Powdercoat rails on 2013 Pro... Advice?

[bkpa]

I'm looking at getting my rails done. Could anyone give me there thoughts? It looks straight forward. My only concern is with the rivets that hold the block for the rear wheels. What are they? Is there anything that I should not have coated just to make reassembly easier?

Pics if you have them?

Thanks

 

[polarisboyc]

I did mine and it was a piece of cake, 4 bolts and the skids out and than you just disassemble it. You shouldn't need to drill any rivets, I know I didn't. Also your gonna want to use some sort of impact gun or it will be a pain. Some guys will tell you powdercoating makes them weak but my guy baked them at 400 degrees and i've have no problems whatsoever.

 

[mountainhorse]

From some previous posts of mine.

Depends on the powder coater...

I've seen some powdercoated rails without probs... some powdercoated with. I personally experienced rail failure that was caused by powdercoating.

It is more about the temp-control and bake-time than "powder coat" in general.

400 degrees, typical pow coat temp, believe it or not is the temp at which the 7129 alloy is heat treated at... you can "over age" the heat treat and make them more easy to bend.

BUT... if you have a top notch coater that can use a 350 bake temp and low temp powders without a long time in the oven... and use good quality powders... you will be just fine.

The commercial volume shop that is putting your high-tech-alloy snowmobile rails in the oven with the fence posts from the highway commission, or steel machine parts will cause you trouble.

This is, I believe, the reason that some people have no problems and others have big problems with the pow coat and structural strength.

The process .... prep is everything. Do not allow a "Heat soak" or "bake off" in the oven to clean them.

Good Idea to clean them yourself before taking them in... takes that out of the equation and may save you some $$.

Some powder coaters do a "burn off" to clean parts before baking... that will, with out question ruin the parts... Some do a bake cycle of 30min at 400 degrees F... that will ruin a rail.. I've seen this personally.

Some powder coaters know how to clean, prep and coat high tech alumium alloy... but they are in the minority of powdercoaters out there... and can be trusted to follow through with what they say they'll do.

350 degrees max for 20 min MAX... and you are still walking the thin line.

I've seen some pretty expenseve truck/car rims destroyed by powdercoating.

If you don't know & trust your powder coater... you are taking a risk IMO.

.

 

[bkpa]

Thank you MH....

I just called the powder coater. He said black bakes at 405 degrees for 28 minutes. Prep is to bead blast them so they are clean.

Decisions.....

 

[05900]

Rattle can 'em no worries then.

 

[M7SLEDHEAD]

Powdercoat

The guy I used, cleans the bare aluminum with a chemical to get all the "grit" off of it. I requested he bake them at 350 degrees or lower which they did. I saw the work order that went to the shop floor with the parts. It was all over it do not bake over 350 degrees in red ink. Same company has done items for me in the past to the same specs and I have never had a part fail that was powder coated by him.

Turned out very nice and he did the rails, spindles, running boards and seat support.

I will get a couple of better pictures tonight.

 

[mickyd32]

http://www.snowest.com/forum/showthread.php?t=320379

 

[john heston]

Powder coat

Have had about 6 sets done with no bending or flaking. After all together with lock tight after a ride or two I have had front shock lower bolts to rail come loose. No other places have done this and it was on one 2013 and 2 2014 that it happened. Powder coating must wear in and cause bolts to have space then back out.