How to make your own aluminum or carbon driveshaft
#1
How to make your own aluminum or carbon driveshaft
So I just pieced together my own carbon fiber driveshaft from a universal CF driveshaft and rx7 type pinion yokes so I thought I'd share how to do it...
This is more or less exactly what mazdatrix does to make their aluminum driveshafts.
You need 4 things:
1) A driveshaft that is the right length and u-joint type
2) front slip yoke (slips into transmission)
3) rear flange yoke (bolts to diff)
4) u-joints
1. the drive shaft:
This part is pretty simple, you need a aluminum driveshaft with either 7260 u-joints (not very common) or the much more common 1310 u-joints. (more on this latter)
It needs to be the right length. Driveshaft lengths are measured from u-joint center to u-joint center so use the L2 length from this graphic:
for the diameter, 3" is probably going to be fine for most people. that's what the mazdatrix shaft is.
I built mine with a quartermaster carbon driveshaft:
Carbon Fiber 1310 Driveshafts
http://www.quartermasterusa.com/qm/c...riveshafthtml/
but there are tons of other options:
Precision Shaft Technologies
Dennys Driveshafts > 1310 Series 3 inch Aluminum Driveshaft up to 52 inch CL
Carbon Fiber Driveshafts | QA1 Drive Shaft
Custom Aluminum & Composite Driveshaft - Driveshaft Shop | Dynotech Engineering Services
you get the idea...
2) Front slip yoke
PTI is the only company that makes them. They all take a 7260 u-joint. These are the same yokes mazdatrix uses.
www.powertrainindustries.com
Turbo2 trans: 2603-25
NA trans: 2603-22
3) rear flange yoke
PTI is the only company that makes them. They all take a 7260 u-joint. These are the same yokes mazdatrix uses.
www.powertrainindustries.com
turbo2 rear: 2602-41
NA rear: 2602-37
4) U joints.
This is where it gets tricky.
If you have a 7260 driveshaft, just buy a 7260 u-joint (easy, but un-likely)
If you have a 1310 driveshaft you need to get a conversion joint.
usually everyone in the world would recommend a Spicer joint... but
IMPORTANT: The spicer 5-788x 1310->7260 joint doesn't fit in PTI 7260 yokes:
you have 2 options here.
- have PTI custom clearance your yokes (they will do this)
- get any other u-joint
up to you.
I used a Neapco 2-3100:
NEAPCO 2-3100 Dodge 7260 series Mopar to 1310 series combination universal joint.
next up, assembly
This is more or less exactly what mazdatrix does to make their aluminum driveshafts.
You need 4 things:
1) A driveshaft that is the right length and u-joint type
2) front slip yoke (slips into transmission)
3) rear flange yoke (bolts to diff)
4) u-joints
1. the drive shaft:
This part is pretty simple, you need a aluminum driveshaft with either 7260 u-joints (not very common) or the much more common 1310 u-joints. (more on this latter)
It needs to be the right length. Driveshaft lengths are measured from u-joint center to u-joint center so use the L2 length from this graphic:
for the diameter, 3" is probably going to be fine for most people. that's what the mazdatrix shaft is.
I built mine with a quartermaster carbon driveshaft:
Carbon Fiber 1310 Driveshafts
http://www.quartermasterusa.com/qm/c...riveshafthtml/
but there are tons of other options:
Precision Shaft Technologies
Dennys Driveshafts > 1310 Series 3 inch Aluminum Driveshaft up to 52 inch CL
Carbon Fiber Driveshafts | QA1 Drive Shaft
Custom Aluminum & Composite Driveshaft - Driveshaft Shop | Dynotech Engineering Services
you get the idea...
2) Front slip yoke
PTI is the only company that makes them. They all take a 7260 u-joint. These are the same yokes mazdatrix uses.
www.powertrainindustries.com
Turbo2 trans: 2603-25
NA trans: 2603-22
3) rear flange yoke
PTI is the only company that makes them. They all take a 7260 u-joint. These are the same yokes mazdatrix uses.
www.powertrainindustries.com
turbo2 rear: 2602-41
NA rear: 2602-37
4) U joints.
This is where it gets tricky.
If you have a 7260 driveshaft, just buy a 7260 u-joint (easy, but un-likely)
If you have a 1310 driveshaft you need to get a conversion joint.
usually everyone in the world would recommend a Spicer joint... but
IMPORTANT: The spicer 5-788x 1310->7260 joint doesn't fit in PTI 7260 yokes:
you have 2 options here.
- have PTI custom clearance your yokes (they will do this)
- get any other u-joint
up to you.
I used a Neapco 2-3100:
NEAPCO 2-3100 Dodge 7260 series Mopar to 1310 series combination universal joint.
next up, assembly
#2
Assembly:
There are tons of youtube videos on how to assemble u-joints so I'm not going to go over this in a lot of detail.... but here are the basics.
First you'll want to press out the u-joints that came with your driveshaft (probably 1310s)
take the side clips out:
and use a press (ideal), a vise, or a socket and hammer (least ideal) to push the u-joints over to one side and take the cap off:
then you press it over to the other side to take the other cap out and then you can remove the cross of the u-joint.
assembly is the reverse of removal
press the u-joint into the yoke:
the 7260 u-joints have the clips on the inside:
then you do it again with the driveshaft:
1310 clips (driveshaft side) are going to be on the outside:
do it again on the other side and you're done!
complete driveshaft:
This carbon driveshaft is 9.3 lbs
- 4.7 lbs lighter than the stock TII driveshaft
- 1.5 lbs lighter than mazdatrix's aluminum shaft
note: if you're confused by some of my pictures, my rear flange is actually a 1310 rear flange because it's getting bolted to a Ford 8.8
There are tons of youtube videos on how to assemble u-joints so I'm not going to go over this in a lot of detail.... but here are the basics.
First you'll want to press out the u-joints that came with your driveshaft (probably 1310s)
take the side clips out:
and use a press (ideal), a vise, or a socket and hammer (least ideal) to push the u-joints over to one side and take the cap off:
then you press it over to the other side to take the other cap out and then you can remove the cross of the u-joint.
assembly is the reverse of removal
press the u-joint into the yoke:
the 7260 u-joints have the clips on the inside:
then you do it again with the driveshaft:
1310 clips (driveshaft side) are going to be on the outside:
do it again on the other side and you're done!
complete driveshaft:
This carbon driveshaft is 9.3 lbs
- 4.7 lbs lighter than the stock TII driveshaft
- 1.5 lbs lighter than mazdatrix's aluminum shaft
note: if you're confused by some of my pictures, my rear flange is actually a 1310 rear flange because it's getting bolted to a Ford 8.8
#3
Special Ronin Ford swap section:
I actually built this driveshaft to be a bit longer than the stock one to reach my Ronin Ford 8.8 conversion:
FC Ford 8.8 IRS Mounting Kit
Everything is the same except I used a spicer ford small pattern flange yoke (2-2-939) instead of the mazda rear flange yoke to go with the smaller mustang flange required on the 8.8 diff
Dana Spicer 2-2-939 Mustang Driveshaft Flange Yoke fits 7.5 and 8.8 inch Rear Ends 1310 Series with small Ford bolt pattern
and of course the rear u-joint is just a normal 1310 joint.
I actually built this driveshaft to be a bit longer than the stock one to reach my Ronin Ford 8.8 conversion:
FC Ford 8.8 IRS Mounting Kit
Everything is the same except I used a spicer ford small pattern flange yoke (2-2-939) instead of the mazda rear flange yoke to go with the smaller mustang flange required on the 8.8 diff
Dana Spicer 2-2-939 Mustang Driveshaft Flange Yoke fits 7.5 and 8.8 inch Rear Ends 1310 Series with small Ford bolt pattern
and of course the rear u-joint is just a normal 1310 joint.
#5
Red Pill Dealer
iTrader: (10)
Originally Posted by eage8
then you press it over to the other side to take the other cap out and then you can remove the cross of the u-joint.
assembly is the reverse of removal
assembly is the reverse of removal
Trending Topics
#8
front yoke: $43
rear flange: $39
driveshaft: $289, and it appears you can request 7260 hybrid joints?
so $371 total compared to mazdatrix's $432
#9
Rotary Enthusiast
iTrader: (1)
not necessarily
front yoke: $43
rear flange: $39
driveshaft: $289, and it appears you can request 7260 hybrid joints?
so $371 total compared to mazdatrix's $432
front yoke: $43
rear flange: $39
driveshaft: $289, and it appears you can request 7260 hybrid joints?
so $371 total compared to mazdatrix's $432
#17
UPDATE:
I had Powertrain industries clearance my transmission yoke for a Spicer lifetime u-joint (no grease fitting)
Spicer lifetime 7260 -> 1310 conversion joint: 5-788X
At the same time I ordered a Spicer lifetime coated u-joint for aluminum driveshafts yokes: 5-3613X
I took 2 of the caps off the coated u-joint to swap them onto the 1310->7260 conversion u-joint so I would have coated caps on both u-joints that go into the driveshaft (the aluminum parts)
I had Powertrain industries clearance my transmission yoke for a Spicer lifetime u-joint (no grease fitting)
Spicer lifetime 7260 -> 1310 conversion joint: 5-788X
At the same time I ordered a Spicer lifetime coated u-joint for aluminum driveshafts yokes: 5-3613X
I took 2 of the caps off the coated u-joint to swap them onto the 1310->7260 conversion u-joint so I would have coated caps on both u-joints that go into the driveshaft (the aluminum parts)
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post