From: "Landcruiser" To: "LCML" Subject: [LCML] RE: Slipplate rust Reply-To: landcruisers@birfield.com Date: Thu, 20 Feb 2003 09:18:19 -0800 For those of you following this thread, the manufacturer of SP emailed me back, it is not the actual leaf metal that is rusting, it is the slipplate paint that is rusting! See below. According to them it should happen once and stop, very much a relief! Noah Noah, One of two things is happening. Either there was a lot of rust still on the surface prior to the application of Slip Plate and it has leached back through or the impurities found in graphite are rusting. We have seen the 2nd possibility a few times in the past. Graphite is a carbon form and if the impurities are high they will rust. One way to tell is to scrape with your finger nail where the rust is. If the rust comes off then the theory mentioned would be what's happening. If this is the case, the impurities are so fine that once they rust, they are gone soon after. This would not have any negative effect on the life of the spring. As for painting over the Slip Plate, this would not work well as the paint would not bond to the Slip Plate well enough. Mike Schmidt Acrotech Industries, Inc. http://www.acrotech.com Message: 4 From: "Landcruiser" To: "LCML" Cc: Date: Wed, 19 Feb 2003 22:12:08 -0800 Subject: [LCML] Re: Slip plate rust bleeding Reply-To: landcruisers@birfield.com You are not wrong, the SP directions say it CAN be applied to bare metal, NOT! They also say that you are not supposed to use any grease or solvents on the dried up slipplate. I agree, I can't handle doing that all over again. I think I will just spray the completed packs with some clearcoat and then maybe use some WD40 or something on top of them after they are installed and hope for the best. Maybe this is a good excuse to buy some custom ones after several years, heck I may wear them out by that time and need new ones anyhow (5+ years?) Later, noah Message: 15 Date: Wed, 19 Feb 2003 21:06:24 -0800 (PST) From: John Worthen Subject: Re: [LCML] Slip plate rust bleeding To: landcruisers@birfield.com Reply-To: landcruisers@birfield.com got the same thing on mine...could have sworn that the SP said it could be put on bare metal. guess I was wrong. I don't really have the time (or patience) to tkae them apart/clean/repaint again, so I will most likely spray them with a mixture of gear oil and diesel, as I have heard this coats them nicely and keeps the rust away. Landcruiser wrote:Was wondering if anyone else has had this problem with slipplate paint used on leaf springs? I recently took apart some stock 40 springs, wire wheeled them and coated them in 2 coats of brushed on slip plate. I let them dry for several days and left them outside in the rain. They are now becoming rust colored. It looks as if the metal under the slipplate is rusting through and bleeding through the slipplate paint. I am very dissapointed to say the least as I put a lot of work into these darn springs. I expected the slip plate to protect the bare metal from rusting better than this? Is there anything I can do now to remedy this or will I have to live with the springs rusting away after I put them on the car? I was thinking I could put them all together and then spray them with standard black spraypaint to cover and protect the outside of the spring pack? Not sure if standard paint would stick to the graphite based slipplate paint? I was also thinking of using a coat of wd40 or something on the assembled spring packs to ward off moisture but the directions for the splate recommend no solvents to be used. Any help is appreciated. Noah Noah Baldwin 1973 FJ40 San Diego, CA 99 V8 Vortec/SM465/SAG PS/33'BFG MT/Ranger OD/Stock TC/ARB's F+R/Onboard Air/4' Lift/Rear Storage/Soon to be Beige with Black Trim! http://www.imagestation.com/members/1973Guppie