herculiner vs. durabak

I have the inside of my tub all cleaned up and ready to be wiped down and coated. I like the smooth finish of durabak, but I would think herculiner is a lot stronger. I durabaked my whole undercarriage and frame (smooth gray). On the contrary, my friend herculined the inside of his tub. For some reason I bet his herculiner could take a whack with a hammer and my durabak couldn't. Maybe I'm completly wrong, but any opinions? I understand most people don't like herculiner due to its knuckle abrasion properties, difficulty in cleaning, and the fact that once you herculine it, theres no going back. All I'm really focused on is pure strength...hi-lift bouncing around, tow straps, beer bottles

 

Well, the rubber granules would likely absorb some of the strength of the hammer blow, so the comparison is only so fair. Would this friend let you whack part of his jeep body with a hammer? I see no harm in testing your frame that way, so if you have a willing friend I'd say that is a good test.

Another way would be an a abrasion test between the two - maybe you should come across some left-over herculiner from your friend or spring for a quart and paint some old sheet metal. Do the same with Dura bak, then go at them both with some abrasives once they've cured.

Based on my experience, Herculiner is some strong stuff. I do think the rubber granules contribute to its strength. If you're looking for a true comparison though, I recommend whacking your buddies jeep with a hammer or doing the second experiment listed above.

 

I coated my TJ tub with herculiner. I followed the instrctions meticulously, and 2 years later the liner is coming off . The problem started in the hottest areas, like the trans tunnel. I am going to put the carpets back in this spring because it looks like hell. The myth about once you go liner you can't get back is crap. Anything can be re-coated with proper prep, even if it means going to bare metal.

 

^sweet plow.

I've got a long list of things that I'm looking at doing to my jeep once I'm out of school and making a steady paycheck (who knows when that will be), and a liner or coating is down near the end of the list. I have seen a lot of people recommend paint for the inside of the tub. I like the idea of a non-slip surface on the inside, but only in some places. I may end up trying to coat certain surfaces with it, while having a matching painted surface where the coating isn't needed. Anyone try anything like that yet?

Good luck with whatever you end up doing, OP.

 

I used a 2" wide peice of strap with a nice bevel on it. Removed Herculiner and chipped paint right down to bare metal. I also used a grinder and wire wheel. When I decide to finish what I started I will hit my tub with a tiger disc and give durabak a try.

 

I think this about nails it
whatever you do when you apply yourself, you do not usually have the tools or training to do the job the guys who get paid to do it do, and that matters a lot.