Help on selecting pads for Flex VRG 3401

[zas]

Dear Senior's

I am planning on picking up a Felx XC 3401 VRG, considering the following combo:
M105- If required
M205 or 106FA,
finish with 3M ultrafina SE with Blue pads or RD85

i also require help with Flex backing plates as i understnad it is difficult to find backing plates for flex mainly smaller size

could some body recemmond pads for the same as i have never used a DA before.

Car color and condition:
MB SL
color Black

Needs a bit of paint correction, filled with swirls.

never used a DA with M105 or M205
any tips will be of great help, i understand it has a bit of lerning curve.

Feed back please

 

[tuscarora dave]

Welcome to the site.

There is a new backing plate kit coming out for the flex 3401 in early 2012. here's the link.
FLEX XC3401 Changeable Backing Plate System

Until that's available, I suggest that you google "a common sense approach to efficient paint polishing" and read the KBM downloadable PDF on pad priming and supplemental wetting agents. Also Mike Phillips has lots of how to articles and videos to help you get through your learning curve.

I prefer flat pads no larger than 6.5 inch for the Flex 3401. I prefer the 6" foam pads from PRO and the Poorboy's World 5.5" variable contact pads for Flex VRG polishers, both of which are not sold here. If I'm buying pads here I go for these Lake Country 6.5 FLAT Pads 6 Pack - Your Choice! or these Lake Country Hydro-Tech 6.5 Inch Foam Pads, water-based polish pads, foam buffing pads, hydro tech pads

 

[zas]

Welcome to the site.

There is a new backing plate kit coming out for the flex 3401 in early 2012. here's the link.
FLEX XC3401 Changeable Backing Plate System

Until that's available, I suggest that you google "a common sense approach to efficient paint polishing" and read the KBM downloadable PDF on pad priming and supplemental wetting agents. Also Mike Phillips has lots of how to articles and videos to help you get through your learning curve.

I prefer flat pads no larger than 6.5 inch for the Flex 3401. I prefer the 6" foam pads from PRO and the Poorboy's World 5.5" variable contact pads for Flex VRG polishers, both of which are not sold here. If I'm buying pads here I go for these Lake Country 6.5 FLAT Pads 6 Pack - Your Choice! or these Lake Country Hydro-Tech 6.5 Inch Foam Pads, water-based polish pads, foam buffing pads, hydro tech pads

Thank you Dave:xyxthumbs:

 

[Time 2 shine]

I have the 4 3/8 inch backing plate on my 3401 and use the 5.5 inch Lc Flat pads. I have mixed emotions on how well it preforms though. Most backing plates for other DA's are only a 1/2 inch smaller then the pads being used giving you more surface contact. example 5" BP w/5.5 " pad. Now if im using the 4 3/8 inch BP and a 5.5 inch pad that's a difference 1 1/8 of an inch. Even though the flex is forced rotation i still feel there is a loss with that big of difference in backing BP to pad size. The flex comes with a 5.5 inch BP so to be safe you should get the 6.5 inch pads. The 5.5 inch pads IMO are easier to move around some of the tighter spot on a vehicle. But with all that being said give the LC Hydro Tech pads a go.

 

[toycar18]

I bought the 6.5" pads for my Flex 3401. They are great for my work vans, which are box trucks. On my 98 Toyota Tacoma, I wish I had smaller ones. They were way to big for the curves are smaller areas. I will be getting the 5.5" or 6" pads.... but you may need to buy a smaller backing plate like the 4 3/8" one.

 

[Time 2 shine]

I bought the 6.5" pads for my Flex 3401. They are great for my work vans, which are box trucks. On my 98 Toyota Tacoma, I wish I had smaller ones. They were way to big for the curves are smaller areas. I will be getting the 5.5" or 6" pads.... but you may need to buy a smaller backing plate like the 4 3/8" one.

Well my friend, I own a 2008 tacoma and the 5.5 inch pads work much better for all of the tacoma curves.

 

[toycar18]

Well my friend, I own a 2008 tacoma and the 5.5 inch pads work much better for all of the tacoma curves.

I think we should trade!... actually I really like my truck and I like the new ones too.

How do you like the LC 5.5 flat pads? I am considering going with them but many like the hydro-tech pads... I don't know if there really is a noticeable difference between closed cell foam or regular foam... I like have more variety for pads which the flat pads have and the hydro-tech ones don't. Thoughts?

 

[Time 2 shine]

I think we should trade!... actually I really like my truck and I like the new ones too.

How do you like the LC 5.5 flat pads? I am considering going with them but many like the hydro-tech pads... I don't know if there really is a noticeable difference between closed cell foam or regular foam... I like have more variety for pads which the flat pads have and the hydro-tech ones don't. Thoughts?

The flat pads are good, but the Hydro tech cyan and tangerine work better compared to the orange and white flats. They also absorb less product into the pad. From my experience working on toyota paint is that its very hard and not easy for the flex to correct down completely. I had made multiple passes with M105/yellow flat pad on speed 6 with heavy pressure and still only got about a 70% correction on my 08 radiant red tacoma. I've also tried the LC purple foamed wool/m105 combo an a single stage white camry that had heavy oxidation and still only got about a 70% correction. Now with that being said, i was able to knock out about 90% of the swirls on a 2010 black VW tiquan with LC ccs orange/m205 combo.

 

[dougaross]

The flat pads are good, but the Hydro tech cyan and tangerine work better compared to the orange and white flats. They also absorb less product into the pad. From my experience working on toyota paint is that its very hard and not easy for the flex to correct down completely. I had made multiple passes with M105/yellow flat pad on speed 6 with heavy pressure and still only got about a 70% correction on my 08 radiant red tacoma. I've also tried the LC purple foamed wool/m105 combo an a single stage white camry that had heavy oxidation and still only got about a 70% correction. Now with that being said, i was able to knock out about 90% of the swirls on a 2010 black VW tiquan with LC ccs orange/m205 combo.

No offense intended but have you reviewed your technique? Arm speed, work area, cleanliness, etc. It seems to me heavy pressure, yellow pad, 105 will remove RIDS. Maybe you are creating additional marring.

 

[toycar18]

My Tacoma has very had paint as well. It needed a yellow pad, compound and took 12 hours on a small reg cab to get most swirls and scratches out. Had tons of scratches from trees when I drive offroad in the woods. I could have spent another 5 hours but it good enough for me.

 

[Time 2 shine]

No offense intended but have you reviewed your technique? Arm speed, work area, cleanliness, etc. It seems to me heavy pressure, yellow pad, 105 will remove RIDS. Maybe you are creating additional marring.

Yeah, I tried a lot of different things. Smaller working area, arm speed, machine speed, different pads/polish combo's, light or heavy pressure, starting with heavy pressure and easing off on the last few passes or vise versa, Cleaning the pad after each section pass compared to say, after a whole door, amount of product used. I'm familiar with using 105/205 so i know when they have reached there finishing point. Vehicles are always moved inside a garage to be clayed and polished after being washed. The yellow/105 combo was my last go to at the time. I do agree that the yellow pad doesn't finish as nice as the orange but i wasn't getting enough cut from the orange. Sorry I should have been more clear about the heavy pressure comment. I didn't use heavy pressure the whole time I was compounding , just trying more pressure in some spots to see if it would make a difference.

P.S. yel/105 is pretty aggressive so i understand your comment.

 

[sharpcard]

I use the 6.5 inch HT pads with the stock backing plate. The Cyan pad works well with 105 for most everything. My ace in the hole is the sur-buf pads with 105.

 

[Time 2 shine]

I use the 6.5 inch HT pads with the stock backing plate. The Cyan pad works well with 105 for most everything. My ace in the hole is the sur-buf pads with 105.

I just got a chance to use my surbufs for a test spot on a blk cts-v. Im not sure how i feel about them yet on the flex. Im gonna give them a try on my GG6 i just picked up as ive read they work better on random orbitals.