Best budget paint for the steering and suspension components

[jwill226]

One of my first jobs on my new 85 K20 4x4 will be to go threw the steering and suspension and replace all the bushings with new polyurethane bushings.  My steering is slow and a little sloppy and the truck wants to wander on the highway.  Not sure if the steering box has much to do with it but I'm almost sure the bushings, or whats left of them, where what it rolled out of the factory with.  I found that 2 on the sway bar are completely gone, and for the most part the others might as well have left with them.

Considering I have a 4" lift most of the components are visible.  I figure if I am going to be taking parts off I might as well clean them up and paint them.  So what is a good paint that will stand up to the abuse of a mildly off-roaded truck.  Mainly old logging roads and the occasional small creek and mud hole crossing.

This is a budget build so I'm looking for something I can get from the local Mega Low Mart or Home Depot.  I was thinking about RustOleum as it has stuck well to the body of my beater S10 that fell pray to the famous early 90's paint peel of GM and F**D.

BTW, I am planning out a red and black paint scheme so I would prefer a brand with some color options.

[78 Chevyrado]

I used this stuff on mine.  It works well, dries in a couple of hours and once it sets up for a week or so it's tough as nails.  You don't have to wait a week do use the parts or install them, but it takes a bit to fully harden.

I got it at Home Depot
http://www.rustoleum.com/CBGProduct.asp?pid=95

some in action...

[fitz]

 I've also had great luck with Rustoleum on suspension/chassis parts.
 Heres how I go about it.
 If the part is just getting wire wheeled I prime it with Rustoleum rusty metal primer (brush on).
 If the part got sandblasted down to bare metal I coat it with S.E.M. self etching primer (spray bomb). You can get it at NAPA or any body shop supply store.
 I then paint all of the parts with a few coats of Rustoleum semi-gloss black (brush on). If the paint is too shiny or the part has any "pock marks" you can dust on a little undercoating to hide the sins.
 Like the body guys keep preaching to us, it's all in the prep work. Break the parts down as far as you can (I pulled apart my spring pack). Take your time degreasing,sanding, and prepping the parts and I think you will be impressed with what you can do with Rustoleum for cheap money. 

[jwill226]

Exactly the advice I was looking for.  Thanks for the tips as well.  I wish I had a sand blaster but I don't so I will be doing most of the cleanup with a strong pressure washer, degreaser, sanding, and good ol' fashioned elbow grease.

Thanks again

[Blazin]

Chassis Saver over the rust once you are done cleaning. Then top coat it with some sort of enamel. I have used Rust Oleum spray bomb over it but never brush on.

[Captkaos]

I used POR15 (Chassis Saver) and top coated with Enamel also.

[78 Chevyrado]

Here's the bright red, and white and silver.  I painted that last year and it's been sitting outside all the time and still looks good.

[Flashback]

When I redid the front end on my Honda Accord, I sandblasted the control arms, knuckles, and radius rods and then primered them with Rustoluem cold galvanizing compound and topcoated with Satin Black Ceramic engine paint. It looks great with the red bushings and has survived 2 winters without rusting or peeling. I searched the web and found several restoration sites recommend engine paint as a budget chassis paint, so I went for it.

Pic, even tho they aren't Chevy parts, you get the idea.

[Layne]

78- Is that a golden jube?

[jwill226]

You know 76, if I had a tire like that and 3 more just like it I would be measuring out that 8 lug to see if there are any other 8 lug things sitting in my garage they might just bolt up to.

Thanks again everyone for all the ideas.

[SUX2BU99]

Our Rustoleum up here in Canada is called Tremclad. I don't know if it's made by the same people but it's good stuff, cheap and durable. I kinda wish I would have used the brush-on gloss black on the 2 rear ends I painted with Chassis Saver. The CS covered great in 1 coat but I found that one some wear areas like under the pumpkin where the floor jack gets put or where jackstands sit, the paint peels fairly easily.   Perhaps I should have coated it over with Tremclad but that wouldn't help how well it sticks to the metal I don't think.

I painted my heads with spray-bomb Tremclad (just regular stuff, not engine paint) and it's holding up awesome.

[Blazin]

I have seen Trem Clad here in New Hampshire.

[SUX2BU99]

Oh yeah? Hm interesting. I thought it was Canadian only. I'm sure we have a little Canadian maple leaf on our cans......I think   lol

[Blazin]

I don't remember where, and it was a long time ago! Like when I was teenager. All I remember was the name, no details on the label.

[fitz]

 There is an internet thread about a guy from Canada who painted his 69 Dodge Charger by thinning out some trem clad (Canadian Rustoleum) paint and rolling it on. It was a great story about how you can get decent results rolling the paint on instead of spraying it.
I stayed up many nights till 2AM reading about it.
 If you google 69 Dodge Charger Trem Clad paint job you will find it.