Topic: Drive Shaft Yokes: How to finish?

[evantugby]

Gents,
My axle assembly is finished.  Give me some feedback please! 

Question:  I'm inquiring about how to finish the two fixed yokes on my drive line and the slip yoke.  I also need to know the color of my pinion as well. 


Thanks everyone! 

[CharlesTurner]

The driveshaft ends and yoke will be a slightly darkened metal appearance.  If I was restoring these, I would dunk them in phosphate for maybe 30s and then rub out with oil and steel wool, followed by cleaning the machined surfaces.

Was the rear tag mounted on the LH side like that?  Normally is on the other side.

[CharlesTurner]

Also, the axle ends should be natural with machined surfaces and heat-treated/darkened lug nut studs.

[J_Speegle]

Agree with Charles. Basically a fresh cast look (not a freshly blasted look) with fresh machined surfaces returned to the end, trans and pinion yokes

[evantugby]

thank you gentlemen.  I will correct! 

Also I will move the tag to the other side too! 

[evantugby]

Also, the axle ends should be natural with machined surfaces and heat-treated/darkened lug nut studs.

Caspian, what are you guys doing to get machined surfaces on the ends of the axle? Which option is best? 1, 2, 3, 4 (left to right)

[carlite65]

i like the #2 picture......just my 2 cents tonite.

[midlife]

i like a fresh #2.......just my 2 cents tonite.

Oh, I'm biting my tongue...and it hurts!

[J_Speegle]

Caspian, what are you guys doing to get machined surfaces on the ends of the axle? Which option is best? 1, 2, 3, 4 (left to right)

A number of those aren't going to work since they will brighten the surrounding metal. I've masked off the areas I don't want touched and used a fine paper with a backer doing it by hand. Did have a valve lapper (from back when you lapped the valves on things like Model A's and flat head V8's)  that I converted to a circular sander for the task on some items but haven't seen it foe a while

[CharlesTurner]

The roto-disc would work, but have to be super careful with it, otherwise you'll round the edges and create inconsistent lines in the metal as Jeff mentioned.  The wire brush might be best to get the metal clean, then do the phosphate treatment, followed by sandpaper on a sanding block or something else flat like a paint stick.

[67gtasanjose]

i like a fresh #2.......just my 2 cents tonite.

Oh, I'm biting my tongue...and it hurts!

Boy! I read that before this comment and I am absolutely shocked! (because I didn't see this 1st time I read it!)

I'll hire a friend with a lathe to turn the shafts "as original". I have cleaned out the center holes in each hub-end in preparation and have removed all surface rust as mentioned above (after Rust-911 soak for a few days). Inside the hub area, still needs to be blasted, I am not getting a clean cast look in there. I had an air pocket when I soaked them so it is now inconsistant-looking.

[evantugby]

Thanks!