Anyone here tried the Dorman steel replacement driveshaft?

ghunt81

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I gotta drop the transmission this winter to replace the clutch (throwout bearing making a bunch of noise). I would love to get an aluminum driveshaft but they are stupid expensive. I see Dorman makes a steel one piece replacement shaft for almost $250 less than the aluminum ones, anyone tried it? There was a guy asking about it on Stangnet earlier this year but he just posted pictures of it in the box, never had anything about the install.
 

08MustangDude

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Dorman is kind'a cheap... They're my last resort if I can't find a part,
and they have it... If you're gonna buy Dorman, you may as well buy
a used one...

Installation isn't difficult if you get it on a lift, or put the front on ramps,
and the back on race-ramps to get the whole car up.

You need to weight the benefit of having the aluminum -vs- steel, even
with the steel one being $250 cheaper. There is no benefit going with
a Dorman cheapie, when you can find OEMs for $50.00 with low miles
on them. If the 2-piece would fit the V6, I'd have one, they were all
over FB Marketplace for $50.00, all with under 5000 miles, and one
brand new take off. I also found a steel one piece for $100, but
I was unsure of fitment, then he later said it came with the adapter plate
for the V6. By the time I got around to wanting to go pick it up, it was
gone.

Example:
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/967714440239783/
67907191_10217204747505037_8131395770285817856_n.jpg

V6 one for $400

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/2418224098273496/
The V6 OEM ARE basically one piece... The slip joint isn't at the differential
yoke, it's farther up the shaft.
70196669_10218591580488167_8432994412534956032_n.jpg


https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/401419787447260/
71200825_409605756405371_6592629990242648064_n.jpg

GT one for $600

If you look hard enough, you can find them.

OEM for $50.00 with 66K:
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/744266762708709/

If they don't list the miles, don't buy it...
 
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Pentalab

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If you do buy an aluminum DS, get a good one. I bought a shaftmasters AL DS, which later I find out, never did work correctly on a 05-10 auto. Works great on a manual..so sold it to a local buddy....No cv joint at axle end... so pinion angle is extremely critical. (universal at both ends)

2 x Buddy's on the Roush forum also had a 08/10 auto..and fought that elusive pinion angle setup for 2 yrs. They still vibrate... but only > 120 mph. (shaft masters at the time listed one model for both manual+ auto cars).

I then bought an aluminum DSS-DS ( driveshaft shop)...for my 2010 auto. 900 hp rated. Separate model for auto's. Plug n play. Pinion angle is a non issue. CV joint at axle end. CV joint is field replaceable for $100.00 They are tested at factory, and balanced up to 9200 rpm, vibration free.
Mine was vibration free at 160 mph on the dyno. Zero issues since installation several years ago. It is 3.5" diameter. Stay away from 4" diam shafts..pita. Some cars came with a gusset plate to bridge the tunnel...which will contact a 4" shaft..when suspension compress's. The gusset plate has to be cut out..severe pita.

Stay away from carbon fiber shafts as well. They have this tendency to explode into 10,000 shards at the dragstrip. CF and hot exhaust is another bad combo.
 

08MustangDude

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70196669_10218591580488167_8432994412534956032_n.jpg

That is the factory V6 AUTO or MANUAL shaft, there are no CV joints. Only the GTs have the two
piece with the CV joints, manual or auto. You have to buy the correct shaft for your model. SO,
if you have a GT, you should not have used the one piece without CV joints.
 

Pentalab

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70196669_10218591580488167_8432994412534956032_n.jpg

That is the factory V6 AUTO or MANUAL shaft, there are no CV joints. Only the GTs have the two
piece with the CV joints, manual or auto. You have to buy the correct shaft for your model. SO,
if you have a GT, you should not have used the one piece without CV joints.

Point well taken. Shaftmasters was adamant they would work on a manual /auto GT. They
actually do work good on a manual GT..... but not the auto GT. The universal joint at axle end is on a slip yoke assy..so it can slide in / out a bit..with suspension travel.
 

Pentalab

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Also, if you get an adjustable rear upper LCA, you can correct pinion angle.

Forgot about that....good point. The oem uca is junk anyway....so out it went years ago, along with oem LCA's, more junk. My oem lca's were trashed. So in went the usual BMR lineup, adj uca, mating hd uca mount / lca's..and lca relocate brackets/ adj PHB + brace etc.

Later on, the adj BMR phb + brace was replaced with a whiteline watts link....+ eaton tru-trac lsd.
 

Juice

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I have a perfect used v6 driveshaft leftover from my swap.
If you are near me, and willing to come and get it, its yours.
Im in PA.

Also have the 5spd trans, if you want it. That I would take $200 for.
 
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08MustangDude

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Does the V6 shaft work on the GT?

AFAIK, it doesn't.
If not, it's only because it's not the right length. If you get a pinion flange, or
an adapter plate, then it would work. The adapter plate bolts to the U-joint end,
and sits inside the cup of the flange on the GT.

Lay the 2-piece and V6 side by side; if they're the same length, then it will work.

Here is the U-Joint end with the adapter bolted on it:
gt_ada10.jpg

This is the diff yoke end of a one piece for the GT; no CV joint, it has the plate that
goes into the flange.

Two piece -vs- one:
adapte10.jpg

You can see the adapter plate they use, that bolts to the U-Joint, then the
plate bolts into the flange. SO, that one piece with no CV joints will work
just fine, they're even sold like that. You would just need to correct the
pinion angle id needed, with an adjustable UCA.

If you were to put the 8.8" GT rear in a V6, all you need is the pinion flange,
or an adapter plate:
dorman10.jpg



The 2-piece has too many failure points, the carrier bearing, and CV joints;
that's three potential failures but it's usually the carrier bearing that fails first.
A one piece either eliminates the CV joints with all U-Joints, or takes you to just
the one CV joint at the pinion flange.

I have a perfect used v6 driveshaft leftover from my swap.
If you are near me, and willing to come and get it, its yours.
Im in PA.
How many miles are on it? I am in SW PA...
 

GlassTop09

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In addition to what has already been said concerning a 1-piece DS using U-joints on each end, the centering of the rear end to remain in line w\ the transmission as well as the pinion angle during rear end articulation is more important to get\keep right as well thus is much better suited to use a Watt's Link IMHO instead of a PHB to maintain center alignment w\ a 1-piece DS using 2 U-joints. U-joints don't like much lateral movement either before they start to exhibit binding...……...

If using a PHB w\ a 1-piece DS it would be better to use 1 that has the CV joint at the rear axle pinion as it can handle the rear end lateral movement from a PHB much better w\o binding than a U-joint. The 2 U-joint 1-piece DS would be a much stronger unit overall (especially if the DS is using Spicer 1350 series U-joints) but it does have more stringent criteria to maintain for proper operation thruout the full range of movement under load.

There's a reason why these 2 U-joint 1-piece DS's are generally cheaper than the 1-piece units that use a CV joint at the rear axle for these S197's where the DS movement arc, both vertically & laterally, are the greatest...…..

Thought I'd mention this.
 

08MustangDude

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Yeah, but V6s are one piece, with the track bar, so that can't be 100% true using one with a GT
with U-Joints if the V6 doesn't use CV joints at all. Side to side is road conditions, not so much
load conditions. Yeah, the car squats a little, but also the pinion wants to climb the ring gear,
that is what changes the pinion angle under acceleration. Side to side, enough to bind the
U-joints means the entire axle has to drop to the internal shock stops so change it that much.
Normal roads, it's once side at a time, unless there is a steep dip in the road and you run it
fast.

However, you have the front and the rear U-Joins, so 50% of that movement is taken at each
end. So, if there were 1.5" of axle swing, that's divided into each end. Some of those CV
joints at the pinion are are like a ball in a socket, they're not allowing too much movement either.

U-Joins are made to take the same horizontal movement as vertical. They're a perfectly
round joint, not oval to allow more one way than the other.

The longer the shaft, the more degrees of movement you have.
A 15" length would be limited to 3 degrees maximum operating angle.
A 30" shaft would be limited to 6 degrees
A 30" driveshaft with intersecting angles would have a 3 degree permissible operating angle.

A Driveshaft should not exceed 12 degrees for a single carden unit. If so, you need to
switch to a double carden (CV) driveshaft.

If the 1 piece shaft is straight at ride height, then you're good with a single, two U-Joints.
You have 12 degrees or more of a safe margin. You are not going to get 12 degrees
upward movement anyway.

If you're already on a 6-degree downward angle, and you expect movement to be more than
6 degrees, since there is now an intersecting angle, then you need the CV joint.

If you're on a 3-degree downward angle, you are good to around 9-degrees of movement.

Then also, you should set pinion 1 to 2 degrees lower to compensate for axle twist under acceleration.

It's up to you to get the math done, to determine what you need, or what is required
for how you plan to drive it. If you have any doubts, or just don't want to do the math,
then get the 1-piece with CV joint.
 

Juice

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If not, it's only because it's not the right length. If you get a pinion flange, or
an adapter plate, then it would work. The adapter plate bolts to the U-joint end,
and sits inside the cup of the flange on the GT.

Lay the 2-piece and V6 side by side; if they're the same length, then it will work.

Here is the U-Joint end with the adapter bolted on it:
gt_ada10.jpg

This is the diff yoke end of a one piece for the GT; no CV joint, it has the plate that
goes into the flange.

Two piece -vs- one:
adapte10.jpg

You can see the adapter plate they use, that bolts to the U-Joint, then the
plate bolts into the flange. SO, that one piece with no CV joints will work
just fine, they're even sold like that. You would just need to correct the
pinion angle id needed, with an adjustable UCA.

If you were to put the 8.8" GT rear in a V6, all you need is the pinion flange,
or an adapter plate:
dorman10.jpg



The 2-piece has too many failure points, the carrier bearing, and CV joints;
that's three potential failures but it's usually the carrier bearing that fails first.
A one piece either eliminates the CV joints with all U-Joints, or takes you to just
the one CV joint at the pinion flange.


How many miles are on it? I am in SW PA...

106000, no issues. Got pulled because the clutch was slipping/worn out.
SE PA here.
 
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08MustangDude

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106000, no issues. Got pulled because the clutch was slipping/worn out.
SE PA here.
I have been looking for one that I can replace the U-Joints while out of the
car, then just swap. SE PA is too far anyway... I'd be going all the way
across the state... If you're ever over towards the PGH area, I'll pick it up.
 

1950StangJump$

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Also, if you get an adjustable rear upper LCA, you can correct pinion angle.

You meant adjustable UCA.

I'm in the process of installing a 2011+ adjustable UCA on my 08. GHunt, if you want an almost new BMR adjustable UCA for the 05-10 Mustangs, let me know. Will be selling mine.
 
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ghunt81

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IIf using a PHB w\ a 1-piece DS it would be better to use 1 that has the CV joint at the rear axle pinion. Also Driveshaft Shop's DS has a CV joint at the transmission end, not the axle end.

There's a reason why these 2 U-joint 1-piece DS's are generally cheaper than the 1-piece units that use a CV joint at the rear axle for these S197's where the DS movement arc, both vertically & laterally, are the greatest...…..


Little confused by this because FRPP's own aluminum driveshaft has U-joints at both ends.

You meant adjustable UCA.

I'm in the process of installing a 2011+ adjustable UCA on my 08. GHunt, if you want an almost new BMR adjustable UCA for the 05-10 Mustangs, let me know. Will be selling mine.

Maybe. I have a J&M non-adjustable upper and J&M mount on the car right now. Wasn't sure if I really wanted to mess with pinion angle.

edit: I have J&M stuff on the upper not BMR, brain fart.
 
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Pentalab

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If u use a 1 piece DS with U joints at both ends, pinion angle is critical. And an adjustable UCA is required. Then the gong show starts....trying to tweak pinion angle in tiny increments, so that DS vibration occurs at speeds higher than you will ever use.

With the DSS-DS, with it's CV joint.... pinion angle is a non issue.

I use the DSS-DS....and a whiteline watts link. Zero issues, no vibration up to 155 mph.
 

Pentalab

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This is critical even if you have CV joints. You always want the pinion angle to be correct.

Agreed, but you end up with a much wider latitude if a CV joint is used.... and still end up with no vibrations. A lot faster setup with the CV joint.
 

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