Drive shafts....

[Jesus-Ninja]

I'm building a project car, and to cut a long story short, it uses the FWD gearbox and engine from one car, slung between the back axle of the suspension of another, previously front-engine rwd car.

So I have two sets of drive shafts. A pair that match the gearbox, and a pair that match the hubs.

How do I make a hybrid? Cut and shut, or is it a proffessional new set of specially made drive shafts?

 

[Damaged]

I had my prop shaft done proffesionaly but it was made using either end of the two I had.


You may be able to weld it but can you balance it correcty?

The vibration will be terrible if you don't.

 

[malcolm]

I had a set of custom rear halfshafts made up by a company in the US. I've heard of others welding then sleeving halfshafts, but they had trouble with them breaking. I don't know how well the work was done, but it would need to be just about perfect as there's a load of force down them.

Balance isn't such a big issue for driveshafts as it is for propshafts. Driveshaft with CV joints will move around a lot anyway.

I'd guess a propshaft company would be the place to ask - there's one in St Neots and one in Luton, so there probably will be a place near yourself.

 

[MrFluffy]

If i remember correctly, if your completed car needs sva of some description, they won't issue sva on a car with welded driveshafts. So you will have to get some done professionally if you have no means to respline them yourself...

You could possibly make up a adapter insert that goes between the two spline patterns if the length is right, but again, it will have to be a proper substantial job, and best to find a tame engineer.There are driveshaft specialists in the uk who can respline to suit though, the name strange engineering springs to mind, but there will be some of the rodders on the forum who'll have more up to date info, Ive been out the uk for 7 years now

One last thing if you doing what is a "common" swap, check to see how everyone else has approached it on the forums or net, some of the more common stuff like renault un1 fwd trans into midmounted lotus chassis fitment already has been done so many times that companies have developed adaptor kits with the flang adaptors etc all mass produced ready.