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  1. #1

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    Wrangler paint hardness

    Hi all, 1st post...
    I just purchased a 2017 Wrangler JK, and I love it. The paint is in pretty good condition, but it does have swirls throughout. In the past I`ve used exclusively Poor boys products for correction, usually starting with SSR-2.5 and ending with SSR1 then the usual polish and wax. I`ve never had issues with the product on my 2 Chevy`s and my 330i. For some reason I can`t seem to get the swirls out using SSR 2.5 on the Jeep. I was wondering if Chrysler/Dodge/Mopar use a different type of paint or is their paint just "harder". I do use a PC 7424 along with Blue Country pads.

  2. #2
    dwaleke's Avatar
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    Re: Wrangler paint hardness

    I`ve corrected many Chrysler family cars over the years. In general Chrysler paint is definitely the hard side of medium. Not rock hard like some Audi paints but closer to it.

    I am not familiar with those polishes but if you need you do correction you`ll need a compound. I would start with something like Griot`s Fast Correcting Cream (or equivalent from another brand) and a microfiber cutting pad (or equivalent).
    Likes donasdux1 liked this post

  3. #3

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    Re: Wrangler paint hardness

    I REALLY think that a Porter-Cable 7424 DA polisher does not have the motor power nor the orbital stroke (8mm) to effectively "work" on hard paints with deep scratches. You might want to look at microfiber pads, but they can be messy and "linty". Also, you did not indicate what size pad you are working with. If it is a 6" pad with a 6" backing plate, the "work" power (IE, torque) is going into the deflection of the outer edge surface of a large 6" pad and as you put downward pressure on the outer edge, it causes the orbital motion to stall because the electrical motor simple does not have the power ( 4.5 amps @ 400 volts) to generate the torque to overcome that downward pressure. While the PC- DA is a relatively "safe" machine for the novice to use because it does not create motion heat and possible paint burn-though like a rotary buffer, it is also its "Achilles Heel" when used for correction.

    My suggestion is to use a smaller pad diameter, like a 4" backing plate and pad if you are planning on using the PC-DA. Yes, it will take an infinitely longer time to buff (correct) and polish out a larger vehicle like your Wrangler, but the results will speak for themselves. The 4" pad will deflect less and stall less. Like many things in life, "you gotta give up something to get something." In this case it is the time it takes for using a smaller, but more effective pad diameter with a PC-DA. Another tip or trick is to let the pad and and the orbital motion do the work, rather than trying to force the pad into the paint surface being corrected and thus causing the orbital motion to stall or almost stop. The "problem" is that this can take more time and dry out the compound you are working with, which leads to dusting. Knowing when to stop and add more compound or a spritz of distilled water from a mist sprayer to the pad is also key in correcting OR finding a compound with a longer work time, like Griot`s Garage BOSS Correcting Cream or 3D`s ACA 500 X-tra Cut or Sonax CutMax.

    While I am not trying bust your detailing bubble and say what you are trying to accomplish with a PC-DA cannot be done; the truth is that there are limits to the capabilities of such a polishing machine. Another Captain Obvious cliche: "It is what it is."

    The other option is, of course, to upgrade to a more powerful buffing machine. Another cliche my father said seems appropriate here: "You wanna run with the big dogs, you gotta pay like the big dogs." Again, I am coming across as insensitive and down-right mean. However, when you see the vast majority of the completely scratched and swirled "before" to the perfectly corrected & polished "after" vehicles pics posted in "The Click-n-Brag" section of this forum. please note that these Autopians have done so with Flex`s, Rupe`s, Griot`s Garage BOSS`s, or rotary polishing machines, hence my statement at the beginning of this paragraph.

    Edit:
    My Bad. I see you are only removing swirls, not scratches. Your PC-DA "should` work with removing those. Please let us know if you chose to use a different polish for doing so than the Poor Boy`s World SSR-1. Many like Sonax Perfect finish for polishing, but that is a somewhat expensive polish. Griot`s Garage Perfecting Cream (polish) might be a good alternative. I would still suggest the smaller pad diameter with the PC-DA.
    GB detailer

 

 

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