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I am pleased to announce that we have F150 kits available now on Ebay. There are 2 different listings depending on the model year. One listing supports 2015 to 2020 F150s. The other listing is for 2021 to 2022 F150s. Be sure to order the right kit.
The F150 plates are finished in black powder coating. Powder coating is several dollars more expensive to produce so the F150 kits are $55.
We are also selling F250/350 kits with LatchLid plates in black powder coating (also at $55). Black oxide plates are still available for $50.
dbossman, here is the photo of my rusted LatchLids; both sides are the same; I suspect I received a bad batch. As I explained, I purchased these in November, but they stayed in the unopened box until I received my truck in April. They have been on the truck for 4 months; 3 of those months the truck was in the garage. I live SW Colorado; very dry, no salt. All this rust came from 1 month of exposure. You stated I needed to apply protection a couple times per year; have not reached that PM time yet.
Black oxide coatings require a corrosion inhibitor to prevent rust. This is true on guns, tools, surgical instruments, and auto parts alike. The period of time the corrosion inhibitor lasts is dependent on the environment. Corrosion can happen in days, weeks, or months, depending on the environment.
Our plates are shipped with an oil based corrosion inhibitor applied by the company that actually performs the black oxide coating. I inspect every set before it goes out to insure there are no manufacturing / coating defects. When you first opened the box, you may have noticed an oily feeling to the plates and probably had to even wipe your hands off or wash them after handling the plates. That oily film was the corrosion inhibitor.
I'm sorry yours is showing corrosion so quickly, but it can be addressed with a scotch brite pad and a quick spray of a corrosion inhibitor (boeshield, WD 40 Specialist Corrosion Inhibitor, etc). And as you indicated, you can choose to paint the plates or spray them with bedliner like coating if you prefer.
Black oxide coatings require a corrosion inhibitor to prevent rust. This is true on guns, tools, surgical instruments, and auto parts alike. The period of time the corrosion inhibitor lasts is dependent on the environment. Corrosion can happen in days, weeks, or months, depending on the environment.
Our plates are shipped with an oil based corrosion inhibitor applied by the company that actually performs the black oxide coating. I inspect every set before it goes out to insure there are no manufacturing / coating defects. When you first opened the box, you may have noticed an oily feeling to the plates and probably had to even wipe your hands off or wash them after handling the plates. That oily film was the corrosion inhibitor.
I'm sorry yours is showing corrosion so quickly, but it can be addressed with a scotch brite pad and a quick spray of a corrosion inhibitor (boeshield, WD 40 Specialist Corrosion Inhibitor, etc). And as you indicated, you can choose to paint the plates or spray them with bedliner like coating if you prefer.
Tim
I installed the plates and so far no issues. This is the first time I've heard of corrosion but will watch now more closely. However, the explanation for this case does not make a lot of sense. I see two possible situations. First, this may be an outlier and something did go wrong. In that case, replacement would be the prudent business approach. Having the customer fix it is probably not going to work out in the long run. Secondly, this may not be an outlier and there is a larger problem. Having corrosion/rust this fast is, I'm sorry, not normal. From a customer satisfaction standpoint, doing the right thing is the cost of doing business. Just my opinion.....
If this was a defect, I would gladly approach the situation differently. But it simply is not a defect or an outlier. Like any other product that has a black oxide coating, it will need routine care and maintenance. As I stated above, black oxide itself does not provide much corrosion protection, if any. You have to add a corrosion protection layer to it. And that corrosion protection layer needs to be maintained. Full stop. You don't have to take my word for it, google it.
I started this business as a service to ford truck owners. We have sold the kits to owners across the US and hopefully prevented other truck owners from experiencing what I did with my tail lights being stolen twice (and the full truck was stolen the third time) from my driveway. The prospects of ever making a single dollar of profit are very low. There is simply no margin in this 'business' to refund or swap out products that are not truly defective.
Black oxide coatings require a corrosion inhibitor to prevent rust. This is true on guns, tools, surgical instruments, and auto parts alike. The period of time the corrosion inhibitor lasts is dependent on the environment. Corrosion can happen in days, weeks, or months, depending on the environment.
Our plates are shipped with an oil based corrosion inhibitor applied by the company that actually performs the black oxide coating. I inspect every set before it goes out to insure there are no manufacturing / coating defects. When you first opened the box, you may have noticed an oily feeling to the plates and probably had to even wipe your hands off or wash them after handling the plates. That oily film was the corrosion inhibitor.
I'm sorry yours is showing corrosion so quickly, but it can be addressed with a scotch brite pad and a quick spray of a corrosion inhibitor (boeshield, WD 40 Specialist Corrosion Inhibitor, etc). And as you indicated, you can choose to paint the plates or spray them with bedliner like coating if you prefer.
Tim
No problem, thanks for the tip. I will add to my to do list: "Remove latch lid plates and apply corrosion inhibitor to both sides every month". My advice for those that live in coastal environments or leave their trucks outside; you may want to make this a weekly task.
When I ordered the LatchLid plates, I opted for the powder coated versions to avoid the upkeep of black oxide. Just my opinion, but I don't think black oxide coating is a good option for this application - just too much moisture will get to the plates and having to remove them to treat the back side of the plates would be a chore. However, I see where a black oxide version is less expensive option for those that want to order them. Having said that, if I had gotten the black oxide version, I'd just pull them off and hit them with some primer and paint from a rattle can and not fool with a corrosion inhibitor.
Mine are starting to show some signs of rust. The powder coated version was not available when I purchased mine. I just removed the plates and ran some steel wool over them, and rattle can some flat black Rustoleum over them. Shouldn't be a problem from here on in. No biggie.
Mine are starting to show some signs of rust. The powder coated version was not available when I purchased mine. I just removed the plates and ran some steel wool over them, and rattle can some flat black Rustoleum over them. Shouldn't be a problem from here on in. No biggie.
Same here, I got an early set. They have been painted; moving on. I also added a slight bend so they conform to my tailgate instead of sticking out and added a second screw to hold them on better (the screw going into the taillight plastic is ok, but I think it needed a little more). It is a good product, just needed a little tweaking.
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