How can I prevent my rock rails from constantly rusting?

[jeeperguy21]

It happens every winter... the snow and salty roads play havoc on my rock rails. Every spring I scrape off all the rust from my rock rails, prime them, and paint them black... but no matter how well I paint them the cycle repeats itself when winter comes again. Any suggestions?

I'm getting tired of having to do the same job every year and don't know what to do. I like the look of the smooth black paint job but suppose I could try to herculine it? Give me some ideas. Here's the sad shape that they find themselves in at the moment:

 

[Mark0491]

Go to walmart buy a can or rubberized underocating and spray them down .

 

[Mark0491]

also if huculiners to expensive For you. Mix some sand in a quart flatblack paint and roll them on

 

[xj2win]

I'd say more coats of paint, possibly clearcoat them?

 

[94XJ2door5speed]

You need a conversion coating or an etch primer before you laydown your normal primer and then your base coat. Baking is the best, do it right the first time. Powder coating is good too, it is tougher and will resist the elements better. The problem is that once the coating is opened up and the steel exposed to the elements it will start to rust. So you need to stop that. A conversion coating or etch primer will make it harder to get to the bare steal but you really need a phosphate coating to truely protect them from rust.

 

[whatevah]

what paint are you using? I used Rustoleum primer then put a couple coats of Rustoleum Hammered Black on my rails last April and they aren't rusting yet, even where I step on them every day. The primer is starting to show, though... I'll sand them a little and spray on some more paint after the weather warms up a bit.

 

[jeeperguy21]

I use both primer and paint called Krylon Rust Tough. A layer of each not enough to protect the steel?

 

[mramr1974]

rust

have you concidered powder coating it has become very affordable and is very strong

 

[MTBracer367]

i would try rhyno liner or herculiner but first strip them and use a good primer

rubberized under coating would probably work pretty well too but idk how long it would last

 

[whatevah]

I did three coats of the Hammered. One coat isn't enough for any paint.

 

[RCP Phx]

Just do cheap paint,nothing is going to "not" get trashed on a slider/bumper,powder coat is a total waste of money!

 

[snowjeep]

I had mine rhino lined 2 yrs ago and no rust. I have driven through 2 salty years in Buffalo,NY.

 

[ddeadserious]

You could use smooth durabak.

 

[badron]

I would bedliner them then use deck plate or diamond plate were you step a lot.

 

[XJEEPER]

I powdercoated mine and just touch them up yearly with Rustoleum. Cost me $80 to powdercoat them, fwiw.

 

[kwill1]

POR-15, then topcoat with a rattle can= no more rusting.

http://www.por15.com/

I have used this stuff and others like it, and it is far and away the best product of it's type.

 

[BruceB83]

X2 on the POR-15. I used that stuff on my Mustang resto...it's awesome. It should withstand rocks longer than anything else will.

 

[Phil]

Have you tried painting them before the winter? Like, the fall, before you drive through the snow and salt with bare metal?

 

[Tim_MN]

Herculiner and those types of coating don't always seal out moisture. Any little thin spots or pin holes and you will get rust creeping underneath your coating. Start with a clean surface and then coat or paint them. You can get those rails sandblasted for $20-30. I had my rails powdercoated and it lasted for 4 years of MN winters and road salt.

I am going to blast them again and use POR-15 this time. One of the local guys used it on his bumper and rails and it holds up exactly as advertised.

 

[Darky]

Having lived in Buffalo/Rochester for the first 13 yrs of my life, and having family there now, I can attest to the severe rusting that happens to anything and everything rustable there. My Mom took her 92 Lumina back there when she moved back to NY from AZ, it was a southwest car and within 2 winters, paint fell off and it was as rusted as every other Lumina there.