Blitzkrieg
New Member
- Joined
- Sep 13, 2012
- Messages
- 55
- Reaction score
- 0
There's a thread on these forums concerning DJM's lowering kit that got me thinking about whether or not it is a good idea to sand blast and powder coat a new DJM kit. The gray, bumpy metallic finish that DJM uses (paint? power coating?) doesn't seem to last all that long and it would be nice to have a finish on the suspension components that does last. However, I'm inclined to think that powder coating might not be worth the cost and effort... and here's why:
On my 2001 Tacoma, I've had the DJM upper control arms for 10 years and it doesn't appear like DJM has changed the finish on their products in that time. I was a bit miffed when all the gray coating started flaking off years ago, however, pretty much everything under my truck looks like dookie these days.
It started snowing today here in Wisconsin, so I snapped some photos of my suspension while I was swapping-out my summer wheels with my winter wheels. The photo of the upper control arm is the DJM piece. What you're seeing is pretty much solid (wet) rust as the DJM's gray coating fell off long ago. However, the control arm is pretty darn hefty and although it doesn't look pretty any more, I don't think that means it's at risk of failing (I guess it could be, but hasn't yet).
The lower control arm is the OEM control arm which doesn't look pretty either. So in my opinion, although the DJM coating certainly isn't nuke-proof, nothing under our trucks is. If you live in the northern half of the USA or Canada and have to put-up with salted roads in the winter, you might as well get used to your suspension looking horrible after a few years. That being said, unless someone has proof that powder coating will protect the suspension parts from rust and road salt for longer than the DJM's finish and the OEM finish will, I'm going to say it's not worth doing... at least not on a daily driver.
Have any of you powder coated any of your suspension parts? How has the coating held-up after a few years? (Pictures would be good :smile: )
On my 2001 Tacoma, I've had the DJM upper control arms for 10 years and it doesn't appear like DJM has changed the finish on their products in that time. I was a bit miffed when all the gray coating started flaking off years ago, however, pretty much everything under my truck looks like dookie these days.
It started snowing today here in Wisconsin, so I snapped some photos of my suspension while I was swapping-out my summer wheels with my winter wheels. The photo of the upper control arm is the DJM piece. What you're seeing is pretty much solid (wet) rust as the DJM's gray coating fell off long ago. However, the control arm is pretty darn hefty and although it doesn't look pretty any more, I don't think that means it's at risk of failing (I guess it could be, but hasn't yet).
The lower control arm is the OEM control arm which doesn't look pretty either. So in my opinion, although the DJM coating certainly isn't nuke-proof, nothing under our trucks is. If you live in the northern half of the USA or Canada and have to put-up with salted roads in the winter, you might as well get used to your suspension looking horrible after a few years. That being said, unless someone has proof that powder coating will protect the suspension parts from rust and road salt for longer than the DJM's finish and the OEM finish will, I'm going to say it's not worth doing... at least not on a daily driver.
Have any of you powder coated any of your suspension parts? How has the coating held-up after a few years? (Pictures would be good :smile: )
Attachments
Last edited: