Clear Lacquer On Diamond Plate?

[Hawg]

Anybody ever try a coating of any kind to keep this dump from oxidizing so fast? I have a new found respect for truckers that shine it like mirrors because I sure can't do it. I would never use it on anything ever again. 

[leechlake]

how about spray painting it with Plasti Dip?  A few neighbor kids have done their used cars in it and my son used black Plasti Dip on his truck wheels to cover the not so good looking wheels that were on it.   Looks good and the stuff seems to be chip proof.

[Hawg]

Thanks, It's a consideration. POR 15 is another as is maybe just bed liner like the frame.

[Smoker]

I just wax it at least once a year and so far it seems to be working

[Harpz]

I sell aluminum for a living... try using Mothers Aluminum Polish. Truckers use it on their wheels to protect from road salt 

[Hawg]

Thanks Harpz, I tried Blue Magic this year with probably the best results but Holy S___ what a ton of work. Are there different qualities of this stuff? Maybe I just got cheap stuff because it went to heck in just one year. I know just my wheel wells with thin stuff were around $200+ so I don't think I skrimped on what I thought I was getting. I did call and found out POR 15 will adhere to it. Do you think clear lacquer is an option or just come off the heavy splatter areas and look worse than what it does. I'm sure once the corrosion starts there's no bringing it back is there? The shine just a coating right?

Edited September 21, 2015 by Hawg

[Harpz]

They are all rubbing compounds so they will require some annual elbow grease. Short of pulling off all your tread plate and having it anodized, polishing might be your only other option. If you do find something else I'd be very interested in hearing your results... good luck in your search. 

[SHAWSKI]

It's a good topic.

 

I have a few thoughts on this. 

 

We recently sold our 2013 model castle and the aluminum was still really nice. Hints of corrosion were starting from screw heads which were zinc coated mild steel screws. On our new house we made sure stainless screws would be used for attaching the alum stone guard. I think the wax is a good idea. I hit our old one with the spray wax at the car wash frequently and I never rinsed it, just let the wax dry on. I think that helped ours survive. 

 

On our new one I am considering prepping and spraying automotive high solids urethane clear coat over the entire stone guard area to help prolong the new look. 

Edited September 30, 2015 by SHAWSKI

[Hawg]

I only used plate on the wheel wells, Thank God. That's probably the worst conditions for it but two years from new to terrible is unacceptable. Like I said earlier, POR 15 next year. Clear might help but the scary part is if it goes bad getting it off could be tough.

[SHAWSKI]

I understand. Just make sure you get your prep right. 

 

If you are open to Por15 then I assume you are OK with altering the appearance. 

 I guess if I had road spray issues causing corrosion, and if I was considering Por 15, I might consider a decent quality bedliner material. A good kit, not the 1k roll on junk. 

 

I run a classic auto restoration shop, full time. I use a lot of products, Por15 is one oof them. I also use rust bullet and other chassis coatings that are competitors to por15. They are all good, I use them for coating insides of unitized frame structures, bottom sides of cars, top sides of floor pans, lots of uses, I like the stuff. 

 

That being said, none of it is cheap to buy, good quality bedliner coatings aren't cheap either, but you can choose your durometer (somewhat) and you can get a heavier film build that will help prevent abrasion to the substrate. 

 

Just a thought.

Here's a truck I did recently for my oldest boy. You've maybe seen it out on LOW in the past, just not this straight and shiny. Lol

 

 

A shot of the SEM brand 2k urethane liner we shot inside the bed.

Close up view.

 

That was a toothpick holding a D ring up while the liner was sprayed.

This was the product I used, this stuff is hard after curing, they have another kit that cures a little softer and more grippy.

 

 

Just a thought, if you are considering the Por15 route, this in my opinion would be just taking it a step further. That is if the appearance would be acceptable for your use. 

[Hawg]

Good thoughts Shawaki. Por15 is kind of semi gloss to gloss isn't it? I would like a little more shine than bed liner I'm thinking. 

[SHAWSKI]

On the gloss comment, I guess I think a lot of bedliner are actually a shiny material but the heavy texture reflects light in such a way that they aren't thought of as "glossy" .

 

The Por type products can be had as a low gloss or a gloss finish. You will have to be sure that you select one that is formulated for UV exposure. A lot if not most of these are not UV stabil, they do great under cars where the sun doesn't shine, but they will "chalk out" after some UV exposure, much like epoxies.

[Hawg]

Thanks again, I have the Top Coat and it does say gloss.