My new axles got RUSTY!
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 456
Likes: 144
From: Frederick Colorado
My new axles got RUSTY!
I put in new axles last year because my OEM axle boots had pooped out (hey, 25 years old!) And were puking grease all over my old OEM chrome wagon wheels. I pulled my wheels off to clean and wax the insides of the barrels and was dismayed to find my year old axles rustier than a... oh, just think of something that gets really rusty. I'm not getting banned for making a clumsy analogy! Anyway, I broke out the sandpaper and busted the shafts down to bare metal and the barely-applied "paint" the manufacturer put on, and applied some Rust-O-Leum Rusty Surface primer after a grease and dirt wipe. Gonna let it cure and hit it with a thick couple of coats Ace Rust Stop Metallic Gray paint that I will brush on. Check your rear axles for rust!
Running Guns & Moonshine
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 12,370
Likes: 7,078
From: CT
Rust is definitely a thing up here in the northeast.
My daily coupe has it everywhere underneath but has lived outdoors and been driven in all weather and season so it is to be expected. The Z06 has yet to really hit the roads and has lived indoors all it's life so it ought to remain pretty well clear of it for a while.
I have new axles on the Z and gosh if they didn't look absolutely mint when installed. When you're not in a hurry you can cherry pick the Ebay offerings for parts off cars with under 20k miles. Hard to find but they're out there.
My daily coupe has it everywhere underneath but has lived outdoors and been driven in all weather and season so it is to be expected. The Z06 has yet to really hit the roads and has lived indoors all it's life so it ought to remain pretty well clear of it for a while.
I have new axles on the Z and gosh if they didn't look absolutely mint when installed. When you're not in a hurry you can cherry pick the Ebay offerings for parts off cars with under 20k miles. Hard to find but they're out there.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 456
Likes: 144
From: Frederick Colorado
Rust is definitely a thing up here in the northeast. My daily coupe has it everywhere underneath but has lived outdoors and been driven in all weather and season so it is to be expected. The Z06 has yet to really hit the roads and has lived indoors all it's life so it ought to remain pretty well clear of it for a while. I have new axles on the Z and gosh if they didn't look absolutely mint when installed. When you're not in a hurry you can cherry pick the Ebay offerings for parts off cars with under 20k miles. Hard to find but they're out there.
Running Guns & Moonshine
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 12,370
Likes: 7,078
From: CT
What did you upgrade to and what is the need?
I have two spare sets of C5 axles up on the parts shelf in case I blow out the fresh ones on the Z06 when I begin test hits. I'm not sure if it is the best plan, but for now I am opting to keep the axles as the weak link in the drivetrain should anything let go. The rest is as beefy as I believe it can be made. DSS couplerless aluminum, upgraded 6060, C6Z diff upgraded and with wavetrac.
Maybe I need to invest in some loops if these pop. I'd have to google who, if anyone, makes a functional safety loop for the axles on these suspensions.
I have two spare sets of C5 axles up on the parts shelf in case I blow out the fresh ones on the Z06 when I begin test hits. I'm not sure if it is the best plan, but for now I am opting to keep the axles as the weak link in the drivetrain should anything let go. The rest is as beefy as I believe it can be made. DSS couplerless aluminum, upgraded 6060, C6Z diff upgraded and with wavetrac.
Maybe I need to invest in some loops if these pop. I'd have to google who, if anyone, makes a functional safety loop for the axles on these suspensions.
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 3,956
Likes: 520
From: Da U.P.
Keep an eye on the boots, that rubber probably isn't long for this world like the paint you already had to replace. I'd reboot the stock axle and put that back on if you still have it. Don't use rubber though, you want neoprene or thermoplastic.
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 3,956
Likes: 520
From: Da U.P.
If you're referring to my post, last boot I did I got the part number from O'Reilly's but ended up ordering what seemed like the last boot in existence from Amazon. O'Reilly's didn't know when they could get the boot. I think it was a Moog piece. I'd start with Rockauto and go from there. The clamps are included and I used the same tool to set them as I did the clamps I put on the sprinkler system in my back yard.
