# Powdercoating suspension



## Binger (Aug 29, 2002)

Any one had parts of their undercarriage powdercoated to match their car before? If so how did it turn out? Any trouble with the finish holding up since its exposed to the elements and rocks and crap?
If you have any pics post them up.


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## pete? (Jul 6, 2004)

would heating up the springs do anything to there function? like soften them? idk just my 2 cents. you could allways paint them with some urethane bumper paint isnt that made to move around?but about the finish holding up when u powder coat something it is very hard to chip. i have heard that if u powder coated your wheels or something metel then hit it with a hammer it would dent but the powder coat wouldnt move


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## ReVerm (Jan 13, 2003)

1.6pete said:


> would heating up the springs do anything to there function? like soften them?


Depending on how much heat, how long, and what conditions the springs are heated in, they can become softer, stiffer, or shorter in free length. I know nothing about the powdercoating process though so someone else is going to have to fill in that part of the question. It's a valid concern though.


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## Token Moron (Mar 28, 2003)

powdercoating them would not last for crap, ur best bet is just to paint them, paint alone will hold up if u do the paint right


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## pete? (Jul 6, 2004)

cHoPs said:


> powdercoating them would not last for crap, ur best bet is just to paint them, paint alone will hold up if u do the paint right


my thought exatly i just didnt know if that was the case for sure. but yea powder coating would crack would it not? you could get paint contact duplicolor by phone and ask them what they recomend. they never respond to emails


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## Matt93SE (Sep 17, 2003)

cHoPs said:


> powdercoating them would not last for crap, ur best bet is just to paint them, paint alone will hold up if u do the paint right



WTF?! Have you ever used a powdercoater or bought parts that are coated?

Powder is flexible and does not chip. it's also very thick if applied properly, so if it gets scratched, you can just buff it out.

as for the temps required, most powdercoating systems (at least the three brands of powder I have in the shop) require temps between 400 and 450F for 20 minutes or so to cure the powder. I'm not a metallurgist, so I can't say what that will do to spring steel, but I wouldn't be willing to do that to my car.


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## Token Moron (Mar 28, 2003)

yea, ive been around powdercoating for a while.....and let me be the first to tell u that it does NOT last as long as it should for the price/procedure


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## Matt93SE (Sep 17, 2003)

Hmm... the intake manifold on my engine still has the original on it that was done about 6 years ago when I got the car. 
it's all in the prep work.


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## Token Moron (Mar 28, 2003)

Matt93SE said:


> Hmm... the intake manifold on my engine still has the original on it that was done about 6 years ago when I got the car.
> it's all in the prep work.



the intake manifold is ok because its not under any type of real stress and is not exposed to any type of element...springs on the other hand can be treated pretty harsh.haha


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## asleepz (Feb 24, 2004)

Just get them a GOOD paint


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## Matt93SE (Sep 17, 2003)

my manifold sees oil, dirt, sand, heat, abrasion.... it's not flexing like a spring would, but it sees the elements all the time and is constantly getting extremely hot, and sprayed with oil from various things.

anyway, doesn't really matter. I've had good luck with it, you haven't. we can agree to disagree. 

painting springs... powdercoating, or there are a lot of good flexible enamels out there.. or use the rubber tool-dip crap you can buy at a hardware store to dip tool handles. it covers them with a rubbery coating and stays on there forever.. very tough.


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## pete? (Jul 6, 2004)

you know i was thinking the same thing about the tool dip stuff but i didnt know if it would acually work. but i think krylon sells that stuff as spray paint u could use it on your springs and it might take away any squeeks as well(added bonus) and since its rubber it most likely wouldnt chip and it would deff. be flexable


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## Binger (Aug 29, 2002)

didn't think of that. I remember making ice scrapers in 8th grade shop class with that stuff.

I've seen paint and powdercoating done on show cars before, just no daily deivers. I think alot of springs are powdercoated though.


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## pete? (Jul 6, 2004)

Binger said:


> didn't think of that. I remember making ice scrapers in 8th grade shop class with that stuff.
> 
> I've seen paint and powdercoating done on show cars before, just no daily deivers. I think alot of springs are powdercoated though.


yea but i think they are powder coated while they are being heated to cure the metal or what ever when they are acually made i dont think they are heated twice.i think it is powder coated during acual assembly


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## Matt93SE (Sep 17, 2003)

best bet if you're doing springs is to call the manufacturer and tell them what you're planning on doing. see if they have any input on it.


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## wes (Apr 30, 2002)

cHoPs said:


> yea, ive been around powdercoating for a while.....and let me be the first to tell u that it does NOT last as long as it should for the price/procedure


I powdercoat as much stuff as possible because it is so durable and I'm not sure where you've been gettign your stuff done it costs WAY less to have something powdercoated than it does to have something professionally painted. My brake calipers have been coated for over 4 years and I have had numerous sets of wheels coated and they have lasted a LONG time. I mean YEARS and they looked brand new when I got rid of them.


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## Binger (Aug 29, 2002)

wes you ever have the hats of your brake rotors powdercoated? I think that would look pretty good.

I'm thinking about having the control arms done to but I don't know if it would be worth it.


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## wes (Apr 30, 2002)

Binger said:


> wes you ever have the hats of your brake rotors powdercoated? I think that would look pretty good.
> 
> I'm thinking about having the control arms done to but I don't know if it would be worth it.


Hats would be OK but you don't want to coat the mating surface where it contacts the wheel. Also if your coating wheels do not have them coat the mating surface as the thickness of powder varies and it will take a while for it to flatten out, makes for high speed wobbles


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## morepower2 (Apr 19, 2002)

1.6pete said:


> would heating up the springs do anything to there function? like soften them? idk just my 2 cents. you could allways paint them with some urethane bumper paint isnt that made to move around?but about the finish holding up when u powder coat something it is very hard to chip. i have heard that if u powder coated your wheels or something metel then hit it with a hammer it would dent but the powder coat wouldnt move


It can because powedercoating is near the tempering temperature. Eibach quality checks their springs after powedercoating to make sure the springs were not affected for that reason.


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## Matt93SE (Sep 17, 2003)

wes said:


> Hats would be OK but you don't want to coat the mating surface where it contacts the wheel. Also if your coating wheels do not have them coat the mating surface as the thickness of powder varies and it will take a while for it to flatten out, makes for high speed wobbles



also watch out for lugs that loosen with time.
I bought a set of 5zigen FNO1R-C wheels a few months ago for track use, and they had a lot of powder on the back where the mating surface was. I'd torque the wheels to 85ft-lb then head out to the track. after a 20 minute session, I'd come back in and check the lugs.. 15-20lb. I'd tighten them up and the powder coating would ooze out from around the mating surface as I torque the lugs down again. it took about 3 or 4 track days of this before it finally went away..


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## wes (Apr 30, 2002)

Matt93SE said:


> also watch out for lugs that loosen with time.
> I bought a set of 5zigen FNO1R-C wheels a few months ago for track use, and they had a lot of powder on the back where the mating surface was. I'd torque the wheels to 85ft-lb then head out to the track. after a 20 minute session, I'd come back in and check the lugs.. 15-20lb. I'd tighten them up and the powder coating would ooze out from around the mating surface as I torque the lugs down again. it took about 3 or 4 track days of this before it finally went away..


Yeah it eventually wears off but it was annoying at first. The most recent set I had coated I had them blast and mask off the mating surface, didn;t have to worry about the powder crushing then.


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## Matt93SE (Sep 17, 2003)

yeah, that helps.. this was the first time I'd experienced it myself. I was too lazy to just take a file or block sand it off though.


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## pete? (Jul 6, 2004)

morepower2 said:


> It can because powedercoating is near the tempering temperature. Eibach quality checks their springs after powedercoating to make sure the springs were not affected for that reason.


exectly what i was getting at just didnt have the techno bable skills to say it thanks lol :thumbup:


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## Binger (Aug 29, 2002)

I'm ordering my suspension in the winter....the stock suspension has 109,000 miles on it and is really really shot basicaly just the springs. It will make it through the winter. So I will replase it in the spring. 
One other question I have is will I have a problem with my shocks if I buy them this winter and they sit on the shelf for a few months? Or is it ok for them to sit there?


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## pete? (Jul 6, 2004)

Binger said:


> One other question I have is will I have a problem with my shocks if I buy them this winter and they sit on the shelf for a few months? Or is it ok for them to sit there?


 shouldnt be a problem :thumbup:


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