Topic: Can you paint shock springs?

[gary p.]

Searching this, I didn’t find any suggestions for painting rear shock springs.  I have several sets that had rusted and will never look good, except from a distance.   Late model bikes I’ve seen have gloss black painted springs.
I wonder what is the best type paint for this that won’t flake off when the springs compress.
Has anyone painted the springs?

[Shtonecb500]

drop them off to get powder coated

[CycleRanger]

VHT Epoxy gloss black should work pretty well.
It's got a picture of a spring right there on the can.
I use this without primer and have gotten good results, I used it on my XL250s springs a few years back and there's no sign of cracking.
Surface prep is very important. If there's rust it will need to be removed.

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

Do not paint your springs.  The paint will crack and flake with the flexing of the spring.

[Shtonecb500]

Do not paint your springs.  The paint will crack and flake with the flexing of the spring.

Thats what I was thinking but they have to be powder coating new springs, right? The epoxy or rubber paint might actually work but they are so exposed to the elements are they really gonna stay nice or hold up very long?

[seanbarney41]

I believe there is a paint additive designed for use on flexible parts...you are not gonna get it in a spray can probably

[Kelly E]

I painted the springs on this set of Fox shocks in 2018 and I just took them off the bike last week. Plenty of miles on them.

[Gurp]

I've seen people use wheel coating in a can and rattle can bedliner with good success.

As with any type of painting surface prep is key.

[gary p.]

Thanks all.  The best of them were soaked in evaporust… a couple of years ago.  From a few feet, they looked pretty good, but the chrome is peeling away on the inside surface, so I don’t expect them to stay rust free once exposed to the weather.   The springs on my street twin are painted or powder coated, not sure what.  Isn’t powder coating hard and likely to crack and flake?  I’ll take that question to a local shop.   More to come.   
All of my old bikes has some level of rust on the springs.  I was always at them with strips of cloth and polishing paste trying to keep them shiny. 

[grcamna2]

Thanks all.  The best of them were soaked in evaporust… a couple of years ago.  From a few feet, they looked pretty good, but the chrome is peeling away on the inside surface, so I don’t expect them to stay rust free once exposed to the weather.   The springs on my street twin are painted or powder coated, not sure what.  Isn’t powder coating hard and likely to crack and flake?  I’ll take that question to a local shop.   More to come.   
All of my old bikes has some level of rust on the springs.  I was always at them with strips of cloth and polishing paste trying to keep them shiny.

Powder coating is a type of plastic.

I used VHT gloss black caliper paint on a pair of rear shocks and after I prepped and painted them I oven-cured them both at 200 degrees for an hr. as recommended on the can;they've been holding up very good and look great 

[Shtonecb500]

Thanks all.  The best of them were soaked in evaporust… a couple of years ago.  From a few feet, they looked pretty good, but the chrome is peeling away on the inside surface, so I don’t expect them to stay rust free once exposed to the weather.   The springs on my street twin are painted or powder coated, not sure what.  Isn’t powder coating hard and likely to crack and flake?  I’ll take that question to a local shop.   More to come.   
All of my old bikes has some level of rust on the springs.  I was always at them with strips of cloth and polishing paste trying to keep them shiny.

Powder coating is a type of plastic.

I used VHT gloss black caliper paint on a pair of rear shocks and after I prepped and painted them I oven-cured them both at 200 degrees for an hr. as recommended on the can;they've been holding up very good and look great 

boom.

[Shopdog]

I believe there is a paint additive designed for use on flexible parts...you are not gonna get it in a spray can probably

I spoke to my local auto paint supplier about this. They still have flex agent they can sell you, but he told me he can't remember the last time any of the local paint shops ordered it from him. Evidently, today's coatings are more flexible to resist cracking. That does make sense if you think about it. Newer vehicles have a lot of painted plastic. I guess the coating manufacturers felt it would cause less problems/complaints if they made their products more versatile.

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

I believe there is a paint additive designed for use on flexible parts...you are not gonna get it in a spray can probably

Correct. You need to add a flex agent to the paint or it will crack.  Most spray paints do not have a flex agent additive.

[Kelly E]

I believe there is a paint additive designed for use on flexible parts...you are not gonna get it in a spray can probably

Correct. You need to add a flex agent to the paint or it will crack.  Most spray paints do not have a flex agent additive.

I've painted several sets of springs with Seymour MRO spray paint and primer as well as Rust-Oleum with no issues at all. No flex agents used.