my bumper is faded and the chrome is cracking so i want to paint it and i like to know are they any special thing i need to do to get the paint to stick to it or do i need to get a new one. i havent seen any where to get paintable stock bumpers.

 

getnbz,

To change a stock chrome bumper to a painted bumper, you have to remove all the chrome (sander or sand-blasting). Once you're down to raw metal and all the chrome has been removed, you must go over the bumper with lighter and lighter grit sandpaper to level it and to smooth it for paint prep. Clean the surface thoroughly with a good solvent and let dry. "Dust" on a light coat of metal ready paint primer. Do NOT apply a full coat of primer on the first round. Let dry. Second round of primer should get you full coverage, but do NOT apply it heavily, just let the second (cover) coat build up by "dusting" it back and forth, over and over, until the bumper area to be painted is fully covered with primer. Let dry. Check surface and sand again with 0000 grit sandpaper. Clean with solvent and let dry again if you had to sand again.

Apply paint in the same manner as the primer: a light dusting at first, then the second application gets "dusted" on until full coverage is achieved. You should consider looking for a paint system that has clearcoat in it, especially if the rest of the truck's paint is clear-coated.

An alternative option: have the chrome sand-blasted off. Take bumper to body/paint shop and let them do it professionally. Probably wouldn't be more than a couple hundred bucks.

But that decision is entirely up to you and it depends on if you have and can use a sander or sand-blaster; and if you know what paint system to use and have the tools and know-how to apply the prep/prime/paint correctly! A body/paint shop s/b able to do the whole bumper in a day or two.

Good luck whichever way you choose to go!

 

easiest....

order an xlt sport bumper from ford, comes primed and non painted. it's what ill do once i trash this chrome one..

 

Or you can just order a plain XL bumper, proboly be cheapest. You can also ask a body shop to order a aftermarket replacement bumper. that would be the cheapest route to go and have them paint it as well

 

Slightly used excursion/superduty bumpers that are all black, dark graphite or chrome are available on ebay all the time for around $200 for the front... Less for a rear.

Thats where I bought mine.

 

I dont know what color your after, but I just took delivery of my SD yesterday and I have bright red bumpers for sale as I have already bought chrome ones.

 

I bought a Monochrome paint on my 2003 SD and tell you the truth even though it looks awesome. Its not cost worthy. with less then 6000 miles i had chips and rust on my $40,000 truck... just something to think about....

 

Same here.....I love the look of my super duty with the sport package......I do a lot of driving....20K a year....and a lot of highway miles....after 21K on my truck....lots of chips and pits filled with rust.......love the look.......hate the chips and rust!!!!!!!

 

Do a search...
There was someone just last week looking to swap....