Rigidco Rear Bumper

I just recieved my new rear bumper and tire carrier. I am wondering what people do to paint them. Rigidco recommends POR-15. I am wondering if other people have used that and if it worked well. I am also wondering why many people dont like to get them powder coated since it is much cheaper than POR-15.

Thanks for any input and suggestions would be great.

I have had mine for about 4 years now with no/very minimal rust. I can take some recent pics if you want but they are basically the exact same.

PAINT THEM WITH POR-15 or CHASSIS SAVER

I have used both, the por-15 on my jeep and the chassis saver on my 64' corvette. Although, the vette has only seen summers but it is still a great product.

1. Wash the bumper with hot sopay water and let dry thorougly
2. Wet with Metal ready or any etching/zinc phosphate catalyst and keep wet for atleast 20 minutes
3. Rinse down with hot water so that there are no "white' spots
4. Paint with a thin but thorough coat of POR-15 starting from all seems and corners working outward. If you have the means to spray THEN DO IT. Otherwise a cheap polyurethane foam brush or horse hair brush will work to keep bubbles to a minimum.
5. Let dry until minimal finger drag and recoat the same way.
6. Let dry again with minimal finger drag and spray with a coat of rustoleum satin black outdoor furniture paint.
7. Re-coat after 2 minutes or whatever the reco is for rustoleum.
8. Wait 48 hours and recoat with another coat of rusto
9. Let dry another 24 hours if not 48 to make sure the paint set and hardens.

Seems like a lot but I swear the shit is bulletproof done that way and if you scratch it up going through woods, etc, you can quickly scuff up the "topcoat" of rusto with some 220 grit and mist and you are good. As far as scratching through to the base coat.....forget about it. It ain't gonna happen. That POR is like stain for metal. It goes 30 molecules deep so if you do happen to actually see bare metal, you have actually scraped away a layer of the metal also.

How much of the por-15 did you need to do the rear bumper.

get this:

http://www.por15.com/SIX-PACK/productinfo/SPB/

I suggest the six pack only because once you open it, it is sensitive to air. Having it in seperate containers keeps waste down. When using it, keep a jam/jelly canning jar with seal tight lid handy. I usually use a whole 4oz can and then if I need to crack open another, I pour half of it into one of the jelly canning jars. Then I use the paint out of the original can. That way, I ave already preserved the rest of the paint. If I remember, it took one whole 4 oz can per bumper. Just depends on your generousity and painting technique. Better to use a little more though. The 6 pack will be plenty with some left for touch up or other projects in the future. If you do keep it in the jelly jar, swirl it around so you "coat" the glass and that way no light will get in to the fresh paint. Then there will be no oxidation.

and this:

http://www.por15.com/METAL-READY/productinfo/MRG/

get the quart, I am a stingy bastard and I recycle it. I hung my bumpers above a catch basin and then poured the metal ready through a .40ug (micron) screen to filter out any particles and re-used it. I still have the same quart that I have used repeatedly.....for 2 bumpers, a roof rack, an interior cargo rack and othe misc stuff. It is almost on it's way out but I got a lot of use out of it.

x2 on the por-15, everything that 2001 xj said pretty much covers it, i have used it on many things from axles to bumpers to a bike rack, it takes a little bit of time to do it righ, but worth every minute hth