Just wondering if anyone has any suggestions about coating fender flares and the rear bumper of my 1999 trooper in bedliner. The flares are scratched and need to either be painted in a flat black or covered in the bedliner. If anyoner has done this and has any information/suggestions for me then all info is appreciated. thanks. Kevin

1999 Trooper
3" Independent4x lift, 33 inch bfg all-terrains, soon to have superwinch hubs and arb

you're from montgomery right?

i'd say go with the aisins on the hubs instead of superwinch, lemme know when you're doin the bedliner converin i need to do it too, we can screw up our paint job together.

Some of the major stuff: <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

Make sure to sand the area really good before applying the bed liner, (follow the instructions) or it will peal.

Follow the directions exactly. Most "paint" on bed liner products have to be applied between certain temperatures, say 70f to 85f. Much more than that and it will be very thin and not have the correct texture.

Make sure to have LOTS of extra latex gloves, rags, and masking tape. Make sure to remove the masking tape BEFORE the paint dries.

And do NOT let the stuff get on your skin. IT WILL NOT COME OFF! Trust me I know from experience.
<img src="/forums/images/graemlins/patriot.gif" alt="" />

Uh...
hootus?

Ok I did herc on my pup's bed and part of the fenders

Number one: buy blue painters masking tape. Blue tape means easy release and is avail at any hardware store or the like

Number 2: paint the lower half of your fenders if your truck has some type of divide to guide you. Like the lower half only. I did this and it looks great.

Number 3: if you do the rear bumper it will look terrible. Trust me, bedliner looks nice on flat surfaces. If you put it on a rounded bumper it will just look strange. Secondly looks-wise, your bumpers frame the truck I would prep andpaint them a glossy color. So theystand out. If you use bedliner the rough look will contrast what in your mind would seem like should stand out. This is my opinion. the same goes for the flares. Paint them semi or full gloss rather than a textured paint. They look stupid on my truck with herc. The herc licke I said looks nice on smooth flat surfaces, if put on a curved or molded surface it makes it look all clumpy. You lose the straight lines look and it looks like crap.

If I did it again I would not have done the flares.

Number 4: if you use herc I would recommend it but keep in mind it fades in the sun FAST. I mean like 1 week. You may want to paint the herced surface with glossy paint but I would not recommend it since herc is poly-based and spraypaint is alkyd based. May not agree together but they might.

So again, do your flares and bumper and within 2 weeks in the sun you will have a bumpy, textured, flat surface that looks like someone smeared cement over it like a bad paper-mache project.

But it looks damn nice on flat surfaces......

Can we get some pictures? I've been looking into doing my fenders on my 89 trooper II, the reason is that I've got some rust starting to develop, and after I tend to it as best as possible, I want to coat it with something permanent and a bit tougher than the bare metal. Plus, it does look nice on fenders . I've been trying to convince my dad to do the same fender treatment to our 94 GMC 1 ton cargo van, it has lines in the truck body (from the factory) so it'd be easy to make it nice looking.

Simply curious by the way, Is that the secret 30 live code for Contra on NES HCMP?

I did along the sides on my truck under the factory body line and down to the rocker panles. I also removed my stock fender flares and herked around my wheel wells. I wish i had done a begtter job masking here because there are some stray marks...but it kinda looks like thrown mud so it is not that bad. I also did my hood because i needed to get it painted and my red has faded so much it would have been very hard to match it up. The hood itself looks good, although i think i need to add another coat cuz there is one area that is textured more than others. But i kinda looks odd on the truck...kind like the import guys that use carbon fiber hoods. Once i scratch the rest of the truck up too badly then i will just coat the whole thing.

Go ahead. Coat it all! Everytime I come out of a store or restaurant, I have people asking me about it...Had a guy pull up next to me in a primer grey Toyota 4x4 PU at a red light. After looking my Troop over he looked at me, scratching his chin and nodding with a sly smile...His girlfriend was shaking her head disapprovingly. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />

Contra. You got it baby.

Good luck with the bedliner. One day down the road I'll do the same. Probably when its tme to paint the whole thing.

--jeremy

Putting bedliner on hood = 50 dollars
Putting bedliner on whole trooper = 150 dollars
The look on people's faces when they realize you are a complete savage = priceless.