Powder coat frame? Update frame and body work questions

crazycanuck

Is it possible to powder coat the frame of a j Truck or should i just paint it?---i will por15 it. pulled cab off of frame today...thank god i did... i removed frame bolts and when i lifted it the rust holding the bushings together was enough to destroy what was left of the mounts...they i can replace no problem but the bolts on the front of the cab both broke....do i have to remove that section that is reinforcing the firewall or can i remove all of the guts of the cab to get to it and replace it? I will be using a 4" spring lift should i use this opportunity modify my shock or spring mounts at all?...the front shock mounts are broke and the rear is only tolerable...i will be reworking some of my spring mounts aswell.

tufcj

It can be done, but you need to find a powder coating shop with an oven big enough for a frame. That usually costs big $$$$. It would need to be stripped of every bolt and nut and be sand blasted bare. Powder coating will also bubble once it's nicked if rust gets underneath. I did my CJ frame with a wire wheel and painted it with black rustoleum (thinned and sprayed from an automotive paint gun). I can touch it up with a spray can, and it still looks pretty good after over 10 years. Bob tufcj

Ibby

I stripped down the front of my CJ last weekend, prepped it and painted it with POR-15. That stuff is incredible. I'll be finishing up the rest of the Jeep over the summer a bit at a time. It takes a bit of time to do the prep properly but the results are worth it. I know folks that pour the stuff inside their frames to keep the rust away, and it seems to work well. I put mine on with a paint brush (I could care less about the finish) but you can spray it or even use sponges or rollers.

crazycanuck

thx i live in south western ontario and the county likes to flavour our cars with salt my truck is in awesome(for the area and age) shape and i would like to keep it that way

Mudrat

I did the inside and ut sde of the CJ's frame with POR - couldn't afford the powder coat, and as mentioned - touch up is easy :t:

Ibby

crazycanuck wrote
thx i live in south western ontario and the county likes to flavour our cars with salt my truck is in awesome(for the area and age) shape and i would like to keep it that way

I'm in Kingston but me and my Jeep are from BC, that's why I went the POR-15 route too. Last spring I stripped it down the same way but I used Krylon primer and OD spray paint, which are both porous so over the winter it began to rust like a bastard. Eventually everything will be covered with POR-15, even the exhaust with their hi-heat version paint. And over the top goes the OD Krylon.

crazycanuck

POR-15 it is then i think i will use it on the underside of the cab and other hidden parts....how good is the finish? just curious

Mudrat

Various finishes from flat to shiney. I used semi-gloss on the chassis. Looks good and can be touched up with a rattle can.

After the floorboard and rocker replacement on the body, I sprayed Eastwoods Rust Inhibitor in 2 or 3 coats before I did the undercoat. And I did significant floorboard replacement...

during the process ...

after the paint and bed liner...

And the rocker corner. I cut it out about 12" up, all the way under the door channel and about 10 inches in on the floor behind the seat (roll bar rust through).

Not perfect, but heck it's a Jeep!!!

tufcj

The basic POR-15 is NOT UV resistant. It will break down and get kind of chalky looking if you have it in direct sunlight all the time. It is great for covered and protected areas, I used it myself for a lot of the suspension parts on my AMX. They do make a UV resistant mix, or you can cover it with another coat of paint that is resistant. Bob tufcj