Ruckstell linkage question

[JRSpada4]

I am in the process of replacing the cobbled up shift linkage that came with my Ruckstell axle. I’ve purchased the new one from Snyder’s. It appears to be made from galvanized electrical conduit. For those of you that have installed one of these, did you paint it or leave it as is? If you did paint it, what kind of prep and primer did you use? I’m tempted to just leave it bare. Thanks for the input.

[CudaMan]

I wiped mine down with lacquer thinner, gave it one coat of grey self-etching primer, then sprayed it semigloss black. It seems to be holding up fine after 5 years.

[Original Smith]

The originals came in two pieces. I've never seen an original rod apart, but assume there was a core for inside, and rivets to put the two halves together. I have always used gloss black Rustoleum for mine.

[RGould1910]

Larry, you are correct as to Perfectos. On mine I used a 3 inch aluminum insert to join the two halves and two rivets, each an inch from the joined ends and at 90 degrees to each other. I painted the tubing with dp 90 lf, no top coat. I patterned mine based on the Perfecto factory blueprints.
What appear to be original Ruckstell rods I have are all one piece.