aluminum driveshaft?

[01MGSVT]

ive been kicking around the idea of getting an aluminum driveshaft but i have a couple questions....
what are the advantages of an aluminum driveshaft?
and lets say would i feel any difference with one?

 

[01yellercobra]

It's lighter then the stock drive shaft. Which means less rotating weight. I noticed a difference when I installed mine.

 

[01MGSVT]

ok gotcha, so the question is now where can i get one? or will an 03/04 driveshaft work with an 01?

 

[006]

ok gotcha, so the question is now where can i get one? or will an 03/04 driveshaft work with an 01?

Nope, too short.

The alum driveshaft issue has been discussed, argued etc over and over again.

The FRPP M-4602-J driveshaft will fit your 01.

It is 0.7 inch longer than your stock 99-01 Cobra driveshaft.

http://www.svtperformance.com/forums/new-edge-cobras-51/672186-aluminum-driveshaft.html

Ken

 

[MrBrain]

... I noticed a difference when I installed mine.

 

[ZD302GT]

My car shifts smoother with the aluminum unit. Same "J" Model shaft.

 

[Brutal Metal]

haha +1
If you think it's gonna show up on a drag strip time slip by switching I got some swampland to sell you here in FLA, it just rained 3+ inches too, hehe!:lol:

 

[vita]

what all entails changing out the driveshaft?



Sorry OP, dont mean to jack your thread.

 

[RDJ]

haha +1
If you think it's gonna show up on a drag strip time slip by switching I got some swampland to sell you here in FLA, it just rained 3+ inches too, hehe!:lol:

Hey now. I felt a HUGE difference when I went from my stock to the aluminum. and I mean HUGE! of course it could be that it, unlike my stocker, had all the balancing weights on it.

what all entails changing out the driveshaft?
Sorry OP, dont mean to jack your thread.

changing the driveshaft is probably the easiest thing to do on your car. you have to unbolt your u-joints drop the shaft pull it out and put the new one back in.

 

[Bite Me]

They are nice to have. Free up a bit of power, but your probably not going to notice much in the way of ET's. It will be smoother, and less rotating mass is good. It just wont help enough to really cut down on your times. But its a piece to the puzzle.

 

[006]

changing the driveshaft is probably the easiest thing to do on your car. you have to unbolt your u-joints drop the shaft pull it out and put the new one back in.

Correction: You do not unbolt the u-joints.

You remove the 4 bolts that link the driveshaft flange onto the pinion.

Slide the drivesshaft forward by a cm or two, it disengages from the pinion, and then slide it out of the tailshaft on the transmission.

Hardest part is unscrewing the four 11mm (IIRC) bolts since they're stuck tight.

Also, remember to use lock-tite on those four bolts when you install the new driveshaft or they will come loose from the vibration.

 

[RDJ]

Correction: You do not unbolt the u-joints.

You remove the 4 bolts that link the driveshaft flange onto the pinion.

Slide the drivesshaft forward by a cm or two, it disengages from the pinion, and then slide it out of the tailshaft on the transmission.

Hardest part is unscrewing the four 11mm (IIRC) bolts since they're stuck tight.

Also, remember to use lock-tite on those four bolts when you install the new driveshaft or they will come loose from the vibration.

yeah you're right ... it has been almost 10 years since I did it LOL! altho I didn't use locktite on the bolts and never had an issue with them comeing loose. Prolly a good idea tho to be on the safe side.

 

[moonltgold]

Somewhat similar, and even lighter, I had a PST carbon fiber DS in my old Cobra. You can feel it being lighter, engine revs up a little quicker with less weight on it. But no HP gain (maybe 1-2 rwhp on the dyno at the very most), and no torque gain -- if anything it probably lost some due to less rotating weight. But it certainly makes the car feel lighter through the shifts.

 

[01yellercobra]

Hardest part is unscrewing the four 11mm (IIRC) bolts since they're stuck tight.

12mm 12 point bolts. The one socket I didn't have.

And I noticed the car seemed to rev up faster when I put the new drive shaft in. And that was a mostly stock car.

 

[IUP99snake]

I have an aluminum driveshaft that I installed at the same time I installed the six speed.

The only reason I have an aluminum driveshaft is because I had to change it anyways. It's not like I'd go out of my way to upgrade. "Hey, I think I'll go out and buy an aluminum driveshaft today!!"


I think I changed too many other things at the same time to be able to notice a difference, including a T-56, Aluminum Flywheel, Spec III clutch, 03-04 heads/cams, I couldn't tell you if it really helped performance. It may have helped a little in first gear, and with launches, but I can't see it helping anywhere else.

The steel driveshafts aren't really that heavy for their size! I was surprised at how light one was when I picked it up. I wonder what the weight difference is.

I can tell you that it's really smooth on the highway, there's not much driveshaft slop, and I haven't had any problems with mine.

The way I look at it is: If you need to replace it anyway, replace it with an aluminum driveshaft, but don't go out of your way to get one. You can spend your money more effectively elsewhere. Here's an idea: Get an aluminum flywheel first, and see how you like it. You'll notice similar effects with an aluminum flywheel, except all the time because it's directly connected to the engine.

Homer