chromoly vs aluminum driveshafts
09-07-2011, 08:45 AM
#4
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Depends... friend of mine is running aluminum and 450hp and twisted it all to sh*t. They also make better aluminum one's - depends on brand. Just make sure your u-joints are good and you should be okay. You might wanna ask the big boys what they are using if you plan a 700hp project.
09-07-2011, 05:11 PM
#7
Just call pst and order their aluminum shaft with a strange yoke an call it a day. They have an amazing product and they take care of their customers like me for example. Plus they are laid back and easy to talk to. If you want a super light shaft they do offer the carbon ones
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09-07-2011, 11:39 PM
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Aluminum is definitely lighter then chromoly. But, chromoly is stronger then aluminum, and stronger/lighter then mild steel. This is when speaking of equal sized pieces.
09-08-2011, 06:49 AM
#11
PST 3.5" Aluminum driveshaft, 1.29 60 ft times, no problems.
http://shop.brutespeed.com/PST-3-1-2...Driveshaft.htm
Check out the above link. Bob
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PM's disabled, please e-mail me
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09-08-2011, 09:01 AM
#12
Just some food for thought. "Strong" is relative to the application. Harmonic vibration may make a steel drive shaft not so strong:
Paragraph 2, page 5 Universal Joint Alignment Procedure
For Passenger Cars
Courtesy of GMJim of Hurst
A 1969 Camaro with 235/60/15 (26.1" tall) tires and a 3.42 rear gears traveling at 70 MPH will have a drive shaft
rotational speed of 3084 RPM. At 100 MPH the drive shaft will be turning at 4406 RPM. Critical speed for a factory 3" steel
driveshaft that is 50 " long is 5790 RPM. 85% of critical speed is the maximum speed you should turn a driveshaft. 85% of 5790 =
5340. You can see that 4406 RPM is well within the limits for this driveshaft. If you change the rear end gears to 4.11, the 100 MPH
driveshaft speed increases to 5295 RPM which is bordering on maximum critical speed. Having a driveshaft operating at 50 to 60%
of critical speed will run smoother with less vibration than one operating at it's maximum.
Universal joint working angles between .5 degree and 3.5 degrees are fine for a stock application however as driveshaft speeds
increase the maximum operating angles of 3.5 degrees can be significantly less. Example: at 3500 driveshaft RPM the maximum
operating angle of a car u-joint is about 3.5 degrees. This MAXIMUM angle is acceptable for most stock applications. If driveshaft
RPM increase to say 4000 RPM the MAXIMUM u-joint operating angle changes to 2.75 degrees. At 5000 driveshaft RPM this
changes to 2.2 degrees. As driveshaft speeds increase, tubing size and u-joint operating angles must be adjusted to suit your
vehicle requirements.
rotational speed of 3084 RPM. At 100 MPH the drive shaft will be turning at 4406 RPM. Critical speed for a factory 3" steel
driveshaft that is 50 " long is 5790 RPM. 85% of critical speed is the maximum speed you should turn a driveshaft. 85% of 5790 =
5340. You can see that 4406 RPM is well within the limits for this driveshaft. If you change the rear end gears to 4.11, the 100 MPH
driveshaft speed increases to 5295 RPM which is bordering on maximum critical speed. Having a driveshaft operating at 50 to 60%
of critical speed will run smoother with less vibration than one operating at it's maximum.
Universal joint working angles between .5 degree and 3.5 degrees are fine for a stock application however as driveshaft speeds
increase the maximum operating angles of 3.5 degrees can be significantly less. Example: at 3500 driveshaft RPM the maximum
operating angle of a car u-joint is about 3.5 degrees. This MAXIMUM angle is acceptable for most stock applications. If driveshaft
RPM increase to say 4000 RPM the MAXIMUM u-joint operating angle changes to 2.75 degrees. At 5000 driveshaft RPM this
changes to 2.2 degrees. As driveshaft speeds increase, tubing size and u-joint operating angles must be adjusted to suit your
vehicle requirements.
Paragraph 2, page 5 Universal Joint Alignment Procedure
For Passenger Cars
Courtesy of GMJim of Hurst
09-08-2011, 12:47 PM
#13
Choosing the correct drive shaft,yoke & company can be crucial. Many factors play into what you need and can afford. Since PST is mentioned and they do make a great drive shaft thus one of the reasons we offer them with builds.
Anyone of their shafts will hold a decent amount of power, choosing the correct yoke is were you need to focus on for strength. Then it all comes down to budget and what you can afford.
Aluminum is going to be your lightest and have the least amount of vibration. Most steel and C/M drive shaft are the same weight so that is a wash worrying about weight between those two.
I hope this helps some.
Anyone of their shafts will hold a decent amount of power, choosing the correct yoke is were you need to focus on for strength. Then it all comes down to budget and what you can afford.
Aluminum is going to be your lightest and have the least amount of vibration. Most steel and C/M drive shaft are the same weight so that is a wash worrying about weight between those two.
I hope this helps some.
09-08-2011, 08:06 PM
#14
ok so ive been looking at driveshafts, and for a 600rwhp street car, which would be better if im on a smaller budget.....pst aluminum for $460, or strange chromoly for $80 bucks less........is theis the added weight of chromoly really goona hurt rwhp in the long run?
09-09-2011, 09:55 AM
#19
ok so ive been looking at driveshafts, and for a 600rwhp street car, which would be better if im on a smaller budget.....pst aluminum for $460, or strange chromoly for $80 bucks less........is theis the added weight of chromoly really goona hurt rwhp in the long run?