albion
Veteran Member
Does anyone paint or anodize their aluminum skid plate? I'm just wondering how it fares with lots of road salt. Does anyone happen to know what alloy it is?
Salt & Panzer Plate
- Thread starter albion
- Start date
BRIAN427COBRA
Veteran Member
I think its Clad T6, I would paint mine if I lived in the land of salt, just degrease the hell out of it, and get some engine paint to protect it.
EddyKilowatt
Veteran Member
Evolution skidplate is 5052 per their website. That's a marine grade alloy, they build ship hulls for ocean use from it... should handle road salt OK without paint. However, galvanic corrosion is an issue if it's in contact with steel or other non-aluminum metal parts... I believe Evolution is on top of this as I've seen reference to isolation washers supplied by them for this purpose.
Don't know what alloy the Panzer Plate's made out of...
Eddy
Don't know what alloy the Panzer Plate's made out of...
Eddy
realslimshaver
Veteran Member
when aluminium rusts it rusts a white colour. Look at an old aluminium ladder. there is something different about when aluminium rusts, the surface rusts easily but the rust it self actually prevents more rust because it prevents oxygen from penetrating deeper into the aluminium… or so I remember its been a few years sense grade 11 science class
EARL97850
Veteran Member
I got to get me a plate of some kind or I have a feeling I'm going to be sorry one of these days.
Cya
Cya
rjr311
Veteran Member
Before you install it prep it with a rust coater like "POR15 Metal Ready" that will place a small amount of protective surface level rust on the metal and then spray it with a "truck bed liner" coating. Side benefit will be a slight reduction on noise.
Rob
Rob
lupin..the..3rd
Veteran Member
Al does indeed "rust". Develops a white powdery texture as others have said. For precision Al parts exposed to the elements, I would protect them. For a large metal plate, probably not necessary. 15 year old Al brake calipers from Porsche can be "rusted" enough that it's quite difficult to fit new pads into them. A non-issue IMHO on a large "non-precision" piece like a skid plate.
BRIAN427COBRA
Veteran Member
NO, Aluminum does not rust, it corrodes.
SVTWEB
Veteran Member
Well..... Technically it oxidizes.
FlyTDI Guy
Top Post Dawg
5086 would be a better choice...
spiceredwagon
Veteran Member
Just had my Panzer plate off the Jetta to change the oil. I need to do something about the galvanic corrosion around the mounting washers or the plate will fall off next winter. I am thinking I should make some teflon washers out of my wife's cutting boards. Can any one think of a better solution? What can I do to improve the thinned plate that already corroded? Road salt sucks, I wish they would just use sand without the salt.
mech644
Veteran Member
Tef-Jel, has worked great for me with combos of SS, Alum, composites, etc.
http://www.tefgel.com/contain.php?param=tefgel_infor
http://www.tefgel.com/contain.php?param=tefgel_infor
LiLredTDI
Veteran Member
Just get some fiber or plastic washers. Back them with stainless or galvanized ones to attach the plate. Probably would not hurt to get thia stuff called NO OX. It is sold at hardware stores.home detp. eclectical supply houses. It is for electrical wires that are aluminum but clamped in a copper connector. Put some on the bolts.
Just painting aluminus usually does not work that well. Get a product call wilbond and apply it first before painting.
Just painting aluminus usually does not work that well. Get a product call wilbond and apply it first before painting.
diesel-dave
Veteran Member
get plastic spacer washers evolutions new kit comes with it.. spray some sound killer on it.
scurvy
Good Ol' Boy
The two on my cars survived years of sandblasting by overzealous Cook County salt truck drivers. No issues at all - they get more wear from debris in the road than salt will ever do to them.