hey guys,

I am about to purchase one of the westin bull bars i was just wondering if any of you have had any trouble with rust pertaining to the black powder coated one? I just spoke with the guy at van and truck world and he told me to stay away from it. The black one was the one I was just about to order.
Thanks for any input.

 

I had a Safari bar on my 01 that I had painted to match my truck, I simply took it off in the winter. I left the brackets there, but just unbolted the two bolts that held it on. I made a quick release for the fog lights too. It solved all my worrying about rust.



^ you can see the Brackets in this pic.

 

I have had the Westin black bull bar for several months now. I haven't had really any problems. There is one nick in the black paint from where a rock hit it, but it's so small, it has a little rust spot in the nick, but you can't tell unless you get like RIGHT up on it. Other than that, I love mine. I had to make custom brackets for mine, since I am body lifted. I did have to use mine as a tow hook one time. Since the body lift eliminates the tow hooks (unless you cut the valence), I had to be pulled out from the front. No one could get through the creek to pull me out backwards (I was coming back across the creek). So I had no choice, I trusted my fabed 3/8 thick steel brackets, and they held up, F250 pulled me out by them with a tow strap with no problems! I wouldn't recommend this unless you have NO other options, water was almost in my truck though : (

 

well thats my concern... I dont think i want to be taking off the bull bar every winter. And I do believe its going to get chiped. I go outside and look at my front bumper and i dont do any off roading and i got many rock chips on that. So now i wonder do i spend the extra 100 bucks and get the chrome one? I do like the look of the black one a little more but i dont think i want to deal with rust either.

 

Get it, sand it down, and paint it with POR 15.

 

well even with the possible rust issue i am still leaning toward the black one. I do think the chrome one looks a little to flashy and I dont think that it really suits my truck.. Its a little to flashy for me.

 

My quick answer is that the Black one will last a while if your state does not use salt on the roads. If they do, I would not get a black painted one as they will rust and you will not be happy with it in 3-4 years.

BTW I am an authorized retailer the Westin product line, I sent you a PM, Lets chat about prices and see what I can save you.

 

two yrs strong here with one of he road salt capitials and no signs of wear. make sure u wash it every week if possible...like u should with ur ruck if its covered with road sdalt.

 

Both the Chrome and black one are gonna rust in time.. the Chrome is gonna be worse because 9999% of the time aftermarket chrome jobs are really thin and just down right sucks.. it is more expansive to have something sand blasted and rechromed. then buying a black bar and when it does rust recoating it professionally or yourself.. get the black and enjoy....

granted i dont own a bull bar but same process when my bar started rusting after owning it 1 or so years i recoated it with bedliner stuff. its been like over 2 years now and it looks better then when i bought it still.. just FYI

https://www.ranger-forums.com/forum2...ead.php?t=5634

 

hey guys thanks very much for the responses... redneck i really like what you did using the spray on truck liner.. i have my truck bed line x'd andi love it.. your bars look great coated with that stuff aswell so when the bars begin to rust i can maybe do something like that also.. thanks again guys.

 

no problem.. glad we all could help...

 

Zach - Normaly I would agree with you, However the Westin bull bar is a Stainless Steel coated with a crome finish. Stainless steel will NEVER rust! It will discolor and turn a yellowish tint, but will never rust. The Chrome Stainless is backed by a LIFETIME WARRANTY. It is NOT a limited Warranty, it is a FULL WARRANTY. If for any reason is should fail (in any aspect) it would be replaced free of charge.

Alot of the new steps, and chrome parts are going to a stainless steel just for this reason. Typicaly you can tell by the price what is stainless Steel and what is just the normal steel construction.

 

FYI, sarahs bullbar recieves a waxing twice a year and whenever i spray wax it, i also apply it to the bullbar. keeps the finish looks good and easy to clean.

we have also wheel'd with it on and scuffed it against some rocks with no visible damage to the coating, just some slight scuffing that came out with some polish/wax.

 

Like anything else, get a paint touchup and do it up when it gets scratched. Then when it's too bad blast and paint. I have the black Safari on my truck and everyone compliments me on it. If the rebate jerks ever get their crap together and send my free lights I will decide if I put them on or cut the taabs off and blast and repaint. Yeah, I am lucky to have a blast booth at work.
My question is how does a guard effect the way the motor is supposed to drop in a front end collision?

 

I decided to purchase the Westin bull bar in chromed SS instead of the black powder coat. I don't have to worry about chipping. Fits and looks great!

 

Not true, it depends on the quality and grade of the SS. I had been on many installs at my previous job where we had to replace SS enclosures because of condesation/rust deteriorating the SS and pitting it. Just because its SS does not mean it does not have impurities in it still.

Oh, and its kinda late since you've already made the decision, but POR15 is the MF'ing stuff. I just bought my black bull bar, fully knowing that it may rust (what doesn't ), and when it starts to rust, or gets to the point I need to fix it up, the POR15 will make it better than new with the nearly indestructable rust proof finish.

 

VERY cool i didnt know that about there product. KC does that with there 8" lights but they also there powder coated black as also stainless, it would have been smart for bull bar to do that also...

 

I agree, I think they reason they don't is because of cost. I am guessing within 5-7 years this will be a standard practice with Automotive accessories.

The black comes with a 5 year warrenty, assuming you don't touch it up. Not saying that if you do touch it up that it voids the warrenty, you just take the risk that they not cover the paint. Westin's thought is if it needs to be touched up or painted within the 5 year period, you should go to them and they will do it for free....

OK, sorry, I was wrong, it will rust. But it will take FOREVER for it to rust... I would bet that the bar will outlast any daily driver truck out there. Cause before it rusts, you will have to wear down the Chrome Plating, then let the bare Stainless sit in the perfect conditions for it to rust without washing it off or cleaing it in any way. You have to wait for it to go though the discoloration, pitting, and the corotion phases, before it will rust... This will take years for each step. So Yes it will rust... But your truck will most likley be dead before that ever happens.

 

I'll agree with that

 

well guys i appreciate everyones point of view and thanks for posting... i think my heart is set on the black one.. driving around today i saw many vehicles with black powdercoated bars.. i did see one dodge ram with the bull bars in chrome and i still didnt like them.. all the police cars and emergency vehicles here seem to have powdercoated black bars on the front of their vehicles so i think i have to get them a little more credit then i have been.. I think they will hold up just fine aslong as i maintain them just like anything else... i even saw a mercesdes suv with the front bar in black powdercoat.. i could just imagine if that thing was rusting after a year with that vehicle being worth what it is worth... would hate to be the salesman. aniwaze thanks again guys, hopefully i can have an order in by the end of the weekend.. heh maybe with the money i save i can soon have lights bought and installed soon too.. :D

 

The only problem with stainless steel is it breaks, rather than just bend like steel. It will bend to a certain point but then it will crack and break because it is an alloy. It CAN rust, but it takes a while. And besides that, any good company will have a warranty on their products, as was already stated.

 

Stainless steel chrome plated

 

I went with the black bar because the Sport doesn't have chrome anywhere on the truck, so it wouldn't match, and I personally didn't want that.

 

Both are great options... Good luck, let me know if I can be of any assistance.

As too most people's response about black. there is a reason it isn't warrentied for life... and only 5 years. But if you dno't keep your truck very long, then it really doesn't matter.

 

well like i stated up above i have my heart set on the black.. Five years is a long time for it to be warrantied aswell.. If it starts to go after that then I dont think I will feel to bad having to refinish it. I think the black bull bar goes great with my red truck. I mean the truck doesnt have any chrome/ss on it accept for the factory wheels (just silver in color) and my stainless tips. Anybody know a place to get lights for cheap?