Rocker panels are extremely vulnerable to damage due to external factors like corrosion and physical damage from rough roads and terrain.
It is one of the most difficult parts of the vehicle to protect because of the amount of punishment it takes on an average day on the road. Truck and off-road vehicle owners are well aware of this.
Best Rocker Panel Coating
No wonder there has been a flood of new products in the market aimed at protecting the body and sensitive areas on your favorite vehicle. Sometimes it is difficult to comb through all the hype and claims to find the best products for your needs.
In this short guide, we outline several products we believe provide the best rocker panel coating on the market. If you would like to know more about protecting your brand new truck or off-road vehicle, this is the guide for you.
Bed liners
Protective coatings have been around for a long time, and bed liners are the best example of that. The truck bed is the area that takes the most punishment on working vehicles.
Loading and unloading heavy-duty machinery and work supplies can take its toll on the truck bed, damage its paint job, and leave the truck bed vulnerable to corrosion.
Companies like Line-X, Por-15, Rhino, and Herculiner have perfected spray-on bed liner product lines, providing a coating that is resilient to rust and abrasion. In addition, bed liners can provide additional benefits and functionality to the truck bed, such as anti-slip or weather-resistant features.
Spray-on bed liner coatings are universal and can be applied to all trucks from all major manufacturers, including Chevrolet, Dodge, GMC, or Ford.
Rocker panel coating
Compared to bed liners, rocker panel coating is actually undercoating, intended to protect the rocker panels and fenders from rocks, pebbles, and other physical damage.
Rocker panel coating acts as a chip guard, preventing the paint and coating on the rocker panels from chipping, leaving the metal exposed to potential corrosion. The role of the best rocker panel coating is to provide the best possible protection while being easy to use and apply, all at an affordable price.
Think about it. You have just purchased a new Chevy Silverado or Ford F-150 Raptor, and you would like your truck to provide you with years of service, doing the heavy lifting while looking good and staying structurally sound.
The construction and materials used to build these vehicles are what their owners call “the good stuff,” making them the most durable and reliable work vehicles for farmers, construction workers, or people living in rural areas in general.
But, a durable truck is not indestructible and still needs special care. Rocker panel coating protects one of the most vulnerable areas on the truck, its underside.
Rocker panel coating is not intended for use only on rocker panels. It can be applied as an additional layer of protection to rocker guards, wheel wells, lower auto body panels, crew cabs, or front bumpers, as long as it is applied with care and according to OEM instructions.
The application of rocker panel coating can be a DIY project for those willing to put in the time and effort. It will also require quite a bit of sanding, masking tape or painters tape. It can be applied as a gray base layer for common automotive paint to prevent the topcoat from chipping, or you apply it as a gloss-black top coat that provides optimal protection to the part.
With the help of Google and countless hours of vetting reviews, customer testimonials, and images, we have selected the three best rocker panel coating products on the market.
Sure Seal Gravel Guard 2
Dominion Sure Seal created one of the most well-known and reliable products in this niche, Gravel Guard 2. Gravel Guard 2 is a spray-on protective rocker panel coating that comes in 20 oz. cans and provides fantastic protection to the rocker panels on your truck or other common automotive parts.
The coating is gray and has a high rubber content, which provides excellent protection from chipping. Once the applied Gravel Guard 2 is dry, it is paintable to any color you desire.
While Gravel Guard 2 is not as thick as some competitor products, it does provide industrial-grade protection. It is an acetone-based protective coating, which is an industry-standard. Gravel Guard 2 is easy to apply, but a note to DIY enthusiasts — the coating is very flammable before it dries, so careful handling is a must.
Buy Sure Seal Gravel Guard 2 on Amazon
Dupli-Color Rocker Coating
Dupli-Color Rocker Coating is a two-tone protective coating solution for lower automotive panels. It comes in black and clear protective finishes, in both matte and glossy options.
The coating finish is textured, giving it a rugged and pebbled appearance. It is exceptionally rugged and flexible, making it ideal for protecting the rocker panels from chipping and corrosion.
At the same time, Dupli-Color Rocker Coating is the easiest product on the market to apply. It is so easy to apply that anyone can do it. Just mask off the areas you want to protect with painting tape and spray on the product. It takes only 10 minutes for the Dupli-Color Rocker Coating to dry to the touch, and within 30 minutes, the vehicle is ready for action and the rigors of everyday use.
Like its competitor Gravel Guard 2, Dupli-Color is paintable once the coating is dry.
Buy Dupli-Color Rocker Coating on Amazon
3M Rocker Panel Coating
3M is a premium manufacturer of a variety of protective coatings, films, and liners, so it is no surprise that they have an entry in the rocker panel coating niche.
3M Rocker Panel Coating offers industry-leading under-the-paint chip guard coating and protection from pebbles, stones, and other hazards. It is an OEM-approved rocker panel coating that easily matches the coarse texture of rocker panels, guards, and other lower automotive panels for a flawless finish.
The coating comes in light gray color, and it is compatible with all major automotive paint manufacturers and colors. The cans are 23 oz. and the packages usually include six cans, although the coating can be bought in individual cans as well.
3M Rocker Panel Coating is applied between the primer and the automotive paint for best results and fantastic protection from corrosion, impact, and chipping.
Buy 3M Rocker Panel Coating on Amazon
We hope that this guide provided useful information that you can use in your search for the right rocker panel coating for your vehicle. We understand the importance of a durable and long-lasting vehicle.
Rocker panel coating is one of the most cost-efficient ways to protect your truck from corrosion caused by paint chipping.
The three products we recommend all meet the standards of a premium product that provides durable protection and easy application.