# Repair of small dinks in bed liners



## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

I have a couple of small dinks in my spray in bed liner in my Dodge. Seems like I asked the guy that did it and they did not do repairs. So just curious, has anyone come up with a home grown repair process that works well. Was wondering about using my MAP gas torch to slightly heat but certainly don't want to set the truck on fire. I am guessing that if you heat that hot enough to run together, it is close enough to combustion temp in the presence of an open flame.


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## Hayjosh (Mar 24, 2016)

If it's a spray in bed line it will probably start bubbling first, as most finishes do, and then start smoking and eventually catch fire (just a small localized flame that won't travel far). This happens all the time when I'm welding on project cars and it's never a concern; I keep on welding and it will eventually burn itself out. So in short, do not try to heat it because you won't accomplish what you set out to do, except make it worse.

I'm not sure what you mean by 'dink?'


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## ACDII (Oct 1, 2021)

If you are talking about a chip out where the liner was removed and you see the original bed, then, it can be repaired, just surprised the installer can't do it. All they need to do is take some of the stuff they spray and fill the hole with it. I think the issue us,and why he wont do it is that it won't bond with the existing liner and could come off after a while. You could try filling the holes with Herculiner, that stuff will stick to anything, including a hootus. ( make sure there is none on your hands when using the bathroom) <- not from experience, but there is a thread on Dieselstop from a decade or so ago that will have you LYAS. 

Clean the spot with acetone or Xylene, rugn it up a bit with 36 grit and apply the herculiner with a small brush, you have to do it in layers. Work the first layer in and under if there is separation, then build it up in layers when dry to get it even with the spray in.


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## AndyH359 (Jan 3, 2012)

The misses found some spray on stuff in a can (like a spray paint can) to touch up a few worn areas in the bed of her old Ranger. Worked well and has stayed put for several years now.


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## ACDII (Oct 1, 2021)

AndyH359 said:


> The misses found some spray on stuff in a can (like a spray paint can) to touch up a few worn areas in the bed of her old Ranger. Worked well and has stayed put for several years now.


Oh I forgot about that stuff, I think Duplicolor makes it.


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## danwi (Mar 6, 2015)

If the place that did the original won't take care of it I would get some of the DIY stuff from an auto or farm store.


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## Ox76 (Oct 22, 2018)

Sharpie?


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

Ox76 said:


> Sharpie?


A little too much for a sharpie


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

Hayjosh said:


> If it's a spray in bed line it will probably start bubbling first, as most finishes do, and then start smoking and eventually catch fire (just a small localized flame that won't travel far). This happens all the time when I'm welding on project cars and it's never a concern; I keep on welding and it will eventually burn itself out. So in short, do not try to heat it because you won't accomplish what you set out to do, except make it worse.
> 
> I'm not sure what you mean by 'dink?'


Just misc damage spots. A couple of chips, one small torn spot and a scratch where someone at the landscapers slid a pallet with an exposed nail


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## ACDII (Oct 1, 2021)

Spray will not get underneath where you need it to be bonded back on the bed, but will create an air bubble instead. It will also be difficult to build up to make it even and will always look like a divot because the sides on the existing will also be built up. Best bet is find a quart can of bed liner and a small 1/2" brush, and brush it in. This way you can work it under loose bed liner, and build it up to be level with the rest. One ways is quick and easy, but can fail the other is more time consuming, not as easy, but done right can last the life of the truck.


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

ACDII said:


> Spray will not get underneath where you need it to be bonded back on the bed, but will create an air bubble instead. It will also be difficult to build up to make it even and will always look like a divot because the sides on the existing will also be built up. Best bet is find a quart can of bed liner and a small 1/2" brush, and brush it in. This way you can work it under loose bed liner, and build it up to be level with the rest. One ways is quick and easy, but can fail the other is more time consuming, not as easy, but done right can last the life of the truck.


just so you can see how far out of my paygrade I am, are there different types of paintable bed liner materials and more particularly, are some incompatible with others?


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## ACDII (Oct 1, 2021)

Once cured, anything can be reapplied to them, the trick is in getting the old surface clean and abraded for a good bond. Herculiner sticks to just about anything, and it is difficult to remove once cured, requires Xylene to remove the uncured stuff, so don't get any on skin. If it were mine, I would take a 36 grit flap wheel on a grinder, and hit the areas to rough it up to get a good bond, wipe it down with lacquer thinner or some other grease remover, and follow up with denatured, or isopropyl alcohol, the good stuff that is 90% or better, or paint prep if you have it. Then brush it in, and layer it up until it matches the existing bed. It WILL be darker than the original, but over time will fade in. Herculiner does have a spray as well, so if you want it to look like new, you could use both, the roll on to fill and level, and then mask it all off after giving it a good cleaning and shoot the entire bed with the spray. I don't know how well the spray will bond to the old stuff without doing some abrading, but the patches, if done right will last the life of the bed.

Duplicolor makes a similar liner, and I think there are a couple others. I have not worked with them, just Herculiner. Differences are pretty much just the texture of the product, some are really bumpy rough, others are smooth with minimal bumps. Its just the difference between brushed on and sprayed on. 

Rustoleum, Iron Armor from Harbor freight, and Raptor are a few others, and I think TCP Global also has one. Any of the ones in the quart can should work.


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## BirdDoc (Jun 26, 2021)

Get a quart can of roll on bedliner from Walmart, and suck some up in a medicine syringe. Use that to apply it into the ding.


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