Herculiner on Frame?

[Nazarethk5]

Hey, I'm restoring my frame. I plan on having this truck for a LONG time, I was wondering how rustbullet and a coat of rattlecan over it would hold up as the frame paint? I also wanted to know what you guys think of doing rustbullet then hercing over it? Thanks in advance.

 

[jt512]

I personally dont like the idea of bedliner coating on the frame, it will hide any forming cracks and since the frames dont tend to rust out the way the body will I dont think it's needed.

I just did my frame and like you I plan on keeping this K5 for a LOOONG time, check out the pics in my build if you like (link in my sig) I super power washed mine, media blasted and wire wheeled, then welded in the steering box reinforcement. I used Eastwood Extreme chassis black gloss paint, with thier chassis primer, it turned out really nice. I'm not building a show truck but I wanted it to look good and be durable and I think I acheived that.

 

[Blaze]

Back about 10 years ago I cleaned up the frame on my S-10 Blazer and painted it with Rustoleum. It held up and still looks good. The rest of the truck rusted away around it, but the frame still looks good.

That being said, a lot of the Early Bronco guys have been buying Al's Liner from me to coat their frames when doing restorations.

 

[75GmcJimmy4x4]

Hey, I'm restoring my frame. I plan on having this truck for a LONG time, I was wondering how rustbullet and a coat of rattlecan over it would hold up as the frame paint? I also wanted to know what you guys think of doing rustbullet then hercing over it? Thanks in advance.

have you considered powdercoating ????

 

[DR]

I personally dont like the idea of bedliner coating on the frame, it will hide any forming cracks and since the frames dont tend to rust out the way the body will I dont think it's needed.

I agree. A lot of times those cracks are hard enough to find.

 

[blazin_blazer]

i have a place locally that has an oven large enuff for a frame & are reasonably priced, i had a 1st gen k5 frame(w/all leaf spring mounts removed and 1st gen 2wd truck trailing arm crossmember installed at k5 wheelbase), trailing arms, rearend housing, 2wd engine cross member, rear coil springs, and front upper&lower a-arms, & the front coil springs(2wd c-10 swb) and spindles(grey tape on machined areas), & new calipers(converting 69 k5 to 2wd) media blasted & black powder coated for $375(very reasonable, i expected that much just to clean all the stuff)...i dropped it off at 8am and at 3pm they called me & said it was done, i was shocked they got it done so fast(they said they had all 5 shop hands on it, b/c they were in a slow period, that ussually its a 3 day turn around, which still seems pretty quick)...i still had my trailer hooked up, so i drove 20 min. & picked it up.....stopped by advance auto & bought new rotors & pads for front and back,....by 10pm i had it all back together/rolling frame, i had all new energy suspension poly bushings & balljoints & rear u-bolts for this truck already, its now getting the fuel & brakelines installed, waiting on the bodywork on the k5 rocker boxes, then body back on the frame.

 

[75GmcJimmy4x4]

i have a place locally that has an oven large enuff for a frame & are reasonably priced, i had a 1st gen k5 frame(w/all leaf spring mounts removed and 1st gen 2wd truck trailing arm crossmember installed at k5 wheelbase), trailing arms, rearend housing, 2wd engine cross member, rear coil springs, and front upper&lower a-arms, & the front coil springs(2wd c-10 swb) and spindles(grey tape on machined areas), & new calipers(converting 69 k5 to 2wd) media blasted & black powder coated for $375(very reasonable, i expected that much just to clean all the stuff)...i dropped it off at 8am and at 3pm they called me & said it was done, i was shocked they got it done so fast(they said they had all 5 shop hands on it, b/c they were in a slow period, that ussually its a 3 day turn around, which still seems pretty quick)...i still had my trailer hooked up, so i drove 20 min. & picked it up.....stopped by advance auto & bought new rotors & pads for front and back,....by 10pm i had it all back together/rolling frame, i had all new energy suspension poly bushings & balljoints & rear u-bolts for this truck already, its now getting the fuel & brakelines installed, waiting on the bodywork on the k5 rocker boxes, then body back on the frame.

PICS of said frame

 

[ryoken]

Having not read any of the responses, I'm due for a diatribe...

It's hack.... if you go thru the trouble to get good metal, thru blasting, sanding, whatever, then slap POR15, etc THEN bedliner, it's retarded imo..

A proper primer, coating system is a FAR more correct way to do it.... It may be more money, but it IS the superior approach... You can always overcoat that down the road if need be.... zinc, epoxy, urethane can't be beat....

no fancy, miracle in a can, encapsulator beats a proper, catalyzed system... Man, advertisng sucks... thanks Champion, Fram, etc... rant over....

powdercoating would be ok, if the frame is NEVER touched again...

 

[Fabrimacator21]

I personally dont like the idea of bedliner coating on the frame, it will hide any forming cracks and since the frames dont tend to rust out the way the body will I dont think it's needed.

Wouldn't bedliner make cracks less likely to form? I've seen a cinder block thrown off a 5 story building coateded with bedliner and it bounced 30 ft instead of breaking. Seems like it would stiffen everything up too.

I don't think cracks would be much harder to find in bedliner... most cracks don't get found unless your REALLY looking for them anyway. IIRC theres a few bedliners that almost look like paint. Might have to worry about clogging holes up though.

 

[Nazarethk5]

Alright so I don't think I'll do the bedliner, but I already bought a 6 can pack of rust bullet for the frame so I plan on putting it on there. Anyone have any pictures of rust bullet on a frame? I've read the review of it but he wasn't doing a frame off resto like me.

 

[jt512]

Wouldn't bedliner make cracks less likely to form? I've seen a cinder block thrown off a 5 story building coateded with bedliner and it bounced 30 ft instead of breaking. Seems like it would stiffen everything up too.

.

Comparing a cinder block to a metal frame is not even close, hit a cinder block with a big hammer, now do to same thing to your frame..Is there any comparison as to what happens to each. Just because the cinder block bounces dosen't mean it is still intack inside of that bedliner "shell".

The purpose of the bedliner type material on a cinder block building would not be to add significant structural support but instead to prevent fragmentation (flying debris) in case of an explosion.

Another drawback to a bedliner material on a frame is, let say you want to add a bracket or weld anything to it , well now you have to "break" the material, add the piece and then reapply when you are done. With a some sort of paint removing and reapplying will be a whole lot less complicated.

 

[Fabrimacator21]

Comparing a cinder block to a metal frame is not even close, hit a cinder block with a big hammer, now do to same thing to your frame..Is there any comparison as to what happens to each. Just because the cinder block bounces dosen't mean it is still intack inside of that bedliner "shell".

Obviously the properties between a cinder block and a frame aren't the same but for example a bed is a lot easier to dent without bedliner on it then it is with bedliner on it.

Another drawback to a bedliner material on a frame is, let say you want to add a bracket or weld anything to it , well now you have to "break" the material, add the piece and then reapply when you are done. With a some sort of paint removing and reapplying will be a whole lot less complicated.

Again I don't see it being any harder then paint... You'd have to grind the paint off then reaply... you'd be doing the same with bedliner. Might take a couple more minutes but no big deal. Also like I said there are some brands that almost look like paint and lay alot flatter then other bedliners so in most cases I don't see the need to grind anything off or reaply with paint or bed liner.

 

[AJMBLAZER]

I doubt the building was coated with Herculiner. Probably Rhino Liner or one of the other "softer" bedliners that are much thicker. Herculiner is basically a paint with granules of stuff in it. There's a reason it's 1/4 the cost of a similar professionally done bedliner.

Not saying it's bad as I had it all over the outside of my '96 Tracker. Works great for what it is and what it costs but don't try and give it the qualities of the expensive bedliners.

It's also pretty crappy as a rust proofer. Paint it with one of the big name rust preventives, top coat it with spray paint, and call it good. Easier to maintain and easier to clean up as well.

 

[Desert Rat]

I sandblasted a frame on a previous K5, welded in the steering box supports, fixed any cracks, and then went with POR-15. I'm a big fan of POR-15 and have found it to be pretty tough. Having a frame professionally painted is a good way to go if you have the money. For a DIY project, POR-15 all the way. Pics on my webshots album.

 

[supersize75k5]

por 15, powdercoated or professionally painted at a shop is the way to go.

Herc is great for tubs, but honestly even prepped right the stuff simply does not hold up compared to the real spray in liners. Ive used it 3 times now in k5's and for the price ill use it on a tub again but not for a truck bed.

 

[Fabrimacator21]

What is the best out of the bedliners?

 

[Desert Rat]

That's going to be subjective. I like my Line-X, but I wish it was thicker. Maybe if you have a buddy doing it they can put it on much thicker than I have. I think Rhino is more rubbery, and actually that is more of what I wanted since I am not putting carpet back in. For crawling around on a bed with nothing over it, you want something a little softer. I ended up putting a bed mat on top of the Line-X for sound deadening and to save my knees.

 

[AJMBLAZER]

What he said. I've had Rhino in two of my pickups and I loved it. I'll be putting it in Big Ugly's bed when I get the money for it.

I hear good things about Line-X but it's always seemed rougher to me. That said there is a version of Rhino Liner that is tougher and harder like Line-X. The "normal" version of Rhino Liner is the rubbery feeling version most people are used to.