1956 rear axel clean up, and paint

[woodeye]

I started to replace the leaf springs, shocks, u-joints install sway bar so I decided drop the rear axel assembly to remove dirt and grease and about 1/4"+ of the toughest undercoating I've ever seen. Needed a small putty knife and a hammer to chisel it off.
I got it pretty clean, except for some surface rust on misc. areas that are steel not cast iron. I was thinking of lightly sandblasting the whole assembly and paint it. I was surprised to see that only the cast iron and break backing plates seemed to be painted black. I'm wondering what is correct. Should I paint cast iron and backing plates black and clear the rest?

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[55blacktie]

The entire axle housing should be painted black on 55/56 models. The 57 center section/"pumpkin" of the 57 9-inch should be primer red. Brake drums are natural, unpainted, but they rust quickly. I painted my drums with VHT Caliper Paint and cured them in the oven, which isn't necessary, as the heat from braking will gradually cure the paint.

I had my 55 axle housing powder-coated.

 

[woodeye]

Thanks for your response.
What about the break backing plates? Black in side and out?

 

[55blacktie]

Yes. I would say that many/most parts were dipped in a paint vat and oven-cured. The paint was designed to dry quickly for assembly line. The process wasn't show quality, which is the norm for mass-produced vehicles.