Powder coating/painting - Hubs, subframe, brackets..

[Usr117063]

Seems to be mixed opinions on the best ways of going about this job. I want the subframe, arb, wishbones, brackets etc and hubs all cleaned up but Im not doing any of it myself, Im done with mess for now, I want someplace thats equipped to do it for me. I just want it all black or dark grey gloss, nothing special.

Also what can and cant be chemically blackened? I prefer the bolts black than gold zinc, I also would like the power steering link pipes done too, these are gold zinc plated from the factory. Would something like the drive shaft if taken apart be able to be done with this or protected somehow? They rust so quick, the j & r ones that is.

 

[Usr117063]

@Touring_Rob Hey I remember you said in your project thread that you wouldnt use citric acid on the hubs again but get them blasted, how would you coat them after? I read a thread on here where loads of people said how bad powder coating things like subframes are, or is that a forum myth?

 

[Robbie Corbett]

Citric acid is fine. My issue was I removed the bearings and left the hubs in for a couple of days thinking that because all the blurb said "doesn't touch base material" it would be fine and only sort the rust. Thats not really true. Last time round I gave them a 4hour soak followed by quick sandblast (using a shite blaster with fine media). The citric acid is not able to prep rusty parts enough on its own but does make subsequent processes easier.

If we weren't in lock down and I knew of a nice local blasters I would have taken the whole lot to them and just paid the money, longest part has been cleaning rust parts up and I didn't do a good enough job on the ARB for example.

I personally just acid etch primed, satin black and wax coated the hubs. However a much better option would be to epoxy paint everything and then wax it, or just have it powder coated.

Powder coating is fine, the issue is that its very hard so chips. When it chips all of the corrosion tends to focus on that single exposed area so corrosion creeps under the powder coat and overtime ruins everything. Would be fine on hubs, but likely not ideal on sub frame.

Ultimate would be to have everything blasted, zinc plated, epoxy primed, 2K satin black, stone chipped and coated in wax. The stone chip is soft (ish) so chips don't tent to happen, if they do the wax fills the chip, if it doesn't the zinc oxidises locally forming zinc carbonate stopping corrosion from spreading.... but all of that is tres long.

I would just have what ever you can zinc plated (avoid plating high tensile bolts), have the rest blasted and then either epoxy painted or powder coated followed by clear wax or ACF50 twice a year.

PS - When I did my Escort I had everything powder coated, its lasted 10 years and still looks good however the car didn't do many miles and now just sleeps in a garage so not the best test. I had the driveshafts blasted and powder coated. Just be sure to mask the ends (where the CV boot will be).

Enjoy

 

[Usr117063]

@Touring_Rob Appreciate the information, very helpful! As Im in kent being tier 4! 😩 I hope I can get this going in the new year.

 

[Usr117063]

@Touring_Rob Was just having a look through your thread (again 😄) Perhaps I did a tldr but what did you do for the bolts on the front end? You stuck them in deox c but then how did you coat them?

So there isnt really any way to have 12.9 fasteners in black that will have decent coating/protection? I found that acf was decent short term but I dont have time for that!

 

[DomP182]

I had my beam powdercoated, I agree with Rob in that it's terrible for chipping. Obviously make sure all mating faces are bare metal but the issue I had was when mounting the rear hubs, the contact area that the bolt head sits on, all the powdercoat shattered around this area when torquing up. Not much can be done about it except for masking of a small area where you think the bolt face will contact.

Worst bit is a dont want to use the beam as a jacking point now for fear of the PC. chipping off.

 

[RustyMojo]

I had my beam powdercoated, I agree with Rob in that it's terrible for chipping. Obviously make sure all mating faces are bare metal but the issue I had was when mounting the rear hubs, the contact area that the bolt head sits on, all the powdercoat shattered around this area when torquing up. Not much can be done about it except for masking of a small area where you think the bolt face will contact.

Worst bit is a dont want to use the beam as a jacking point now for fear of the PC. chipping off.

Couldn’t you have a sacrificial old bonnet or door seal cut to length you could clip on when jacking up? Just clip it over the beam edge?

 

[Robbie Corbett]

I had my beam powdercoated, I agree with Rob in that it's terrible for chipping. Obviously make sure all mating faces are bare metal but the issue I had was when mounting the rear hubs, the contact area that the bolt head sits on, all the powdercoat shattered around this area when torquing up. Not much can be done about it except for masking of a small area where you think the bolt face will contact.

Worst bit is a dont want to use the beam as a jacking point now for fear of the PC. chipping off.

Yes I agree, I think thats the worst part - not being able to easily jack up on things. Also you begin to get grumpy when ever things dirty so end up washing underside more than you ever did before. I did all that with my escort and when I started the Clio I just wanted chassis black and protected. Don't want something im worried about driving.

 

[DomP182]

Couldn’t you have a sacrificial old bonnet or door seal cut to length you could clip on when jacking up? Just clip it over the beam edge?

I think the jack will still cut through or exert too much pressure on the coating Russ

 

[Robbie Corbett]

Couldn’t you have a sacrificial old bonnet or door seal u you oh could clip on when jacking up? Just clip it over the beam edge?

Thats not a bad shout, but I've never had much success with things which trap moisture/dirt like a seal. I even consider welding plates across each end of the beam with a hole in to accept a BMW puck style jacking cover.

But lifes too short. However Im still keen to make up some jacking bars this summer. Basically a 1x1" box section running down the full length of each sill, on the inside of the seam. So you could jack the car up at will anywhere on either sill without hurting anything. Haven't figured out where to tie them in yet but would make jacking them up and supporting less painful.

 

[RustyMojo]

I’m not so sure mate I will give it a go as I have an old bonnet seal which is rubber coated steel I believe.

 

[RustyMojo]

Thats not a bad shout, but I've never had much success with things which trap moisture/dirt like a seal. I even consider welding plates across each end of the beam with a hole in to accept a BMW puck style jacking cover.

View attachment 1511916

But lifes too short. However Im still keen to make up some jacking bars this summer. Basically a 1x1" box section running down the full length of each sill, on the inside of the seam. So you could jack the car up at will anywhere on either sill without hurting anything. Haven't figured out where to tie them in yet but would make jacking them up and supporting less painful.

I was thinking about something you just pop on before jacking then remove. Would literally take seconds I should think

 

[Robbie Corbett]

Kind of like this:

 

[Robbie Corbett]

I was thinking about something you just pop on before jacking then remove. Would literally take seconds I should think

tbf, block of wood does a pretty decent job

 

[DomP182]

tbf, block of wood does a pretty decent job

Nothing like the unnerving sound of subframe bolts cracking through the grain of a piece of softwood. It's what I mostly use, that or a square if 18mm ply

 

[Robbie Corbett]

Nothing like the unnerving sound of subframe bolts cracking through the grain of a piece of softwood. It's what I mostly use, that or a square if 18mm ply

Funny you should say that but I was thinking exactly the same while under mine the other day

 

[DomP182]

Funny you should say that but I was thinking exactly the same while under mine the other day

Yeah when you get a delayed creak, quite disturbing!

 

[Matt e]

What about por15, I used it on my hubs I still cleaned the rust off it. But it doesn't chip easily imo.

 

[Robbie Corbett]

What about por15, I used it on my hubs I still cleaned the rust off it. But it doesn't chip easily imo.

Yes something like that is great. I find that epoxy mastic 121 is cheaper and easier to apply but think they are both epoxy based 👍