bedliner over bare metal?

[landlubber]

I purchased recently a gallon of herculiner to line my bed with.

 

The bed is not in the greatest shape, not really rusty, but lots of bare metal showing through.

 

I think this is the only picture I have as an exhibit:

 

 

 

should I primer over the bare metal or just roll on the liner?

[MJRemi]

Follow whatever instructions there are on the container. I believe you need to ruff/scruff up the surface before applying the coating to give it a better grip. Bare metal should not be a factor either way.

[Alexia]

Follow whatever instructions there are on the container. I believe you need to ruff/scruff up the surface before applying the coating to give it a better grip. Bare metal should not be a factor either way.

 

U-POL Raptor recommends having at least primer or an adhesion promoter for bare metal. This is because Raptor can still leech water towards the metal underneath.

[dave92cherokee]

From the pics it looks like your bed is pre-conditioned for herc. Just make sure there's no rust as it would continue under the herc. Make sure that there's no smooth shiny paint anywhere in the bed and all is good, herc will do fine on bare metal and if worried rough it up with coarse sandpaper for better bite.

[86customanche]

I say rough up the metal, you can use a wire wheel or the hand scrub that most kits provide. Before you put the hurc on, clean the surface. Wash is good so there isnt a bunch of debris left behind. The more prep work you do, the better the end result will be. :thumbsup:

[1987_MJ]

I've gone over bare metal with Herculiner it works fine just apply it thick.

[Boots]

My dad used Herculiner in the bed of his truck. They told him to clean the metal with xylene, it evaporates and doesn't leave any residue.

[Jeep Driver]

Xylene is a very 'hot' solvent. Denatured alcohol will clean automotive finishes without breaking down the finish........soften it up too much and it will separate or breakdown underneath the new coating causing the new coating to 'lift' later-on.

[fiatslug87]

Herculiner itself is Xylene based, the instructions say to thin it with Xylene.

[zak]

I just put Herculiner on my bed about a month ago. Looks great. I would pick up an extra quart tho for touch ups, the gallon will probably get you enough but I put mine on pretty thick so I ended up using almost all of the extra quart I picked up. (I have a long bed). And if you have a tendency to make a mess wear long sleeves and pants. I somehow got it all over my leg.. I’m sure rubbing xylene on it to get it off wasn’t the safest thing to do, but my leg has yet to fall off.

[Jeep Driver]

I'm going to go by LineX for a quote in the next couple of weeks. You guy should read up a little on the materials they use, much more durable and better finish quality. Also note that LineX material contain no solvents and drys in seconds.

[HOrnbrod]

:agree: I Had my bed LineX-ed about five years ago and have hauled a crapload of stuff; rocks, dirt, timbers, everything. Still looks great. I also have the heavy regulation MJ rubber mat which probably better protects the bed floor than any coating.

[landlubber]

I opted for the herculiner just because it was $80 for a gallon with the kit. My truck is far from a show truck, just want to cover up the blue in the bed with a more durable than paint finish.

 

I probably will toss in a mat if I can find a SWB one, seems like a good idea.

 

I still haven't had free time and a nice weekend at the same time to do this yet, sorta started the prep.

 

going to sand out the rust and flaking paint, power wash it, prime over the areas that were rusty and then clean it off with mineral spirits or something, i'm sure we have something kicking around.

 

lots of good advice, thanks.

[neohic]

I've used the Herculiner a bunch of times and each time I've had a little bit of color show through. In the past, I've let it sit for a day and then come back with another good coat which does cover the color. This last time, I decided to coat the area with black primer since I didn't really need two coats. Worked out great! I got just enough cover with the bedliner without any color showing through.

[Comanche County]

Practically all paints, including any bed liner, adheres physically not chemically. Cleaning the bed with a chemical cleaner like MEK, xylene, etc will help some, but don't expect any thing you apply to stick long term unless the surface is "roughed up". There must be a jagged surface for anything to stick. That means preferably blasting it or next best, sanding it. Etching primer is worth its weight in dirt, that's all. Any company that says you can apply a product to a smooth painted surface or smooth bare metal is lying.