LineX Floors?

[railroad]

I have a T with a solid aluminum plate (1/4") floor. The hump and all are one piece. I had carpet, but did not like it, so I am considering something like LineX or similar product. I asked a LineX dealer about it and he was all over it, until I told him it was alum. He said, he had problems with it staying attached to the alum. Has anyone tried anything like this and on alum. Issues, points, tips or advise appreciated.

 

[Keeper]

Could you prime the aluminum? When I had my truck done all they did was scuff the paint and spray it.

Maybe bare metal would cause issues, I dunno.

 

[railroad]

The distributor said, he primed the alum on the second try and still had problems. Maybe his alum was not ridged.

 

[WMG]

Coated some alum some time ago. Used the bed liner kit from pep boys, scuffed up the alum lightly and so far it has stuck well. The pieces are actually used in a stair that has some slip issues 2 years so far so good

 

[railroad]

Coated some alum some time ago. Used the bed liner kit from pep boys, scuffed up the alum lightly and so far it has stuck well. The pieces are actually used in a stair that has some slip issues 2 years so far so good

My intentions were to do it myself. I happened to be at a LineX dealer buying a bed rug for my new truck. That is what I wanted to hear. I will Scotch brite the metal and give it a try. Do you recall the brand name you used?
Thanks for the information.

 

[TriodeLuvr]

The distributor said, he primed the alum on the second try and still had problems. Maybe his alum was not ridged.

Maybe he used the wrong primer. I've used "self-etching" primer made by Krylon on aluminum motorcycle parts, and the paint has lasted five years out in the weather. The other option is to have the piece clear anodized before painting. That prevents the layer of loose oxide from forming that causes adhesion to fail.

Jack

 

[WMG]

My intentions were to do it myself. I happened to be at a LineX dealer buying a bed rug for my new truck. That is what I wanted to hear. I will Scotch brite the metal and give it a try. Do you recall the brand name you used?
Thanks for the information.

Unfortunately I do not remember the brand name. Just got it off the shelf at Pep Boys, came in one quart container. They also had gallon sizes. Found that if you use a medium nap roller you get good coverage just shake and stir well

 

[Screaming Metal]

Well, far be it from me to tell anyone how to paint or do body work, at that I'm a total nub, my specialty is going down the asphalt with extreme prejudice....
We were loading a tractor/trailer up with a car, just before they were going to a big event. We had some pieces of 4" wide pieces of 1/4 alum. floorplate cut, 8' long, and the metal place that cut them for the shop broke the pieces at 2", that way when we run cords or air hoses under them across where we're rolling cars and such, we won't mess up our cords/ hoses.
Anyway, one of the guys used a couple of these to hold up a couple of pieces that were to be painted. Afterward, he got the big sand blaster out back to blast the paint off, well, he did all 3 of those pieces he used back in his area of the shop.
He'd bought a Ford 1-Ton Dually about 6 months afterwards, and wanted to put in some bedliner, so he went to the parts store and get a gallon or so with rollers.
Well, he spilt some of the liner on those alum pieces and the black stuff would not wipe off that blasted alum. surface. So, after he did the bed, he threw those alum. pieces up on some metal horses, and rolled some bed liner on them. That has been a few years ago.... he had gave a couple of his to some crews to use at events, and with them painted bedliner black, they blend into the asphalt at the tracks. Some teams put light colored heavy cloth or blanket beside their haulers so if they drop any parts they can see them easily. That one team used those alum. pieces and they loved them, had several more made up and painted them black also. Bedliner has stayed on there for years....I even do them around the shop now....looks neater....

 

[railroad]

Thanks for the info. I was speaking with someone today about my intensions. I like to discuss things like this and get all the feed back possible. Besides the do and don'ts, I usually get a tip or two for the work.
thanks,

 

[Screaming Metal]

Yea, RR, I believe it all has to do with the surface prep. We've run some alum. blocked motors before, and we rough the things up with the sandblaster. We've never had the Paint not stick....it even survives the pressure washing on the outside....
Like I said, I totally know nothing about paint, adhesion, but if you blast that floorplate, and give that kinda rough, cast alum. finish, that bedliner will attach and not go anywhere....

 

[benT]

Agree with above - the prep is key. We get a lot of "rework" parts that customers bring in that they have been powdercoated by others that are failing. Many shops don't do a thorough clean and blast prep - many skip a step or two and it will eventually delaminate. This is true for any coating - paint, bedliner, undercoat, etc...

If you blast or sand the floor, you should be fine. I doubt the Line-X guys do much more than a quick scotch-brite and degrease.