myke pocock
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| posted on 19/11/10 at 08:49 PM |
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Shortening drive shafts
Not a Locost question but asking it due to the amount of knowledge available on here. I classic trial a rear engine RWD Skoda Estelle and am modifying
a BMW diff unit for the transaxle. I will be using the BMW drive shafts (compatibility of the splines with the diff unit) but they need shortening. I
had intended to cut and shorten the shafts, sleeve them with seamless tube and get them welded. It has been suggested that I cut the shafts, drill
into one and and then turn the other down to slide into the hole then get them welded. Any engineers on here care to comment or make other suggestions
(so long as they are clean!!!)
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daniel mason
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| posted on 19/11/10 at 08:57 PM |
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good question, cant help with the answer but im in the same boat, honda diff and sierra outers so need mine modifying also!
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madteg
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| posted on 19/11/10 at 09:03 PM |
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Just to let you know i sleeved mine, pre heated them welded them and yes i am a coded welder. One snapped on the start line at santapod, it broke at
the side of the weld so i think the answer is to have some made to suit sorry.
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matt_gsxr
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| posted on 19/11/10 at 09:22 PM |
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I got my Sierra shafts shortened by Raw (the striker people). They did as you described, cut, drilled a hole in each and plugged together, then
welded.
They claim that this is better than sleeving, which stiffens the shafts up and prevents them twisting. A bit of elastic twist protects against shock
loads.
Makes sense to me, lot of people sleeve them though.
Matt
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nitram38
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| posted on 19/11/10 at 09:27 PM |
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I got new ones made with different splines each end (rover/ford) from GB engineering. Not locost, but less likely to flip my car over if the welded
ones break! 
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austin man
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| posted on 19/11/10 at 09:32 PM |
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you may be able to have them cut and splined if solid shafts if not have new ones made to suit the application Nephew had some made by a local
engineer for £170 i believe. It was the bar wasn't the cheapest but was about the best steel for this application type
Life is like a bowl of fruit, funny how all the weird looking ones are left alone
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mangogrooveworkshop
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| posted on 19/11/10 at 10:39 PM |
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westgarage dunfermline http://www.westgarage.co.uk/forsale/kits/shafts.html
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matt_gsxr
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| posted on 19/11/10 at 11:04 PM |
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I don't doubt that custom made shafts are better, but shortening cost me £70+shipping, a pair of custom shafts is £340 + vat and shipping.
Matt
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MikeR
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| posted on 20/11/10 at 12:51 AM |
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contact me later next week - i had a contact who'd make shafts out of en24t for 80 quid a shaft a couple of years ago. Going to try and get hold
of him to see if he's still doing them (as i need a pair). If he's still in the business - he could be your answer.
(he could also do en4*t (i can't remember the exact number, as we agreed during the conversation that the 24t would be good enough for my
locost).
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Wadders
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| posted on 20/11/10 at 09:19 AM |
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That was the accepted method to shorten jag irs shafts, back in the 70's custom ford pop era. seemed to work ok, but to be honest i think it
was more a way of ensuring accuracy than maintaining strength.
IIRC GB did me a pair of custom shafts for £170, excellent quality, stronger and lighter than the stock items.
Assuming you can't do the work yourself, by the time you have paid someone to machine and weld your existing shafts, you will be well on your
way to paying for a cutom set.
Al
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daniel mason
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| posted on 20/11/10 at 09:45 AM |
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what about the fitting of the inner and outer flanges eg; honda diff to sierra outers? i have the s2000 drive shafts from my donor and a pair of
sierra bolt-on shafts which i bought from a forum member. it seems a shame not to use at least one set, or possibly both sets? unless i sold both
pairs and had a new set made up?
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Fred W B
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| posted on 21/11/10 at 09:42 AM |
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When I need to do this I am going to machine a tube/long bush to have an inside bore the same as the OD of the drive shafts. Then cut the shafts to
give say a 100 mm overlap (or as much as you can). Then machine a half of the thickness of each shaft away, to the length of the overlap, to give a
"D" shaped profile on each shaft. Then fit these into the pipe sleeve so that the D shape profiles lock together. Then weld the shafts to
the outside bush/sleeve at the ends and with plug welds through the sleeve.
Cheers
Fred W B
You can do it quickly. You can do it cheap. You can do it right. – Pick any two.
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