Driveshaft

[kwhite4]

Hey folks was wondering what kind of drive shaft you guys are using, meaning aluminum, molly steel ect. I am footbraking right now but will soon move up to a transbrake and right now i have a step better than the factory shaft so I wonder if it will hold up or will I make a pretzel.
I plan on leaving around 4000 and its a one piece shaft, need some input before i get out there and destroy something

Thanks
Keith

[Marv D]

If you go to MarkWilliams site they have a calculator to help select material and diameter for your driveshaft. The more power your putting to the ground, more rpm,, the heavier the car, the stronger driveshaft,, but the length of the shaft has a lot to do with it also. They have a table that you select your material, RPM, then length, and HP (as I remember) and it kicks out the diameter you would have to have to run safely. The table assumes a dead hook so if your traction limitted,, you can 'fudge' a little.

As far as your question of what some of us are using.... In my 3380 pound truck I run a modified stock one piece driveshaft. I launch off a transbrake w/ a 4800 stall and the thing will only pull 1.5x sixty foot times, runs 12.oh's on a good day.

In the Nova I run a Mark Williams chromemoly 4" shaft (1.2x sixty's, low 9 second car at 2675 pounds)

Just a couple of personal thoughts that may effect your selection.
Gearing. The deep gears (like 5.0s or deeper) give the drive train a bigger arm (more leverage on the rear end) and seem to be easier on driveline parts. You can 'fudge' there also, but let your concience be your guide.

As far as weight,,, you have to be pretty concious of weight of each item in the car to warrant an aluminum shaft IMO. Here's the thing,, if your car requires a 4" DOM mild steel shaft, you can get a 3.5" CM shaft that will be lighter and stronger,, the same application will probably require a 4.5" aluminum shaft. Weight difference between a 3.5" CM shaft and 4.5" aluminum shaft will not be nearly as significant as the COST difference between the two.

Of course,, whatever material / shaft you choose, just make sure and get teh yokes and all to use the big 1350 U-joints. The little 1310's are a time bomb on the track. If you ever seen what a shaft does to a vehicle when it get's loose (at either end) you'll be sure and run the strongest U-joint possible. But the yokes for the 1350's get pricy in a BIG hurry.

just my opinion.

[djracer]

I have a pretty big aluminum shaft in the truck! I ran a stockone in my old camaro forever. It went 9.20's at about 2700 pounds.

[kwhite4]

Thanks guys I will check out the MW site , my truck already has the 1350 joints on both end with a Williams trans yoke and I believe its a 4 inch mild steel shaft. The shop that built it made it with the strongest shaft they had in stock but you never know and I don't want it to be an issue.


Thanks again

Keith

[djracer]

sounds plenty strong to me!