steel vs aluminum driveshaft
steel vs aluminum driveshaft 
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02-01-2008, 01:59 PM
#9
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Street car w/ DRs?? If so then aluminum. Tires will break loose on an unprepped track well before an aluminum drive shaft. HOWEVER>>> If you plan on runing slicks at the track then steel is much safer. And know that if that DS breaks it will likely take out the TA, exhaust and rear floor board regardless of whether or not you have a DS loop.
02-01-2008, 02:05 PM
#10
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Aluminum for sure, less rotating mass. Plain and simple. You may be a little precautious if your in a H/C 6spd car since i've seen some of them twist some alum's. I've ran plenty of 11's on my alum.shaft with ET Drag wrinkle sidewall slicks cuttin 1.5x 60's.
02-01-2008, 04:24 PM
#12
I cut 1.5 60s spraying off the line with 325 M/Ts and haven't broken my aluminum DS even dead hooking. It happens, but most cars won't have a problem with aluminum
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02-01-2008, 04:40 PM
#13
just make sure you get a good one, EPP sells one thats good up to 1200hp. while aluminum drive shafts are marginally larger, the mass of aluminum is far less than steel so your still saving some serious weight. keep in mind too, its isnt dead weight that's the issue here either, its inertia, the two are similar and closely related but different enough to make aluminum a far better choice for a DS in a street car.
02-01-2008, 06:54 PM
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I have the EPP aluminum 1.36 60' on slicks had no ill effects on it. FWIW I pulled multiple low 1.4's with the stock aluminum SS driveshaft tho the stalled A4's are a bit more gentile.
02-02-2008, 10:35 AM
#16
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Like some people mentioned above, steel can break to. I bought a 3'' steel ds from a member on here that had it built to withstand 700hp. On my 4th pass with it I dropped the clutch at about 6000 rpm and I just heard a loud bang, and I didn't move an inch. My car only puts down about 500rwhp. I had a safety loop on the car but when the shaft broke it ripped the loop right off. It also broke one of the welds on my torque arm, dented up my exhaust, and beat the **** out of the tunnel. Oh and I almos forgot, it cracked the tailshaft housing on my t56. So I guess the moral of my story is whatever you go with make sure you buy it from a reputable dealer that has proven themselves. I am now swapping to a th400 and my new ds will likely be a 3.5'' aluminum from EPP.
