When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Installing the Creative Steel 8.8 kit with a 2-piece driveshaft from the Driveshaft Shop. Everything was going great until I popped the driveshaft out of the box and started to bolt it in. It appears to be 1" too long on the front section. 63" length plus the 1" adapter to the T56 = 64". I'm guessing they didn't account for the adapter at the front because the center bearing mount is about 1" too long and will not bolt in.
The DIY 8.8" thread has a quote from DSS that says 63 1/16" face-to-face for the Creative Steel 8.8. I'm not sure what face-to-face means, although I would assume the complete length from the T56 output 3-bolt flange bolt face to the pinion flange on the diff. I measure pretty close to 63" for that span. The driveshaft itself does measure 63" end to end. With the adapter to connect the 3 bolt T56 output to the 4 bolt u-joint flange on the driveshaft (1 inch thick), the total is 64" or about 1" too long for my car.
The part number on the box from The Driveshaft Shop says 'CREATIVE-SH1'
I have a 2005 with Creative Steel motor and trans mounts.
The drive shaft is some what adjustable. There is a threaded collar by the center bearing. Loosen it and make sure the two set screws are loose. You should then be able the collapse the drive shaft down to fit. Get it bolted up at both ends then tighten the collar and set screws back up.
The splined sleeve doesn't really have another 1" to compress without damaging the seal. Besides the sleeve is on the long half (rear) and that distance to the center bearing mount is spot on, so while compressing helps the whole distance, my main issue is that I can't locate the center bearing mount.
On the car, measuring from the installed DSS adapter on the T56 to the center bearing mount holes, I measure ~24 1/2". From the pinion flange to the center bearing mount is ~37 5/8".
On the driveshaft, I measure 25 9/16" on the front half and 37 1/2" on the rear. Granted I don't have the instructions from Creative Steel handy (buried them somewhere), so it's possible I have something incorrect, but I'm pretty sure the center bearing solid mount should be on the trans side, not the diff side.
Also here is from the edge of the bearing to the edge of the shaft. Maybe the bearing is not pressed on all the way and its throwing the mount position off.
Also here is from the edge of the bearing to the edge of the shaft. Maybe the bearing is not pressed on all the way and its throwing the mount position off. Attachment 540081
That would definitely cause a problem. The center bearing is about maybe 1/2" from the end of the tube, so no room to press on any more. Your center bearing looks like there is a little room to press in a bit more.
The correct answer is 63" total from the 3-finger T-56 output flange to the pinion flange on the 8.8. For a 2 piece, the distance from the 3-finger output to the center bearing mount is 25.5". Subtracting the 1" for the DSS conversion flange and adding 3" for the DSS center bearing bracket (which offsets the bearing 3" away from the transmission), the drive shaft itself should measure 27.5" from the flange to the center bearing, just like the one 05CTSV has.
Mine was 28.5", so it has been sitting at DSS for a week waiting to be corrected. Thankfully, the weather has been good this week, so I can get to work in the topless Factory Five. Not so the week before. Creative Steel has the driveshaft adapter on backorder, so that option is not available either.
When I talked with Frank at DSS, he said that they haven't made 2-piece driveshafts in a couple of years, which begs the question, as to why everyone goes with the 1-piece despite all the issues with vibration and speed limits due to driveshaft whip. I was talking about this with a friend of mine with an 800hp G8, and DSS told him that they cannot get the center bearing rubber to last on the 2-piece shafts. Maybe an opportunity for voodoochikin??
05-29-2016, 08:14 PM
8.8 driveshaft length?? 
