Sierra (bolt-on) driveshafts positioning
DRCorsa - 7/1/12 at 10:06 AM
Yesterday i concluded the refurbishment of my Sierra driveshafts and CV joints.
A good clean and powdercoating and they look as new.
The problem is that when i bought my Sierra diff and driveshafts, thise were dissasembled, i mean the diff had not the driveshafts bolted on but
seperate.
As you can see in the pics below, one face of the shaft has a "star" stamped on it while the other has a number of circular marks. The
question is which face goes to diff side and which goes to hub side? i remember reading in a thread here that if you install them the wrong way
around, they tend to break! 
I have ordered a Sierra Haynes manual but if you could help me until it arrives, it goes well.
Any help greatly appreciated! Thanks!
[Edited on 7/1/12 by DRCorsa]
AdrianH - 7/1/12 at 11:22 AM
My Sierra manual does not mention any differences, star, or circles and any special way to fit the bolt ons, so good luck with the down loads They may
be more relevant then the basic manual.
Adrian
[Edited on 7-1-12 by AdrianH]
DRCorsa - 7/1/12 at 11:25 AM
The last manual was complete but no mentioning on the symbols sadly.. 
RichardK - 7/1/12 at 01:05 PM
I personally wouldnt worry, cant see it making any difference, all parts are machined the same...
MikeCapon - 7/1/12 at 01:20 PM
To the best of my knowledge a stressed component will survive longest if the stresses are not reversed. I'm guessing here, but I reckon the marks
are there so you can put the shafts back in the same orientation as when dismantled.
As you clearly do not have this information available I'd just put them both back the same way. It is pretty much splitting hairs anyway as the
stress on a drive shaft is reversed on the overrun although maybe not to the same extent as a clutch dumped, wheel spinning getaway.
Unless of course your gearbox and clutch control is as bad as a bad thing...
Mike
DRCorsa - 7/1/12 at 01:25 PM
quote:
Originally posted by RichardK
I personally wouldnt worry, cant see it making any difference, all parts are machined the same...
I hope this is the case but the fact that the manufacturer has used these symbols there, means that installing them the right way is crucial.
Driveshafts are getting some torsional tension. If you fit them the other way around, the tension will be at the opposite direction. Maybe this is the
reason why some people say that driveshafts will probably break if you fit them wrongly.
I know it's a quite unsual question for someone to know the answer, but maybe any member here happens removing the driveshafts (for cleaning,
boots changing etc) and could take a look at the symbol each side?
RichardK - 7/1/12 at 01:31 PM
The reason I'm suggesting it doesnt matter is that in the genuine ford workshop manual for the sierra cosworth it doesnt mention it at all in
either the dis assembly section or reassembly so I'm working on the basis if it was critical it would be mentioned somewhere.
I would understand it if the haynes manual missed something like that out but not the pukka workshop manual that ford dealers used back in the day.
However would be useful to know if somebody had documented it.
Hope you get it sorted.
Cheers
Rich
DRCorsa - 7/1/12 at 01:33 PM
Thanks a lot for all your help Rich! 
MikeCapon - 7/1/12 at 01:37 PM
I think the reason it's not mentioned Richard, is that it was probably taken as read. In the same way you'd put an exhaust valve back in the
port it came out of rather than mixing them up.
I still reckon it's splitting hairs though given the torque reversal on a drive shaft. May be on a race car running slicks and 500 bhp it could
eventually become an issue. What shafts did the Cossie run anyway? Standard or otherwise....
Chippy - 7/1/12 at 03:44 PM
Funny thing just taken mine off, and in both cases the star end was towards the wheel end, now as to whether that is correct I have no idea, but in
10K miles, (and some pretty hectic starts), I havn't broken one yet, so maybe that is correct, OR, it doesn't matter, 
Cheers Ray
DRCorsa - 7/1/12 at 04:25 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Chippy
Funny thing just taken mine off, and in both cases the star end was towards the wheel end, now as to whether that is correct I have no idea, but in
10K miles, (and some pretty hectic starts), I havn't broken one yet, so maybe that is correct, OR, it doesn't matter, Cheers Ray
Wow, that helped me quite a lot!
THANKS!!!
RichardK - 8/1/12 at 01:21 AM
Dont you just love this place
DRCorsa - 8/1/12 at 02:04 PM
quote:
Originally posted by RichardK
Dont you just love this place
Absolutely!