That's why I'd like to move to Nevada or some southern state, I hate rust

 

so how did you paint your tire carrier? i need to do that. thats one spot that rusted at the joints of the metal. the paint flaked off. what kind of prep did you have to do? what kind of paint did you use?

 

1. peel off any paint chips with you fingers/hands
2. hammer off and remaining paint chips with light hammer blows (that worked quite well)
3. Wire brush any remaining chips
4. Wire brush any rust off (doesn't have to be perfect)
5. I used 60 grit sand paper to remove rust/ruff up any paint that hasn't peel or been hammered off
6. degrease/derust with a rag and alcohol
7. Mask, mask, mask, let me say it again mask anything you don't want painted. I taped off, as you can see in the picture, where the factory paint ends since under my bumper was a little rusty (might as well paint it while I'm doing it) and then around the tank. You would have to around the tank but I did anyways.
8. wear a mask
9. Paint light even coats
10. Paint 2nd coat BUT read the instructions on the back of the can to see what the drying times are
11. go crazy and do 3 like I did, BTW paint the top of the hitch from behind first with a new can, the bed liner doesn't like to spray with the nozzle end up unless it's a new can.
12. unmask
13. Enjoy the look of a new hitch

for the "paint" I used 2 cans of

 

thats how you did the carrier?

 

I must have not read your post totally, what I posted above is how I did the hitch

for the tire carrier:
1. remove tire carrier and strike plate off of the vehicle
2. take off all the hardware (plastic handle, and release)
3. strip the paint. I went do to bare metal but you wouldn't have to
- I used this to speed up the project http://www.tractorsupply.com/wcsstor...00/3461954.jpg
4. degrease it with alcohol and a rag
5. prime with nice even coat reading the manufacturers drying and recoat time
6. prime again
7. Paint with nice even coat reading the manufacturers drying and recoat time
8. Paint again
9. let it dry for a day or two (read the instruction on the back of the can so you know exact drying/curing time)
10. attach tire carrier and strike plate
11. enjoy the look of a new tire carrier and stripe plate

I used 2 cans of:


and 2 cans of:

 

That looks good! I'm thinking about ripping out all my carpet and bedlining the whole thing.

 

I was thinking of bed lining the under-body of my blazer before winter for extra rust protection

 

I would have just unbolted the hitch and painted it that way. Saves you all the time and trouble of masking the whole rear end off. Where does that Draw tite hitch mount to? I know the factory ones use the rear bumper bolts to mount to. I'm trying to find a factory one to put on my Blazer.

 

I would have done it that way but the hitch was probably rusted on, wisconsin winters are really hard on everything

 

True or False?

A: VERY TRUE!