Very nicely said about stainless. One thing to not is that it is stainless not stain proof. yes stainless will rust (discolor) if left in stagnant water or any other condition that prevents it form forming its protective layer.

I am not sure what the shaft is made of, but it is probably not steel. It is probably a type of stainless. I would imagining if it were steel, they would have the thing coated with a thick grease.

 

OK, back on subject. Yeah, you can paint the driveshaft. But, DO NOT use brush on paint. Unless you don't mind a little vibration from an uneven coat.

 

x2

 

Bottom line, I painted my driveshafts within 1 week of buying the JK (see the pic earlier in this thread). The reason was due to looking at everyone else's pics (while waiting for my JK to arrive) and seeing all those rusty driveshafts. Now I don't pretend to be a metals/corrosion expert, but I'm sure my painted driveshafts will remain stronger 10-20 years form now than rusty shafts.

That being said, my JK is just shy of 10,000 miles now, and the shafts are still chip/scratch/nick/rust free. I've never washed them since painting them. I painted them, then forgot them. Their location is such that they don't get much abuse from rocks/gravel/mud. My rescue green JK is currently mud-colored, yet the shafts are still looking great. I can post pics after 10K miles if you want to see them, but just look at the pics earlier in this post, that's what they still look like now.

Tom
Bryson City, NC

 

Hey Tom, what type of paint did you use?

Thanks.

 

Lol. Again, 3 year old thread, the person you are asking hasn't posted in like 2.5 years...

 

I know, got some hope. Rather do that than start duplicate threads

 

I couldnt help but notice the same thing on my 4.5" lifted 2dr on 35's, so i just lifted it with a forlift at work and spraypainted it and dropped it back down. Tada!

 

Within the first couple of weeks of having my Jeep, I crawled up underneath and witnessed what was begining to occur. Immediately, I went ahead and painted the shafts, steering knuckles, exhaust pipes & muffler. Also painted every nut & bolt and any bare metal I could find under the chassis. I don't believe these parts were left bare by design. They were left bare to cut costs. Some folks say that it doesn't affect the parts structurally and that it's only cosmetic, terrific. Personally, I can't stand rust on anything, specially a brand new car. If it means crawling under there with a wire brush, a mask, and a couple of cans of Rustoleum every once in a while, no big deal imo.

Btw, for people which will be applying spray paint to the underbody, make sure to take the wheels off. Overspray is a pain to get off.

 

Puuuurty hah I wanna color match mine