Jeep Wrangler Forum banner

Rust and Weather Protection, also Painting

1K views 19 replies 10 participants last post by  Nottalot 
#1 ·
I had a custom fab guy do some mods to my 2007 2-door JK. He welded two plates in the bed above the wheel well so I could carry two NATO gas cans on the 1-2 occasions each year when I need 350-400 miles between gas stops. He also did four horizontal bars (bolted in and removable) so I could fill the bed with gear to the height of the headrest without concern that gear will slide out either left or right on a rough and off-camber trail.


My questions are about rust protection and/or painting. These may seem elementary but I just don't know much about these questions.


1) I prefer not to paint either the bars or the plates (see photos). If I don't paint them, should I assume they would eventually show rust? What would be the best type of clear rust protection to apply, and how often?


2) If I decide to paint them black, what should I use that would both be permanent and provide protection against rust?



Thanks for any and all comments!


Horizontal bars (first two pics)
NATO can plate (last pic)
 

Attachments

See less See more
3
#2 ·
yes, those will rust really fast and look terrible if you don't treat them. If you want, you can hit them with a clear coat instead of a solid. Personally, I'd use a primer with some rust reformer and then use something like black chassis paint on them. Too bad the plate is welded in. It would have been much easier to work on it off of the Jeep.


BTW - any reason why you're carrying the fuel inside? Are you always topless?
 
#9 ·
BTW - any reason why you're carrying the fuel inside? Are you always topless?
Yes. I live in SoCal and never use my hard top. Extended bikini top all year. It's only an issue if I'm driving in hard rain and that's rare. Driving back 4 hours from the desert at night in winter, it might be cold but with the heater blasting, a down jacket and a hood keep me nice and toasty. Still have my factory doors and those come off in April or May and go back on in late October.

I also permanently got rid of my rear seats and cut off the hooks that protruded upward. So the bed of the jeep is totally flat for gear.

So the fuel is never "inside" per se. I get about 200 miles on 16 gallons of gas at best, and about once a year, maybe twice, I'll run around Death Valley and need over 300 for a long weekend. After thinking about it, and realizing that 5 gallons in a NATO can weighs about 50-55 pounds, I decided that anything bolted in would eventually rattle over time. The plates don't affect the storage and, while they might look different, the vehicle is 12 years old so I don't care much anymore about appearance. I considered putting the mounting plates on the spare tire swing gate, but the gate already has a tendency to sag and adding another 100 pounds, even if only once or twice a year, would probably make it worse.
 
#3 ·
You need to paint that bare metal before the rust starts. Rattle can Rust-Oleum. The bottom of the welded plate is going to be a problem. I'd buy a can of fluid film and try to spray into the gaps under the plates to get some protection in there.
 
#8 ·
FF dries to a wax like coating. I suppose if it got hot enough it could drip but I haven't seen that happen yet with my applications.
 
#12 ·
Being you will be using this space with loaded metal cans, clean it all VERY good, surface prep is KEY with any paint job.
Get whatever color rattle can you want, I'm going to recommend some Farm Equipment and Implement Krylon, easy to find at any Tractor Supply Store.
Let it fully cure for a few days then coat it with a bedliner, say Herculiner if you want to DIY or find a Line-X applier.
With loading and unloading the cans any paint won't last too long, a good thick bedliner is meant to do exactly that so you won't find yourself repainting every time you use the cans.
 
#13 ·
A few tings from a safety point. I'm a former clinical researcher and pharmaceutical consultant in the countries 2nd largest burn center.

1. Being the barer of bad news, storing fuel inside a moving vehicle is a terrible idea. This is based on some of the most horrific injuries I have seen from seemingly benign accidents where storage containers were either punctured or tipped over and cause horrific fires. Seems like no big deal, but there is a reason no one sells inside fuel storage containers or mounts.

2. If you do decide to mount fuel inside, place rubber between all metal contacting surfaces between the can and mounts. Simple friction can cause an unexpected fire for certain.

3. I like the setup. Its smart and functional. Take my advice is simply being cautious based on years of experience in the burn community.
 
#14 ·
A few tings from a safety point. I'm a former clinical researcher and pharmaceutical consultant in the countries 2nd largest burn center.

1. Being the barer of bad news, storing fuel inside a moving vehicle is a terrible idea. This is based on some of the most horrific injuries I have seen from seemingly benign accidents where storage containers were either punctured or tipped over and cause horrific fires. Seems like no big deal, but there is a reason no one sells inside fuel storage containers or mounts.

2. If you do decide to mount fuel inside, place rubber between all metal contacting surfaces between the can and mounts. Simple friction can cause an unexpected fire for certain.

3. I like the setup. Its smart and functional. Take my advice is simply being cautious based on years of experience in the burn community.
Wow, I am really thankful for your comments. Let me add a few points and you can tell me whether I'm OK.

First, the cans will only be full when on the trail. Not on the highway except for the last few miles getting to the trail.

Second, the platforms are sized for standard 5-gallon NATO cans. Am I right to assume these offer better protection than most?

Third, the cans will not sit freely but will be firmly attached using tie-downs. So even if I'm off camber they will be firmly sitting on the plate.

Finally, the vehicle hard top has been discarded, so these will never be "indoors," just on the inside of those metal bars. Closer to the driver than if mounted on the tire swing gate, but still not ever in an enclosed area.

What kind of adhesive rubber do you recommend? How thick?
 
#17 ·
I would purchase bare metal primer and a top color of your choice from Rustoleum in the can. A quart of each should do fine. Clean any surface rust from the bare metal and maybe run a wire brush or wheel over the welds. Wipe it all down with alcohol or paint thinner and a rag and let dry. Then follow the instructions on the can for applying the primer and paint.

The brush method works great especially under the plates and you won't get rattle can mist all over everything. Once the painting project is complete I would apply some rubber to the plate tops and any other metal surfaces that will contact the fuel cans. If someone is doing a rubber roof nearby where you live you could probably scrounge enough scrap pieces to do the job. Pieces of an old truck inner tube would probably work too. You could also probably use cork if rubber is not available. Most good hobby or craft stores will sell cork in sheets or squares. Get a can of Locktite spray adhesive and apply a coat to both surfaces that you wish to bond. Wait until it dries to the touch and then place the two surfaces together. If a thicker surface is desired you can install several layers.

Be careful when joining the pieces together because usually once it makes contact it can be difficult to separate.

For the bars you might consider A/C tubing insulation like Armaflex or Rubatex. That will prevent sparks and probably look cool too. You cut to length, split it at the seam and then wrap it around the bars. It comes with a self sealing adhesive tape to keep it tight.

We will need photos......
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top