Chassis finish durability

[JosephS]

Has anyone worked on restoring a number of chassis with different finish types for runners?
Anodizing type 2 vs hard type 3 vs power coat vs paint?

Can anything stand up to the scrapes of bashing?

[juicedcoupe]

Any hit hard enough to scrape the aluminum will absolutely damage any coating.

Powder coating and paint are even less durable.

[radioactivity]

I would think chassis protector film or scraps from a paint protector shop ( X Pel, 3m etc) would be some of the best options.


Chuck

[juicedcoupe]

I would think chassis protector film or scraps from a paint protector shop ( X Pel, 3m etc) would be some of the best options.


Chuck

This.

Think of the film as a sacrificial layer.

[JosephS]

I would think chassis protector film or scraps from a paint protector shop ( X Pel, 3m etc) would be some of the best options.

Chuck

I have some Xpel Armor https://www.xpel.com/shop/paint-protection-film/armor and I am pretty disappointed with it, as I was expecting a miracle and it tore up pretty quick.

[juicedcoupe]

Let's be honest. If your bashing is rough enough to gouge up an aluminum chassis, why would you expect a thin sheet of plastic to fair any better?

My suggestion. If your bashing is that rough, get something taller.

[JosephS]

Honestly slipping with a screwdriver or pliers is enough to scratch regular anodizing. I’d been specificity shopping for nylon tools and they have helped.

I kind of figured that anything enough to remove significant aluminum is going to do so no matter what.


But I am still curious about something that may be able to stand up to some kind of abrasive. Regular anodizing is just crazy easy to scratch.

Is power coated aluminum better? Do hard anodized pieces like the worlds chassis just stand up better than the original one or is the advantage only on paper?

[XLR8]

Bed liner perhaps? It's thick and rubbery so rocks might bounce off and it could be touched-up or re-applied as it wears away.
Anyway, it's just a thought. I've never actually tried using bed liner.

[Frankentruck]

Full scale car people seem to love Plasti-dip. Maybe that would be an option. It might be heavy though.