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Powder Coating A-Arms?


2strokeshees

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I hear when you powder coat stock a-arms it screws the ball joints up melting the plastic an rubber. I was told by a guy on here <_< that they cant be replaced. Anyone experience this or can they be replaced, Im not home for a couple days and cant look at them? Thanks

Edited by 2strokeshees
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Some guys say you can cure the powder with a heat lamp and it won't melt the plastic bearing int the ball joint. But if the powder is not hot enough, it won't cure properly and won't stick. If it is cured in an oven, it will melt the plastic bearing in the balll joint. This will make the entire A or J arm useless as nothing(not the plastic bearing or the ball joint itself) is replaceable in the stock arms. If you want to powder coat your arms, you need to get aftermarket arms with replaceable ball joints so they can be removed during the powder process. You can however have the stock arms chrome plated and it won't hurt the ball joint. But if you are spending the money for chrome, I would do it to new arms so you get maximum life from the chrome( the ball joints won't be loose 6 months after you do the chrome). You can buy aftermarket arms for way less money than the stockers. So your choices are either paint or chrome the ones you have or buy aftermarket ones and then you can powdercoat or chrome the new ones.

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I hear when you powder coat stock a-arms it screws the ball joints up melting the plastic an rubber. I was told by a guy on here <_< that they cant be replaced. Anyone experience this or can they be replaced, Im not home for a couple days and cant look at them? Thanks

i powdercoated my a-arms on both my banshees !it did melt the nylon in there but i havnt had any issues... :shrugani:

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i powdercoated my a-arms on both my banshees !it did melt the nylon in there but i havnt had any issues... :shrugani:

I too, have done several sets. I did the first set back in 2004 for my buddy. He's 380lbs, on stock arms. No issues to speak of. All the balljoints are still tight and working great. You have to orient the arm right so the nylon melts, and re-sets itself in the right way. I had to cut open a set of stock arms to find out exactly how to build the rack for the oven.

 

Also, protip. Nylon-6, which is what is used in the balljoints, melts at 420*F.

 

Whether it be Nylon-11 (365F), Nylon-6.6 (490F), or Nylon-6 (420F), I've never used a powder that requires higher temps than 350. I'm sure there are some out there, but I've never used any.

 

With that being said, I'd never powder a set of arms with questionable balljoints, but I've done it several times with success.

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I have never done it but I know people that have and they have had good luck with it. Just kind of scares me a little bit.

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