Oem safari bar

[Stlrfan152]

Good evening,
I bought a used bronco with modular steel bumper it has an aftermarket safari bar. The safari bar has a few spots rusting and seems be slowly increasing. Just curious if anyone has the ford safari bar and if its help up well. Thinking of swapping it out for a ford branded one, but dont want to buy it if it has similar issues.

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[VirginiaHeritage]

Any mild steel bar will rust once chipped or worn, regardless of the make. Before buying a new one, I would remove it, lightly sand it, then prime and repaint with Rustoleum.

If you have access to the inside of the bar tube once removed, rinse it out well, then allow to dry thoroughly before spraying a rust inhibitor as far up in there as you can get.

 

[Stlrfan152]

Any mild steel bar will rust once chipped or worn, regardless of the make. Before buying a new one, I would remove it, lightly sand it, then prime and repaint with Rustoleum.

If you have access to the inside of the bar tube once removed, rinse it out well, then allow to dry thoroughly before spraying a rust inhibitor as far up in there as you can get.

Yeah i get they all rust, but my bumper is still in very good shape. Ive saneded and painted a few spots on the safari bar, it just seems like more and more pop up. Ive thought about sand blasting the entire bar and repainting it, but if the ford one is as good as the bumpers i was leaning towards that.

 

[swami37]

Had my OEM brush bar for 3+ years. Still like new. No rust

 

[Doc TOC]

I presume you want less hassle with your safari bar in the long run. Powder coat (thick layer polyurethane) tends to hold up better than paint (thin layer enamel or acrylic), all environmental/road abuse things being equal.

The Ford Performance bar comes powder coated, for $630 (as of today, undiscounted).

For that money, you can get your current safari bar sand blasted, powder coated, and an interior rust inhibitor spray, and still have money left over. Probably run ball park $250-$300 in the Ft Lauderdale area. There are a ton of powder coat shops down there; probably 1 next to every Starbucks.

Up to you how you want to spend your time and money.

 

[Stlrfan152]

I presume you want less hassle with your safari bar in the long run. Powder coat (thick layer polyurethane) tends to hold up better than paint (thin layer enamel or acrylic), all environmental/road abuse things being equal.

The Ford Performance bar comes powder coated, for $630 (as of today, undiscounted).

For that money, you can get your current safari bar sand blasted, powder coated, and an interior rust inhibitor spray, and still have money left over. Probably run ball park $250-$300 in the Ft Lauderdale area. There are a ton of powder coat shops down there; probably 1 next to every Starbucks.

Up to you how you want to spend your time and money.

I was thinking about this too. I just wasnt sure if they will be able to match the bumper color.

 

[Doc TOC]

... able to match the bumper color ...

Here you go. Just make sure the shop can/ is willing to follow the process. This is not a typical gloss spray and bake. Prep is key for the texturing to work.

Ford Spec

• Engineering Number: WSS-M99P1111-C (Black, Textured, Polyester Powder Coat)
• Gloss Level: 10–20 GU @ 60° (low gloss / satin)
• Texture: Fine texture, ~60–80 micron profile
• Base Color: Equivalent to RAL 9005 Jet Black
• Powder Type: Polyester TGIC, exterior grade, UV-stabilized

OEM Supplier Match

• Tiger Drylac Series 49/90060 – Black Fine Texture (exact match to Ford’s modular bumper finish; specify exterior-grade polyester)
• Alternative equivalent: PPG / IFS “Black Fine Texture” – RAL 9005, low gloss, ~15 GU
• Typical film thickness: 2.5–3.5 mils (double pass)

Ford Modular Bumper Powder Coat Process (WSS-M99P1111-C)
1. Substrate prep

• Material: High-strength low-alloy steel (HSLA) with welded seams.
• Inspection: Remove weld spatter, grind sharp edges, check for mill scale.
• Surface profile: 1.0–2.0 mil anchor profile.

Process:

1. Media blast with steel grit or aluminum oxide (avoid silica sand) to achieve uniform surface profile.
2. Degrease in alkaline cleaner (120–140 °F) for 3–5 min.
3. Rinse in deionized water (NOT distilled, deionized = no minerals)
4. Iron phosphate pretreatment (ambient or heated) — Ford’s suppliers use a tri-cation iron phosphate bath with accelerators. (Tri-cation is Fe+,Zn+,and Mn+ Phosphate complex.)
5. Rinse in deionized water.
6. Final seal rinse with non-chrome sealer (zirconium-based) to improve corrosion resistance.
7. Blow dry completely with filtered air.

2. Powder application

• Powder type: Polyester TGIC, exterior grade, RAL 9005 Black Fine Texture, low gloss (10–20 GU).
• Application: Corona-charging spray guns, 60–90 kV setting.
• Film build: Target 2.5–3.5 mils (63–89 microns).
• Apply in two light passes to maintain even texture without over-filling.

3. Cure cycle
(This is where many aftermarket jobs go wrong — Ford’s suppliers strictly follow the cure schedule for polyester TGIC powders. Make sure the shop can and will do this.)

• Metal temperature: 375 °F (191 °C)
• Hold time at temp: 15 minutes (verify with probe on thickest section)
• Oven type: Convection gas oven, forced-air circulation
• Ramp up to cure temperature within 8 minutes to avoid gloss shift in the texture.

 

[Stlrfan152]

Here you go. Just make sure the shop can/ is willing to follow the process. This is not a typical gloss spray and bake. Prep is key for the texturing to work.

Ford Spec

• Engineering Number: WSS-M99P1111-C (Black, Textured, Polyester Powder Coat)
• Gloss Level: 10–20 GU @ 60° (low gloss / satin)
• Texture: Fine texture, ~60–80 micron profile
• Base Color: Equivalent to RAL 9005 Jet Black
• Powder Type: Polyester TGIC, exterior grade, UV-stabilized

OEM Supplier Match

• Tiger Drylac Series 49/90060 – Black Fine Texture (exact match to Ford’s modular bumper finish; specify exterior-grade polyester)
• Alternative equivalent: PPG / IFS “Black Fine Texture” – RAL 9005, low gloss, ~15 GU
• Typical film thickness: 2.5–3.5 mils (double pass)

Ford Modular Bumper Powder Coat Process (WSS-M99P1111-C)
1. Substrate prep

• Material: High-strength low-alloy steel (HSLA) with welded seams.
• Inspection: Remove weld spatter, grind sharp edges, check for mill scale.
• Surface profile: 1.0–2.0 mil anchor profile.

Process:

1. Media blast with steel grit or aluminum oxide (avoid silica sand) to achieve uniform surface profile.
2. Degrease in alkaline cleaner (120–140 °F) for 3–5 min.
3. Rinse in deionized water (NOT distilled, deionized = no minerals)
4. Iron phosphate pretreatment (ambient or heated) — Ford’s suppliers use a tri-cation iron phosphate bath with accelerators. (Tri-cation is Fe+,Zn+,and Mn+ Phosphate complex.)
5. Rinse in deionized water.
6. Final seal rinse with non-chrome sealer (zirconium-based) to improve corrosion resistance.
7. Blow dry completely with filtered air.

2. Powder application

• Powder type: Polyester TGIC, exterior grade, RAL 9005 Black Fine Texture, low gloss (10–20 GU).
• Application: Corona-charging spray guns, 60–90 kV setting.
• Film build: Target 2.5–3.5 mils (63–89 microns).
• Apply in two light passes to maintain even texture without over-filling.

3. Cure cycle
(This is where many aftermarket jobs go wrong — Ford’s suppliers strictly follow the cure schedule for polyester TGIC powders. Make sure the shop can and will do this.)

• Metal temperature: 375 °F (191 °C)
• Hold time at temp: 15 minutes (verify with probe on thickest section)
• Oven type: Convection gas oven, forced-air circulation
• Ramp up to cure temperature within 8 minutes to avoid gloss shift in the texture.

Thanks, great information. I can see why the factory bumpers are durable.

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