry detergent since its basically alkali that is a harsh cleaner and its cheap. Alkali is how most of the powder coating companies prep parts, hot pressure washers with alkali washdowns. (sandblasting is better overall but not all have that)
1. Glove up - this stuff will eat your skin.
2. Mix your full packet of Laundry detergent into the bucket with HOT water. Get it to dissolve all the way.
3. Do one slider at a time now
4. Using a red Scotch Brite pad as a washcloth, scrub the sliders hard. Keep dipping the pad back in the hot water and focus on the joints and weld areas. Take your time this step is the #1 most important step. As you're scrubbing, the scotch pad is scratching up the surface of the sliders and the Alkali will etch the metal too as its removing oils. If you're done in less than 20 min, you went too fast. That extra 10 min of time will pay off.
5. Rinse the one slider you just spent 20+ min scrubbing. You want to get 100% of all the alkali soap off of it. Hot water is best as it warms the steel so it will flash dry better.
6. Towel dry the slider the best you can. Move it somewhere it will stay dry and can keep flashing off the water. Summer = in the sun, Winter = in your house.
7. Do the other slider.
Paint:
You need to paint your sliders once they are fully dried. Do not let them sit for a few days as they can start to flash rust due to how clean they will be from the combination of the Scotch Brite pad and alkali wash.
1. Stand the sliders up on there mounting feet. If they will not stand on their own, use some boxes off the backside. Try to keep the top and outside edge unobstructed as that is the part you will see once on your truck.
2. Follow the directions for your primer. Thin coats are far better than one thick one.
3. Follow the directions for your top coat of paint. USE THIN coats. Take your time to do them slowly. Follow the instructions on how to let them cure and fully gas off before handling or starting to install them.
Notes on using bed liner:
We hear this desire a lot. Ok to use just fully prep and paint them first. A bed liner will peel away when it hits the stuff the sliders are meant for. Also, parking lot door dings can peel them away. Bed liner is also very hard to "touch up" so eventually, it is kinda chunky and flaky looking.
Notes on "step" areas:
Hardware stores have grip tape. It's great stuff and works well with any painted (including powder coat) slider. To help it stick and stay on longer do it when your sliders are new and freshly painted. Also when you cut strips of it, round the corners a bit. This will help keep it from lifting up.

 

I just paint then with a can of flat black, then touch them up when I scratch them up.

 

Powdercoat them black at RCI because it's a lot of work to prep and paint sliders yourself (and it's easy to run up $200 in consumables). Post #15 shows what a PITA it is.

At the end of each wheeling season, touch up the rock scars (there will be many) with some semigloss black rattlecan paint. Do this once a year before winter.