Galvanizing

[911SC SKI]

G'day,

My ER rubber suspension upgrade is on the near horizon. While the control arms are off the vehicle, I was interested in having them shot blasted and powder coated. While sourcing a local powder coater, I came in contact with a shop that does galvanizing and they recommended this service for longevity, prior to powder coating. Apparently they frequently do Landrover parts.

The cost seems reasonable. Apparently it leaves a layer of 85 microns, which would also effect the bushing surfaces.

I'm looking for some feedback on whether this might be a worthwhile, 'while I'm in there' addition and whether it might create any issues.

Appreciate any technical responses or info.

[Willem Fick]

When I initially stripped my car I had all loose body panels as well as all suspension components galvanized for longevity. When I spoke to the powdercoating company about first galvanising the a-arms I was advised against it as their process involved sandblasting (which would have removed the galvanising) followed by a phosphate treatment (which is anti-corrosive), before the application of the paint. I ultimately followed that advice.

Not all powdercoaters have as extensive a process as this, so your experience may differ. If you do opt to go for galvanizing, you can actually prevent your bushing surfaces from being electroplated, simply by applying a coat of paint to mask them off during the process, and then chemically stripping the paint off afterwards. This is what I did with the pots and mating surfaces on my brake calipers, and it worked really well.