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Best paint for an axle

alex22

alex22

NAXJA Forum User
Location
CT: waterbury area
I'm nearing the end of my 8.8 swap and I don't want it to turn into a ball of rust over the winter. The axle was striped to bare metal and the c-clip eliminators were installed and siliconed. After doing that I sprayed it with a coat of rustoleum since I knew I was not going to work on it for a few weeks. What is the best paint/topcoat I can put on it to keep it protected? The guy at the parts store suggested header paint, but I do not have an oven large enough to cure the stuff.
Any suggestions?

~Alex
 
Is yellow a brand of paint or the collor you are suggesting?

~Alex
 
Oh. I'm not much for yellow, and the cherokee is red, wouldnt look right. I was actually looking for a brand or type of paint to use.
I ended up trying out a paint gun that one of the guys I work with gave me a year or so ago. It was dirty and full of dust and rust. Just took it appart, the pin was a little rusty and there was still some paint inside it, but other than that, just a lot of laquer thinner and it was good to go. The paint shop reccomended "zero rust". I cut it about 8:1 and it shot very nicley through a 1.8mm tip. The stuff covered great and was dry to the touch within 1.5 hours.
 
I like Rust-Oleum Pro enamel - no trouble to get in a rattle can.

One thing I can tell you - get stupid with coating the thing. Not just two - I'm thinking more along the lines of five or six coats for depth of coverage.

If you have access, there are some epoxy-based paints than can be sprayed, and are pretty tough. I think powdercoating would be a bit difficult tho - not too many people have ovens that large. Ditto some of the Teflon/moly coats I've seen (and I'd really like to try - inside and out!)
 
Are you refering to the oil slicking teflon coatings for inside the engine and axle tubes? One of the customers we deal with at work has every internal part of the engine coated with a teflon based coating to shed the oil as quick as possible. It may be teflon/molly based coating because it is dark grey in collour. The pistons are usually ceramic coated on top, teflon coating on the underside of the pistons, rods, crank, windage trey and inside of the oil pan. It may have been worth one or two ponies. I believe its a company in MASS that does the coating for them.
I was hopeing for a two part spray on epoxy, but this is what they suggested. He said once the zero rust goes on it takes a sandblaster to get it off. we'll see about that.

~Alex
 
alex22 said:
Are you refering to the oil slicking teflon coatings for inside the engine and axle tubes? One of the customers we deal with at work has every internal part of the engine coated with a teflon based coating to shed the oil as quick as possible. It may be teflon/molly based coating because it is dark grey in collour. The pistons are usually ceramic coated on top, teflon coating on the underside of the pistons, rods, crank, windage trey and inside of the oil pan. It may have been worth one or two ponies. I believe its a company in MASS that does the coating for them.
I was hopeing for a two part spray on epoxy, but this is what they suggested. He said once the zero rust goes on it takes a sandblaster to get it off. we'll see about that.

~Alex
Click to expand...

I read a writeup on the stuff in G&A years ago, and you can get it from Brownell's in "field" colours (black, grey, various earth tones, ...) I'd be loath to use it on engine internals, for the most part - but using it inside and outside an axle housing sounds like a natural - especially on a front, where you usually have open tubes and the seals down by the centre section!

Bake on, oven-cure, and takes a sandblaster or power tools to take off - sounds about right.
 
BRIANHO13 said:
If done right you should be able to run a protective cover of mud/ dirt.
Click to expand...

You know, the nice thing about mild steel is that it doesn't usually "rust through" in large sections - it gets a protective layer of rust on the surface and settles down. Best damn weight bar I had wasn't plated or painted or anything - picked up a patina of rust in the first month or so, and lasted me years after that (ended up giving it to my cousin - who is still using it. He wanted to clean it off, I told him No. It's been 25 years or so since I got the thing...)
 
Years ago I painted a dirt bike frame with a rattle can epoxy. It was the middle of the summer and after painting it in the garage, I set it outside to dry. It took two full days to dry. At the time I figured I screwed up, but after assembly of the bike, the paint wouldn't even rub off where my boots constantly ground into the frame.
Sooooo......
Try epoxy, leave in the hot sun (you do have that don't you?) and be done with it.

:D
 
Thanks for the input guys. I'm going to pick up a rebuild kit for my Sharp Cobalt HVLP gun tomorow. I'll ask about the epoxy paint.

~Alex
 
POR-15
 
Now that the paint gun is up and in tip top shape i'll shoot another coat of paint on the axle on saturday (going to rain tomorow) and the axle is scheduled to go in on tuesday or thursday (5 to 7 days from now). I'm going to mix the paint a little thicker this time and see how it goes.
For future paint projects, do you have any good links to writeups on the best techniques for preping, painting and finishing?

~Alex
 
geberhard said:
Alex,

I can not post on the forum, but my reocmendation is to use hammered rustoleum pauint for axles. It is by far the best paint I have used on axle,and lasts a lot better than regular paint, and good protection.

Pic here, feel free to post up. I used that for dif covers and axles, links, etc, works great!

IMGP0874.jpg



IMGP0855.jpg
Click to expand...
I recieved a PM from a forum user who was not able to post up in this thread. I'll pass the info allong to the rest. Not sure what paint he used on the calipers but it sure is purdy, I PM'd him and asked. I'll let you know what it is when I find out.

~Alex
 
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