How did this happen to my pushrods?

blackhand said
Great, mystery solved! I searched all over google trying to find something similar to this and came up with nothing. FABO rocks

I have seen pushrods with a twisted looking surface to the steel, but the discoloration from friction heat is what I was questioning.

It would be interesting to mesure them and see if metal actually moved.
I'd wager that thier lengths vary somewhat.