I can't tell if you mean the stock steps or rock sliders...as in, are you painting aluminum or steel?

The key to avoid delamination is compatibility with the substrate and appropriate prep work to allow adhesion.

I wouldn't bother to put any effort into the aluminum steps, as they'd get bent, twisted, wrecked off road anyway...but for a road warrior rig that doesn't get off road, I suppose it would be OK.



If you are talking about steel sliders, the bottoms and sides get gouged, scraped, etc against rocks and so forth, and the tops get wear and tear from standing on them, getting in/out of the rig, etc.

If you are painting the sides with XTERRA, etc...and you rub against something, it will damage pretty much any words.

Your best bet in that case would be to actually etch the words into the steel, essentially making the letters further from the steel's outer surface, and making the outline areas of the letters protect the worded part.

Aluminum is easier to etch than steel, but, again, if you have AL, you are probably not concerned with impacts.