Side step bar refinishing

[John Sargent]

2001 Sporttrac, the grey step bars on both sides, paint has chipped off in many places, Any suggestions on how to refinish?

One suggestion was to clean well, then use the bed line goop material, any others? I have done bodywork and painting before, yet don't want to prep and then have the material not stay on and just flake off.

Would it be easier to remove the bars, fix off the truck then reinstall or refinish on the truck?

Thanks, John

 

[EddieS'04]

I would remove them to repair and finnish. They are easy to remove, especialy since you live in a dry climate. As far as what is best finnish, hopefully the ones that have will chime in.

I removed mine permantly. Took 20minutes.

For those that may ask. Not for sale..LOL..I will put them back on for the sale of it..way into the future...:driving:

 

[Jeffksf B]

I removed mine, used a putty knife under the plastic tread panels and pry them up to remove them. I sanded mine and found some duplicolor spraypaint that was very close in color. I also removed the plastic endcaps in order to clean/sand the metal edges on the bars.

Use a rubber mallet to reinstall the tread panels.

 

[Phil Frady]

Some have removed them completely, others have repainted them. One member bought a gallon of the exact color paint and repainted them. Another member repainted his to match his truck. You could also get someone to Line-X them which thinking about it, sounds like a good idea I may think about doing myself.

 

[Chris Joyce]

I've refinished mine. Remove them, grind the rust off and spray with Herculiner..

 

[Phill R]

I have been thinking of having mine done with Rinolining. I saw someone had done it and it seems to look pretty good.

 

[Robert Caffyn]

Got a guy up the street that does powdercoating. He'll bang, grind or fill all the nasty stuff, tell him the color and wha-laa, they're brand new, won't chip, fade or wear off. Just a thought. Bob

 

[Kevin Lang]

Mine are so rusted that I was thinking of taking them off and trying out that anti-rust stuff I hear so much about, like POR-15, since it comes in black, and I need something to deal with the rust on my effing Addco swaybar where the paint came off.



(Rough driving offroad is to blame, but I blame addco cause it's easy lol)