Thread: I need a different driveshaft

Tweet

The new Denney's driveshaft arrived yesterday afternoon and is now installed. It sure is purrty and shiny black compared to the clunk that was in there. It only took me 5 minutes to install and 30 minutes to mop up the ATF that got dumped on the floor - I forgot that I had (over)filled the trans and needed to dump out a quart. It's out now !!! Oh well - needed something different to do anyhow

Cool on the new driveshaft.

Glad to see you got a steel one as well.

I was a bit ambivalent about the aluminum ones, but factory aluminum shafts seem to be doing well.

That said, I was in the local driveline shop last week to buy a crossover - GM to Ford in front - U-joint for my original 32 driveshaft which is getting cut down for the 31.

Anyhoo, lying on the floor was an aluminum driveshaft done by one of the big names in hot rod driveshafts.
The front yoke was ripped right out of the aluminum tubing.
Seems the weld didn't penetrate to the yoke like it should have.

Granted, a 600 HP drag race car, but a shaft advertised for drag racing should have held up better than that.

The owner is having the driveline shop make a new steel shaft.

Pretty is, isn't always pretty does....

Yeah, as I mentioned the shaft in my '27 came from Dennys, and it is still pretty after all these years of daily use. Even the Dennys sticker is still fine.

I may treat my T to one too, as it will be semi visible. We hot rodders are a strange breed...........we even see beauty in a driveshaft.


Don

Originally Posted by C9x

... U-joint for my original 32 driveshaft which is getting cut down for the 31.

WHAT??? Getting a new one for the '32, or was this a spare (I now have a spare)

Granted, a 600 HP drag race car, but a shaft advertised for drag racing should have held up better than that.

While I don't have much more than 300HP, AL just doesn't make me comfortable - that and a $100 premium

The owner is having the driveline shop make a new steel shaft.

If a car really hooks up, the AL is not the shaft of choice - the tensile strength to cross section, even in 6061 is just not there - a carbon fiber piece might be a better choice, but a HD steel unit is still the best option

Looks like I didn't make it as far as any paint beyond primer before the crap weather set in here in the Great Northeast and the body is on my side of the garage - my truck will catch hell

"Originally Posted by C9x
... U-joint for my original 32 driveshaft which is getting cut down for the 31."

"Originally Postd by Irelands Child
WHAT??? Getting a new one for the '32, or was this a spare (I now have a spare)"

After a few months of running the overly high geared 2.73 diff - with 31" tall tires - which nets 100 mph @ 3000 rpm I stuck in a 3.70 diff.
Since I had to make up a new shaft for the 1" shorter companion flange I hung onto the old one in case I dropped in another diff with the longer companion flange.

The short flanges seem to be the most common so I'm probably ok with whatever diff eventually goes into the 32.
I need to gear it up maybe 10% since a lot of my driving now is on the long desert highway with their 75 mph speed limits in many cases.

To add to the confusion, the 32's wheelbase is 106".
Model A wheelbases are around 104".
The 31's 32 framed wheelbase came in at 105".

Interesting part is the 31's hood is 32 3/8".
Stock 31's are 31 5/8"
Stock 32's are 32".

All this mix and match stuff can be confusing sometimes, but it's just one of those bridges you cross when you get there.

There is an immutable Murphy's Law that says that no matter what you thought was going to be easy is fraught with roadblocks. Just try putting a Ford (or anything besides a Chevy) in a street rod and be prepared for challanges.

I just took the short flange off the 3.70 gears that I had and with a new crush collar, put it on the 3.25's that I'm using - it needed a new seal anyhow(I always do this when the diffs are on the bench @~$10 and an hours work).
Used 9" gear sets are getting expensive - everyone seems to think they have a piece of gold - I saw an open "N" set with a $675 tag on it at Hershey a couple of years ago - probably more now, and you can build a brand new one for not a lot more.

Originally Posted by Irelands child

There is an immutable Murphy's Law that says that no matter what you thought was going to be easy is fraught with roadblocks. Just try putting a Ford (or anything besides a Chevy) in a street rod and be prepared for challanges.

Ain't that the truth....

I just took the short flange off the 3.70 gears that I had and with a new crush collar, put it on the 3.25's that I'm using - it needed a new seal anyhow(I always do this when the diffs are on the bench @~$10 and an hours work).
Used 9" gear sets are getting expensive - everyone seems to think they have a piece of gold - I saw an open "N" set with a $675 tag on it at Hershey a couple of years ago - probably more now, and you can build a brand new one for not a lot more.

3.25 is the ratio I'm putting together for the 31. Got all the tools made and am just waiting for my inch-pounds torque wrench to arrive via the big brown truck. Funny part is, they're just a touch higher in overall gearing (tire diameter included in the figuring) than are the 3.70's.

I had no idea gear sets were so high in price. Guess I should probably peddle the 4.57 Detroit Locker I'm using to roll the car around with. I think it's a nodular as well, but need to look to make sure....

Originally Posted by C9x

3.25 is the ratio I'm putting together for the 31. Got all the tools made and am just waiting for my inch-pounds torque wrench to arrive via the big brown truck. Funny part is, they're just a touch higher in overall gearing (tire diameter included in the figuring) than are the 3.70's.

I had no idea gear sets were so high in price. Guess I should probably peddle the 4.57 Detroit Locker I'm using to roll the car around with. I think it's a nodular as well, but need to look to make sure....

I ended up with taller tires then originally planned. With a 29.1" tire and 3.25 gears, works out to 66.6 mph @ 2500RPM which really isn't too bad. Rule of thumb tho is .12 x tire dia. would make it a 3.50 for an optimum gear.

Try posting the 4.57's in one of the for sale threads - someone will buy the diff, if for nothing else, the 'N' case and the locker - gear set are relatively inexpensive as are the bearings. This, with $3/gallon gas and fewer gas stations, is no longer an acceptable road gear