getting color on wear parts

[Dynomutt]

What is the best way to get color on the front end wear parts like tie rods, pitman and idler arms? Can they be powder coated without destroying them or is it best to paint them? What do you do with the tie rod threads?


This truck is being built for local shows and minimal driving more than likely.

[damnyankee36]

Don't know about powder coating, but after I painted my linkage with a cast iron looking paint and leaving the threads bare metal, I painted the threads with a satin clear coat after the final front end alignment.

[ShowSS12]

Ya thats what I would do. You could use that Hammer tone paint as well...

[N2TRUX]

Spend some time on the Eastwood site. They have a lot of paint colors available in spray or brush on application.

Yes, you can powder coat it, but it has to be sand blasted first. That means that it can't be done on the truck and each component must be broken down.

Powder coating is much more durable, but you can get good results with some creative masking, a brush and a few rattle cans.

[kev2809]

^^^^ that looks good..is the rattle can stuff pretty durable compared to powdercoat or auto paint? i plan on this one day and was just wondering

[N2TRUX]

If you take some time to prep it properly it's fairly durable. Nothing will compare to sandblasting a part then baking on powder coating.

If you don't plan to blow your truck completely apart, you can get good results that will look great for a long time "if" you take your time and prep it correctly.

[Dynomutt]

Thanks for the info. I'm doing a frame off and replacing everything so the parts will be new. I just wasn't sure if the heat from baking the parts would affect them. If you powder coat, what do you do about the threads on the tie rod ends? If they get power on them I would think it would come off when you screw it all together or align it, but if you don't coat the threads, it will look like crap and need to be painted or something.
Sorry for the stupidity but I have zero experience with powder coating and I want to powder coat everything I can.

[N2TRUX]

Dynomutt- In your situation, I would powder coat anything that I could. Work with your powder coater and make sure they are clear what not to coat. They can mask off threads, etc so they are not coated.

[OldAzMe]

Since your doing a frame-off go with powdercoating. If your powdercoating yourself tape off the treads or you will have to tap them later.

[Dynomutt]

So once everything is coated and assembled, what do you do about any exposed threads on the tie rods, paint them?

[damnyankee36]

Originally Posted by Dynomutt

So once everything is coated and assembled, what do you do about any exposed threads on the tie rods, paint them?

See post #2

[SevenOne]

Maybe when you decide a color in P.C,get it color matched in paint and do a test part before hand.

[Neal Molder]

I just went through this with my frame off. You can powder coat anything except tierods and ball joints the oven will bugger them up. even brake calipers if disassembled can be powdercoated. I just color matched the best i could with a high heat spray bomb and painted the tie rods and ball joints. do not do anything to the threads of the tierods until it has been properly aligned.