Has anyone ran different driveshafts with their transaxle?

Im using an audi g'box but the uprights are proving difficult to adapt to run at the back . Im thinking of using a more commonly used upright such as Sierra or Granada.

Would it be easier to run ford driveshafts with a modified (audi) inner cv joint- to mate with audi trans

OR:

Run audi driveshafts with outer ford cv joint- to mate with ford upright.

Or do something else entirely?!

I know very little about CV joints so would really appreciate some opinions- including those suggesting to go and have a beer and forget about it!!

Cheers

chris

If I remember the boys used posche cvs on the Beetle as they could run a bigger offset angle. Search the Sand Rail sites and they will give you what you are looking for.

Two options.

Best one, but expensive:

Custom drive shaft that will use the inner and outer CVs of you choice

Cheaper option:

Take 2 shafts, each matching the inner end and the outer end, then cut and splice.

Personally I'd go with option 2 to start with and see how it goes.

On my mid-engine Mini I bit the bullet and used $300 custom axles. I've never read anything that made me feel comfortable enough about welding the axles. A failure could be rather dire.

Much simpler solution than either of these is to machine an adaptor that bolts to the Audi output flanges, and has the correct bolt circle drilled and tapped the other side for the ford CV's, then just use Ford Lobros and shafts complete.

GB Engineering will make custom length shafts with Ford splines, in heat treated EN27 material which is pretty much indestructible (I know of several cars pushing 500 hp through them) and he charges £70 + vat each for them.

It is not unknown for CV joints from similar sized models but from different vehicle manufacturers to have the same spline size and bearing shoulder dimensions --- worth a trial fit.

quote:

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Originally posted by NS Dev
Much simpler solution than either of these is to machine an adaptor.....................

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Good point... I forgot not everyone has Honda transaxles without flanges

Looks like the cost of axles is similar. In the U.S. an axle set is $300, or $150 each, or about 75BP.

Thanks for the info guys.

There's a ford granada at the local scrappie which is just dying to give up its rear end to me!!

chris

Can I sound a bit like Murray Walker on this one, many moons ago, and it is many moons, I used a Audi Transaxle mated too a RV8, but I seem too remember the bolt pattern on the Audi shafts is the same as Ford, well worth checking out but i'm sure we used to raid Granada's for spare shafts......

Doh! Late as usual and all the good stuff has been said.
Just one more bit of advice; go to your nearest Lobro stockest and compare CVs across different manufacturer's ranges. As bt says, you'd be surprised at how many CVs are shared. BMW, Porsche, VAG and Mercedes share a lot. As do the Japs etc.

I just looked up a catalogue and the most common automotive CV sizes are (in mm):
94 OD - 78 PCD - 8.2 holes
100 OD - 82.7 PCD - 8.2 holes
108 OD - 94 PCD - 10.2 holes
Widths vary from 32 to 40 and there are quite a few combinations of cages and stars too.
Common splines are 24 x 27 OD , 33 x 27 OD and 28 x 31 OD.
Common ball sizes are 15.875, 17, 19.05, 20 and 22.225.
Mix and match until you find the combination that works for you.

[Edited on 28/6/05 by Rorty]

Thx Jon/ Rorty

Yes I remembered this was mentioned on one of the GT40 sites. It seems the older 013 trans (gear link out the back of trans) fit directly to ford CV's whilst the later 016 (gear link on top) has slightly bigger flanges and may need adaptors.

www.gt40club.com/kvabuild.htm

chris

And I think you'll find that the Porsche items are a little different in size and pcd to everything commercially available, for auto and industrial use.

Just like their wheel bearings and such, so you have to go to them for parts.

quote:

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Originally posted by Syd Bridge
And I think you'll find that the Porsche items are a little different in size and pcd to everything commercially available, for auto and industrial use.

Just like their wheel bearings and such, so you have to go to them for parts.

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