Lasershop's C5 driveshaft modification
03-31-2014, 03:58 PM
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Lasershop's C5 driveshaft modification 1997 C5, never did like how frail looking the actual drive shaft was. It was like 2.07" or something diameter and very thin. I know they got better in later years and I know you can spend whatever you want on an aftermarket but I try to make as much as possible on my own. With the twin turbo motor the stock shaft was going to fail eventually and I had panned this for a while. On Ebay I bought a spool of Carbon Fiber, what they call "Tow". Its the base strands for what becomes the woven fabric. I got the 12K thickness/weight/ whatever that means. Its a quarter inch wide and has many strands.
I laser cut (thats what we do) a couple of end plates so the shaft could roll on its own bearings. I had this 110v gear motor for literally decades and Im such a hoarder I never knew what I could ever use it for. With a pulley and a timing belt I had laying around I made it all work and it turns about 50 RPM. The gear motor has massive torque and I was able to get the "tow" really tight as the shaft spun. The tow comes on a spool and I just put a shaft through it so I could hold it with both hands.
Using a good quality epoxy I did my best to wind it on with no overlap or space. Took about 10 full minutes to go the length of the shaft and I made 5 passes for a thickness of almost .125" exactly.
The carbon fiber wrap came out really good and really even. There is no balancing service anywhere near me so I am going to install it as is. If it gives me trouble then maybe balance it some other time.
So even at that the entire torque tube was polished to match the rest of the car. The bottom of the Vette really had more polish and detail than most custom engine bays.
Original 4L60E was painted a metallic silver and urethane clear.
I was in the auto trans biz a very long time ago but I was a builder and I still have all my tools. This one is a full race, 100% roller bearing with every billet and every state of the art part available except for the 300M shafts. It was built back when the economy was good and we could afford the mods. Also have a Yank 3600 Corvette converter.
I laser cut (thats what we do) a couple of end plates so the shaft could roll on its own bearings. I had this 110v gear motor for literally decades and Im such a hoarder I never knew what I could ever use it for. With a pulley and a timing belt I had laying around I made it all work and it turns about 50 RPM. The gear motor has massive torque and I was able to get the "tow" really tight as the shaft spun. The tow comes on a spool and I just put a shaft through it so I could hold it with both hands.
Using a good quality epoxy I did my best to wind it on with no overlap or space. Took about 10 full minutes to go the length of the shaft and I made 5 passes for a thickness of almost .125" exactly.
The carbon fiber wrap came out really good and really even. There is no balancing service anywhere near me so I am going to install it as is. If it gives me trouble then maybe balance it some other time.
So even at that the entire torque tube was polished to match the rest of the car. The bottom of the Vette really had more polish and detail than most custom engine bays.
Original 4L60E was painted a metallic silver and urethane clear.
I was in the auto trans biz a very long time ago but I was a builder and I still have all my tools. This one is a full race, 100% roller bearing with every billet and every state of the art part available except for the 300M shafts. It was built back when the economy was good and we could afford the mods. Also have a Yank 3600 Corvette converter.
04-02-2014, 12:39 PM
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Bottom line is the carbon wrap is stiffer and stronger than the stock aluminum driveshaft itself.
http://www.dynotechengineering.com/r...berwrapped.htm
http://www.dynotechengineering.com/r...berwrapped.htm
