restoring halfshafts

[David B.]

I would like to refinish the original halfshafts on my C3. After cleaning them up I noticed they have some pitting on the halfshaft tubes. Can anyone recommend someone that restores halfshafts to original factory specs and appearance. As always, thanks Dave.

[John H.]

Re: restoring halfshafts

Check out Quanta Products at www.quantaproducts.com and search on half shaft!

[David B.]

Re: restoring halfshafts

Thanks for the quick response John. Will contact Quanta about restoring my halfshafts. Once again the NCRS saves the day.

[Mike Cobine]

Re: restoring halfshafts

How bad is the pitting? Is it bad enough to compromise strength and safety or just looks bad?

If it is just looks, you could prime and sand, prime and sand until smooth, then paint. A whole lot cheaper than sending to someone to do the same.

[David H.]

Re: restoring halfshafts

Dave;
My shafts were pitted as well. So I removed the u-joints and bead blasted them with 180 grit and then 220 grit and sanded lenghth-wise to get the "new" tube look. After that I used a small tip torch to heat the original weld joints at each end to get that blue/brown factory weld look. I also heated a straight line length-wise to give it a seam weld. after which I coated with rust prevent until I am ready to install. There are also some balance marks in green and yellow in various areas on the shafts depending on the year.
If you clean them with soap and water and look closely while still wet you may see traces of paint or maybe only areas where there is no pitting, this is posibly where the markings were. they may apear as a slash or even a long stretched out X, that would be green; or bands or partial bands closer to one end that would be yellow. David

[Joe C.]

Re: restoring halfshafts

John:

I had Quanta "restore" my half shafts and driveshaft. They came back beautifully polished, but not "original" looking. I got what I wanted, and did not expect to recieve "original" looking pieces. I believe that the only way is to have them re-fabricated with new tubes.

Joe

[Craig S.]

Re: restoring halfshafts

David - I agree with your approach, Quanta will make them look too polished. If the pitting is too deep, they are just better being filled and painted and used for drivers.....Craig

[Patrick H.]

Re: restoring halfshafts

Also, the liquid touch-up gun bluing in a bottle available at many stores does a great job of giving you that aged weld look without having to use heat.

Patrick

[David B.]

Re: restoring halfshafts

Hello everyone - My tubes are pitted so I dont think I could sand the pits out without removing to much material. Sounds like my options are buy good original shafts or have mine re-tubed. Thanks everyone for responding.

Dave

[Mike Cobine]

Re: restoring halfshafts

Odds are you are not going to twist them so hard that the pitting has weakened them to break. Unless you are going for judging where you need them natural color, why not just use a light filler, sand, and spray them black or gray?