Check out the crappy counterweight on this aluminum driveshaft (pics inside)

[crazypete]

I just opened the box containing my aluminum driveshaft, ford motorsport flavor, and found this (see pic). That counterweight was just mickey moused on! It looks like someone put a piece of metal up to it, made a half @ss attempt to kind make it sort round, bolted it and sawed off the end of the bolt. I could put a quarter into the right side and a quarter and a dime into the left side. That plate was crooked too. Man. Summit was awesome though, they just took it right back.

Right side attached

[crazypete]

Left side...it's crooked!!! The metal is bent

[crazypete]

And the half sawed off looking top with a touch of purple paint!

[crazypete]

Did I overreact or was I rightly justified?I dont remember my FMS aluminum driveshaft from 5 years back being that shoddy. I think it had a neat little welded on smoothed down nugget looking counterweight not some ugly plate looking thing with the sides dangling in mid air, looking like it's ready to fly off when it hits the 4.56 gears and the crazy revolutions

[HISSIN50]

CP, dont feel like the lone ranger. i just got my FMS DS a few weeks ago. i have never had, nor seen one, so i was not sure. i had the same big old weights on it (one is about 3" X 2" and the other is a little smaller). they are both on the same line (like one side of the shaft was way out of whack). in the middle of the weights is a plug lookin deal (like they spot welded the weight on). there is purple paint on it.
the shaft has a yellow dot on it in the middle (i assume that was quality control saying it was good to go).

i thought maybe i had been watching too much American Chopper, with their nice welding, cuz i thought mine looked a little rough.

i would post pics for you, but i dont know how. i posted a thread in another forum asking if that was normal, and did not get many replies. i figured that was normal.

im glad you sent it back. i got mine from Summit also, i think (there or Jegs - cant remember). better luck with the next one.

take care.

[crazypete]

I think ford's production quality must have dropped then. What a shame. I wouldnt be surprised if they are outsourcing the production of certain items.

Think about this....

If it needs a counterweight THAT big, exactly how sh1tty is their manufacturing process become? It's aluminum. If there's a lump in a steel driveshaft and they can counter it with a small penny size counter weight on the stocks, then how much material must be off center on a relatively lightweight aluminum piece to warrant a 5 by 4 inch steel counterweight.

Now that you mentioned, hissin50, that your driveshaft came out wretched as well, I'm convinced that the replacement summit sends me wont be that much of an improvement. I'm gonna keep all my paperwork so that when that weight goes flying off, I can call warranty on it.

Darnit, otherwise, it was a beautiful piece!

[Capri306]

Just my own opinion, but I think you're being anal about a part that only YOU (hopefully) are ever going to see. Remember you're dealing with a FRPP part, so *effectively* there's no warranty. This, as a manufacturer, would lead me to cut costs as well. However, I agree you should get what you pay for in any case. The choice is yours to make, but I agree they're making a bad impression on their (former) potential customers if this is what they're putting out on the market.

FYI, as long as the shaft is balanced correctly, it could look like a turd for all I care.

[crazypete]

I asked summit to rummage through their selection of FMS driveshafts and send me a replacement with a decent looking balance job or better yet, none at all.

I wasnt worried about it's appearance. I just thought the weight wasnt well attached. If that plate was welded around the outside rather than just pinned in the middle with the sides flapping up, I would have shrugged and started my installation with full mirth and happiness.

Come to think of it....why did the yoke need that much balancing? Usually it's the shaft that gets balanced and not the yoke. If the yoke end of it was that far off........I'm happy I sent it back. I'm just wondering what the replacement will look like.

[HISSIN50]

CP, i am in agreement with you. Capri, i would like to see now weights - the DS spins at a pretty good clip. when you start playing with numbers on imbalance and the forces created, it can add up to wear other components.

i just expected more. perhaps it was from readin threads over the years about how beautiful the alum DS's are. perhaps i expected too much.
CP, im not expert, but i was thinking that the weights are not tacked all the way around the perimeter cuz the weld would not be balanced. just a lame thought i had. (plus it is much less labor intensive to do one central tack). my weights are pretty straight, but do have a bit of gap - looks like i could fit a penny or maybe a nickel in the gap.

i wonder what the allowable tolerance for imbalance is (just curious). and i agree about the weights - i think my heavy stocker has a few little weights (like the size of the square ones used to dynamically balance a wheel). nothing like the 'sheets' of metal i have on mine.

Pete, please let me know what your new one looks like. i might try to send mine back. i ordered mine just to have since prices were goin up - it is still in the box. if you get a real nice one, i will call and see if they can get me a nice one too.

and thanks for starting this thread - we both had concerns, but your thread has some good responses and info that mine never got. :nice:

[crazypete]

I'll have my replacement in about a week....just about the time my torque converter and guages arrive!

I guess people are curious about people posting under the name of "crazy pete"and it tends to get a few bonus reads and so plus I attached pictures and people love eye candy.

We'll see if ford restores our confidence.

[~The Jester~]

Although a little better than the pics you posted, mine is still nothing to get excited about. On the diff end, my "chunk-o-metal" is smaller than yours, but still welded in the middle. It does look like someone attempted to make it round at least.

On the transmission end, my chunk-o-metal is nothing but a huge flat washer. Here again, just welded in the middle, but a half a$$ attempt was put forth to make it round. The quality control guys need to put down the coffee and newspaper and pay attention over there. I was working on an 02 Crown Vic police car last week, and the driveshaft on it was the same way.

As far as the forces involved like Hissin was talking about, stop and think what has to happen just to get the car to MOVE. Have you ever tried to move your car by turning the driveshaft? It's amazing how difficult it is, yet our engines and trannys do it all the time. Every bit helps, so a good balance job is a must!

[crazypete]

Just got the replacement today....What a difference!

Now that's more like it, it's small and flush up against the body of the driveshaft.

[HISSIN50]

Originally posted by crazypete
Just got the replacement today....What a difference!

Now that's more like it, it's small and flush up against the body of the driveshaft.

CP, looks a lot nicer to me. are there weights on both ends (or more than one weight)?


if you dont mind my asking, how much more did it cost you to get the second shaft (shipping,etc). im so lazy, and not THAT unhappy with mine, that if it cost much, i would likely not swap it.

nice work though!

[crazypete]

Actually, there is a second weight on the other end, but it's nice and pretty too, even smaller than the one that I took a picture of.

Summit did not charge me anything (it helps to order 100's of $$$ worth of stuff from them regularly) but UPS charged me a few bucks for ground shipment. I didnt look at my credit card bill yet since I arranged to have them pick it up from my house and they charged me after the fact! How's that for lazy! =)

All you need is to box it and place a pickup on ups's website.

[HISSIN50]

Originally posted by crazypete
Actually, there is a second weight on the other end, but it's nice and pretty too, even smaller than the one that I took a picture of.

Summit did not charge me anything (it helps to order 100's of $$$ worth of stuff from them regularly) but UPS charged me a few bucks for ground shipment. I didnt look at my credit card bill yet since I arranged to have them pick it up from my house and they charged me after the fact! How's that for lazy! =)

All you need is to box it and place a pickup on ups's website.

thanks for the info.....im so lazy i may not even send it back. from what i gather, the have been lookin ugly for a bit. since you have some clout, that may have helped. i would probably end up with a worse off DS. LOL.

thanks again, for the info. im glad you are happy with yours. plus your DS is gonna spin a lot (a lot more than mine does).

[red82gt]

Yeah, mine looks more like your second one, it's nice and clean. I couldn't believe how smooth the car was with it after I installed it.

[HISSIN50]

you guys just get lucky, i guess.
on another forum, someone today said that the DS's were backordered (from Summit) for several months!

that sucks.

[DirtKing]

mine looks like your second unit, but being paranoid, i brought it to a reputable shop after getting my transmission rebuilt. It was out of balance box stock...not grossly but clearly not enough attention to detail. I would think that their balancing uses a more "liberal" tolerance than others....