Hot Rods Silver or chrome front dropped axles

If I were building an axle car, it would be black on all the suspension and axle. Only shiny stuff would be the wheels, the valve covers, the intake and air breather. In other words, stuff that was fairly easy to clean could be chrome, everything else, painted. My stuff is drivers, I’m too damn old to lay on my back in the dirt polishing a chrome axle for a trailer queen! They sure look good, but I’d wager don’t drive a bit better than a painted axle!

 

I prefer a chrome I-beam, without the center smoothed, but still chromed.

 

^^^^
That's especially ironic on a Mexican blanket, the period work-around for those who couldn't afford a fresh interior. Given a choice between chromed suspension or new interior, I'd have to go for the new interior.

 

Chrome is ALWAYS a good idea.

 

Sez the guy with a gold rocket with a chrome axel

 

Had mine chromed back in 1984, still holding up well.

 

Broke it down. Sent it out, using prismatic powder.

 

Hope it gets back soon, so we can see how it looks.

 

Tomorrow

 

Back from the coaters

 

That looks good.
Thanks for the photos.

 

Mine is white, matches the 1959 olds-pontiac 9.3 rear.

 

That's the same powdercoat I used on my footstool and front Eelco tank bracket, I really like the way it looks.

 

Interesting factoid. When the clear coat was applied the thicker parts came out too dark. Neither me or my powder coat guy read the “fine” print from Prismatic. We did re coat without clear

 

Mine is without clear

 

I have noticed the clear seemed to change the color to a grayish when added

 

The backing plates have clear on them

 

It appears to be a done deal. My question was going to be around the finish of other items- bumper, or no bumper, headlights and headlight bar, liscence plate-tag- surround, hood hardware- that are in the front of the car. Your car is nice, nothing will likely mess it up.

 

All the usual body bright work will be polished stainless or chrome. I’m going to get a repop bumper but I’m not sure if I’ll run it, it will be nice to have one just in case. As a side note, I knew going in that powder coat isn’t a subs***ute for chrome.

 

+1.

 

Good to have options.

 

Shortly after building my 28, I painted axle silver n over spryed with clear in 60,redid it a few times. Here we are in 2024,been about 17 years,still looks good I think.. Iuse a 48 axle,I've always liked it,for the spring forward and stock factory 3 in. drop. design..

 

Both of my cars have painted axles, but I'd be happy with chrome if I wasn't such a tightwad. Chrome is much easier to keep clean than paint. I used mag wheel paint on both of mine, and one has 13 years on it now, and still looks good. I do clean it well once a year to get road grime off.

 

has anyone done a front axle with the fake stainless gloss black under silver trick

 

Just to show a product, these were done with Cerakote 10 years ago.
Wish I had known how well they would turn out I would have removed
all the flashing, part #'s, etc. and smoothed the surfaces. Like they say, preparation
is everything. It also comes in numerous colors.
https://www.cerakote.com/shop

 

Don’t you hate that…..doh….I did minimal prep on my **** too

 

My Willys g***er had to be chromed. As did my Ed Roth Mysterion reproduction. On the Mysterion, I found an authentic Dago dropped axle. It had to be filled so I tried welding in 1/8" plates. What a mess. The weld kept hair-line cracking no matter what I did. After about 3 days chasing cracks, I got rid of the thin plates and welded in 1/4" plates. Worked like a champ!


Mysterion axle


Real vintage Dago axle! Great find.


Patterns to make filler plates.


I took this photo at the Galpin Auto Museum in Los Angeles of Dave Shuten's Mysterion reproduction axle. I took the photo because it shows he had the same cracking problem I did by using thin filler plates in making a 'solid' axle. Needs thicker plates.