Sedans: DSS One Piece Driveshaft!
09-26-2016, 05:00 PM
#16
I'll chime in here with my opinions (backed by a modicum of experience - one piece conversions and/or aluminum were a common request at the shop I used to work at)
Aluminum driveshafts are significantly less durable than steel. Steel driveshafts can continue to operate tolerably well after sustaining a fair bit of damage. Aluminum driveshafts much less so. The yokes and tubes on steel driveshafts are much stronger, and more elastic. (And of course much heavier)
Now of course upgrading to larger u-joints will add strength. But I feel it needs to be considered that u-joints are meant to be the "fuses" of the drivetrain. More than a few jeep guys have found out to their chagrin that the cool, beefy looking 1350 u-joint conversion they did moved the weakest link in their drivetrain from the $30 u-joints to the $1000+ differential.
Going from the factory staked in u-joints to proper serviceable ones can be a major boon. And not just because they are replaceable, but also in how much easier they are to acquire.
2 piece shafts are generally chosen by OEMs for 2 primary reasons.
1: It makes it much easier to resolve driveshaft angle issues.
2: The shorter the individual shaft is the less issue you have with deformation, either dynamic (driveshafts can actually be fine at certain speeds and bend like a jump rope at other speeds) or static (I have balanced shafts that were very not straight - again fine at some speeds, not at others). Especially an issue on longer vehicles. If someone came in with a 2WD long bed pickup, it was pretty much guaranteed we would turn them down for a 1 piece conversion.
As a plus, the center carrier adds a bit of vibration damping in the form of the rubber bushing.
Everything else being equal an aluminum driveshaft will tend to produce less NVH than a steel one. Being lighter, they are both easier to balance and have less rotational mass to cause vibration even when a bit imbalanced. This also translates to better MPG and more WHP.
1 piece Aluminum (and even CF) driveshafts are great, and in certain applications can have some outstanding benefits. But they aren't for everyone or every application.
Don't even get me started on 3 piece driveshafts. If I never see another one again, I'll be happy
Aluminum driveshafts are significantly less durable than steel. Steel driveshafts can continue to operate tolerably well after sustaining a fair bit of damage. Aluminum driveshafts much less so. The yokes and tubes on steel driveshafts are much stronger, and more elastic. (And of course much heavier)
Now of course upgrading to larger u-joints will add strength. But I feel it needs to be considered that u-joints are meant to be the "fuses" of the drivetrain. More than a few jeep guys have found out to their chagrin that the cool, beefy looking 1350 u-joint conversion they did moved the weakest link in their drivetrain from the $30 u-joints to the $1000+ differential.
Going from the factory staked in u-joints to proper serviceable ones can be a major boon. And not just because they are replaceable, but also in how much easier they are to acquire.
2 piece shafts are generally chosen by OEMs for 2 primary reasons.
1: It makes it much easier to resolve driveshaft angle issues.
2: The shorter the individual shaft is the less issue you have with deformation, either dynamic (driveshafts can actually be fine at certain speeds and bend like a jump rope at other speeds) or static (I have balanced shafts that were very not straight - again fine at some speeds, not at others). Especially an issue on longer vehicles. If someone came in with a 2WD long bed pickup, it was pretty much guaranteed we would turn them down for a 1 piece conversion.
As a plus, the center carrier adds a bit of vibration damping in the form of the rubber bushing.
Everything else being equal an aluminum driveshaft will tend to produce less NVH than a steel one. Being lighter, they are both easier to balance and have less rotational mass to cause vibration even when a bit imbalanced. This also translates to better MPG and more WHP.
1 piece Aluminum (and even CF) driveshafts are great, and in certain applications can have some outstanding benefits. But they aren't for everyone or every application.
Don't even get me started on 3 piece driveshafts. If I never see another one again, I'll be happy
09-26-2016, 07:05 PM
#17
DSS One Piece Driveshaft
So would it be safe to say that if we had a 2 piece aluminum driveshaft or even a 2 piece CF driveshaft that, thats exactly what we should be looking for instead of a 1 piece...
I personally think that if there was a 2 piece CF driveshaft with aluminum or titanium connecting ends that would be exactly what we or (Lol) I need...
Here's why I feel it would perfect...
No angle issue and no weight issue...
It looks like it could be a winner,but probably cost a fortune lol...
What you think....
I personally think that if there was a 2 piece CF driveshaft with aluminum or titanium connecting ends that would be exactly what we or (Lol) I need...
Here's why I feel it would perfect...
No angle issue and no weight issue...
It looks like it could be a winner,but probably cost a fortune lol...
What you think....
09-26-2016, 09:35 PM
#19
DSS Onew Piece Driveshaft
So you say 99.99% efficient (aluminum,CF driveshafts) for our car (coupe,sedan)...
What do you say about ttv36's vibration probably's...
Is it the angle in which the driveshaft is in...
Or do you think it was a pore build...
Give your thoughts...
What do you say about ttv36's vibration probably's...
Is it the angle in which the driveshaft is in...
Or do you think it was a pore build...
Give your thoughts...
09-30-2016, 09:48 AM
#20
Hard to diagnose over the internet, but based off of his description he's right - either out of round, imbalanced, or perhaps damaged in shipping. Much easier to tell whats going on with a shaft when its on the balancer.
11-27-2016, 11:45 AM
#21
Driveshaft
ttv36
How's it going...
So did you ever get the driveshaft issue fixed...
I went back and looked at old postings of your and mine...
And while I was doing so I noticed that in one of your pics of the driveshafts being side by side,that the aluminum driveshaft looks a bit smaller than the stock one...
Do you think that there could be the cause of the driveshaft rotating improperly...
How's it going...
So did you ever get the driveshaft issue fixed...
I went back and looked at old postings of your and mine...
And while I was doing so I noticed that in one of your pics of the driveshafts being side by side,that the aluminum driveshaft looks a bit smaller than the stock one...
Do you think that there could be the cause of the driveshaft rotating improperly...
11-28-2016, 11:38 AM
#22
^ Sorry I haven't had a chance to revisit the driveshaft. We were still waiting to hear back from DSS last I recall.
I never even thought to measure them individually - you may be on to something about the lengths.
I apologize, but my car has been in storage/hibernation about an hours drive away from me as I'm building a new house. It probably won't be until next year that I will get time to work on the car again and to verify the lengths.
I never even thought to measure them individually - you may be on to something about the lengths.
I apologize, but my car has been in storage/hibernation about an hours drive away from me as I'm building a new house. It probably won't be until next year that I will get time to work on the car again and to verify the lengths.
11-03-2017, 10:09 PM
#29
Premier Member
Bump, I’m curious on this. 😅
11-16-2017, 04:10 PM
#30
Sorry nothing new to report on the driveshaft. I've had more lifting concerns for the past year; I'm sure we will get back with DSS sometime in 2018.
I know Jake @ EPS was doing some tester driveshafts but I haven't followed up with him to see how that went..
I know Jake @ EPS was doing some tester driveshafts but I haven't followed up with him to see how that went..