Painting springs? Correct preparation???

[Jimi137]

Right, ive managed 2 get hold of some spax lowering springs but they aint in perfect condition. They are structurally sound but they have quite a bit of surface rust and the red paint is flaking off. Im thinking that b4 i put them on my car it wud be worth hammeriting them to make sure they dont get any worse but am unsure of how to do this. Can i literally just buy a tin of paint and paint them straight away or do they need preping? Should i sand them down to get them as smooth as possible? Should i give them a clean as well cuz there covered in a thin layer of black brake and road dust? Any help wud be greatly appreciated as i want 2 get it right first time

[LesterPiglet1]

If you are using hammerite all you need to do is wire brush the loose stuff off. Wonder will the paint stay on long.

[Jimi137]

I dont have a wire brush unfortunately - would sandpaper do the trick or should i buy a wire brush and do it properly?

[T10NY-R]

you wouldnt be able to do it properly with a brush .. sand paper will work

[Jimi137]

kk kwl gdgd thnx. i'll give them a quick go over with some sandpaper then

[Jimi137]

Right they were a bit dirty so ive given them a quick wash down with a cloth and some fairy liquid and im gonna sand them down a bit 2moz. im guessing they dont have 2 be perfectly smooth right?

[T10NY-R]

correct .. if you find your feelin for rough patches youve gone too far .. just pretendin ur washin em lol you wont see them anyway on the car.

[roperstun]

you only need to lightly go over them to remove any lose bits.

hammerite is designed to go straight onto rust

[T10NY-R]

Ifyou aint done it yet you might find it easier usin a spray can than a brush

[breathecosse]

Get them powdercoated. Mine cost 20quid for the 4 of them.

[Jimi137]

Nice. Thats pretty gd value but a tin of hammerrite cost 7 quid and im trying 2 save some dollar atm. The springs themselves only cost 15 quid so it would be silly to spend more than they are worth just to get them powercoated. also ive got the tin not the spray can - i would have thought that wud be easier as cuz of the shape a brush wud be better to follow the coils round with. i wud have thought a spray can wud have been in danger of missing some bits

[LesterPiglet1]

As roperstun says hammerite is made to cover and stop rust so a wire brush is enough but sand them if you wish. Also brushing instead of spraying springs is much more efficient.