Aluminum Driveshaft making a difference
11-09-2010, 08:17 AM
#13
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Norfolk, VA
Posts: 627
It is weird. When Ford does something the cheap way you guys are quick to defend it. but when Ford spends three times as much money on something you want to remove it. Ford would have put a "one piece" [it is not really one piece at all] drive shaft on if they didn't cause more problems then the benefit of putting on a three bearing shaft. Ford doesn't spend money just to make the car slow.
11-09-2010, 08:56 AM
#14
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Kansas City
Posts: 960
Ford uses an aluminum driveshaft on their F150's. Other manufacturers also use aluminum. If it were that prone to damage, why would it be on a truck?
11-09-2010, 09:56 AM
#15
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: MI
Posts: 1,292
aluminum is a very tricky metal, depending on how something is made it can have drastically different characteristics. Look at how they bake the all aluminum body on an audi R8, or forged aluminum wheels for high performance cars. So yes a an aluminum driveshaft could be just as strong as steel while being lighter but it depends on how it was made.
11-09-2010, 10:08 AM
#16
6th Gear Member
Join Date: May 2005
Location: MD/WV
Posts: 5,736
I have the shaftmaster unit on mine, and like said by another member, it seems to tighten up the feel of the drivetrain. I don't remember if the buttdyno picked up any ponies from it, but at ~20lbs. lighter than stock, you can't go wrong with it. I think a more drastic benefit would be gained from 1-piece forged wheels, but they aren't too cheap...
11-09-2010, 10:35 AM
#17
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: europe
Posts: 25
I've got the Steeda 1pce alu driveshaft, but I've got it together with the SC so I can't tell about faster or not. I was told that if you go FI, it's safer to change the driveshaft to a 1 piece. It will reduce the loss of HP but certainly not 50%
11-12-2010, 09:32 AM
#18
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Norfolk, VA
Posts: 509
Put my driveshaft on yesterday (no safety loop). Feels much "tighter"...more put together...and no "clunking". Best way I can explain it, currently.
I put my HT10's and HP+'s on yesterday at the same time as the ds, so I didn't play around too much with feeling it out...want to bed my pads first before I start getting on it.
11-12-2010, 12:10 PM
#19
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location:
Posts: 1,470
Your assumption is based on the DS being the source of the 16% loss. What you've missed is that the 16% loss is accumulated from not just the DS but from other rotational mass including your wheels and tires, plus other "drag" on the engine such as the water pump, alternator, etc.
11-12-2010, 12:49 PM
#20
6th Gear Member
So, if you were to install UDP's and an electric water pump, would those gains be deemed CRANK HP gains since you'd essentially be reducing efficiency losses that ARE considered in CRANK HP values?