Painting rusting pickup truck step rails?

[Farmer17]

I hate the looks of step rails on a truck but my wife was needing me to install some on mine after her back surgery so I attached some black rails on my 2018 Ram Quad Cab. After about 4 years they started rusting so I sprayed them with some aerosol black paint and they looked fine but the rust would come back even worse pretty quickly. I know they also make an aerosol spray primer that supposedly turn rust into primer and I have an offset grinder I could install a wire brush but it seems like they might be rusting from the inside out because the paint comes off in fairly large areas and the metal is then very rough. They were not very expensive should I try to fix them or just buy a new set that's powder coated?

 

[venomballistics]

Brush it reasonably clean, prime with zinc chromate, paint as desired

 

[Marine Corps Air]

Painting rusting pickup truck step rails

As I understand it, rust is metal oxidation. Painting over it, without cleaning the rust, doesn't stop the oxidation. In the past I first cleaned the rust with a steel wire brush. Then I used Naval Jelly painted on the rust with a paint brush. Water will neutralize the Naval Jelly. Clean the area again, prime it, and then paint it.

I hope that this help.

Bill

 

[Alk8944]

There are several products available known as "conversion coatings" that are supposed to convert/neutralize rust. Check with your auto supply stores.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

My pick-up's step rails rusted into mush in a little under 7 years. I had them replaced with stainless steel that is powder coated black. It was the same price for 7-foot and 8-foot rails. The 7 footers left a gap in front of the rear tires. The 8 footers just look so good!

Ivan

 

[venomballistics]

As I understand it, rust is metal oxidation. Painting over it, without cleaning the rust, doesn't stop the oxidation. In the past I first cleaned the rust with a steel wire brush. Then I used Naval Jelly painted on the rust with a paint brush. Water will neutralize the Naval Jelly. Clean the area again, prime it, and then paint it.

I hope that this help.

Bill

Zinc chromate primer will allow a good amount of latitude. Otherwise you're in the futile pursuit of perfection trying not to miss a pin hole pocket of rust.

 

[Vtgw938]

Rust is forever, get some new ones.

 

[wood714]

I'd buy a set of aluminum ones.

My 2018 came with them, and they look the same as the day I bought it.

 

[Eric300]

I would just replace them with powder coated aluminum ones. The OEM chrome ones on my 2011 F250 Super Duty were a pain to clean and they started to rust. Plus, dirt from the dirty roads that I live on would shoot up under the doors, not to mention the salt on the roads during Michigan winters. About a month ago I took the OEM ones off and installed black aluminum ones. They set up higher and now no more dirt under the doors and no more rust.