What performance does an Aluminum Driveshaft give?

richd · 10-04-2002, 12:43 PM

Consider this...if your driveshaft is old chances are your u-joints are near their end. Those are $15-20 each, plus you have to install them. My driveshaft had around 120-150k on it and the yoke wore down noticeably and the front u-joint was shot (rusted bearings).

If your slip yoke is wearing out, that's $70. Plus a bad slip yoke will allow trans fluid to leak, potentially causing a lot of destruction in your tranny (if the fluid levels are not maintained).

Add that up and you have $110 in parts to rebuild your driveshaft. Add $50-60 and you can have a lighter, stronger, fully assembled driveshaft. Think of it as an investment towards the future. You mentioned that you have some vibrations now...It'll get worse if/when you add gears to the equation.

Speaking from experience, I strongly recommend it. My transmission rebuild was $700 and 3 weeks with my car on blocks, and that was doing it myself. The main gear (input shaft to cluster) had worn and was very noisy from a low fluid condition plus I had some prior 2nd gear engagement problems. I had to buy a new input shaft ($90), cluster kit including a new cluster, 2nd and 3rd gears($279) and the 1-2-reverse slider ($90) on top of the rebuild kit ($170) and a steel retainer ($40). All this because the slip yoke wore out (probably from the bad u-joint).

Looking back I wish I just got the alum d/s in the first place. Would have saved me at least $400 of the rebuild. However, the cluster kit IS made of a stronger alloy and has shorter 2nd & 3rd gearing. So not a complete loss.

Wow, I'm really babbling. Sorry and good luck with whatever route you take.

Rich D.

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10-04-2002, 12:43 PM	#1
richd Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Edison, NJ, USA Posts: 125	Consider this...if your driveshaft is old chances are your u-joints are near their end. Those are $15-20 each, plus you have to install them. My driveshaft had around 120-150k on it and the yoke wore down noticeably and the front u-joint was shot (rusted bearings). If your slip yoke is wearing out, that's $70. Plus a bad slip yoke will allow trans fluid to leak, potentially causing a lot of destruction in your tranny (if the fluid levels are not maintained). Add that up and you have $110 in parts to rebuild your driveshaft. Add $50-60 and you can have a lighter, stronger, fully assembled driveshaft. Think of it as an investment towards the future. You mentioned that you have some vibrations now...It'll get worse if/when you add gears to the equation. Speaking from experience, I strongly recommend it. My transmission rebuild was $700 and 3 weeks with my car on blocks, and that was doing it myself. The main gear (input shaft to cluster) had worn and was very noisy from a low fluid condition plus I had some prior 2nd gear engagement problems. I had to buy a new input shaft ($90), cluster kit including a new cluster, 2nd and 3rd gears($279) and the 1-2-reverse slider ($90) on top of the rebuild kit ($170) and a steel retainer ($40). All this because the slip yoke wore out (probably from the bad u-joint). Looking back I wish I just got the alum d/s in the first place. Would have saved me at least $400 of the rebuild. However, the cluster kit IS made of a stronger alloy and has shorter 2nd & 3rd gearing. So not a complete loss. Wow, I'm really babbling. Sorry and good luck with whatever route you take. Rich D.