This past weekend I set out to do a few things but this project overwhelmed the whole weekend.
Admittedly, this was a pretty intimidating task: remove plasti dip (should be easy, right?), remove bumpers, scuff up the chrome really well, and rattle can some bedliner. I chose the rattle can Duplicolor Bed Liner (NOT the Bed Armour) because of the texture I wanted, but this process would be the same for any brand or application type so long as you adjust and read the application directions.
First step for me was to wash the whole truck, get all the grime and crap off it to make removing the plasti dip easier. This was my first mistake.
I plasti dipped by bumpers and grille, as I have done on my last truck and had a lot of success removing it the past. My application was identical, weather conditions, application temp, and exposure were nearly identical. The only difference, was Dip Coat by Dip Your Car. The product was a super neat idea and turned the rubbery texture into a more durable and enamel like finish. I loved the way it looked and was much more resistant to chips..... and removing it was a total PITA. Took over 4 hours to remove plasti dip from bumpers. I believe this product bonded the layers and made it like an adhesive, it was awful. A helpful hint for those that want to remove stubborn plasti dip: WD40. Spray the **** out of all the surfaces, let it soak in for a few minutes, and the rub it off. Its not quick, but it works.
What you will need:
I was pretty quick changing out sanding pads, so buy an extra pack just in case. I used 3 cans for both bumpers but a 4th would be good to have on hand. Respirator or mask is a must, this **** is no bueno if you inhale it. Its pretty noxious stuff! The pistol handle for cans is a cheap and invaluable tool and highly suggest picking one up at your local big box hardware store.
Rant over, moving on!
Once the truck is washed, start removing stuff!
I will not include bumper removal in this DIY as its very different from model to model, but just take your time since there are a lot of plastic clips that can be snapped. If you are not sure how to do it, what I did was fine an online manual for off road bumper install and used their directions to remove mine. I think I looked up the goRhino bumper install and it was pretty detailed.
Remove all the stuff so you get to this point here and see a truck that looks like it got curb stomped
Start removing all the brackets and end pieces from the bumpers, the trailer plug is simple snaps that push in and the plug pops out the license plate side. The license plate lights have a metal frame slide (not sure what its called) that you just pull out and the light drops out, it'll make sense once you get there. To remove the plastic step cover, I used a panel puller and a pair of pliers to pinch the tabs underneath and the panel puller to pry it off. This is about what it should look like after:
Wash both bumpers with some good dish soap to remove any dirt (yes, wash twice). Do a quick wipe with a towel, and then spray with the degreaser of your choice. I chose the Industrial degreaser from Lowes and it worked great, again, a mask or respirator along with eye protection is recommended but work at your own risk!
Get your area staged and prepped, I had a nice Orbital Sander so dust was not an issue but make sure you have enough space to move around.
If you have any rust, make sure it is completely gone otherwise it'll come back with a vengeance.
And now the scary part, taking a power sander to that shiny stuff!
First few passes made me nervous as hell but figured i already committed. What I suggest, in order to get the best surface for the liner adhere to, is to get it all sanded with the OS and then get at it with a block and sand paper to make sure there are ZERO shiny chrome left. This is about what it should look like before you use hand power to sand:
And after using the hand power
IMPORTANT: after you are totally done sanding, de grease to remove any film or dust that is left over. You want a totally clean and dry bumper to work on.
Time to paint:
First layer should be relatively thin but make sure you get a good coverage. It's okay to see some metal behind but make sure its uniform. I wasnt as careful on my rear bumper and ended up with some tiger stripping. I was able to smooth it out in the next couple layers but I made more work for myself than necessary
The liner has a 20 minute interval between coats. I started with the rear bumper, set a timer and started on the front. Once the front had a coat, set a different timer, and I had about 7 minutes to grab a beer. Make sure you set up your bumpers in a way that allows you to hit all the angles, especially the corners. I found those the most difficult to reach but pay special attention otherwise you might get flaking.
While curing:
Allow bumpers to cure over night before re-installing.
Now to the grille, the bane of my existence...
the dip coat made this the biggest pain in the ass. I spend over 3 hours alone cleaning this crap off. I went through a can of wd40, kitchen scrubber (girlfriend is out of town, doesnt know yet....), and there wasn't anything i could do to make it easy. Ended up just rubbing the pads of my fingers on it to the point where they were raw. My advice: never ever use Dip Coat.
If you have, and had better success removing after.... I hate you
Pretty much the same process:
Wash, dry, de grease (as per directions).
Start sanding until you get clean dull finish. These are plastic so be mindful not to go too far. I spent a ton of time sanding to make sure it would adhere well since I wasnt sure how this stuff works on plastic.
Before sanding:
After sanding:
AGAIN, IMPORTANT: de grease after sanding to remove any dust.
Mask off whatever you dont want painted. I intended on bed lining the emblem but figured it would be too hard to sand so I decided to leave it chrome so i removed it.
To remove: push in the top 3 tabs on the back, and use a panel puller (or soft pry tool of your choice) and VERY SLOWLY peel it up. There is some adhesive tape under that will slowly come up, just take your time.
Mask off anything you dont want painted, I masked the inside of the emblem area, and the tabs that connect the grille to the upper valence support.
To make sure I was able to get all the corner, I set a plank between two sawhorses and the grille balanced really stable in between without issue. It made getting all the angles super easy!
This is after the 3rd and final coat but not dried yet:
Make sure you let it cure overnight BEFORE putting the emblem back in. I opted to not put any more adhesive tape in there, i feel the 4 tabs did a fine job securing it so I skipped it. It was raining the next day so had some pretty flat light but I think it turned out excellent! Been about 2 days and had 3 people ask where I got it done... did it myself sucka!!!!!
the left of the bumper is runoff from rain and dirt puddles, it is NOT streaky when its clean. The nice thing is that I just hosed off the dirt and came right off. The water seems to bead right off the finish, here to hoping that lasts!
