two piece or one piece drive shaft

[brad_man_72]

I've ballanced a couple hundred driveshafts, the company I worked for actually builds their own driveshaft ballancers and being lighter always made them more sensitive.

It just seems like it would be quite difficult to ballance a 10lb chunk of spinning metal when its ridgidly attached to a stationary100lb chunk of metal. Not to mention the bits spinning around inside the axle at a different speed, probably not spinning fast enough to cause a "vibration" but would certainly send a computer some mixed signals.

[Keith Seymore]

You can say that again....



I will recognize your experience with several hundred shafts, but we make millions of them (per model year). In all different shapes and sizes.

It is quite difficult. It seems everything we do ends up being quite difficult. It comes from having to make such high volumes, in such variety, and validating the product to last for such a long time.

We have a saying at work: "At Chevrolet, you don't make a mistake...you make a million of them!"

(lol)

K

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by brad_man_72

Not to mention the bits spinning around inside the axle at a different speed, probably not spinning fast enough to cause a "vibration" but would certainly send a computer some mixed signals.

Everything beyond the pinion gear (carrier, axle shafts and bearings) is spinning at a different rate, specifically corresponding to the number of teeth on the pinion (10th, 11th, 12th or whatever order of drivline rotation).

For balance investigation it is, by definition, filtered out of the scenario by virtue of the fact you are order tracking and measuring first order of driveline rotation.

K

[brad_man_72]

Dodge could take a few lessons from the gm guys, seems like all of their shafts have weights all over them, steel and aluminum.

[71meangreenc10]

Originally Posted by Treetop839

I was going to put a one piece shaft in my 70 lwb with a stock 1994 350/700R4 and stock stance. I have a friend that has three lwb trucks and runs a one piece shaft in them with no problems. He is using a steel shaft that has been cut down to the length needed, I don't know the diameter but they are a small diameter. I had a shaft out of a newer body style truck built and am going to go back to the 2piece. The new one is the aluminum and carbon fiber 4" shaft and it does not leave much room on side clearance through the cross member. With out the body on the frame I cannot bolt it to the rearend for it hitting the bottom of the crossmember. Drive shaft guy told me if the shaft hits the side of the crossmember it will cut it in two. There are a lot of people on here with more experience than me on this, just thought id let you know about my $150 lesson. Good luck!

I would like to know the size of the tube he used and pics would be awesome.

Thanks

Smitty

[burnin oil]

Originally Posted by brad_man_72

Dodge could take a few lessons from the gm guys, seems like all of their shafts have weights all over them, steel and aluminum.

One thing I can say is that I never broke a dodge rear shaft or Dana 80 in my old pickup at 700RWHP. Now the 5500 is another story. Wore the splines out of one

[Treetop839]

I will see if I can get you a picture of the shaft tomorrow or Wednesday since my frame and running gear are at my Dads house about 25 miles from me. I will try to catch my friend and get a picture of his ( I figure this is the picture you want ) truck. He was telling me he thought he used a shaft out of a long bed S10 and had it cut to fit but I will double check with him. May take me a few days to catch him. He has run this truck and two others he owns for several years now with no problems.

[71meangreenc10]

Originally Posted by Treetop839

I will see if I can get you a picture of the shaft tomorrow or Wednesday since my frame and running gear are at my Dads house about 25 miles from me. I will try to catch my friend and get a picture of his ( I figure this is the picture you want ) truck. He was telling me he thought he used a shaft out of a long bed S10 and had it cut to fit but I will double check with him. May take me a few days to catch him. He has run this truck and two others he owns for several years now with no problems.

Thanks man

Smitty

[WIDESIDE72]

Originally Posted by brad_man_72

People not having their driveshafts properly ballanced kills carrier bearings.

Theirs a dozen wrong ways to rebuild a driveshaft but even when everything is done right the shaft still needs to be ballanced.

A one piece shaft is far less sensitive to ballance issues, you can ruin 2 or 3 tailshafts before you figure out the driveshaft is the problem.

There's plenty of advantages to a 2 piece driveline, simplicity isn't one of them.

X2i would like to add "if it aint broke dont fix it!"