Flex 3401 5.5" BP with LC 5.5" pads
Wool & Foam Buffing PadsDiscuss Flex 3401 5.5" BP with LC 5.5" pads in the Buffers and Polishers forums; As per title, I was wondering if this is a good combo, as 6.5" LC pads seems to ...
I've used the 5.5" pads on the factory 5.5" backing plate and have never really had any problems if used very carefully. It is an exact fit with no room for error or no pad material exceeding the circumference of the backing plate to protect the paint from accidentally getting the backing plate against the body of the car which is possible in certain situations.
On flat areas of the vehicle the 5.5" pad is fine but when working on edges near the bottom side of the roof or working up the doors under mirrors or door handles, the possibility exists to hit the roof pillar, the underside of the mirror housing or door handles with the hard black plastic part of the backing plate.
This hard black plastic can be a paint destroyer so my suggestion is to go with the 6.5" flat LC pads. They work very nicely with the 3401 and you get a little foam around the outer circumference of the backing plate to protect against accidental mishaps.
I also like and prefer the 5.5" variable contact pads for Flex VRG polisher, sold only at Poorboysworld.com they fit exactly perfect on the 3401, are super durable and protect perfectly against any backing plate scrapes. IMO, AG needs to get on the ball and start carrying these pads.
....I also like and prefer the 5.5" variable contact pads for Flex VRG polisher, sold only at Poorboysworld.com they fit exactly perfect on the 3401, are super durable and protect perfectly against any backing plate scrapes. IMO, AG needs to get on the ball and start carrying these pads.
Do these pads wrap around the backing plate on your 3401?
Do you happen to have a photo of one on the 3401 handy?
I've been looking at these for a while, but have yet to pull the trigger as I'm not sure about the edge fit.
I've used the 5.5" pads on the factory 5.5" backing plate and have never really had any problems if used very carefully. It is an exact fit with no room for error or no pad material exceeding the circumference of the backing plate to protect the paint from accidentally getting the backing plate against the body of the car which is possible in certain situations.
On flat areas of the vehicle the 5.5" pad is fine but when working on edges near the bottom side of the roof or working up the doors under mirrors or door handles, the possibility exists to hit the roof pillar, the underside of the mirror housing or door handles with the hard black plastic part of the backing plate.
This hard black plastic can be a paint destroyer so my suggestion is to go with the 6.5" flat LC pads. They work very nicely with the 3401 and you get a little foam around the outer circumference of the backing plate to protect against accidental mishaps.
I also like and prefer the 5.5" variable contact pads for Flex VRG polisher, sold only at Poorboysworld.com they fit exactly perfect on the 3401, are super durable and protect perfectly against any backing plate scrapes. IMO, AG needs to get on the ball and start carrying these pads.
Thanks for the input.
I've just checked their site .. Why are they different in terms of size comparing to LC 5.5" pads?!?
Do these pads wrap around the backing plate on your 3401?
Do you happen to have a photo of one on the 3401 handy?
I've been looking at these for a while, but have yet to pull the trigger as I'm not sure about the edge fit.
They do sort of wrap around the edge of the factory Flex 3401 backing plate and they fit perfectly on a 6" LC rotary backing plate too.
Sorry I don't have a photo handy.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Danube
Thanks for the input.
I've just checked their site .. Why are they different in terms of size comparing to LC 5.5" pads?!?
Ta
The 5.5" VC pads from Poorboys actually measure at just between 6" and 6 1/4" I believe the velcro area is what they are measuring when they call them 5.5" pads.
I mainly use these for rotary compounding/polishing because with the concave shape of them they don't instill nearly as many holograms on curved panels. They are not nearly as stiff as LC flat pads and they contour to curves totally better and produce a much nicer finish.
They are declaring them as 5.5" which is from above pic obvious that its a bit larger, probably about 6".
It look like these pads are made by LC as well.
The following is their official info:
They come in 4 abrasives, Finishing(Red), Finessing(Black), Polishing(White), & Light Cutting(Orange)
Truly a Superior product from Lake Country exclusive for Poorboy's World.
With LC flat pads the back plate comes to the edge of the pad. I used it once but switched to the smaller back plate. I was too worried about bumping something while polishing and doing some damage.
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