I was just reading a recent post where one of the gentleman said that he painted his driveshaft because it rusted. I was under my truck the other day, thinking about touching up the rusty spots and I was wondering if this is possible to do. I've always thought that paiting the driveshaft would throw off the balance of it. Am I wrong in assuming this?

 

It won't throw off the balance as long as you don't get some heavy blobs on it.

 

Well if the paint would throw off the shaft then surely the rust would. Many guys have done this with no problem. Just get some fine grit sand paper first and sand down the drive shaft before painting. Make sure all the rust is off.

 

Take a look at POR-15. It's made for painting over rust (POR) so the prep is minimal. It goes on thin, almost like water and is the toughest finish I've ever seen.

 

There are also other products on the market specifically for eating the rust off. Ospho (the best), mother's milk, etc... Most of them chemically change rust into a black primer. You'll need a coat of paint over them to keep the rust from coming back but you can apply this after applying the rust eater. Ospho is the absolute best you can buy but it's like $50 a gallon. It also has powerful acids that will eat the flesh off your fingers so if you use it I would recommend chemical gloves and eye protection. As far as the balance of the driveshaft, I agree with what's already been said.

 

Thanks for all the replies.

I'm gonna have at it next weekend. I'd like to get the underside of the truck done before fall.
Also thinking of using rubberized undercoating (not on the driveshaft, though).