spyder7724

it's not hard to install. i did it in less than 2 hours on jack stands with hand tools. the issue is durability. i would not reccomend it with a s/c'd 5 speed car. at thatpower level with slicks everything in the driveline is a ticking bomb. the clutch is done at 350-400rwhp the trans is only good for 400hp max and the driveshaft and stock axles are only good for400 or so hp. it's a snowball effect that i have been through with other cars.more power=more money for other stuff so it won't break. aluminum driveshaft should be fine for moderately modded auto cars and for mild 5 speeds.

Steve_05GT

The slip joint is weaker? I have never heard of that. Have you ever watched rock crawling? Every one of those rigs have fixed yolks and slip joints in the drive shafts and see much higher loads than any street cars ever will. One of the first things I and most other people do when the get a jeep is install a SYE (slip yolk eliminator) kit.

spyder7724

i think with drag racing it is the initial shock when the clutch engages. with slicks there is very minimal slippage. i don't know much about rockcrawling but it seems the reason for using a slip joint is for suspension flexibility. i'm just going on what i've seen so far. fox body cars(no slip joints) don't have driveline problems. we do. BMR says their carbon shaft is good to 1000hp. wow! how did they test that with a tremec? i know for sure they aren't good above 500hp unless you heavily modify it and even then maybe 750-800 would pushing that. all i know mine works fine right now. i'll find out the limit eventually.

Steve_05GT

300 to 500 hp motors, 39" tires, 3000# rigs bouncing while trying to climb a rock ledge. I have broken several front axle u-joints, axle shafts, and drive shaft u-joints, but never a slip yoke

spyder7724

maybe it's stronger than i thought. i guess for most of us we won't be exceding 450 or so. that seems to be the limit for the stock trans both 5speed and auto.mm&ff magazine broke two 5speed trans during a supercharger test a few months ago. driveshaft will probably hold out longer than the clutch and trans ya think? i'm picking up the next dshaft thursday a.m. i was going to keep it as a spare just in case but i think i will list it on ebay on sat a.m. i have been ordering the parts through a local driveline company. they made a mistake and sent me a box with the name of their supplier. it's traction torque tech or something like that. after talking to them we came to the conclusion that all i did was build a shorter version of the driveshaft found in 2003 and up ford rangers. he told me ford racing sells it as a replacement.(they build the thing for ford!) with the dimensions i gave him he concluded that it is 9" shorter than the ranger driveshaft(for a 126"WB). so if you want to try making one you can do it a lot cheaper than what i did. you will need to buy the same rear companion flange i bought. it fits the '03-'04 cobra.

Steve_05GT

great info, where is the company located? I really do not trust the carrier bearing style drive shaft. Plus everyone knows that these cars are a PIG as far as weight goes. Anything to lighten it up is going to help. BTW great looking DS in the pic.
Steve

spyder7724

ford racing sells the driveshaft. p/n M4602R and the cobra rear flange p/n M4851B. i went to the ford dealer here in my town to look at a ranger and guess what? it's the same damn thing i had made! just a little longer. about 9" just they said. you should be able to get that from ford for $275 or so. the flange is the same one i ordered from Bryant Racing on e-bay it was $30 i think. driveline shop should shorten it for less than $100. dimensions you will need. distance from transmission flange to the rear flange(the new cobra one when installed) is 53 7/16". i can't begin to tell you how much difference it makes at the hit of the throttle losing 30 lbs. of rotating weight. plus it is a whole lot easier to work on. mine has been out 3 times due to rear gear noise. i still can't figure out why my gears whine so much. this time i replaced all the bearings and bought new gears. i give up it will just have to whine.

jtscuba02

hey spyder, thanks for the info on the driveshaft. i will be building one by the time my lower control arms get here. check the tsb for the rearend whine. i think there is one for it. some kind of dampner they had to put in. i dont know what the dealership will say about the new gears but there was something messed up from the factory. thanks jt

spyder7724

no prob. thanks for the tsb info. i looked on the forums tsb area but it didn't explain what the problem was or how to fix it. i'll do some research and try to get the dampener from ford.