Uprated driveshafts?

Uprated driveshafts?

Author
Discussion

mickrick

Original Poster:

3,701 posts

178 months

Saturday 11th December 2010
quotequote all
Just finished work, having a beer, and thinking about my bonkers Seven project.
I'm not in need yet, still working on the front end, but doesn't hurt to do a bit of research eh?
Anyone know where I could source some uprated driveshafts for my SV?
I don't have the standard ones, so it would have to be someone who would knows the sizes. I don't fancy shelling out for Caterham ones I'm not going to need.
My first thoughts are RS Performance for some RST ones, but I made enquiries there about the steering box, and they wheren't very forthcoming. So I'm reluctant to enquire there.
They must get them made somewhere? Maybe someone knows where Caterham souce theirs, and maybe they could build me some.
Any thoughts?

Cheers,
Mick.

Edited by mickrick on Saturday 11th December 17:49

sam919

1,078 posts

201 months

Saturday 11th December 2010
quotequote all
Try these, you just send them your current ones and they put an uprated shaft in place made from 300 or 30M steel cant remember but give them shout:

http://www.driveshaft.co.uk/

mickrick

Original Poster:

3,701 posts

178 months

Saturday 11th December 2010
quotequote all
Ooh, that's a good start. Thanks.
Actally I want joints too. They're more likely to go bang before the shaft.
I'll give them a shout, and see if they have any drawings already.
As I say, don't realy want to buy Caterham ones that I'm not going to use.

Cheers,
Mick.

sam919

1,078 posts

201 months

Saturday 11th December 2010
quotequote all
One of my shafts broke above the CV joint. There was a neat spiraling shape towards the centre where it had just twisted itself apart. The CV joints were checked and were fine. Bareing in mind this was trying to get heat into slicks and letting the clutch off very abruptly.

mickrick

Original Poster:

3,701 posts

178 months

Saturday 11th December 2010
quotequote all
I've dropped them a line. maybe they've done some Caterham stuff before, and have some drawings already?
Did you use them for your new shaft?

sam919

1,078 posts

201 months

Saturday 11th December 2010
quotequote all
I sent both of mine including the broken one and they dismantled them, made new shafts, put them back together and posted back to me. Cost about £400 i think all in inc p and p.

EFA

1,656 posts

268 months

Sunday 12th December 2010
quotequote all
What can you be doing whihc is breaking them - apart from a split boot once, I never damaged a driveshaft in the entire time I owned K2RUM. Given the stick i used to give it I am confused.

Or do Caterham use chinese chocolate ones these days?

Dave J

891 posts

271 months

Sunday 12th December 2010
quotequote all
they did change a few years back Arnie. My ones from 1997 are about 50% heavier than the ones on a friends car circa 2004.

mickrick

Original Poster:

3,701 posts

178 months

Sunday 12th December 2010
quotequote all
sam919 said:
I sent both of mine including the broken one and they dismantled them, made new shafts, put them back together and posted back to me. Cost about £400 i think all in inc p and p.
That sounds very reasonable to me. smile

EFA

1,656 posts

268 months

Sunday 12th December 2010
quotequote all
Well I suppose thinner steel and pattern (non GKN) CV joints also might explain it.

Steve-B

737 posts

287 months

Monday 13th December 2010
quotequote all
Slightly OT, but why aren't strong driveshafts made in CF? Are they as a fabric/solution not possessing the tensile strength or is there some other reason as to why not? I'm curious as the driveshaft's quite a bit of weight, albeit low in the car to carry.....

Noger

7,117 posts

254 months

Monday 13th December 2010
quotequote all
http://www.baileymorris.co.uk/ are also very good.

Carbon propshafts do exist. Would be pretty harsh. Mine is rubber smile


Steve-B

737 posts

287 months

Monday 13th December 2010
quotequote all
Nigel, I poked round their website and through catalogue and didn't notice any. Even checked kit car category and had no luck.

The other question on why not more remains unanswered...

Noger

7,117 posts

254 months

Tuesday 14th December 2010
quotequote all
I don't know about Bailey Morris, but Dunning and Fairbank (propshaft.co.uk) do them.

They use the CTG composite one, although IIRC an all carbon one used to be available or maybe was in delelopment by someone (RiF ?).

http://www.torqline.com/product_detail_12.php

A two piece composite prop from them was hugely expensive, and didn't work technically (Caterham trans tunnel was too narrow for their centre UJ). Even with the weight saving, there was concern about using a single prop in such a narrow tunnel.

I think the problem with all carbon was getting it balanced and also the general stiffness. At least in "normal" applications.

Certainly in a home-made BEC, where the weight saving would be nice, the extra stiffness in the drive train (same problem with carbon oars in rowing, when they first came in they didn't "give" at the snatch like wood did so you quickly damaged yourself) would not be welcome. So in the end (it wasn't a hard choice, carbon was several thousand IIRC) we spent the money on a Bailey-Morris Torque Resilant Tube prop to put a little softness back in.

mickrick

Original Poster:

3,701 posts

178 months

Tuesday 14th December 2010
quotequote all
O.K. I think some of you are getting driveshafts, and propshafts mixed up here? Unless of course you meant to go slightly O/T. No problem, it's all interesting discussion.
I've spent quite a bit of time on t'internet the last few months, and I haven't been able to come up with anything on Carbon driveshafts.
The carbon propshafts IMO are the way to go. (They're good for 1000hp!) Any weight saving you do will be better spent getting it off rotational mass, and unsprung weight.

Thanks to your link Sam, I've been in touch with Drivelink, and the fellow there, is super quick at answering my questions.
I will have to buy the Caterham ones, but all is not lost. They will do as they did for you Sam, replace the standard ones with 300M material as used in F1 and rally aplications. Although a bit more expensive than £400. Maybe you had yours done a while back?
"The secret is that the material strength is 1900/2100 Nmm2 as opposed to 625/775Nmm2 on OE material, therefore the physical sizes/weights remain approx the same."
I asked about Gun Drilling, but it's an expensive operation appently, and I'd have to get this done myself.
They say the standard CV joints don't need doing in my case, they will be good for the 420hp I'm hoping to put through them. Hope so!

I'm all sorted then. Brakes, suspension, driveline, gearbox, all Tickety Boo.
Project X is Go!

driving

sam919

1,078 posts

201 months

Tuesday 14th December 2010
quotequote all
Mick, it was two years ago but prices may have changed. I have a load of driveshafts and CV joints from caterham if your interested.

mickrick

Original Poster:

3,701 posts

178 months

Tuesday 14th December 2010
quotequote all
Hi Sam, £275 a side, but not sure if this is + or inc. of the Vodka.
Thanks for the offer of the bits, but my car's SV. Not sure what you have? S3 I beleive?
I think it will be just as easy to get the driveshafts sent complete from CC directly to driveline, then they can copy the dimensions from the originals. Less chance of any cockups. Unless of course CC send the wrong parts. Not unheard of. rolleyes
I'm such a pessimistic old git eh?

sam919

1,078 posts

201 months

Tuesday 14th December 2010
quotequote all
Yes its an S3 so no good for you. Agreed CC and parts......hit or miss really, which is a shame. Is it a supercharged duratec your sticking in to get 430?

mickrick

Original Poster:

3,701 posts

178 months

Tuesday 14th December 2010
quotequote all
420 ish. I want to put the Hartley H1 in.

6speedmanual

134 posts

234 months

Friday 24th December 2010
quotequote all
Mick
According to something on BlatChat, CC have just announced some kind of "improved" final drive package with a different diff and drive shafts. Some customers of more recent cars have been written to and invited to buy the "upgrade".
Some may not be happy as they have already been complaining about cwp noise and don't see why they should have to pay for an improvement.

I do not know what the package is but it may be worth contacting CC to find out. Maybe it represents a running change to a different diff as the Sierra unit is getting harder to source. Maybe it would help with your bonkers spec?

Cheers
Peter