To powdercoat or not to powdercoat??

[Kevco2]

With the whole front end off of my truck, I have been considering having the stamped 4x4 lower control arms powdercoated at a local shop.

When I called and asked, they said parts have to be squeaky clean and brought in just to get a ballpark estimate on cost. Which I do kind of understand but is still a pain in the ass when you are busy.

Has anybody tried this before? I know the 2WD guys get it all the time
How does it tend to hold up over the years being on control arms?
The part I worry about is if they will be able to coat the piece fully to protect the inside as well
Their website talks about gas/contaminant seepage from within metals possibly bubbling up and ruining the powdercoat over time, which they have no control over

Please share your experiences and help me decide if this would be a big mistake for a New England daily driver type truck that does not live in a garage

Thanks,
-Kevco

 

[SUBURBAN5]

This is my input. Anything permanent I would powder coat or bedline. Anything considered a replacement part. I would prim,paint, spray coat with with local cans at the hardware or auto stores. Lot cheaper and I know that when the time came for ball joints or bushing it wouldn't be so bad to change. Kinda like steering components... spray paint, prim, spray coat. But they will be replaced in time and I wouldn't wanna spend the money to keep having it professionally coated every time. That's just me. I prefer to spend money that I know is a permanent structure that needs the protection since gm only waxed our frames lol

 

[Kevco2]

That is along the lines of what I thought too
ESPECIALLY since 4x4 lower control arms are worth 10 times more than their weight in gold
But I am not sure how well powdercoating would get inside the hollow crannies inside the control arm[/QUOTE]

 

[SUBURBAN5]

Well biggest thing is dont neglect the bottom. Especially if you have a lot of salt on the roads throughout the year. Last if I lived somewhere like that I would makes sure to rinse the bottom and maybe make sure to have everything coated before every winter. Meaning make sure no bare metal exposed. And if you see rust take care of it right. If you have rust and you coat it. It will rot underneath.