# Can you paint rear shock spring?



## milhouse (Jun 22, 2004)

I know this is a stupid question but I was wondering if I could paint the shock spring from my 6-way without it all flaking off in a few rides. Is there a special paint that’s used form the factory that is more flexible then what you can get at Home Depot? 

I was also thinking of soaking it in paint stripper and spraying a clear coat over the bare metal. Any pointers?


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## COmtbiker12 (Jan 12, 2004)

I might be wrong but it seems that when it compresses it would crack but I dont know, I'm sure there is a special type of paint out there, I bet that a local powder coater or anodizing company would be able to do it for you.


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## SuperNewb (Mar 6, 2004)

milhouse said:


> I know this is a stupid question but I was wondering if I could paint the shock spring from my 6-way without it all flaking off in a few rides. Is there a special paint that's used form the factory that is more flexible then what you can get at Home Depot?
> 
> I was also thinking of soaking it in paint stripper and spraying a clear coat over the bare metal. Any pointers?


I know you can buy paint in a spary can for plastics. Maybe that would take the springy action good. You can buy that hobby RC paint as well. That should hold up too but Im just guessing at that since it works good on my RC trucks body I painted only the scratches show. I forget what type of paint that was though.


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## milhouse (Jun 22, 2004)

COmtbiker12 said:


> I might be wrong but it seems that when it compresses it would crack but I dont know, I'm sure there is a special type of paint out there


Thats what I was thinking


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## robsetsfire (Jan 12, 2004)

milhouse said:


> I know this is a stupid question but I was wondering if I could paint the shock spring from my 6-way without it all flaking off in a few rides. Is there a special paint that's used form the factory that is more flexible then what you can get at Home Depot?
> 
> I was also thinking of soaking it in paint stripper and spraying a clear coat over the bare metal. Any pointers?


If you drop it off at a place that does powder coating and tell them that you want it painted next time they do XXXXX color, they will probably only charge you about $15 for it (since they don't have to do the setup twice). I had a romic spring that was painted grey by a powdercoating place. No problems/flaking at all, since that's how most spring are painted to begin with. If you will pay for setup, they will paint it whatever color you want right away.


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## .WestCoastHucker. (Jan 14, 2004)

you should be fine, i think normal coating is plain powdercoating. the paint will stick if done right, it bonds to the metal anyway............


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## milhouse (Jun 22, 2004)

robsetsfire said:


> If you drop it off at a place that does powder coating and tell them that you want it painted next time they do XXXXX color, they will probably only charge you about $15 for it (since they don't have to do the setup twice). I had a romic spring that was painted grey by a powdercoating place. No problems/flaking at all, since that's how most spring are painted to begin with. If you will pay for setup, they will paint it whatever color you want right away.


Thanks. Did you have to strip off the original powder coating? Would I look in the yellow pages under powder coating?


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## ieatsoap (Jan 21, 2004)

Eup!
Just scotch brite the spring to give the paint something to stick to, a $5 can of Krylon and you got yourself a refurbished spring! 
Mine has about 6 months of riding on it, and no cracks yet... 

Yeah. I put a DC fork on an AC1.


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## skywaybuzz (Dec 31, 2003)

Soap what rollers are they on your MRP


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## ieatsoap (Jan 21, 2004)

skywaybuzz said:


> Soap what rollers are they on your MRP


MRP. 
I just dyed them in a pot of boiling water. Use RIT (color of choice) and REMOVE the bearings before you cook 'em.


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## skywaybuzz (Dec 31, 2003)

Ya I was having chain loss trouble with my MRP rollers being not centered over the plates.My square taper North Shore crank arm went down the spindle more from tightening. Seems I can put another washer behind the roller to move it out.


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## Gman086 (Jul 4, 2004)

Like other have said - bring to a powder coater. They do lots of springs (mainly automotive in custom colors, I've seen some blue ones that look really kewl). They will use a thermoplastic resin that will last about a thousand times longer than Krylon.

G MAN (yes, coatings additives IS my business so I know the gig)


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## BigHit-Maniac (Apr 13, 2004)

I would also think that Pactra Paints would work quite well. They're used to paint Lexan RC Car bodies. I used to be heavily into RC, and Pactra paints were by far the best. One can should do a spring with no problem. The paint is designed to have a "flex" to it... it's made to move with the material its on. As you know, RC car bodies flex WAAAAY more than a spring, and I rarely had cracking problems on my RC car bodies. Usually it'd be all sheared off by stones and dirt before it cracked off. 2-4 layers of your desired color of Pactra... and you should be in business. 

-Matt


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## milhouse (Jun 22, 2004)

Gman086 said:


> Like other have said - bring to a powder coater. They do lots of springs (mainly automotive in custom colors, I've seen some blue ones that look really kewl). They will use a thermoplastic resin that will last about a thousand times longer than Krylon.
> 
> G MAN (yes, coatings additives IS my business so I know the gig)


Thanks for your help. What do I look for in the yellow pages to find people that do powder coating? I looked under powder coating with no luck. Would it be Automotive Painting?


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## robsetsfire (Jan 12, 2004)

milhouse said:


> Thanks. Did you have to strip off the original powder coating? Would I look in the yellow pages under powder coating?


The guy who did it just dropped it off at the PC place... no removal of old paint.

Check the yellow pages.


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