Rockers & wheel weels sprayed by Permatech (pics), no more rock chips!

[Steve St.Laurent]

I picked up my truck yesterday after it's surgery last week (I hit a deer a couple of weeks ago). Since they had to work on the rockers anyways I had the body shop fix any corrosion I had from paint chips (hundreds of them) and then had the local Permatech dealer spray from the body line down in a dark grey that is matched to the dark grey on the front bumper (VERY close match in color - not quite exact) and all of the exposed metal inside of the wheelwells in black. I had them spray all the way around the pinch welds on the bottom and all. Also once the fenderliners were removed (for spraying) I found that on BOTH sides of the truck in the front wheel wells toward the front that the liners had worn through the paint in an area about 2 inches in diameter and there was a lot of corrosion there - I had the body shop remove that corrosion too and had the liner place spray a very thin coat of the liner over that area so that it doesn't come back. Any of you guys that plan on keeping your truck for a long time may want to remove those front liners and fix that spot before it rots out the fender from the inside. From the side of the truck you can't even tell unless you look REALLY closely that the inside of the wheel wells is coated, looking straight down from the top of the truck it sticks out about 1/2 a millimeter is all - but that's enough that rocks won't be able to chip it! The body shop was extremely impressed and the manager there is going to have his truck done now too he liked it so much. Now I won't have to spend 20-30 minutes a month repairing chips around the wheel wells, pinch welds, and rockers!! WOOHOOO #ad


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-Steve St. Laurent - President of the Great Lakes TDR
'98 QC LB (CMNSPWR), 4x4, ISB, 5sp, 4. 10 LSD, TST Powermax3, 275hp RV injectors, Joe Donnelly modifed Sachs Clutch, custom ladder bars, SW fuel pressure gauge, BD exhaust brake, Isspro turbo temp monitor, front Draw-Tite receiver, rear Draw-Tite class V receiver, BFG 285/75R16 AT KO's, (all the common stuff clipped)


[This message has been edited by Steve St. Laurent (edited 03-28-2001). ]

 

[Spooled-up]

Steve,
Nice looking BOMB. I can't find any mudflaps that I like so I've been thinking about doing the same to my '99 Sport but using the Northwest Custom stainless rockers and having the Permatech sprayed below the stainless. I have the Permatech sprayed into the bed and really like it.

How much did they charge? My guess is this isn't one of their "normal" services and would be subject to a PITA charge. Guess it's just a matter of finding a good shop to do it.

Do you think the textured surface of the stuff will clean up after it gets road grime all over it? Is there any way to take the texture out of it?

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'99 2500 4x4 long bed quad cab auto with sport package.
My Toys

[This message has been edited by David Kelley (edited 03-27-2001). ]

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

They charged me $330 to do it and I asked him afterwards if he's interested in doing more at that price and he said yes that he quoted it properly. Now in my case it was delivered to him with the rear bumper removed, my nerf bars removed (I'll put those back on when it warms up again), fender liners removed and the paint already scuffed - the body shop did most of that except removing the nerf bars so it may cost more if you deliver the truck whole. Also, since it was two different colors and color matched on the bottom if you just went with all black it may be a little less. On the stainless rockers here's something to consider - I had stainless rocker panels on my truck before this and some of the corners had bitten into the paint and started some corrosion there, that's why I wanted them gone. Given how much longer the truck's body is going to last now and the time I won't have to spend fixing all those chips it's well worth it IMO.

As to cleaning up the textured surface I don't think it will be too hard since the stuff resists chemicals, fuels, oils, etc if need be I should be able to use strong cleaners on it. I guess we'll see! #ad
They can spray it on smooth (the insides of the wheel wells is smooth) BUT you may have some sags or drips in it (I have one the driver's side rear wheel well) and the textured surface hides that. Also if you get any cuts or knicks in it the textured surface would hide that too.

-Steve


[This message has been edited by Steve St. Laurent (edited 03-27-2001). ]

 

[KatDiesel]

Thanks for the pics Steve. How thick is it sprayed? 1/16th" ? or an 1/8th"?

I like the bedliner so far, looks good. I intend to do my rockers soon I just have to decide if I want to go with a color like you did (match the bumper) or if I wanna match my trucks color again..... and then of course have to decide if I want the metallic flakes in it... ... ... .....

Thanks again for the pics, looks good.

 

[Spooled-up]

Steve,
What kind of rocker panels did you have? Did the adhesive go all the way to the edge? Do you think they all bend over on the corners and dig into the paint? I plan on keeping this truck for a very long time and don't want to do anything to start corrosion. Thanks.

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'99 2500 4x4 long bed quad cab auto with sport package.
My Toys

 

[Cooker]

Here's a possible way to save $20 or $30.
http://www.perma-tech.com/sprayon/coupon.htm

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

Kat - 1/16th

David - I've not looked at anyone else's stainless rockers so I can't really say whether I think they'd all do it. The adhesive on mine came very close to the edge but not quite there. I've got to tell you that I've already had several comments about the truck and I just picked it up monday night! It think it looks a lot better now than it did with the stainless and it is virtually impervious to rock chips from the tires. Not only that but this is almost zero maintenance and at least in my area I had to polish mine each spring big time to get the corrosion off from winter.

-Steve

 

[Spooled-up]

John,
I also was told that Perma-tech was the only one that could color match. Everyone else as far as I know has standard colors that they use. This was when I went to have my bed done about 7 mos. ago, so it may not be true now. I think Steve has the best solution to the rock chip problem.

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'99 2500 4x4 long bed quad cab auto with sport package.
My Toys

 

[Pete Peterson]

Rhino and Line-X can both color match,they just won't give you any type of warranty on the color fade issue. Perma-tech will give you a fade warranty in writing.

John, we have a Perma-tech dealer over in Raleigh, was thinking about giving them a call... ... ... . Pete

 

[Doc Tinker]

That looks good, Steve

 

[David_VT]

Steve, I love the look!! (hey, didn't you guys get any snow this year? unfair!!!)

FYI: A line-x dealer up here in VT talked me out of spraying down low with his product.

He claims that the dodge bodywork curves makes it real difficult to get a perfect seal the the top edge of the spray. What he has seen with his customer's is that water gets behind the material and once it freezes the expansion causes the material to start popping. It is a real slow process but nevertheless unstoppable.

Food for thought, if you are in a cold area talk to your dealer and make sure the warranty will cover this kind of failure.


[This message has been edited by David_VT (edited 03-28-2001). ]

 

[John_P]

My sincere thanks to everyone who
responded to my question!

Pete, I guess we will have to give
"Perma-Tech" a call in Raleigh.

----------
John_P

 

[sweeks]

Guys; I've had my bedliner and rocker panels Line-X'd for about a year now. Get compliments on it from almost everybody who sees it. My truck is bronze w/dark charcoal rockers,looks sharp as a tack and absolutely no chips/wear/fading. Whether you get line-X,Perma-tech or Rhino, I think it's the way to go. Lifetime warranty, too. (Try getting that on your rocker panel paint!)One added bonus--truck takes alot less time and effort to wax. #ad


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2001 2500 4x4LB,6-speed,HO engine,SLT,towing mirrors,Med. Bronze W/Dark Charcoal Line-x bedliner and rocker panels,CB,Banks EGT/Boost pillar mounted guages,Jacobs E-brake,etc.

 

[Spooled-up]

Thanks Steve. I hadn't heard anything good or bad about the stainless rockers. I was hoping for a low maintenance way to protect from the rocks, but they are obviously not what I expected. I'm going to see what the Permatech dealer can do to match the paint as I have no two tone on mine. It would have to match the rest of the truck. You probably saved me from a modification that I would not have been happy with.

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'99 2500 4x4 long bed quad cab auto with sport package.
My Toys

 

[Spooled-up]

Thanks Steve. I hadn't heard anything good or bad about the stainless rockers. I was hoping for a low maintenance way to protect from the rocks, but they are obviously not what I expected. I'm going to see what the Permatech dealer can do to match the paint as I have no two tone on mine. It would have to match the rest of the truck. You probably saved me from a modification that I would not have been happy with.

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'99 2500 4x4 long bed quad cab auto with sport package.
My Toys

 

[John_P]

Steve:

Your truck looks good! Do you think the
same thing could be done with the "Line X"
material. We have a dealer near us that
uses their material. I am in the same
boat as David. I would have to have mine
sprayed the same color as my truck.

Thanks for your input.

-------
John_P

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Red '96 4x4 2500 Auto 3. 54, TST #5, Major Pump Mods(By "Scheid Diesel") 370 Diamond B Injectors, Gov. Spring kit, AFC Spring kit, Banks Exhaust, Prime Loc, Cummins Chrome Kit,Psychotty Air Filter, Pro-Torque Converter, BD Valve Body, BD Pressure Loc, Isspro Gauges, Sendel 16" Alum Wheels w/ 33" BFGs

 

[KatDiesel]

Originally posted by John_P:
Do you think the
same thing could be done with the "Line X"
material. We have a dealer near us that
uses their material. I am in the same
boat as David. I would have to have mine
sprayed the same color as my truck.

<font color=blue>Check with the Line X dealer, but I was "told" that Perma-Tech are the only ones that can color match... ... I haven't talked to a Line-X dealer to see or not. The reason I went Perma-Tech is because its garenteed 100% against UV fading. The rocker panels can be done with any of the materials, but matching your truck will be the tricky part. I'll be doing the same as Steve here shortly on my rockers..... I love the bedliner so far, looks good.

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

I don't see why you couldn't use line-x but I don't really know anything about their product. I had a Rhino liner in my last truck and it faded, I put a permatech in this one and after a year and a half it still looks like brand new plus I knew the quality of their work. The things you want to make sure of is that they warranty against color fade as well as application. According to the guy that did mine darker colors are less likely to fade then lighter colors. Make sure you've seen their work and that they are willing to take the time to do it right, in my case the owner of the shop wanted to do it himself so I had to wait for a weekend so he could do it. You want someone that has LOTS of experience because you are trying to cover areas at angles they don't normally do (like up). If you guys are really concerned about color match I'd have him make some up and do a test piece so you can compare to be sure before having it applied - that will cost you more probably because they'll have to waste some I'm pretty sure but I think it would be worth it. Also make sure he knows EXACTLY what you want because there can be confusion - I was there when he was taping it off to make sure he knew exactly what I was looking for. They had a case once where they applied more than the owner had wanted (I heard this from the body shop, they did the repair). Don't forget if you would like to go two tone you could do so now - it will cover everything, mine is a much darker grey than was on it before.

-Steve


[This message has been edited by Steve St. Laurent (edited 03-28-2001). ]

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

Washed the truck on saturday and I've never had cleaning the rockers go so fast! They've been doing a lot of road repairs around here so there was a lot of road tar on the rockers already. All I did was wet them down and do a quick once over with a sponge and everything came right off! I hope it stays this easy! #ad


-Steve