My 4x4 was brand spanking new off the assembly line May 17^th, 1998. By June 6^th my grey carpeting was unable to be fully cleaned. I had taken the TJ on a three-day trip in the Sierra Nevada mountains and gotten it filthy inside and out. Upon returning I removed all the carpeting and did my best to make it spotless again (hey ? it was two weeks old!). Even throwing it in the washing machine did no good.

I began to look for alternatives through magazines, mailing lists, and internet sites. One obvious choice was to remove the carpet each time I took a trip off-road. Not a terrible choice, but kind of a pain in the neck. It doesn?t take long to remove the carpet, but I already have a few hours of preparation for many trips I take. And what of spontaneous "I wonder what?s down here" trips? Carpet removal really didn?t cut it for me.

I thought floor liners might do the trick. The plastic, removable "bowls" that reside under the driver?s and passenger?s feet seemed to be a good choice. Matching color, durability?lots of bonuses. Soon enough, however, I found information that the liners didn?t fit well, puddled the water and mud, and just didn?t make the grade.

Decisions, Decisions?

As my Jeep grew up (literally) my attitude changed from keeping it really nice to keeping it comfortable but functional. I decided a spray or brush-on tubliner was the way to solve my problem. I compiled a list of liners on the market. Here is what I found:

• Professional spray-on liners were only applicable by their dealers. This ran about $600 to coat the entire interior of the Jeep. While the resulting liner was very even and attractive, the cost was better spent on a winch or tires.
• Some do-it-yourself liners only came in glossy or smooth finishes. I, personally, like a satin or flat finish on most Jeep accessories. I also wanted a liner with a rough but pliable texture to grip items I was carrying. The texture would also keep wet shoes from slipping on the floorboard.
• Some do-it-yourself liners also required mixing two or three ingredients perfectly to make the liner before applying. Truthfully, I wanted to make this as easy as possible, so I looked for a product that came ready to apply.

What I found was Durabak, distributed by Cote-L. This tubliner addressed all my concerns and more.  The liner is chemical, flame, and UV resistant.  It is composed of a polyurethane base with ground up recycled tires in it to provide a durable texture.  I spoke with Jake Ickowicz from Cote-L, and he shipped out a gallon of Light Grey Durabak to me. Durabak is available by the gallon or by the quart. A gallon will coat about 60 square feet nicely. I put two good coats on the entire interior of the TJ, and used about 2/3 of the can. 

Properties

Durabak is available in twelve colors of the rainbow. It comes in one can, and is ready to apply without mixing in other ingredients. Once your vehicle has been prepared, the only steps necessary to apply the product are:

1. Pry the sealing clips and lid off the can
2. Stir the Durabak with a drill chuck-type paint stirring attachment for a good five minutes to really get the rubber particles distributed well.
3. Start applying the liner!

When the can of Durabak arrives, you will find it securely packed in foam peanuts along with a lengthy properties sheet. Take the time to browse this sheet, as it provides a wealth of safety information, as well as material specifications and application instructions.  The unopened can has a shelf life of up to one year.

Soft, porous foam rollers are also provided with each order of Durabak. You MUST use these if you want the liner to have the correct texture upon drying. The rollers are designed to pick up the rubber particles and dispense them correctly on the surface you are covering. A standard foam or paint roller will not do the trick.  (The liner can also be sprayed on with a Schutz spray gun)

You can also order small packets of accelerator with the Durabak. The accelerator is mixed in before application at a ratio of one packet per quart. The accelerator can quicken the curing time significantly.

Durabak has the consistency of regular old house paint, and might even seem a touch thinner.  The liner lays on very smoothly and the rubber particles are no larger than a grain of sand. Even on vertical surfaces, the stuff sticks well and doesn?t run. Two coats of Durabak left me with a surface about 1/16^th of an inch thick.