Your truck is an important investment. That is why for taking good care of your truck body frame, you need to ensure painting it effectively. Saltwater and humidity can damage the body and the frame of the truck, causing rusting over time. In addition, the changes in weather also leave a mark on the truck frame.
Whatever the reason, you’ll need to make a competitive effort to give superb paint for a rusty truck frame. This DIY guide will make it easier for you to proceed for an effective result. So let’s get started:
How to Paint a Truck Frame
The first step is to prepare the frame. This is a great way of removing and cleaning the parts, which makes the job easier. Use a degreaser and a pressure washer to clean the parts. It will also help in losing scaling rust and oil residues for your truck body paint.
The next step is to proceed further with rusting scaling paint. This happens due to the debris being attached to the oil sprayed on the frame after a wash. You can use a ball-peen hammer for this purpose. Just hit the area slightly to loosen off and break the scale. It will make it easier for your chassis paint job later.
Just ensure not to hit it hard so to damage the part. The removal of the scale is necessary as if you paint it on the scale, it will just fall off. Hammering removes the scales as well as finds soft areas. These areas need to be repaired by a professional auto repair shop so that the structure of the frame isn’t damaged afterward. If you need it, you can also use a scraper to scrape the scales.
Preparation for the Paint
The next step is to grind the rust so that bare metal can be exposed. A heavy-duty airpower surface sander can be used with abrasive pads between 80 and 120 grit. Ensure wearing PPE to avoid any injuries while working on the project.
Many truck body paint shops use abrasive pads. They are effective and clean the majority of the rust from the body in comparison with a surface sander. While using sandpaper, you can also switch into grits. Use 220 grit speed so that critical components can be sand easily. Once the critical components are done, you can switch to 320 grit sandpaper.
Next, blow off the remaining whirl wheel attachment or a media blaster for this purpose. In addition, you can also opt for a rust converter since it is a much cheaper option than the aforementioned ones.
Make sure to wipe the area with wax and a grease remover too. Using these will help remove the contaminants that are left behind. In case you feel uneasy, you can remove the parts. However, if you are not sure of the fixation later, then it is better to just tape the area so that the tape would not spread. You can also use paper to prevent over-spraying of the paint on the engine. Another tip: keep the engine cold. The paint will not stick to a heated engine.
In doing so you can also use a rust converter in the process. Most rust converters are liquid and can be used easily. They also come with instructions for application, and you can wash it off later. If there is excessive rust, then you can apply multiple coats of a rust converter too. It will convert the rust to a black primer, and you can paint it once it is dried.
You may also like: Do It Yourself Auto Body Repair Instructions
Applying Paint
For your truck frame paint, ensure to wait a couple of hours before you begin painting. A farm implement paint is ideal since it results in effective prevention against a harsh environment, and has excellent durability too. Moreover, it is not overly expensive and can be brushed or thinned, and easily used with a spray gun too.
Choose a cooler day to get the best results, as the paint won’t stick properly on warm days. Avoid using tar or a rubberized coating since they can trap moisture, causing quick rusting. Let the paint settle for 30 minutes before applying the second coat of frame spray paint.
At the last, you can apply a rust preventive to avoid rust accumulating again on the paint. Make sure to give multiple quotes to form a protective layer. However, avoid spreading too much that it’ll runoff. For using oil or wax, ensure to avoid the brakes as well as keep it away from exhaust components.
Do this, and you’ll have your rusted truck frame painted new in no time!
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702-754-6774
5585 Spring Mountain Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89146