bumper inserts repaint????

[gary mendelow]

had an accident in the rear and got a new grey bumper.



they would not replace those bumpy inserts that go in the bumper on the horizontal side facing up..



my question is, what is the best way to paint and refinish those and has anyone found an exact matching grey paint for a new bumper???



thanks!!



gary

 

[Richard L]

I am not sure why the insurance would not pay to replace the tread inserts on top of the bumper?...I assume they where not damaged by the accident?



Anyway, I would not recommend painting them since they will chip and look terrible. I would check the local junk yards for the matching tread inserts, or just buy new ones...I don't know the price, but they are plastic and cannot be that expensive. You can even check online...I'd think you can pick them up for less than $50 each.



...Rich

 

[TrainTrac]

They wouldn't replace them? That's bullsqueeze!:angry: Stick to your guns, and insist that they replace them also.:fire:

 

[Richard L]

TrainTrac,

Gary never said the tread inserts were damaged in the accident...I thik he just assumed the insurance company would replace them with the new bumper cover. That sounds like the Insurance Co will not replace them because they were not damaged in the accident? If that is the case, they have no obligation to replace them. That's what happened to me when the bumper cover was damaged by getting hit by a trailer hitch...Got a new bumper cover and the used the old tread inserts from my old bumper cover.



Since the inserts are solid colored plastic and gary wants to just paint them...It sounds like they were not damaged in the accident... If they WERE damaged in the accident, then paint won't help. I suspect that they are just faded or look worn and he wants to freshen them up to match the new bumper cover. The tread inserts are not too expensive, even if you buy them from Ford since a number of people replaced their early Gen1 Grey treads with the newer Black treads when they changed around 2004.





...Rich

 

[TrainTrac]

Gary never said the tread inserts were damaged in the accident.

True, but looking at his original post, he never said that they weren't, either. If it were me, I would've insisted that they be replaced. My Trac was rear-ended several years ago, the bumper and inserts were replaced. When the insurance agent looked at it, both the bumper and inserts were damaged enough to warrant replacement.



Nevertheless, I believe that he could still paint them, using the proper paint and process. Many folks on this site with unpainted cladding/bumpers have successfully painted them with long-lasting results. There's even a project right here on this sight showing how to do just that.

 

[FlipTrac_511]

I wouldn't paint something meant to be stepped on. Try Mothers Back-to-Black dressing to darken them.

 

[swshawaii]

Step Pad Replacement:

 

[gary mendelow]

you guys are great would make great detectives and insurance adjusters and agents.

since the were not damaged in the accident and look like total dog doo, i should have argued longer and harder. but if you stick to the idea of "insurance" they are only libel for what was damaged....since they are not damaged they really can be difficult and they were....



if i try mothers, will that lessen my chances to paint/refinish them???



also, on the black inserts from '04...did they go with the grey bumpers??? if so, that would actually be cool since my replacement step rails are black!!!



let me know on that '04 thing please..



so, i will have to call ford but you guys are thinking 50 bucks for the pair...certainly wouldn't want to spend 100, but fifty is a maybe..



got to fix up the 175,000 mile trac as i now have a sign for my investment business on the back!!!!



thanks for the ideas and help and good reading!!!

 

[swshawaii]

Gary- MySt site sponsor FastPartsNetwork is our "go to" parts and SCT tuning expert.

I find their pricing substantially lower than most Ford dealers. Call or email Torrie. GL

 

[TRACket Paul]

P/N 3L2Z-17B807-AAC, color is black, two pieces, left and right each.

 

[H D]

I painted by bumper black last year and I will almost guarantee I use mine more than most. I've touched up the front bumper from scraping it on hills and rocks but haven't had to do anything to the rear bumper cover. Also consider that my bumper is a lot higher than stock and I basically have to grind my feet into it when climbing on it. Just my experience.



New is good, too, though.

 

[Richard L]

The issue is not in painting the "bumper cover", but painting the "Step pads" on the rear bumper. It would only last as long as you never stepped on the step pads.



If you paint the steps pads and then use them as steps, they will quickly look like crap, and you would be dumb to have ever wasted the time and money to paint them.



If they were damaged, then it would be even dumber to paint them:banghead:



...Rich

 

[H D]

I guess I'm dumb. The "step pads" are painted, too...and still black.:cheeky:



Richard, is this your experience or just your opinion?

 

[EddieS'04]

What about having the pads. Sprayed with rhino liner of your color choice.

 

[Richard L]

Hugh,

I guess I'm dumb. The "step pads" are painted, too...and still black

First, Gary never said why he want to paint the step pads or what kind of paint he wanted to use. So without knowing what look he was trying to achieve, I assumed he was just trying to restore them back to the original look?



The step pad plastic is dyed to that color and the color goes all the way through the step pad. If the plastic step pads get scratched scratches do not show up as bad....that's why they use solid colored plastice for hard wear surfaces like step pads.



If the step pads are scarred up, painting them will not make them look much better, and as soon as the paint gets scratched up from steping on them, they will look much worse.



Yes, it is my opinion that painting the step pads is DUMB, based on the fact that people don't walk on the hood of their cars because they know it will damage the paint.



Eddie's suggestion about painting the step pads with bed-liner paint is an option that would work since that paint is designed for rough use and can stand up to people walking/steping on the painted surface without causing scratches or visable damage.



The only issue with painting the step pads with bed-liner paint, is that the thick paint will obscure the Hexagon tread pattern or make the tread look lumpy, but that may be hard to tell how it will look until you try it? But then again, we don't know what look Gary was trying to achieve?



...Rich

 

[gary mendelow]

reason for repaint is because of fading and color difference between the new bumper and the original step pads/bumper inserts.



they look old, bumper looks newer..



but here's a question you guys seem to have missed...someone suggested new black inserts or painting them black like to 2004..



question is, did 2004 have a grey bumper and black inserts?????

 

[EddieS'04]

question is, did 2004 have a grey bumper and black inserts

yes........

 

[Richard L]

Gary,

Eddie is correct, they bumper was a dark grey and the step inserts were black. That makes me curious as to if you are not the original owner, perhaps the bumper and or step inserts were changed for an earlier model? The early Sport Tracs had light, battleship grey insert and nearly the same color bumpers. The 2004 bumpers should be dark grey with black step inserts, but the step inserts definitely did not match the bumper color.



Perhaps a little elbow grease with some Mother's Back-to-Black might restore the black color to the step pads?



...Rich

 

[Gavin Allan]

:worthless:

 

[H D]

Perhaps a little elbow grease with some Mother's Back-to-Black might restore the black color to the step pads?

For two weeks.