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All,
has anyone ever twisted the driveshaft without damaging the U-joints? granted with was with a 6.0 LS, 6 speed, and 555R2 at a drag strip with about a 3500K launch.
the reason i asked is not that i expected miracles from the stock drive line but i would have expected the 1310 u joints or half shafts to go first.
i more want to make sure i do not have other issues besides just an undersized
driveshaft.
I kind of feel all part involved after the trans are fairly equal in toughness, but I guess it was the Driveshaft's day. Maybe over the years a dent or something that created a weak point, I would have more expected something ring & pinion involved that's what always went in my Tow truck from repeated abuse.
. You definitely get the Something New Award that's most destroyed Drive Shaft I have seen in many years
I once sheared the output shaft on a TH350 and blew the rear at the same time in my younger days. It was a high rev neutral drop that did it. The ujoints held up.
Your half shafts should hold up better than the driveshaft since the load is divided between them whereas the driveshaft has the entire load.
yea i wondered if it had a small dent or something, i had probably 100 passes with my old 383 but the 6.0 should have more steam. must of just had enough lol.
S. Carter - " You definitely get the Something New Award that's most destroyed Drive Shaft I have seen in many years"
to be honest this is the first driveshaft i have ever taken out, might as well go all out lol.
lol thanks aklim, to be honest i sure was not expecting this, just a 6.0 with a cam and pretty much stock 317 heads. i was always guessing it around 430 ish HP. maybe i underestimated it a touch.
lol thanks aklim, to be honest i sure was not expecting this, just a 6.0 with a cam and pretty much stock 317 heads. i was always guessing it around 430 ish HP. maybe i underestimated it a touch.
. I think someone needs a clean driveshaft or a stronger one if available and a trip to the Dyno to see some Numbers, either that shaft was weak or you have a Abundance of power. You definitely got the tires to stick on a powerful Launch.
I think something was wrong w/the shaft. It should be able to tolerate as much tq as the tires can stick, IMO. Unless you have a 1:1 rear diff gear and a 9:1 first gear maybe?
lol thanks aklim, to be honest i sure was not expecting this, just a 6.0 with a cam and pretty much stock 317 heads. i was always guessing it around 430 ish HP. maybe i underestimated it a touch.
The next one you might do a line center yoke to center yoke on the tube and 'glance at it once in a while' !! This was a shaft that had been modified by a shop?
The next one you might do a line center yoke to center yoke on the tube and 'glance at it once in a while' !! This was a shaft that had been modified by a shop?
not a bad idea on the center line. Nope bone stock 90 vett shaft
so next question, do you go back with a 3" aluminum or a 2.5" steal?
Thank you guys for your input
Go with a 3" steel DOM with 1350 yokes. Here is a picture of mine after my 4L80e swap.
Action Machine made it for me. Top notch quality and the price was ridiculously low. I think he only charged me $250 + shipping. There steel shafts are 4130 D.O.M. with forged yokes. I bought the Sonnex slip yoke myself. But that price included non greasable U joints and the whole thing balanced. I wanted to go aluminum. The head machinist there is Bob Guzman. He talked me into steel because with a driveshaft this short the weight difference is very little. He said that a driveshaft like this is good for over 1000 hp. If you up the yoke size to 1350 you will need a new slip and pinion yoke also. If you have a Dana 44 in the car and need a forged 1350 pinion yoke let me know. I have a new one on the shelf that I need to get rid of.
I have never seen a twisted drive shaft that looked like that one! That needs to go into the "Drive-train Hall of Fame" How much power did it take to do that to the drive shaft?
Drag radials with a high horsepower 427 caused a half shaft outer joint to blow into a bunch of metal pieces. Kind of my weak link on the C3 with grease able joints it used to have. Now no more grease fittings and no more drag radials. I am too old to want to rebuild the drive train again.... so no more clutch side-steps at 4000 rpm with a 427.
Go with a 3" steel DOM with 1350 yokes. Here is a picture of mine after my 4L80e swap.
Action Machine made it for me. Top notch quality and the price was ridiculously low. I think he only charged me $250 + shipping. There steel shafts are 4130 D.O.M. with forged yokes. I bought the Sonnex slip yoke myself. But that price included non greasable U joints and the whole thing balanced. I wanted to go aluminum. The head machinist there is Bob Guzman. He talked me into steel because with a driveshaft this short the weight difference is very little. He said that a driveshaft like this is good for over 1000 hp. If you up the yoke size to 1350 you will need a new slip and pinion yoke also. If you have a Dana 44 in the car and need a forged 1350 pinion yoke let me know. I have a new one on the shelf that I need to get rid of.
that does seem like a good idea. im starting to get real serious about swapping to a solid rear and i would hate to invest into a drive shaft that may not work for that. i might just put a 2.5" steal in it and try and survive the season and look at putting a solid in it this winter. if I change my mind i will let you know. thank you for your advice
I have never seen a twisted drive shaft that looked like that one! That needs to go into the "Drive-train Hall of Fame" How much power did it take to do that to the drive shaft?
Drag radials with a high horsepower 427 caused a half shaft outer joint to blow into a bunch of metal pieces. Kind of my weak link on the C3 with grease able joints it used to have. Now no more grease fittings and no more drag radials. I am too old to want to rebuild the drive train again.... so no more clutch side-steps at 4000 rpm with a 427.
lol yea this one might get mounted in the shop!
well I didn't think I was pushing that much power. its a 6.0L LQ4 10:1 with 231/242 @ 0.050 with .600" lift cam. figured it would be around the 430CHP mark. ZF6 speed with Nitto 555R2 DR and I launched off a two step at 3500 with 5 degrees of timing pulled. to be fair I wasn't being nice to anything lol!
If you elect to do 1350 end-yokes you'll need to do a new slip-yoke or use some sort of conversion u-joint. You don't want to get ahead of yourself and complicate it further! In your case you would need 2 right now, a 1350 for the rear pinion and the slip for the trans.
I believe a for now would be buy a used correct C4, make it drivable (if that's your desire) and decide later!
Look closely at the provided snapshot for a change to the 1350 at the rear, I believe that's a required there and I'm not sure (having never done it) that it might require a modification similarly at the ZF.
If you elect to do 1350 end-yokes you'll need to do a new slip-yoke or use some sort of conversion u-joint. You don't want to get ahead of yourself and complicate it further! In your case you would need 2 right now, a 1350 for the rear pinion and the slip for the trans.
I believe a for now would be buy a used correct C4, make it drivable (if that's your desire) and decide later!
Look closely at the provided snapshot for a change to the 1350 at the rear, I believe that's a required there and I'm not sure (having never done it) that it might require a modification similarly at the ZF.
The conversion U joints never seem to hold up to any kind of power. That and they cost a lot. You are way better off changing out the slip yoke and the pinion yoke to the 1350 stuff.
Being that yours is a ZF6 I'm not sure what slip yoke you would need. For a 4L80e it was easy. I'm sure someone makes one though. A word of warning. Before you order a 1350 pinion yoke pull the old one and count the splines. If it's ever been rebuilt they may have put something other than whats supposed to be there. Ask me how I know.
If you just want a replacement factory driveshaft I have several laying around that I would love to sell.
If you just want a replacement factory driveshaft I have several laying around that I would love to sell.
If you had a correct length that would get him drive-able. I've never tried to do a ZF 'correct' for a 1350 but I might. If there is one available I'll post back. That will test my 'drive train' knowledge just a bit. You offered him a 1350 pinion and never mentioned it being 26 or 29 spline!!! For the ZF you can't assume a TH400 is the same as some suggest! IT AIN'T!! I might have a D44 shaft myself if that's what he's using. I do have a NOS GM for a ZF & D44 but I'm not interested right now for a sale.
06-28-2021, 07:50 PM
Twisted Drive shaft
