My turn at using Raptor liner...
09-26-2010, 04:08 PM
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My turn at using Raptor liner...
I was tired of vacuuming carpet, so I wanted to line my tub; but didn't want (or could afford) to spend $700+ for linex. I've had less than stellar results in the past with a cheaper liner (Duplicolor), and after seeing great results from Raptor Liner (from UPOL), I decided to give it a try.
The kit comes with (4) 750mL bottles of liner and (1) 750mL can of hardener. This kit is in black, but they do have tintable kits that you just add up to 10% of whatever base color you choose. The kit that I ordered (also came with a spray gun) was $100 + $13 shipping (got it off eBay from TPTools).
It's a pretty straight-forward application:
1: open a bottle of liner and add hardener up to the fill line
2: shake like hell for 2 minutes
3: screw it on the gun and spray
Misc. useful info:
pot life is ~1hr.
flashes in ~1hr, and a second coat can be applied
cures enough for light duty in ~2 days (@ 68°F)
fully cured in ~7 days (again, @ 68°F, it should cure significantly faster here in the AZ heat...)
Step 1: Remove the carpet
For those who have never done it, it can be completed without removing the seats. Just BE CAREFUL! The carpet is thin, and WILL rip if you tug on it too much. There's one small strip (~1/2" wide by 3" long) between the driver/front seat mount and the door on an unlimited that will need to either be cut (which is what I did) or the seat will need to be removed to get that section of carpet out.
Step 2: Remove the seats
It's 18mm throughout, but make sure you've got access to an impact gun; they're a PITA to get out. The rear can be extremely difficult to remove if you don't know the secret. Take out the front 4 bolts on the rear seat and then tip the whole thing back. This will give you access to the 3 bolts under the seat that give everyone problems.
Step 3: remove other misc. crap
1: Unplug the left/right wiring harness starting at the taillights and moving forward. The driver's side harness can just be flung over the windshield (top removed) and lay it on the hood. The passenger harness will need to be tied-up to the sport cage to get it out of the way.
2: Rear seatbelt floor mount and cage mount will need to be disconnected and tied-up out of the way. May as well unzip the rear padding as well now if you want to line the exposed part of the sport cage too.
This is all the sound-deadener crap that they goop onto the footwells:
For the best results, this will all need to be removed. I've heard horror stories of moisture getting trapped underneath the deadener (it IS porous) and then rusting later. Plus, it looks 10x better with it removed.
Here's the best way (and what I recommend) to get rid of it. If you're VERY careful, remove the bulk of it with an air chisel. This part will go very quickly. But if you're not careful, it's easy to poke a hole right through the floor. I thought I was being careful too...until I poked one small hole through the passenger/front floor panel. It can always be fixed, but it's annoying.
Then, using some cheap (but sharp) wood chisels, scrape up the rest of the goo (it's pretty hard stuff near the metal but like tar on the surface/top). I went one step further and used a wire wheel on an angle grinder to get it all the way off. As it turns out, this step really isn't necessary if you get most of it off by scraping as the liner's texture will cover all the little pieces that might be left from scraping and will cover up the smooth surface left from the wire wheel anyway.
Anything that's going to be lined needs to be scuffed to promote adhesion of the liner material. I'm sure there's several ways to do it, but I wet-sanded everything with medium-grit sanding sponges. Once that was done, I wiped down the interior with isopropyl alcohol to remove all dirt, dust and oil.
If you happen to bring any of the floor down to the bare metal, cover the spots with some self-etching primer. Personally, I have no idea what that means, but that's what was recommended. So, I bought the best spray primer I could find and used that.
Once your primer dries, you're ready to spray the liner. The included gun works well, but it comes out a little "splotchy" (it's a technical term...). So, BE SURE to mask everything you don't want lined. I thought I'd take the easy route and go light on the masking and I ended up with some light overspray in certain areas. However, you CAN leave the center console in while you spray; just mask it off and you'll be fine. Also figure out how you want to cover all the bolt holes so liner doesn't get in them. I just wrapped the bolts with painter's tape and screwed them back in their holes.
And that's pretty much it. I used 3 bottles of liner for the interior and the fourth to double-up the thickness in the high-wear areas (footwells and cargo area). I even had a little left over to do the rear wheel wells and my rear bumper. I'll be ordering a few more bottles so I can spray the inside of my half doors and a few other small odds-n-ends.
Notes:
1. To make it easier on yourself, make sure you've got an entire weekend to do this. You could probably get it done in a full day, but it'd be a big rush and you'll likely cut some corners that you'd regret later.
2. Mask, mask, mask! I can't stress this enough. Maybe if you're jeep is black to begin with, this might not be such an issue.
3. Someone there to help would be beneficial. They could mix up the next bottle when you feel you're running low, help check for missed/light spots in the liner, fetch beers, etc.
4. Blue painter's tape is an EXACT color match for Surf Blue. Makes it difficult sometimes to determine if an area has been masked already or not...
-WRM
The kit comes with (4) 750mL bottles of liner and (1) 750mL can of hardener. This kit is in black, but they do have tintable kits that you just add up to 10% of whatever base color you choose. The kit that I ordered (also came with a spray gun) was $100 + $13 shipping (got it off eBay from TPTools).
It's a pretty straight-forward application:
1: open a bottle of liner and add hardener up to the fill line
2: shake like hell for 2 minutes
3: screw it on the gun and spray
Misc. useful info:
pot life is ~1hr.
flashes in ~1hr, and a second coat can be applied
cures enough for light duty in ~2 days (@ 68°F)
fully cured in ~7 days (again, @ 68°F, it should cure significantly faster here in the AZ heat...)
Step 1: Remove the carpet
For those who have never done it, it can be completed without removing the seats. Just BE CAREFUL! The carpet is thin, and WILL rip if you tug on it too much. There's one small strip (~1/2" wide by 3" long) between the driver/front seat mount and the door on an unlimited that will need to either be cut (which is what I did) or the seat will need to be removed to get that section of carpet out.
Step 2: Remove the seats
It's 18mm throughout, but make sure you've got access to an impact gun; they're a PITA to get out. The rear can be extremely difficult to remove if you don't know the secret. Take out the front 4 bolts on the rear seat and then tip the whole thing back. This will give you access to the 3 bolts under the seat that give everyone problems.
Step 3: remove other misc. crap
1: Unplug the left/right wiring harness starting at the taillights and moving forward. The driver's side harness can just be flung over the windshield (top removed) and lay it on the hood. The passenger harness will need to be tied-up to the sport cage to get it out of the way.
2: Rear seatbelt floor mount and cage mount will need to be disconnected and tied-up out of the way. May as well unzip the rear padding as well now if you want to line the exposed part of the sport cage too.
This is all the sound-deadener crap that they goop onto the footwells:
For the best results, this will all need to be removed. I've heard horror stories of moisture getting trapped underneath the deadener (it IS porous) and then rusting later. Plus, it looks 10x better with it removed.
Here's the best way (and what I recommend) to get rid of it. If you're VERY careful, remove the bulk of it with an air chisel. This part will go very quickly. But if you're not careful, it's easy to poke a hole right through the floor. I thought I was being careful too...until I poked one small hole through the passenger/front floor panel. It can always be fixed, but it's annoying.
Then, using some cheap (but sharp) wood chisels, scrape up the rest of the goo (it's pretty hard stuff near the metal but like tar on the surface/top). I went one step further and used a wire wheel on an angle grinder to get it all the way off. As it turns out, this step really isn't necessary if you get most of it off by scraping as the liner's texture will cover all the little pieces that might be left from scraping and will cover up the smooth surface left from the wire wheel anyway.
Anything that's going to be lined needs to be scuffed to promote adhesion of the liner material. I'm sure there's several ways to do it, but I wet-sanded everything with medium-grit sanding sponges. Once that was done, I wiped down the interior with isopropyl alcohol to remove all dirt, dust and oil.
If you happen to bring any of the floor down to the bare metal, cover the spots with some self-etching primer. Personally, I have no idea what that means, but that's what was recommended. So, I bought the best spray primer I could find and used that.
Once your primer dries, you're ready to spray the liner. The included gun works well, but it comes out a little "splotchy" (it's a technical term...). So, BE SURE to mask everything you don't want lined. I thought I'd take the easy route and go light on the masking and I ended up with some light overspray in certain areas. However, you CAN leave the center console in while you spray; just mask it off and you'll be fine. Also figure out how you want to cover all the bolt holes so liner doesn't get in them. I just wrapped the bolts with painter's tape and screwed them back in their holes.
And that's pretty much it. I used 3 bottles of liner for the interior and the fourth to double-up the thickness in the high-wear areas (footwells and cargo area). I even had a little left over to do the rear wheel wells and my rear bumper. I'll be ordering a few more bottles so I can spray the inside of my half doors and a few other small odds-n-ends.
Notes:
1. To make it easier on yourself, make sure you've got an entire weekend to do this. You could probably get it done in a full day, but it'd be a big rush and you'll likely cut some corners that you'd regret later.
2. Mask, mask, mask! I can't stress this enough. Maybe if you're jeep is black to begin with, this might not be such an issue.
3. Someone there to help would be beneficial. They could mix up the next bottle when you feel you're running low, help check for missed/light spots in the liner, fetch beers, etc.
4. Blue painter's tape is an EXACT color match for Surf Blue. Makes it difficult sometimes to determine if an area has been masked already or not...
-WRM
Looks good from here!
this is something i have been wanting to do but dread the prep work
. I did mine this summer and don't why anyone would not love this. To do light touchups duplicolor is a good color match after it dries.
09-29-2010, 07:20 AM
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X2 on needing the full weekend. Took me most of the day to prep and mask.
I also took out the tuffy full console, disassembled it and hung it from and tree and sprayed it also.
I also took out the tuffy full console, disassembled it and hung it from and tree and sprayed it also.
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09-29-2010, 01:17 PM
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Thanks all for the kind words!
I don't notice any difference, but then again, I only run a bikini top in the AZ heat with either half doors (with no uppers) or no doors at all. And I'm not even sure if my A/C works since I've never used it. So, it's all relative. But, I can say that I don't notice any difference between having the carpet in vs. out vs. lined. The only difference I see is that the liner is more "slippery" than the carpet, so I'll probably end up putting some heavy duty Jeep-brand rubber floor mats in.
-WRM
-WRM
10-02-2010, 03:03 PM
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I just started this today after being inspired by this thread. Wow, was this a stupid idea!!!
I am sure I will love it, but that stupid stuff they smear on the floor is a MAJOR PITA to chisel out. I have been doing it by hand, no air chisel. I will not be spraying till next weekend, so I should be very well prepped by then. Any pointers on spraying? I am going to mask everything, not gonna take any chances. I have chopped my flares, so I think I will use any leftover material to spray the exposed silver. Any other suggestions? I plan on ordering the kit Monday, hopefully 5 days is enough time to get it here.
I am sure I will love it, but that stupid stuff they smear on the floor is a MAJOR PITA to chisel out. I have been doing it by hand, no air chisel. I will not be spraying till next weekend, so I should be very well prepped by then. Any pointers on spraying? I am going to mask everything, not gonna take any chances. I have chopped my flares, so I think I will use any leftover material to spray the exposed silver. Any other suggestions? I plan on ordering the kit Monday, hopefully 5 days is enough time to get it here.
10-02-2010, 05:31 PM
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Other than what I've mentioned, here are the only other tips: (most are common sense stuff, but it's too easy to forget...).
Once the bottle of liner is screwed onto the gun, don't shake the bottle (to maybe mix it up a little more, or to get more material out of a nearly empty can) or tilt a nearly full bottle; there's vent holes in the gun near where the bottle screws on, and that black goo will ooze out of those holes and cover your hands.
Which brings me to my next point: WEAR RUBBER GLOVES when spraying. This stuff WON'T come off no matter what you use. FYI, it takes approx. 5-7 days for the dried liner material to "wear" off of your hands.
When you feel your bottle getting low, try to spray a little of the area under the driver's pedals. It'll take some weird angles and tilting of the gun, and you don't want to do that with a full bottle (leaking mentioned above).
For masking, get one roll of the narrow blue painter's tape (1") and 2-3 rolls of the wider rolls (2-3"). It'll make the masking go quicker. It wouldn't hurt to pick up a small roll of masking paper from a painting store either, unless you've got a bunch of newspapers lying around.
That's about all I can think of; good luck!
-WRM
Once the bottle of liner is screwed onto the gun, don't shake the bottle (to maybe mix it up a little more, or to get more material out of a nearly empty can) or tilt a nearly full bottle; there's vent holes in the gun near where the bottle screws on, and that black goo will ooze out of those holes and cover your hands.
Which brings me to my next point: WEAR RUBBER GLOVES when spraying. This stuff WON'T come off no matter what you use. FYI, it takes approx. 5-7 days for the dried liner material to "wear" off of your hands.
When you feel your bottle getting low, try to spray a little of the area under the driver's pedals. It'll take some weird angles and tilting of the gun, and you don't want to do that with a full bottle (leaking mentioned above).
For masking, get one roll of the narrow blue painter's tape (1") and 2-3 rolls of the wider rolls (2-3"). It'll make the masking go quicker. It wouldn't hurt to pick up a small roll of masking paper from a painting store either, unless you've got a bunch of newspapers lying around.
That's about all I can think of; good luck!
-WRM