Fighting rust on aftermarket parts

[nas4a]

So surely this has happened to most all of us who have bought aftermarket bumpers, brush guards, rock sliders, etc...you buy a nice powder coated part, put it on, and after a few years, you start to get some brown spots in the corners, near welds, or around certain edges. What do you do then? It's not painted - it's powder coated...I know that at some point when it gets bad enough, you can just have the whole part sand blasted and re-powder coated, but what about interim steps to slow the rust and extend the original powder coat? It's textured, so wax won't really do much.

Anybody have any tips on what to do to slow the progression of rust on after-market parts?

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[Hootbro]

It really depends as you are balancing between keeping it from getting worse vs. aesthetics of anything you do. I just steel wool any rust specs and apply whatever top coating of paint I have at hand. Non-visible areas, I more than likely will Fluid Film it and spot treat again as necessary.

 

[ShastaJT6]

Last summer I went through and re-painted all of my "big pieces" - Front and rear bumpers, roll bar, side steps, etc. Cleaned the truck really good and had at it. Some pieces I removed and sprayed, some pieces I masked off and sprayed / brushed. Couple cans of bed liner and some elbow grease had everything looking brand new again. Plan to do the same every few years as general maintenance.

 

[nas4a]

It really depends as you are balancing between keeping it from getting worse vs. aesthetics of anything you do. I just steel wool any rust specs and apply whatever top coating of paint I have at hand. Non-visible areas, I more than likely will Fluid Film it and spot treat again as necessary.

So I've never used Fluid Film. I assume you use it in non-visible areas because it alters the look in a way that is not desirable in visible spots?

 

[Hootbro]

So I've never used Fluid Film. I assume you use it in non-visible areas because it alters the look in a way that is not desirable in visible spots?

Fluid film is lanolin (Sheep Wax/Fat) based. Leaves a greasy film behind and is what protects but also attracts dust and dirt over time. You could use it on exterior stuff but aesthetics over time may look like ass.

I mention "Fluid Film" because it is a more well know product, but I have converted over to PB Blaster "Surface Shield" and is a somewhat similar product but lasts longer than regular Fluid Film.

 

[rharr]

Flat black spray paint

 

[NC_Overland]

Living in the south where stuff doesn’t typically rust, my N-Fab side steps on my Colorado are the only things I’ve ever had rust out. When they were a few year old, they started bubbling with rust. I removed the and sanded them down and found lots more rust. I primed and painted them again and it lasted like three years and the rust came back and I took them to the dump and threw them in the trash. N-Fab is junk. I’ll never buy anything from them again.

 

[Supazuk]

I live the north east, I have a can of Rustolium Rust converter that i hit spots as i go on the frame and bumper and rock rails ... I'll eventually hit the bumper and rock rails with bedliner... not there yet its only been 13 months and 35k miles

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