Westcott Designs = Trash!!!!!!

@Too Stroked
Well said!

 

I think that powder coating sucks for automotive uses. It doesn’t hold up well and eventually cracks, flakes and gets rust underneath. Real automotive paint with proper prep and primer should be what is used.

 

Those sliders look great for 3 years of use. Their warranty policy is clear on their website, powder coating is limited to a year. There is zero structural issue with your sliders. I’ve had zero issues with my Westcott sliders and they have taken plenty of hits and done their job as intended off road. Westcott makes great products and Jeff has always been a stand up dude.

 

After reading this thread I went outside and checked my RCI's and noticed a speck of rust (less than a year now) and hit it with a sanding wheel on my Dremel and then a quick shot of Rustoleum. They're sliders.

 

100% These sliders are some of the best on the market and made in house with precision welds! I could not agree more about Jeff and his team. What other company can you text, call, or email the owner and he responds!

 

I think what the OP and many people on this site need to realize is: Everything rusts.

Here's a basic chemistry lesson.

Rust is formed when iron or steel reacts with oxygen and water, a process called oxidation. This reaction creates iron oxide, which is commonly known as rust. The process is accelerated by factors like humidity, temperature, and the presence of electrolytes like saltwater.

That means that anything can and will rust. If you get iron or steel wet and then expose it to the air oxidation will begin. If said piece of metal is in Arizona where it's very dry, then the rust will take over very slowly. If you're in an area that salts the roads (or near the coast) then the process is accelerated. Hell, I have seen rust on the frame of brand new vehicles. It was very minimal, but it was present. As mentioned above, as soon as you spot it...treat it right away!

Don't expect Westcott or any other metal manufacturer to make anything rust proof.

 

This brings up possibly the most important point. Sliders are a functional add on. Their prime purpose in life is to protect the rockers by allowing one to slide over obstacles. That said, no paint is going to stay on when you lay a 4,000 pound vehicle against a rock. Paint is purely a cosmetic finish in this case and isn't designed to last very long. Gouges, scrapes and corrosion are evidence of proper use in this case. Untouched paint will just get one ridiculed at the campfire.

 

I have been looking at sliders, and will have them professionally bed lined. It seems powder coating is garbage now.

 

I think it's been determined that neither Wescott's, nor any other manufacturer's armor, is trash due to powder coat not lasting. Armor is for protection, not looks.

 

Things I have learned from this forum:

1) If my sliders get scratched and they rust, they are TRASH!!!

2) If a rock chips the paint of my 4Runner going 75mph, the paint job is GARBAGE!!!

3) If a spot of rust shows up on my trailer hitch after 4 years of winter use on salty roads, I'm bitching to my dealer to warranty it!!!

 

There, I fixed that for ya'. You're welcome!

 

A golf ball size rock cracked my windshield while driving 70 on the interstate. Toyota windshields are trash !

 

I agree, powdercoat is just the wrong process to use on steel that’s constantly being blasted by sand, gravel, and rock salt.

The actual problem is that powder coat is too hard/tough to remove once rust sets in. If you drive your 4runner, rust will set in, period. Removing powdercoat is a horrible time consuming process if you intend to properly prep the steel for refinishing. I think it’s better to use thin paint. It makes it easier to touch things up because it’s easy to sand the area around area with rust so that a paint spot treatment sticks better.

Touching up powdercoat is purely cosmetic because the rust usually crawls behind the powder coat far away from the spot you can visually see the rust. It’s a total pain in the ass.

And paying to have it sandblasted will cost you as much as new sliders

 

It’s metal. He lives in the rust belt. I have cali raised. Guess what? They rusted. I took them off and sanded them. Rust happens when you live in the rust belt

 

Well said

 

It’s the new math they’re teaching kids these days.

 

I've been running Westcott sliders since late 2022...put them through all sorts of terrain (mud, snow & dirt) and they're finally starting to show a bit of rust in various areas. There's a small spot underneath that scrapped off due to a rock which is showing rust as well, but that's to be expected.

To be honest, they're holding up way better than I anticipated. When I initially installed these I figured I'd pull them in a few years to redo the powder coat...Like others have said, it's not an OEM grade finish and you should set expectations accordingly. They're also meant as protection for the vehicle, not just eye-candy, so the corrosion shows a bit of character IMHO.

Either way, now's a good opportunity to pull them, repair the rust spots (Look up "POR-15 Top Coat" on Amazon) and also hit the chassis with some rust prevention coating...because if the sliders are rusting, I'd bet the connection points to the frame are also showing rust

 

But most TRD Pro owners bought their whole vehicle for looks...

 

Well yeah obviously

 

Lives in upstate New York and complaining about rust. I stopped after that.

 

I lived outside Syracuse, N.Y., for 5 years. It's been awhile, but they not only salted the roads, they sanded them as well. When I moved away and traded in one of my vehicles with only 8500 miles on it, there was so much rust that I was accused of turning the odometer back.

 

Where I live, even plastic parts rust if you drive it in the winter. That why people that can afford one, have a winter beater AND rustproofing places require appointment in the fall.

If you want your 4Runner to be pristine, don't drive it in the salt/winter.

With that said, powder coating is not optimal for armor/steps as it chips/pinholes easily. You want something like truck bed liner finish that has rubberized coating.

 

Here ya go! Tyger side steps and yes they are not rock sliders but for $300 dollars and no finish issues on 2 different sets I have owned. I hear rocks hitting them all the time. The stuff they put down for the winter in Pa will eat thru anything if not washed on a regular basis. lol. I would not be happy with the westcott.

 

My best guess is lack of powder coating before the heating or cooking of paint

 

WAT?!?!

Send em here for proper TRASH disposal.

 

Was considering Westcott sliders for years but never pulled the trigger because of the price compared to other options. Really sucks that you're dealing with this, but this thread helped me steer away from them for good.

 

I think Elvis has left the building.

 

Do you own any Westcott Designs products?

I detail my vehicles with the best products on the market with a Kranzle power washer so don't try telling me to "wash the crap off of them."

I'm sorry but they had no interest in providing any customer service on this matter. If they cared about their customers then they should service them. No attitude here my friend, simply providing facts.... There product is rusting out in a very short amount of time. I've had vehicles with after market add ons and never had an issue.

 

Like I said I researched what was out there and all points lead to them as the "right choice" I was concerned with product failure and strength as well. When I was a kid my father had an Isuzu Trooper II and the running boards rusted out and fell off.

 

This is what was explained to me by one of the local companies I contacted regarding the matter. They felt the product wasn't properly prepped.