Bumper/receiver painting question

So my new JCR bumper arrived yesterday, and I need to get it painted and mounted for NACFest.

From doing the two RuffStuff diff covers, I think I've got the basics of prepping, priming, and painting down, but there's one little nit bothering me - the receiver embedded in the bumper. How do I get the primer and paint into there and get good coverage?

I tried this once before with the junkyard hitch I have in back, but I was never convinced that just getting the spray can right up against the receiver and blasting away was necessarily the best approach.

What have you guys done to paint unfinished bumpers with receivers?

Good question, I'll be painting and mounting my JCR rear this week as well.

I just finished painting my JCR bumpers and sliders last night. To get in the receivers and the D-ring holes, I used a 1 inch wide foam paint brush. I wasn't using spray cans, so I could just dip it in the quart of paint ... I suppose you could just spray some paint on the brush and go from there.

Its taken me a while to do the painting. I started by prepping the bare metal with POR15 Metal Ready, then two coats of POR15, then sanding, then primer, then three coats of satin black rustoleum applied with my cheapo spray gun.

I'm thrilled with the results. They all look great.

Rob - I look forward to seeing your completed bumper at NACFEST!!

My current plan is:

1. Wet-sand with 400-grit (per primer instructions)
2. Wash down with mild soap/warm water (per instructions)
3. 2-3coats duplicolor self-etching primer (spray)
4. 3-4 coats Rustoleum Hammered in what looks just like Laredo Silver

I'm still debating taking a brush and the quart of semi-gloss black to the d-ring mounts (to be reminiscient of the black "pads" on my original Laredo bumper), but don't know if I'll have the time.

Sounds like a good plan. That silver should look really good ... and the black tabs would be cool .... you'd be the only one running that .... it would look custom!

get the primer and paint into there and get good coverage?

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I just used a spray can and blasted it in there. Then rustoleum hammered out of a quart sized can. I've found the solid content is much higher, and the "veins" seem to be more prominent.

Well, I got under way on the painting yesterday - got the tie-in plates fully primed and two coats of primer on much of the bumper (needs one more coat today, then I flip it over and paint the remaining bits. I'm just shooting into the receiver with the spray can, and it seems like I'm doing ok getting coverage. With a little luck, I'll get not only the primer done, but a good bit of the painting as well.

I think what happened last time was that I used the standard Rustoleum light grey auto primer, which isn't self-etching, so it likely didn't adhere too well. This time, I'm using Rustoleum self-etching primer (couldn't get more Duplicolor, so used that on the tie-ins and started with the Rusto on the bumper. Wasn't sure I wanted to risk mixing brands).

The whole thing's going to get the silver Hammered, I'll go back with a brush later to do the d-ring tabs in semi-gloss black.


Rob

Side note - it's a real pity I couldn't get more Duplicolor primer - that can's got a really nice spray tip. Half the force needed to press, really nice spray pattern, and you can even rotate the nozzle to switch between vertical and horizontal fanning (not that I have tried that). Makes the Rustoleum spray tips seem hard to press.

Well, got 3 coats of the self-etch primer and 5 coats of the hammered silver on over the weekend (in between storms). Tonight I haul it inside the garage (outside on sawhorses under plastic right now) and do the tabs.

Then all I'll need to do is mount it.

I did mine with Duplicolor spray on bed liner in a can. I think it came out really good. I have to go back to NAPA and get another couple cans to do another coat, but it's painted, mounted and looks pretty good.
Does yours have the tire carrier? At first, I couldn't figure out how to assemble to bearings for the swing to ride on, but finally figured it out. May seem simple, but it's the first time I'm assembled one...I figured that one bearing would go on the bottom and the other on top, but the one for the bottom wouldn't slide down the shaft. Turns out it would, it just need the weight/leverage of the swing on top. Put the bearing on, set the swing on top and it slid right down. Set the second one in, pounded the washer in, pounded the cap on, and life is good.

Darky said:

Does yours have the tire carrier?

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Well, that'll teach me to assume folks know what I'm talking about.

Should have mentioned this before (guess I was kinda trying to save the surprise for NACFest), but what I have is the Stage 4 Front bumper, so when I get it mounted up, I'll be packing a receiver up front as well as the two D-ring tabs.

Ahhh...sweet. So do you have the tire carrier on it or no?

Any pics, Rob?

I got the same exact bumper and will be installing it sometime in the next few days. If you get to it before me, feel free to post up any tips that helped you.

MrSimon said:

Any pics, Rob?

I got the same exact bumper and will be installing it sometime in the next few days. If you get to it before me, feel free to post up any tips that helped you.

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No pics yet - been focused on getting primer and paint on. Probably I won't be installing it at least until this weekend (need to fight with the 9-year-old Rusty's brackets and trim the fenders to accomodate the side protection on mine, that ain't gonna happen on a weeknight).

How do you plan on figuring exactly where to trim? Are you going to take the flare off to trim it, or just do everything on the Jeep?

With just one person, its gonna be hard for me to test fit the bumper and draw cut lines all at the same time.

MrSimon said:

How do you plan on figuring exactly where to trim? Are you going to take the flare off to trim it, or just do everything on the Jeep?

With just one person, its gonna be hard for me to test fit the bumper and draw cut lines all at the same time.

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Actually, my plan is to stand back and watch Keith (MDXJ) do the trimming - he offered a while back to give me a hand installing it, so I'm trucking down to him with it.

As to where to cut, have you downloaded the instructional PDF on the JCR site (authored by our own Haleyes)? Looked pretty straightforward, but then I don't entirely trust my luck...

Rob Mayercik said:

Actually, my plan is to stand back and watch Keith (MDXJ) do the trimming -

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LoL!

Thats exactly what I did when my door latch needed fixed. Keith does great work!!

We'll have to compare bumpers at NACFEST.

(Did that sound a little gay???????)

When I installed my prerunner winch bumper, I cut directly under the lights, leaving the plastic "fascia" or whatever it's called. I think all the bumpers are done the same, as the instructions were for a stage 2 front...

Hey Rob, I don't know if this helps, but I finished up my front bumper tonight and found that cutting the fender just a hair below (between 1/8 and a 1/4") the bottom of the headlight bezel worked out great.

MrSimon said:

Hey Rob, I don't know if this helps, but I finished up my front bumper tonight and found that cutting the fender just a hair below (between 1/8 and a 1/4") the bottom of the headlight bezel worked out great.

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Saw your pics in the NACFest forum, looks good.

I got the first coat of the black on yesterday, the second goes on tonight when I get home. I also have a little touch-up to do on the silver - where the bumper was resting on the sawhorses/dropcloth the paint stuck to the plastic more than the bumper, so I have a little brush work to do. I also need to get a brush into the receiver, since it looks as if I didn't quite get all the coverage I need there.