Aluminum driveshaft

[rmk57]

 Wanting to know if anybody uses one and how they would hold up to 500+ hp with sticky drag radials. Lots of them available from police Crown Vic's and the length might even be close.

[RICH MUISE]

I don't have a clue about the 500HP, but, as far a fit, I'm using the one out of my drivetrain donor '95 Mark VIII. My '57 is a short wheelbase Custom.............obviously(?) the longer Fairlane wheelbase must be different on the driveshaft length. My MarkViii driveshaft is unaltered, I used a 1"taller yoke on the differential to make the fit/length perfect. Obviously there are other factors figuring into whether or not their length would work for you, but yeah, they're in the range.

[lalessi1]

I was gonna use one (it was free)! Too short, my drive shaft guy said it would cost too much to lengthen it.

[gasman826]

'04-'06 Crown Vic PI donor.  Came with 1350 joints and C6, Top Loader, Tremec compatible yoke.  It is behind a built AOD with 3000 stall converter (no brake)...long tail shaft...long rear yoke and Daytona support.  It works great for me but I can't tell you about 500HP or sticky tires.

[rmk57]

Mine is a Custom, so short wheelbase. I have the stock driveshaft in it now with a hybrid 1330 / 1350 universal. I'm using a Daytona pinion support also with a c-6 and 460 engine.
I feel I'm pushing my luck with the stock driveshaft but I do check the universals a few times a year. I may end up getting a pickup or full size ford one to shorten up.

[FiveSevenLiter]

Randy,
I have a aluminum shaft for sale, has 600 kilometers on it, out of my F-150.
Terry

[rmk57]

Thanks Terry, I'll keep it in mind. I did a quick measurement of mine and it's 55" center to center on the universals. The measurements I'm getting from the web on a police C/V is 54.5 to 55". I also found out their high speed balanced, depending on what rear gear they have in them.

[suede57ford]

Seems like old aerostar van had an aluminum driveshaft that was same length as one of my '57's.

I had Inland Empire Driveshaft make me an Aluminum with 1350 U-Joint and forged front Yoke.   I can tell you it is definitely good to 500hp manual trans with slicks.

[John Palmer]

A 1350 U-joint will take a lot of abuse.  We used two 1350 U-Joints for our swing axle conversion drag transmission at 7000 RPM launch's,  145 cu in, 350HP (with 70 HP NOS), 1950# total weight (with driver), 10# of air in the M&H slicks.  It was a 1960 VW drag car (ran best of 10.80's, at 133 MPH).  We only broke one 1350 U-Joint in 19 years of racing.  Using these joints for the axles, was putting much higher torque on them, than using them for a driveshaft that spins four or five times faster.   

The thing that will kill any part of your drive train is wheel hop.  The pinion snubber is a key part of your system.  Shim that snubber up so it hits a solid frame support as soon as the rear of the car squat's during launch.  Next time you have the rear end apart, I would consider adding a welded tubular support across the back side of the housing so the rear wheels do not toe in during launch.


I would consider having, or adding a good quality drive shaft hoop securely mounted to the frame.  No matter what parts you are running, they can break at anytime.  You do not want to be sharing the cabin with a spinning driveshaft.  Safety equipment is usually mandated based on the speed and ET your running.  Having a driveshaft loop might not be required for your ET, but it's cheap insurance.

[59meteor]

A bit off the topic, but I always thought the severely necked down 57 driveshafts looked strange, and kinda spindly for racing use. Randys 514 inch 57 shows that they are not necessarily as scary as I thought. I wonder how Ford even made the driveshafts that way. Not sure about 58s, but my 59 2 door sedan driveshaft does not neck down at all, but its pretty skinny all the way, maybe 2 1/2" diameter. Most of the aluminum driveshafts seem to be 3 1/2" or 4" diameter, any of you guys have one that size, and did you need to modify the tunnel at all for clearance?

[59meteor]

A 1350 U-joint will take a lot of abuse.  We used two 1350 U-Joints for our swing axle conversion drag transmission at 7000 RPM launch's,  145 cu in, 350HP (with 70 HP NOS), 1950# total weight (with driver), 10# of air in the M&H slicks.  It was a 1960 VW drag car (ran best of 10.80's, at 133 MPH).  We only broke one 1350 U-Joint in 19 years of racing.  Using these joints for the axles, was putting much higher torque on them, than using them for a driveshaft that spins four or five times faster.   

John, the stickshift drag racing group I belong to ( bcsupershifter.com), has 4 VW Beetles that run with us, 3 run low to mid 10s, naturally aspirated, and the other is turbocharged, and has gone mid 9s. Anybody that says Fords are expensive to race should check with the VW guys!  Mendeolla transaxles, every single engine piece is aftermarket, big $$$ Weber carbs etc, makes even racing a FE seem like a bargain!

[RICH MUISE]

Mine is pretty close (1/2" or so clearance) at the floor support brace just behind the tranny. I would like to raise my tranny up at the crossmember about 1/4" if it weren't for that. I really didn't want to weaken the support by shaving it down. Driveshaft won't have alot of up and down movement at that location, but........

[rmk57]

I'll probably give one a try as the wrecking yards are full of old C/V's and a driveshaft can be had for pretty cheap, my universals joints will even swap over if need be.
I already have a driveshaft loop installed. My car tends to rise instead of squat on acceleration just because of the way Caltracs work, to the point where the rear shocks would
top out. Since then I bought a set of Strange adjustable's. As far as welding a back brace, not to sure I want weld on a getting hard to find housing. I'd be better off cutting,
welding on a big bearing pickup housing, but that's another topic.

[RICH MUISE]

u joints may not need to be changed, but not a big expense for a combination joint........... but maybe the slip yoke? I honestly don't know how consistent Ford was with keeping the same spline output shafts from one tranny to another. LOL, not even sure why I'm in this conversation, you guys know a lot more about this stuff than me.

[59meteor]

Ford was actually pretty consistent with slip yoke splines. C4 , T5 and small input Toploaders are generally 28 spline, C6 and big spline Toploaders are 31 spline. Of course, they did make numerous length and width 9" pinion flange yokes...
And Randy, hopefully you can find a wrecking yard driveshaft that escaped being bent or gouged by a forklift!