Powder Coating vs. Bedlining vs. Por-15/KBS and Painting

[TKDx00]

It's time to plan for bumper protection.

The plan is to use KBS rust proofing as the base for whatever is done. From there it seems to be personal choice.

Powder Coating - the best from what I've read but it's also the most expensive. Can they still be PC'd with the KBS or will/must they remove it to make the PC adhere?

Bedlining - seems an option, looks tough but how would It hold up after be scarred by rocks, winter salt etc. And how do you touch it up or put a second coat on it needed?

Painting over the KBS - Easy to touchup or apply a second cover but offers the least protection against road hazards.

Anyone happen to do 2 or all 3 of these who may have comparison knowledge?

Comments, thoughts.

Thanks, Greg

 

[stevencox93]

I have my whole truck bedlined with raptor liner and must say its the best stuff Ive ever had. Its been through many road salt infested weeks and still looks great, Ive slid into a ditch, hit my bumper on the same ditch as I hit it head on and still no scratch or dent or ding. My brother has black raptor liner on his truck and he has a lawn business during the summer and it only is chipped once and that's where he his 48" zero turn fell off the ramps so I feel its pretty tough stuff. Now the black I will say is tougher than the colored as it has the proper amount of pigment in it while color if you add too much pigment it can weaken slightly as in showing some light marks if you hit it with a metal pole etc. In all I would say prep the surface really good and if you need to touch up or completely respray id scuff it up with some 80 grit so the new coat has something to hold onto and shoot it again.

 

[TheFauxFox]

The nice thing about bedlining is easy to touch-up. Simply respray/reroll. Coarser bedlining will chunk after impact instead of scratch like finer bedliners.

 

[Mr_Scott]

Having bought all the equipment to PC my wheels and almost immediately destroying them with rock rash, I'd go the bedliner route. There is no good way to fix a ding in PC, bedliner is easy, paint even easier.

 

[Big_THanks]

I just herculined the tube bumper I made for my X and it was super easy to do. I didn't even use the roller I just brushed the whole thing and it had an awesome looking texture. I also put down a coat of rust inhibiting primer first then scuffed the surface of the primer really well before bedlining. I don't have it mounted yet but I think it will hold up well.

 

[Silver dude]

Powder coat requires a raw metal surface. It uses electricity to draw the powder to the metal. Its very expensive and if you want to modify your bumper at a later date the coating isn't replaceable unless you do the whole thing over again.

Bedliner I don't prefer this for living in the midwest. Its textured coating doesn't rinse or wash easily of debris. It holds road salt like a sponge. After a long day of mudding its hard to clean without a pressure washer or brush.

KBS or POR15 this is the route that I went after much trial and error. However, you have to realize that its nothing more then a base coat or primer. It requires lots of surface prep. The paint isn't UV stable. In other words the sun will make it turn all sorts of goofy colors and cause it to dry out. However, simply covering it with a nice spray can enamel or lacquer fixes the issue and makes touch ups or modifications to the bumper a breeze. It is the only paint I've had that has kept my bumper from rusting for 3 years. Something in direct salt spray like a rear bumper doesn't hold up with any lesser paint products.

Ben

 

[Xterrafauss]

 

[TKDx00]

So far it would seem the best solution would be to Herculine them after the KBS. That is if Herculine is different than Bedliner. Gotta check on that.

 

[granitex]

Herc is one of my favorite bedliners, while it is not UV stable, a quick shot of black on top of it takes care of a lot of issues. It is also great to cover the sins of a less than perfect welding job.

 

[TKDx00]

Ok thanks.

Rust proofing w/ KBS as a base, Herculine as a cover, w/ a paint top coat to seal it all. Done and Done... well in the summer that is and as soon as I finish the bumpers.