Plastic adhesion promoter for painting fender flares?

[Moab]

@06TJ35's is here helping me take the flares off today to paint. (Thank you brother for the help!) I'm not sure if the flares are plastic or vinyl. But I bought SEM plastic adhesion promoter to lay down on them prior to SEM Trim Black.

Is there any reason NOT to use the adhesion promoter?

I'm prepping with grey scotchbrite pads and water. To get the plastic dye off of them that I tried using a few months back. It didn't take. But it's real flaky. So shouldn't be hard to get them back down to clean grey sun bleached flares. Then some acetone last to get it clean clean.

 

[glwood]

Is there any reason NOT to use the adhesion promoter?

I hope not, because that is exactly what I used while fixing one of my flares. It came out great, following the same exact process you say you are using.

I was wondering why your side windows are wrinkled like a Shar Pei puppy

Then I noticed they are not tucked into the door surrounds...

 

[mrblaine]

@06TJ35's is here helping me take the flares off today to paint. (Thank you brother for the help!) I'm not sure if the flares are plastic or vinyl. But I bought SEM plastic adhesion promoter to lay down on them prior to SEM Trim Black.

Is there any reason NOT to use the adhesion promoter?

I'm prepping with grey scotchbrite pads and water. To get the plastic dye off of them that I tried using a few months back. It didn't take. But it's real flaky. So shouldn't be hard to get them back down to clean grey sun bleached flares. Then some acetone last to get it clean clean.

View attachment 102134

You need to dig up your "this is the greatest shit ever" thread regarding that crap you smeared all over your flares and get a plate out for the healthy dose of crow you kinda deserve. Although by the time you get that junk cleaned up good enough to make paint stick, a healthy dose of crow will seem but a smidgen of a snack.

 

[Moab]

You need to dig up your "this is the greatest shit ever" thread regarding that crap you smeared all over your flares and get a plate out for the healthy dose of crow you kinda deserve. Although by the time you get that junk cleaned up good enough to make paint stick, a healthy dose of crow will seem but a smidgen of a snack.

No kidding. I've used that Forever Black on so many cars I can't tell you. Made the plastic look brand new. I still think it might work on other plastic trim on the Jeep. But ya. Had to eat alot of crow on that one. I don't know what these flares are made of. But it's not standard plastic.

It's rubbing off real easy though. With grey scotchbrite pads and water. Should have them ready to paint in less than an hour.

@glwood Thanks for the headsup. I was afraid since these don't act like standard plastic that the plastic adhesion promoter might not like them either. But it sounds like I'm good to go.

Can't believe I'm finally getting this done. It's bugged me ever since I bought this Jeep. It's the number one thing I wanted addressed. But it's taken 6 months. This time tomorrow. I should have new shiny black flares on my Jeep!

 

[ranger101]

I wouldn’t use Acetone on the flares. It could eat away at the plastic or make them gummy. I’d use denatured alcohol. You can be as dangerous as you want with it and not have to worry.

 

[xxdabroxx]

I used some SEM sand free when I did my fenders. I sprayed this over it. And it didn't come off when had a little rub with a post on my carport recently.

 

[mrblaine]

No kidding. I've used that Forever Black on so many cars I can't tell you. Made the plastic look brand new. I still think it might work on other plastic trim on the Jeep. But ya. Had to eat alot of crow on that one. I don't know what these flares are made of. But it's not standard plastic.

It's rubbing off real easy though. With grey scotchbrite pads and water. Should have them ready to paint in less than an hour.

@glwood Thanks for the headsup. I was afraid since these don't act like standard plastic that the plastic adhesion promoter might not like them either. But it sounds like I'm good to go.

Can't believe I'm finally getting this done. It's bugged me ever since I bought this Jeep. It's the number one thing I wanted addressed. But it's taken 6 months. This time tomorrow. I should have new shiny black flares on my Jeep!

To start, there is no such thing as "standard plastic". If you look on the backside of the flare, there is typically a mold mark and a material designator, in this case likely PP for polypropylene which is one of the harder plastics to get stuff to stick to due to its very high surface tension. The adhesion promoter lowers the surface tension which allows paint to stick.

The AP will tell you on the can what it works with or should. It may have a list that include TPO, PO, PO, PE, and ABS.

 

[xxdabroxx]

I feel like adhesion promoter is basically a can of acetone with something to slow evaporation. Directions are usually something to the effect of spray AP on part, hurry the F up before this stuff flashes off and get your paint melted into the plastic.

 

[skrelnik]

Damn...I just did this project yesterday and did not use an adhesion promoter. I now wonder if so should redo this project, with the adhesion promoter, since my flares are pending reinstallation until the nutserts I ordered arrive on Wednesday.

 

[steelhd]

You may have already screwed up by scuffing/ sanding off whatever you used to make them black. Always start whave detergent soap wash followed by a degreaser. Sanding/scuffing/ blasting drives impurities on the surface down into the micro valleys caused by your abrasive. Waxes, silicones, oils, and all the other stuff that hits your vehicle driven into your substrate can cause defects in your finish coat.

 

[Moab]

Well we're done. I just finished painting the flares after putting down the adhesion promoter. I used satin SEM Trim Black. And it appears to have taken perfectly. Most all of the dye came off with grey scotchbrite pads and water. Dried them. Used something to wipe them down. I forget. It wasn't lacquer thinner but something similar. Then I laid down the promoter. And then 3 or 4 light coats of the SEM black paint. I also used red paint can nozzles from a seller on ebay. Which improved the coverage IMMENSELY! I can't recommend them enough. I've used them in the past. And they really get the paint from the can onto your surface to be painted. Also in nice long even coats. Each cap has an adjustable fan spray. You can lay it down vertically or horizontally.

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-...0001&campid=5337789113&icep_item=253074790739
They look just like the SEM paint can nozzles. But the spray is not the same. The red caps lay down the paint MUCH better than standard spray nozzles.

There hanging in the garage drying. We're gonna put them back on tomorrow. Thanks again, @06TJ35's !!!

To the guy that didn't use adhesion promoter. I wouldn't worry about it. I'm just being anal. And it's too much trouble to bother yourself with stripping them again and repainting imho. If your using good paint. It should hold just fine.

 

[Moab]

You may have already screwed up by scuffing/ sanding off whatever you used to make them black. Always start whave detergent soap wash followed by a degreaser. Sanding/scuffing/ blasting drives impurities on the surface down into the micro valleys caused by your abrasive. Waxes, silicones, oils, and all the other stuff that hits your vehicle driven into your substrate can cause defects in your finish coat.

I did wash it first. And prior to putting the black dye on (Forever Black) I used a soap/stripper from them on the flares. And never used anything on them since. Like wax or soap or amroall or anything. But then the black dye wouldn't absorb into the plastic. So it just sort of sat on the plastic without dying it. So getting the flaky dye off was not a problem. As it had simply never soaked into the flares. (Which is weird because Forever Black has worked on every other car I've ever tried it on.) But it did take a fair amount of elbow grease. Which was why I had to use the scotch brite pads and strip the dye off. I guess you could say it stuck partially to the plastic but never soaked in. If that makes sense. So I don't think the job will be hosed. Hopefully. I've got my fingers crossed.

They look great. But if this paint fails for any reason. I'm simply buying a new set, and painting them. As the paint will fade slower than the plastic flares.

We didn't have any trouble from the fittings btw. No spinning nutserts to deal with. I guess that's what I get for buying a Jeep that spent the vast majority of its life in socal. Every fitting came off. None of them broke. We got lucky I guess.

Except for those seat bolts I had to take off earlier in the year. GD!!!! Those were hard to get out. I've had tendonitis in my elbow joint for three months. Finally got approval for an ortho doc visit. And hopefully a cortisone shot.

 

[Rob5589]

Seems like a lot of work to avoid buying a new set of Crown flares from Amazon for 100 bucks. They even come with all new hardware.

 

[Moab]

Seems like a lot of work to avoid buying a new set of Crown flares from Amazon for 100 bucks. They even come with all new hardware.

I considered that. But figured the new plastic is going to fade too. So I should paint them before installing them. So your at about the same amount of effort. And I really do prefer to stick with oem parts as much as I can. Both would last as long. Meaning the paint job.

And I can spend that hundred bucks someplace else on the Jeep. Like put towards my offroad tires budget. Or my OME lift budget. Or my new set of side steps and front bumper budget. I need a Gofundme! lol.

 

[jeepins]

I painted my original flares before buying new ones (mainly because as they age and wear, the texture comes off ) and they just start looking like crap even with a nice new paint finish. But it lasted about 8 good years with driving, washing and shining them up on occasion. They're about 4 years after paint in my avatar pic.

Same method (I wouldn't change a thing):
Remove
Wash well with Dawn
Wipe down with Wax & Grease remover
Adhesion Promoter
2 coats of paint

 

[GregAusTex]

Slow your roll here.

Once you get it back to sun worn grey, grab a heat gun and try it out. Completely restored mine to black with less than an hour of easy work.

 

[mrblaine]

Slow your roll here.

Once you get it back to sun worn grey, grab a heat gun and try it out. Completely restored mine to black with less than an hour of easy work.

Which is splotchy. And, all you're doing is migrating the plasticizers to the surface where the sun can get to them and ruin the appearance even faster. It is a short term half ass solution at best.

 

[JeepZilla380]

Which is splotchy. And, all you're doing is migrating the plasticizers to the surface where the sun can get to them and ruin the appearance even faster. It is a short term half ass solution at best.

x2 on this. It looked good for a short while, and then it didn't. Best thing I did on my Son's 20 year old XJ was clean the plastic parts using Jeepins method (minus adhesion piece) and some Krylon Fusion for Plastic.

 

[Fonz54]

I wouldn’t use Acetone on the flares. It could eat away at the plastic or make them gummy. I’d use denatured alcohol. You can be as dangerous as you want with it and not have to worry.

I sanded my fender flares with 800 wet/dry, then wiped them down with acetone. I then painted them with Krylon Fusion. I think they came out pretty good.

 

[ranger101]

The acetone will definitely work. It’s user error that I can’t control I don’t want somebody soaking them down in acetone and then wondering why their flares are melting haha