In this article we will be looking at the process of applying a spray on truck bed liner using a high pressure spray system. High pressure spray systems are a reliable and cost effective solution for applying spray on bed liners. This procedure focuses on spraying a 100% solids polyurethane or polyurea hybrid protective coating. Follow along to see what it takes.
SAFETY ALERT: This article cannot cover all safety concerns; each user should follow correct procedures outlined in the manufacturers equipment manual and understand the requirements for safe operation. Also be sure to read chemical manufacturer’s warnings and material MSDS to know specific hazards and precautions related to the chemicals.
Application Procedure
01Remove all truck bed accessories (tie downs, toolboxes, etc.) and any loose debris should be swept out of the box.
02Remove tailgate from truck and place on a low stand in the booth.
03Pre-clean the truck bed and tailgate with P-50 wax and grease remover. Always pre-clean before masking to ensure maximum tape adhesion. NOTE: Sanding before pre-cleaning will lead to surface contaminants being ground into bed compromising liner adhesion.
04Once the bed is completely clean and all accessories are removed, begin masking with WireTrim® Edge Cutting Tape. Position the tape with the filament bearing edge along the desired trim line.
05Mask the rest of truck using pre-taped plastic masking film. Use 60” masking film on the sides of the truck bed, leave about a foot of extra film at the front of the bed so you can tuck it into the gap between the bed and cab. Use 36” film at the back of the box and on the tailgate. Use the 13’ film to cover the cab, be sure to cover the entire cab use two strips if needed. It is important to cover everything you do not want sprayed!
06Carefully hand sand all edges of the truck bed (approximately 2″ inside of masking) using caution to no not damage the previously applied WireTrim® Edge Cutting Tape (sanding the wire may cause weak spots causing it to break when pulled).
07Finish sanding truck bed with the 5″ Cup Brush attached to the electric powered sander.
08After the bed is sanded you will need to use an air gun and a dry rag to blow any remaining dust out of the truck bed, be sure to blow out all the cracks and seams to insure the is no moisture hiding in them.
09Once the dust has been blown out of the truck bed give the bed a final wipe with Bonding Agent. Make sure you are wearing a mask and nitrile gloves. Allow the Bonding Agent to dry at least 10 min.
10Re-check masking to insure no areas have been missed and the sanding process did not damage the masking.
11Get suited up in your safety gear, insure machine is ready to go and then spray a test panel (cardboard etc…). Make sure the material is curing correctly and then recheck the pressures at the machine be sure they are still even.
12If everything looks good then you can start by spraying the tailgate. You will need to put 6 passes on the tailgate. Do one quick coat around the edges and then spray the main face (do this 6 times). Be sure to spray past the item.
13Once the tailgate is sprayed step back and texture the tailgate. Be sure to texture from a couple of angles to insure even coverage of texture.
14After the tailgate is done move over to the truck bed. From the back of the truck bed spray 6 passes around the tailgate opening (just the back edges). Then get down low and spray a pass or two under the rails.
15Move to the side of the truck and spray the opposite wall and the floor of the bed, also spray the top edge of the bulkhead. Do this 3 times.
16Move to the other side of the truck and spray the opposite wall and the floor of the bed, also spray the top edge of the bulkhead. Do this 3 times.
17Move to the back of truck and spray the bulkhead and floor of the bed, do this 3 times.
18Now apply texture to the truck bed, to insure even coverage texture from each corner of the bed.
19Once you are done move up close and look at the truck bed and tailgate insuring the texture is even, look for shiny spots etc… touch up as needed.
20Get out of the spray booth, get unsuited and wait 5-10 min for the booth to ventilate.
21Go into the booth and inspect the liner very carefully for imperfections. If there are issues it is best to find and fix them now before unmasking.
22Start unmasking by pulling the WireTrim® Edge Cutting Tape at approximately 45 degrees back and 45 degrees into the truck bed, cutting the perimeter and separating the masking from the liner.
23Once the Edge Cutting Tape has been pulled, the rest of the masking can be removed.
24Finish trimming with a Utility Knife.
25Re-install all accessories (tie downs, toolboxes, etc.) back on the truck.
26The truck is now ready for your customer to drive away.
This article is not intended to provide specific legal or technical advice, and is made without warranty, expressed or implied as to merchant-ability, fitness for particular purpose, or any other matter. Persons applying polyurethane/polyurea coatings and foam should consult with their own technical and legal advisors and other appropriate sources of safety and handling information, including information from product suppliers, product labels, technical bulletins, MSDSs, and other literature.