If anyone has suffered or is currently living with rails, steps, bumpers, cowl etc etc plastic that is kind of white or chalky here is my fix.
Please note however I am still in the testing phase of this fix, I want to make sure itll handle the abuse of the desert sun. So as with everything use this at your own risk....no that doesnt mean it wont work for you. It just means you cant bitch at me if something doesnt go right
Here is what my rails looked like before I started this project.
I originally picked up some "Forever Black" and was pretty set on using it...except the applicator is too damned small for something as large as our rails, it may do the steps but it may also streak like mad.
As with anything involving color prepping your project is a MUST! If you prep like ass your job will come out like ass.
Here is what I used for the job.
Nitrile gloves
Cleaning solution (used the forever black solution as I liked it. But any mild soap will work)
90+% rubbing alcohol
Towels (both terry and microfiber)
Duplicolor or VHT vinyl dye (may also be called interior, carpet, plastic dye)
First thing is first...remove your rails.
I found it easiest to remove the rails from the tail gate end.
Where the trim meets the tail gate wrap your hand around it and grasp the inside edge of the rail with your finger tips and pull straight up. Itll pop right out, if you need to know exactly what i mean just shoot me a PM.
Now just walk towards the cab popping up the rail gently. The tail gate rail comes off the same way, grab and edge and pull up.
Next you will take the rail and spray it down heavily with your cleaner..both sides.
Once you get it soaked you can scrub it down with a terry towell or like i did and use a soft finger brush. once its clean or any junk rinse it off with cold clean water and dry the rail completely.
Now put on your nitrile gloves (these keep your greasy fingers off the part) and you will use the alcohol to wipe the plastic down...wipe it down good!
This should remove any and all oils that your cleaner did not get.
Once you are done with the wipe down throw down some newspaper, boxes or what not and lay the part on it. Shake your dye can for about a minute or two and begin spraying the part in LIGHT coats and build up. Begin spraying about 6 inches away from the part and continue over the part to the other end and about 6 inches past it. This should help minimize any possible runs you may get...granted runs with dye are not much of an issue as it soaks into the plastic..but why not be careful right? You will be doing ONE complete pass...no multi-spraying. hold the tip down from one end to the other if a steady motion.
Now once you lay this stuff down you will notice that is dries pretty damned fast...you can handle the part within 3-5 minutes of spraying it.
Keep building up the dye untill you get the deep dark black you want
Now I did four coats of this stuff, each coat was a little heavier than the last.
And I allowed about 15-30 minutes between each coat.
When you are ready for your next coat put on your gloves again and wipe the part down gently with a microfiber towell to keep junk off of it. Once you wipe it down respray the part...very simple
once you are done you should have something that looks like this
Please note the close up...the texture is still there so it still looks factory. If this was paint there wouldnt have been any texture left when i was done.
Now just reinstall your rails in reverse order of removal and you are done
A holpful hint when reinstalling the rails is this, line them up correctly and hit the "snaps" on the front edge of the rail first then the inside snaps second. I didnt do this and one snap refused to go in.
Now you are done enjoy a beer and drool at how much better your plastic looks. Yes you can do it on the steps, back bumper, cowl etc..I havent done it yet as like I said this is still in its "testing" phase for me
Please note however I am still in the testing phase of this fix, I want to make sure itll handle the abuse of the desert sun. So as with everything use this at your own risk....no that doesnt mean it wont work for you. It just means you cant bitch at me if something doesnt go right
Here is what my rails looked like before I started this project.
I originally picked up some "Forever Black" and was pretty set on using it...except the applicator is too damned small for something as large as our rails, it may do the steps but it may also streak like mad.
As with anything involving color prepping your project is a MUST! If you prep like ass your job will come out like ass.
Here is what I used for the job.
Nitrile gloves
Cleaning solution (used the forever black solution as I liked it. But any mild soap will work)
90+% rubbing alcohol
Towels (both terry and microfiber)
Duplicolor or VHT vinyl dye (may also be called interior, carpet, plastic dye)
First thing is first...remove your rails.
I found it easiest to remove the rails from the tail gate end.
Where the trim meets the tail gate wrap your hand around it and grasp the inside edge of the rail with your finger tips and pull straight up. Itll pop right out, if you need to know exactly what i mean just shoot me a PM.
Now just walk towards the cab popping up the rail gently. The tail gate rail comes off the same way, grab and edge and pull up.
Next you will take the rail and spray it down heavily with your cleaner..both sides.
Once you get it soaked you can scrub it down with a terry towell or like i did and use a soft finger brush. once its clean or any junk rinse it off with cold clean water and dry the rail completely.
Now put on your nitrile gloves (these keep your greasy fingers off the part) and you will use the alcohol to wipe the plastic down...wipe it down good!
This should remove any and all oils that your cleaner did not get.
Once you are done with the wipe down throw down some newspaper, boxes or what not and lay the part on it. Shake your dye can for about a minute or two and begin spraying the part in LIGHT coats and build up. Begin spraying about 6 inches away from the part and continue over the part to the other end and about 6 inches past it. This should help minimize any possible runs you may get...granted runs with dye are not much of an issue as it soaks into the plastic..but why not be careful right? You will be doing ONE complete pass...no multi-spraying. hold the tip down from one end to the other if a steady motion.
Now once you lay this stuff down you will notice that is dries pretty damned fast...you can handle the part within 3-5 minutes of spraying it.
Keep building up the dye untill you get the deep dark black you want
Now I did four coats of this stuff, each coat was a little heavier than the last.
And I allowed about 15-30 minutes between each coat.
When you are ready for your next coat put on your gloves again and wipe the part down gently with a microfiber towell to keep junk off of it. Once you wipe it down respray the part...very simple
once you are done you should have something that looks like this
Please note the close up...the texture is still there so it still looks factory. If this was paint there wouldnt have been any texture left when i was done.
Now just reinstall your rails in reverse order of removal and you are done
A holpful hint when reinstalling the rails is this, line them up correctly and hit the "snaps" on the front edge of the rail first then the inside snaps second. I didnt do this and one snap refused to go in.
Now you are done enjoy a beer and drool at how much better your plastic looks. Yes you can do it on the steps, back bumper, cowl etc..I havent done it yet as like I said this is still in its "testing" phase for me
