trail scratches
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trail scratches
i have an 04 fx4 supercrew and i had to take a little ride through the woods the other day and i came upon a tight trail, and needless to say the side of my truck got all scratched up from branches and bushes. i think there light enough to come out with a buffer, but what kind of wax and polishing compound works the best for this sort of thing. thanks
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Joined: Feb 2007
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From: Puyallup, WA
Well there are a lot of people on this board that know more than I do, but here's my thoughts.
First off, realize that in order to make the scratches go away you're going to have to remove enough clear coat to get down to the level of the scratch. Once the clear is leveled to to the scratch the scratch disappears. So if the scratches are really deep into the clear you're going to have to take a lot off. And of course if you're through the clear you're pretty much stuck with what you've got, you're going to need to get it repainted at that point.
So hopefully they're light scratches, like the kind you don't catch your fingernail on if you run it across the scratches. In that case you should be able to take them out without tooooo much problem.
It also depends on what tools and products you have available. If you don't have a machine to buff with, go with Megs ScratchX, it works well be hand, but be prepared to put some serious elbow grease into it. It'll also likely take a few applications to do its thing.
If you've got a PC or G100 then Megs #80 is a great place to start, if something more aggressive is needed then you can try #83, but that's as aggressive as you can do with a DA machine.
If you've got one of those cheap $30 waxers that's not going to help you with this.
That's just some off the hip advice, if you take some pics and post them I know that will make it easier for everyone to get an idea of what may be needed or if they're beyond repair.
Good Luck!
First off, realize that in order to make the scratches go away you're going to have to remove enough clear coat to get down to the level of the scratch. Once the clear is leveled to to the scratch the scratch disappears. So if the scratches are really deep into the clear you're going to have to take a lot off. And of course if you're through the clear you're pretty much stuck with what you've got, you're going to need to get it repainted at that point.
So hopefully they're light scratches, like the kind you don't catch your fingernail on if you run it across the scratches. In that case you should be able to take them out without tooooo much problem.
It also depends on what tools and products you have available. If you don't have a machine to buff with, go with Megs ScratchX, it works well be hand, but be prepared to put some serious elbow grease into it. It'll also likely take a few applications to do its thing.
If you've got a PC or G100 then Megs #80 is a great place to start, if something more aggressive is needed then you can try #83, but that's as aggressive as you can do with a DA machine.
If you've got one of those cheap $30 waxers that's not going to help you with this.
That's just some off the hip advice, if you take some pics and post them I know that will make it easier for everyone to get an idea of what may be needed or if they're beyond repair.
Good Luck!
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Joined: Jul 2006
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Originally Posted by redfx4screw
i have an 04 fx4 supercrew and i had to take a little ride through the woods the other day and i came upon a tight trail, and needless to say the side of my truck got all scratched up from branches and bushes. i think there light enough to come out with a buffer, but what kind of wax and polishing compound works the best for this sort of thing. thanks
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Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 2,396
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From: DFW
Also, when you take pics, scrape your fingernail across it. If it catches, let us know (if it barely catches, there may yet be hope).
But, if you feel like having a go at it beforehand, try Meguiars Scratch-X. Don't be afraid to use multiple applications. I'd say, though, that after 4-5 apps of it, you may want to re-evaluate and check back with us on it.
Good Luck! (Hope you had fun on the trails.)
But, if you feel like having a go at it beforehand, try Meguiars Scratch-X. Don't be afraid to use multiple applications. I'd say, though, that after 4-5 apps of it, you may want to re-evaluate and check back with us on it.
Good Luck! (Hope you had fun on the trails.)