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Custom Aluminum Driveshafts..


Ben_D
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Last year during the build up of the Quest i had E-Mailed a a few companys and got one reply about having a custom aluminum driveshaft made. Well its winter and the Quest is up for the winter so among other things id like to go this route. Last year they told me that for just one id would be looking at around 425 depending on if i wanted a cromoly yolk or use mine, or carbon fiber or not (around 600 for the fiber). They did tell me the more people intersted the lower the price would drop. So what i want to know is who would be intrested, ill start looking and shopping around if people are intersted.

Let me know please

Ben D

 

E-Mail  Duncansport@aol.com

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Well from what i read with the standard steel that most drive shafts are made of usually flex around 20-30 degrees upon a hard or full power launch. Where as aluminum will be under 10 and carbon under 7. Also the weight savings, and a little faster accel. due to the less flex. And being stronger is important too.

Thanks!

Ben D

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Well friday im going to take a shaft (hopefull NH88TSI) takes his out so i dont have to dig my car out and pull mine. And im bringing it to the company and were going to see if they have components made to fit the oem u-joint or if they will have to use parts they have made and change the u-joint, so ill find out for sure and have an answer hopefull by next week sometime. Im sure pricing too.

Thanks again all

Ben D

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for all of u that think 600 is too much for carbon fiber u obviously dont know how expensive carbon fiber is!     about a year and a half ago  i went to a company that makes carbon fiber driveshafts and asked them how much it would cost to make one for a starquest   they quoted me for at the very least  975 dollars         carbon fiber is the ultimate driveshaft    its almost unbreakable!
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Also the weight savings, and a little faster accel. due to the less flex. And being stronger is important too.

Thanks!

Ben D

 

actually, a little faster acceleration due to weight savings off the driveline. that was mostly right. the flex and vibration will only be a problem at high RPM, high speed driving.  

anyway, were my situation different, i'd say sign me up!  CF driveshaft - that's 1337

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Just an idea. If you're going to go through something as extensive as making a whole new driveshaft, you have an option of upgrading to beefier U-joints in the process.They could be off-the-shelf units (that might even be cheaper and meatier than stockers.)that you can change in the future if need be. It's kinda like getting brand-new rims and using old, rusty lug nuts.
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Just an idea. If you're going to go through something as extensive as making a whole new driveshaft, you have an option of upgrading to beefier U-joints in the process.They could be off-the-shelf units (that might even be cheaper and meatier than stockers.)that you can change in the future if need be. It's kinda like getting brand-new rims and using old, rusty lug nuts.

 

Zactek, I don't understand what you are saying.  Right now the only reason I would buy an aluminum drive shaft is if I could use stronger u-joints.  I'm currently using the Spicer heavy duty joints ($36 ea.) which IMO is the strongets thing out there that will fit our application.  I have broken 3 in the last 6 races I've been in. There is no way I would spend $600 bucks to save a 0.1 seconds in the 1/4 mile.  I can think of several ways to better spend my money.  I would consider spending it if it ment that I would stop snaping u-joints, replacing fuel lines, break lines, tranies, and pushing my car back to the pits.

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Zactek, I don't understand what you are saying.  Right now the only reason I would buy an aluminum drive shaft is if I could use stronger u-joints.  I'm currently using the Spicer heavy duty joints ($36 ea.) which IMO is the strongets thing out there that will fit our application.  I have broken 3 in the last 6 races I've been in. There is no way I would spend $600 bucks to save a 0.1 seconds in the 1/4 mile.  I can think of several ways to better spend my money.  I would consider spending it if it ment that I would stop snaping u-joints, replacing fuel lines, break lines, tranies, and pushing my car back to the pits.

 

 

Yes! HAHA, I agree on the whole U-joint issue.  

But, the benefits of a lighter drive shaft is in the weight savings itself, I have found that the more weight I remove from the car - the better it handles.  

Of course weight reduction will affect your time down the 1320, but the amount of weight cut needed to dramatically reduce your 1/4 mile time would have to be in the hundreds.

$600 is a bit steeeep for .01 reduction in time, proly be better to spend it on hard parts or back-half/Tub the SOB.

 

;) In AutoX or RR (on short track) reducing weight, unsprung or otherwise will turn you car into more of a Felix Trinidad then a Mike Tyson  

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All I was suggesting is that if a new aluminium driveshaft might be getting made, I would base it around beefier U-joints altogether, something that doesn't resemble stock ones (that's considering the new shaft would come with different yokes to fit beefier U-joints, but still bolt up to the torque tube in rear and slip into the tranny in front)Like I said, just an idea.
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Well the plan is to use a stronger u-joint, the issue now is if they have "off the shelf" parts t build it or need to make there own. what i mean is the end, the center will be no problem they just need to come up with ends that fit, or work. if needed a new yolk will be made.

As for time in the 1/4 mile i dont know that there will be any big gains, and the plan will be to still use snap in style clips unless anyone has a better idea????

Thanks for all the thoughts!

Ben D

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