Since you didn't post a question other than the title, I'll jump in with random comments. My racks' paint was getting worn from backs, etc strapped on them. Last weekend, I used spray-on PlastiDip to repaint the racks with a rubberized paint. They will go back on the ATV this weekend. I won't be riding for a while, but I'll post results after a few rides.

I looked into powder coating and LineX. Both were too expensive for such a small application. The PlastiDip was $7 at Harbor Freight.

 

u should get a powder coating. anti-slide surface.lol. i just painted mine. with a semi gloss paint. it dont last long though.

 

i've heard of people using the spray-on bedliner stuff on their racks and they did say it worked ok.

 

I used the bedliner on mine and it works good. You can also use appliance paint wich is a epoxy (tougher finish than regular paint) like I used on my wheels.

 

I sanded mine down, primed them and repainted them black. The one thing I forgot to do was to spray a protective clearcoat over them and they eventually got all scraped up again. I'm going to redo them the right way next time. I never even thought about using the truck bed stuff......anyone have pics of what the racks look like with that stuff on them??

 

Check out my pics, my front bumper and rear grab bar are painted with it. I do not have a picture with the painted racks on it.

 

anyone thought of taking your racks to Rhino linings or Line-X and having that sprayed on instead of painting.. they can also spray colors....

 

I checked with my local Line-X provider on that possibility. He indicated it would be $200-$300 per rack. They use a blast spray to put the coating on and cannot adust for smaller items. The racks are small and open, so a lot of the product would be wasted in the process. If you have the money to blow, go for it. I had not thought about the roll-on kind that you can buy at automotive stores. That may be a more cost prudent method. Though, it can be difficult to brush or roll paint and such on metal racks. That's why I opted for the spray can version of the PlastiDip. Who knows if it works. If it doesn't I'm only out $7 and some time.

Another option is the powder coating. My folks had their barstools powder coated recently and it was a decent price. While it holds up better than paint for rubbing, it will chip if banged (such as if the quad is wrecked or a rock hits the rack). I could see that being a problem over time, since my quad takes a beating on the trails with branches and rocks constatly hitting something.

 

I thought about it but for what I do I did not feel it was worth the investment when compared to what I could get doing it myself. It might be worth it to somebody with a bigger machine that uses the racks a lot?