Durability of stock halfshafts....????

[Cobra84]

I was wondering how many guys with IRS and 450+ rwhp have the stock half shafts in their cars still. They seem like the weak link and i was pricing Level 2 half shafts and they were coming between $1000-1500!!! Thats crazy. This question may be targeted more towards people who have spirited driving. Thanks for any responses.

 

[08snake]

I had stock half-shafts in my 03 the 4 1/2 years I had her including 2 years with a KB @ 560rwhp. Those shafts had about 50 1/4 mile runs on them. Of course, I'm no pro at the track either but I never had a problem with them....Carried around a spare for 3+ years of that timeframe....

 

[Cobra84]

glad to hear that. Good luck with the Shelby, they are great looking cars

 

[gotwood]

Never had a problem with mine @ 486 hp.

 

[SpectorV]

It is one of those things... it happens sometimes and others it does not... but you have to run the risk even 100% stock on DR's or even street tires... if you go to the track and hook up it could happen

 

[Cobra84]

what exactly happens? Does the shaft disconnect from the rear housing and stops the car from rolling??

 

[724COBRA]

I have not had problems with mine yet. I have 462 rwhp. I have lots of IRS upgrades though. I understand that wheel hop is what kills them and if you can eliminate wheel hop (as i have done) you stand a good chance of 1/2 shafts holding up. I have also heard that level 2's are not any stronger than stock 03/04's but that is just opinions i have read

 

[Posi]

I'm worried about mine as I still have wheel-hop! I've got the first 6 steps of the red-pill without the drag radials installed. Now I just got my Laurel Mountain air-bags in today and I'm going to put AC427Cobra's kit in my car when money(insert when my wife lets me) is available! Hopefully after all of that it will be fixed!

 

[724COBRA]

Good luck with that POSI. Hope it works for ya!

 

[sunburned]

A guy in our local cobra club was running mid 10's with a whipple and almost 700hp on the stock shafts.

To answer your question, I believe the halfshaft literally shears in half at the tripod near the diff. Breaks around where the boot is so a lot of people get grease splattered all over their undercarriage.

 

[Zorabot]

I think the inside cups the tripod goes into have blown apart also.
And when it breaks of course its going nowhere, just hope an axle breaks and not the little pumpkie.
I hear a dead hooked ET Street and 500+hp are the stock half shafts mortal enemy+wheelhop of course. If you have a stock clutch I believe you may be mostly in the clear no matter the tire/hp combo.
Of course you could have a bad piece of steel in the shaft itself and it could go on a stock car under pure acceleration, anything is possible at any time.
Get the "stop the hop" pak