Ford's Unpainted Drive Shafts

[josephp732]

I just got a new 2025 Ranger Lariat, manufactured date is 4/1/2025...Hmmm an April fools day build.. great...anyway...the raw unpainted drive shaft kind of drives me nuts and since the truck is pretty new it doesn't have much surface rust yet. I was wondering if anyone has coated or painted the drive shaft in their Ranger? If so what product did you use?

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[hand-filer]

Ya there's an older thread on rusty drive shafts. A few members did remove and paint them.
My Mustang differential also came unpainted. I painted it with Tremclad Satin black rust paint.
It still looks mint after 14 years. Rusty parts on a new vehicle really trigger my OCD tendencies.
I'll use it on the driveshaft assembly at some point.

 

[stuartmunto]

This is known with the US assembled rangers. The ones assembled in Thailand all have painted drive shafts. Not sure why they don’t do it in the US?

 

[stemplar]

A few days after I brought my Ranger home I coated the whole underside with lanolin undercoating, and I'll touch it up at each oil change.

 

[Grand Nat]

I used the clear Cosmoline on the shafts. You can brush it on or spray it. It will have a slight amber color or you can use the Black Cosmoline. I use it on both vehicles. I go off road on sand by the salt water so I want the most protection for the undercarriage.

 

[josephp732]

I used the clear Cosmoline on the shafts. You can brush it on or spray it. It will have a slight amber color or you can use the Black Cosmoline. I use it on both vehicles. I go off road on sand by the salt water so I want the most protection for the undercarriage.

Sweet looking truck!

 

[josephp732]

I am taking my truck in this week for a spray-in Rhino bedliner, has anyone thought about having a lite coating of bedliner material professional spayed on the drive shaft?

 

[chasc]

I don’t have a lot of first hand drive shaft experience but I read often about issues when they become unbalanced. I personally would avoid adding anything to it to avoid affecting the balance. Even just spraying something on unless you’re continuously turning it while it dries the coating will creep due to gravity and be thinner on the top and thicker on the bottom. The thicker the coating (like bed liner) I’d think the higher the risk it produces a noticeable vibration.

 

[superj]

jack the back end up and let it idle in drive while you spray so its even?

i have been worried about off balancing the driveshaft too because i used to do the balancing on turbine engine power turbine shafts and compressor assemblies and know first hand how a slight misbalance can cause them to frag out at high speed

 

[josephp732]

jack the back end up and let it idle in drive while you spray so its even?

i have been worried about off balancing the driveshaft too because i used to do the balancing on turbine engine power turbine shafts and compressor assemblies and know first hand how a slight misbalance can cause them to frag out at high speed

I was thinking the same thing. Just mask off the under side, lightly sand and clean and then slowly have the engine rotate the drive shaft and spay away. I found on an F150 forum that folks have had very good long term success with Por15: https://www.amazon.com/POR-15-46318-Safety-Yellow-Coat/dp/B00XKTVE4Y?ref_=ast_sto_dp_btp&th=1

 

[TurboRanger]

I jacked up the truck started it put in gear Wire brush it while spinning after that paint it while spinning

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