How did you guys finish your driveshafts?

[71CHEVYSHORTBED402]

I removed the rust from these with lacquer thinner and scrub pads. Polished one of two, half of the shaft was heavily oxidized. Tried a few things, including fine sand paper and was going nowhere. Broke out the 3M metal polish, very fine steel wool and lots of rotations. I don't trust myself with a power sander on these, so lots of elbow grease - came out nice.

I was going to powder coat or paint these black. Not a chance now, clear coat will suit these fine.

I'm sending them out for U-joints, a bearing and any adjustments, the truck was dropped 4/2.5. The shop says finish them after they rebuild them, due to damage on installation. I've never replaced a U-joint before, and from here I may never will. I'm wondering how you guys finished yours and the process?

Pics would be great.

Thanks

[davischevy]

I don't have a picture on this computer of the entire driveshaft.

[special-K]

Other Larry, you have a beautiful shaft! Brings me back to an old friend's dad, Waldo Davis, when I was a teen. He was a Corvair guy and was the man who inspired me to do nut and bolt restorations. He did the factory stenciling like that and that is the thing I remember most.

Treat the bare steel for the rust you removed... to the naked eye. Believe it or not the oxidation can still be in the pores. powder coat is great. But GM painted them and as far as you are going with this truck I can't see it getting any less than pampered treatment. I assume the end result with be a 100pt restoration worthy of the highest grade shows. I'd do what GM did. I helped my upholstery guy do his dad's '72 Cheyenne Super/20 Custom Camper into a points show truck. He showed it at Hershey (AACA regional) last fall. I don't think if he won anything or not. But that truck is B E A Utiful!

[Sheepdip]

I guess I'm the odd man out here. Unless you are going to show it with mirrors to see the underside....it's a truck, everything underneath is subject to oil, grease, road grime, rock chips etc., etc. I just drive mine with not a thought of what the underneath looks like.

I'm not being critical, if that's what you want, Great!

[tdangle]

Originally Posted by Sheepdip

I guess I'm the odd man out here. Unless you are going to show it with mirrors to see the underside....it's a truck, everything underneath is subject to oil, grease, road grime, rock chips etc., etc. I just drive mine with not a thought of what the underneath looks like.

I'm not being critical, if that's what you want, Great!

This is the way mine is. If it's a show truck, then by all means clear. Looks great

[71CHEVYSHORTBED402]

I can't tell if you guys are talking to me about "show truck", but I didn't build this to show. Yeah this truck is pampered, and yeah it's an "original build", but I'm not getting 100 points with a mini-starter, HEI, and no voltage reg. anyway. I honestly don't know what "100 points" means.

This build only matches the SPID to some extent. I lost the camper mirrors and step-bumper for sport, and what was standard ochre/white is now deluxe ochre/white with full belts. Sure original parts, with a twist on the antenna, aka 68 Corvette set-up with the fat-ball mast Dropped it some too.

You guys ought-ta' quit complimenting one another's shafts already, I see what you did So Tim, I take it they were painted black huh? I'm still open clear coat, I think it would look great. You mentioned treating the rust, any recommendations for material.

What do you think about finishing them after the U-joints and bearing are installed? Like I mentioned the drive line guy says powder coat afterwards, and the guy who does the powder coat says plastic and rubber are okay. But I worry about rubber withstanding the heat. From what I see Powder coat sees 400 degrees and rubber begins to melt or burn at approx. 260F.

That and where there's rubber there's grease. Seems to me if it has to be finished after the U-joints & bearing are installed, then paint is the only option.

[special-K]

The truck shafts or...? Ok, I'm done. Maybe we should just call them driveshafts. Yes, GM painted them black. I assumed you were going for show from the extent of detail you are posting and asking about... and looking at that highly polished steel. You just meant color I guess

[Andy4639]

I did the 1 piece in my LWB a few years ago when I did the 6.0 LS swap. !00points for power maybe over the old 305 TPI!

I'm like sheepdip whatever the drive line shop done to it was fine. It's not seen once on the road and mine is driven regularly.

[BigBird05]

The only time I worried about painting my drive shaft I put a straight line down it to make sure it wasn't twisting. Always started out with a black shaft.

[davischevy]

Originally Posted by Sheepdip

I guess I'm the odd man out here. Unless you are going to show it with mirrors to see the underside....it's a truck, everything underneath is subject to oil, grease, road grime, rock chips etc., etc. I just drive mine with not a thought of what the underneath looks like.

I'm not being critical, if that's what you want, Great!

No offense taken. I have done several nut and bolt restorations, and won some major awards. I do it just to see if I can. When they are finished the fun is over.

I agree, they are to be driven and we do everyday. This picture was taken at the shop yesterday.

[davischevy]

Originally Posted by 71CHEVYSHORTBED402

I can't tell if you guys are talking to me about "show truck", but I didn't build this to show. Yeah this truck is pampered, and yeah it's an "original build", but I'm not getting 100 points with a mini-starter, HEI, and no voltage reg. anyway. I honestly don't know what "100 points" means.

This build only matches the SPID to some extent. I lost the camper mirrors and step-bumper for sport, and what was standard ochre/white is now deluxe ochre/white with full belts. Sure original parts, with a twist on the antenna, aka 68 Corvette set-up with the fat-ball mast Dropped it some too.

You guys ought-ta' quit complimenting one another's shafts already, I see what you did So Tim, I take it they were painted black huh? I'm still open clear coat, I think it would look great. You mentioned treating the rust, any recommendations for material.

What do you think about finishing them after the U-joints and bearing are installed? Like I mentioned the drive line guy says powder coat afterwards, and the guy who does the powder coat says plastic and rubber are okay. But I worry about rubber withstanding the heat. From what I see Powder coat sees 400 degrees and rubber begins to melt or burn at approx. 260F.

That and where there's rubber there's grease. Seems to me if it has to be finished after the U-joints & bearing are installed, then paint is the only option.

From what I can tell, some driveshafts were painted, some raw metal.

I have become less enchanted with powdercoat as I go along. It is good for some things, but if you have to torque a bolt, it chips and then rust starts under the coating and ends up with a finish you can't repair.

[Greasey Harley]

works for me

[71CHEVYSHORTBED402]

Originally Posted by special-K

The truck shafts or...? Ok, I'm done. Maybe we should just call them driveshafts. Yes, GM painted them black. I assumed you were going for show from the extent of detail you are posting and asking about... and looking at that highly polished steel. You just meant color I guess

I think you were a few steps ahead of me as usual I finished polishing the rear shaft. Used WD40 and green scrub pads to start this time around, worked well. Thing is, the pockmarks are heavier on the rear shaft. Combined with these currently have a metal polish on them and won't before a finish coat, they may not turn out so nice if clear-coated. That and if they're treated for rust first, who knows what they'll look like afterwards. So probably black

I'll have to ask the powder coat dude why he thinks rubber/plastic doesn't ruin under his system. Perhaps his equipment allows for a cooler process, but as of now I'm leaning toward paint.

[chev-obsession]

I really like your polish job! This is my before and after. Pretty greasy and rusty, I covered up all the slip shafts and u joint holes, blasted and powder coated. I did all the work myself. Minus installing the u-joints and balancing. It you asked so here it is.

[71CHEVYSHORTBED402]

Originally Posted by chev-obsession

I really like your polish job! This is my before and after. Pretty greasy and rusty, I covered up all the slip shafts and u joint holes, blasted and powder coated. I did all the work myself. Minus installing the u-joints and balancing. It you asked so here it is.

Looks great and thanks. Did you powder coat without the U-joints & bearing installed? If so, everything install cleanly?

Guys at the shop insist they be finished after they're installed. At this point that's the plan, though they'll probably be painted. Perhaps a clear coat too, semi-gloss is tempting for a little bling.

[chev-obsession]

Originally Posted by 71CHEVYSHORTBED402

Looks great and thanks. Did you powder coat without the U-joints & bearing installed? If so, everything install cleanly?

Guys at the shop insist they be finished after they're installed. At this point that's the plan, though they'll probably be painted. Perhaps a clear coat too, semi-gloss is tempting for a little bling.

Thanks, I have the powder coating equipment at my house. I blasted and powder coated with the u-joints out. If you blast and coat the driveshaft with them installed you will have grease run out of the u joints and get into your powder and not good for the seals in the joints to get that hot.

If I were more anal, I would have removed the u joints after having the shaft shortened and balanced then powder coated And re installed. The whole process was a PITA But worth it IMO

[72c20customcamper]

Usually 6 grand launches does it nicely

[cornerstone]

Originally Posted by 72c20customcamper

Usually 6 grand launches does it nicely

That's definitely ONE way to QUICKLY "finish" a driveshaft!

[71CHEVYSHORTBED402]

Originally Posted by chev-obsession

Thanks, I have the powder coating equipment at my house. I blasted and powder coated with the u-joints out. If you blast and coat the driveshaft with them installed you will have grease run out of the u joints and get into your powder and not good for the seals in the joints to get that hot.

If I were more anal, I would have removed the u joints after having the shaft shortened and balanced then powder coated And re installed. The whole process was a PITA But worth it IMO

Thanks for that. I looked on-line how to install U-joints, appears a case drive-line shop assume not baby them after everything is finished. Agree on seals, even with paint.

[71CHEVYSHORTBED402]

I dropped the shafts off at the shop yesterday. The guy doing the work is real pleasant, drunk, uses a cane. Anyway, we went through my measurements, and he matched them up to what he came up with and says, "here you go, it's ready to install"

So I say I'd like a new bearing and U-joints. We spent about 1/2 hour talking, and he showed me how the thing operates, dust, shields, bearing and how the rubber comes off, nice to know.

The reminded me the building was once a frame straightening shop. My former stepdad ran that and the body shop across the way during the 70s. I worked at the place some, just clean-up. The frame shop was off-limits

Anyway, $400 to balance, etc.....Yikes. The finish guy talked me into cold process ceramic coat, I'll post a picture at some point.