I Por-15'd my 1 1/4" front sway bar and 2 years later its flaking off. Bad prep I guess. Any reason I should not have it powder coated?
I think the POR-15 is pretty brittle. If you use the sway bar, the torsional forces on it may cause it to crack and flake off.
POR-15 also doesn't adhere well to bare metal. If you clean the part too much, it doesn't stick. It needs rust to adhere well.
I recently used eastwood rust encapsulater and I really like the results thus far. I have heard from other friends that have used it before is that it holds up far better than other things on the market. You can also paint over it. My best friend has worked for PPG powder coating for nearly 30 years and I could have got powder from him cheap but after looking at POR and Powder I decided to use Eastwood for multiple reasons. I love powder coating but I am not convinced its the best thing for items under a car. Thats just my opinion.
That's not true. It doesn't adhere to new, smooth metal. It adheres fantastic to sandblasted metal. If you want to use it on new metal, they sell a POR-15 metal prep. Also, solvent based wax and grease removers will cause problems. Years ago, I spoke with a POR-15 rep at a swap meet and he gave me a sheet with all of the proper prep and application procedures. There is not enough information on the can. When properly applied, it's as tough as powder coating. A buddy of mine knows a powder coater and he said POR-15 is as good as powder coating. Also, Willie Wilson, a hinge rebuilder now states on his site that if the hinges are POR-15'd or powder coated, he will rebuild the hinges, but he will not refinish them do to the difficulty in removing the finishes.