Axle rebuild and paint

Hey guys,

Rebuilding my first jeep and I'm down to the axles, literally. I've got a frame at work, axles and engine in my garage, tub still in cyberspace, etc, etc.

My question is this, I figured that I would paint the frame (which has been sandblasted and primed) and the axles with the same paint. With the axles disassembled, should I paint them now or finish the rebuld and then paint them? Also, what would be the preferred method of prepping the axle housing for paint? I gotta think sandblasting wouldn't be good due to the fact that it would be impossible to get all of the grit out of the housing! What are some suggestions?? I'm so close to actually starting to put things back together (it's been 8 years of disassembly!!) I can hardly stand it. My wife agreed to no more kids so the Jeep might just climb up the priority list!!!

Thanks in advance!

 

If they're not rusty just clean them up, rough the old paint up w/ a 3M scrub pad and paint. If they are, I would blast them. Close both ends of the tubes up w/ a wad of paper and they'll be fine. I did it w/ mine, no sand issues. For paint I used TSC implement paint in black. Get a gallon and a can of hardener. It takes abuse really well and comes in rattle cans for touch up.:v6:

 

One option might be hot tanking it at a machine shop. I have had lots of greasy parts cleaned that way including oil pans, skid plates, as well as engine blocks. They submerge the part in a tank of caustic overnight and wash with water. They come out clean to bare metal ready for the primer. Many including myself have had remarkable results using oven cleaner, the active ingredient is caustic, or other degreasers and a power washer and or wire wheels on a drill or angle grinder. If you prefer media/sandblasting could you stuff something in the openings and cover with several layers of duct tape ?
I have seen on TV use of a wet sandblaster. This uses a high pressure power washer combined with a special wand to suck sand thru the wand and drive it with the power of the water. This eliminates or reduces the hazard of using sand in the conventional way.

 

Spray the heck out of it with Simple Green and take it to the carwash. Our carwash has an engine degreaser setting that I use as well. No, I don't mean the drive thru! LoL