Driveshaft

[nyuk98GT]

Totally agree. The JXB looks really nice, I guess it is around 400€ here in Germany. But, I noticed yesterday that the upper part of this metal bracket is bend differently and not clamping the rubber down on my driveshaft. Maybe I just got an production error? (And that my driveshaft was painted black from factory)

View attachment 108249

Right now my 25 year old Mercedes occupies my lift and my Mustang is dayli driver, will take some time before I can do something.

GriffX,

Sorry, I did not realize you were in Germany (where imported car parts are outrageously expensive).

The upper piece may have deformed by the vibration of the driveshaft. The upper bracket has been straightened out a little and no longer clamps well, as you said. The shaft went up with some gusto against the bracket and it yielded some. If the bracket could be reshaped to original profile then welding would be needed to ensure the parallel surfaces do not spread apart again.

Chris

 

[GriffX]

GriffX,

Sorry, I did not realize you were in Germany (where imported car parts are outrageously expensive).

The upper piece may have deformed by the vibration of the driveshaft. The upper bracket has been straightened out a little and no longer clamps well, as you said. The shaft went up with some gusto against the bracket and it yielded some. If the bracket could be reshaped to original profile then welding would be needed to ensure the parallel surfaces do not spread apart again.

Chris

No, I have to apologize and updated the location.

(to pay sales tax and tariff on the shipping costs is really greedy from a state)

When I made the picture comparison I thought also, maybe I should try to bend it? I can do this small welding tasks.
I guess the force on this support bracket is higher than you think.
The U-joint angle at the transmission is 2.7 deg, not sure if this is normal, but I think that a high angle leads also to high radial force at the support bearing (?)

I read somewhere that Ford says between 1 and 3 degree is ok.

Thanks!

 

[nyuk98GT]

GriffX,

Glad to hear you can do the work yourself. I think it is worth a try because it should reduce vibration if the rubber can be held tighter in place.

1 to 3 degrees is what I have read on the internet (so it must be correct ), too. My car came with P springs (1" drop) and I have not measured the pinion angle. No noise or vibration so never had the need to measure. If I can find a good angle finder app, I will measure the angle at the trans and pinion.

Do aftermarket parts have to be approved by TUV in Germany? If so, does that also add to the cost? Got any friends or family coming for a visit? A car guy always appreciates a "gift" (as far as Customs is concerned) of small auto parts.

I'll see about measuring those angles and post back.
/edit/
Tremec has a driveshaft angle finder app! Can't beat that.
My plan is to get under the car on Sunday. I need to take a look at an AN braided hose just to make sure it is not rubbing on the body or in harm's way.
/end of edit/

Chris

 

[GriffX]

1 to 3 degrees is what I have read on the internet (so it must be correct ), too. My car came with P springs (1" drop) and I have not measured the pinion angle. No noise or vibration so never had the need to measure. If I can find a good angle finder app, I will measure the angle at the trans and pinion.

Do aftermarket parts have to be approved by TUV in Germany? If so, does that also add to the cost? Got any friends or family coming for a visit? A car guy always appreciates a "gift" (as far as Customs is concerned) of small auto parts.

Chris,
when you discuss things, you get ideas. I always thought, why has the 2-piece-shaft only one U-joint, so they cannot cancel the vibrations and need to dampen it in the support bracket? Because they need the two CV-joint that the suspension travel did not induce vibrations via angle change, so it is probably not important if you drop the car 1 inch. The suspension travel will be enough to spread the grease around in the joint. Like in the axle drive shafts of an independent rear axle, nobody cares about the angle if you drop the car.

Many parts have to be approved, I imported the car with 17 inch wheels, there is no real way to get the OEM Ford 18 inch wheels approved after import, so no big brake option for me (they changed the rule in 2018). It helps when the aftermarket part is black, so nobody is attracted to it. I have black J&M LCAs, for a German car they must be approved, nobody noticed it. Same with brake pads. Parts like the JXB support bracket does not need approval, shocks no approval, springs yes. Unfortunately the P-springs are blue, otherwise a shorter black spring with Ford logo, nobody would say anything.
H&R offers springs with TUV here, but they are way too stiff for me and expensive + TUV fees. You can buy TUV approved wheels, 4 wheels + tires, 3000€+ and again TUV fees.

There is a war against cars in the EU. The German SEMA, Essen Motorshow, is getting smaller each year. To get the driver license is 4000€ now. I got it for 500€. Many years ago I had a job offer in Memphis, I regret it now. When I'm on vacation in USA, I always buy parts, 450€ is toll free.

I once experienced the 4th July in Eugene, OR, and it is a nice memory for me.

you all guys
Happy 4th July

 

[nyuk98GT]

Thanks, GriffX, for the good wishes for July 4th! And thanks for the 2-piece vs. 1-piece explanation - makes perfect sense (and it has been many moons since I sat in Dynamics class).

Holy cow! 4,000 Euros for a drivers license? and TUV-approved wheels and tires for 3,000 Euros! That's pretty awful. And you guys have very high taxes on salaries/income as well as a VAT. At least the beer is tasty and the automotive engineering is excellent.

Keep us posted about the driveshaft carrier rehabbing, please.

Chris

 

[brasil]

Installed a JXB center bering support today.. also changed the rear CV Joint ( the old one had some play..)
But now I have issues in the first and second gear... there is a vibe sound ...lin the shifter. I have a stock shifter btw. So I put the car on the lift again, and saw, that the JXB sits very very close to the rear part of the center bearing.
The video from JXB shows the installation, and I did it the same way. In the video they say, that 2005-2010 cars should not use the big washer that sits between the the bearing carrier and the floorpan. But I think that the driveshaft now sits too close to the shifter linkage..
However ... tomorrow I will put some thin washers between the JXB and the floorpan. Perhaps the vibe sound /rattle under accelleration goes away..

 

[UpAllNight91]

Installed a JXB center bering support today.. also changed the rear CV Joint ( the old one had some play..)
But now I have issues in the first and second gear... there is a vibe sound ...lin the shifter. I have a stock shifter btw. So I put the car on the lift again, and saw, that the JXB sits very very close to the rear part of the center bearing.
The video from JXB shows the installation, and I did it the same way. In the video they say, that 2005-2010 cars should not use the big washer that sits between the the bearing carrier and the floorpan. But I think that the driveshaft now sits too close to the shifter linkage..
However ... tomorrow I will put some thin washers between the JXB and the floorpan. Perhaps the vibe sound /rattle under accelleration goes away..

Thanks for the update

 

[Pentalab]

Less rotation mass equals more HP/TQ being put to the rear wheels. Simple physics…

I forget the brand of one piece Aluminum DS that I initially bought for my 2010 GT auto...... but it reportedly had issues when used with an automatic. Never installed it. Sold it to a local buddy who has a 2008 manual, and in his car, it runs like a Swiss watch, no issues.

I then bought the one piece aluminum DS from DSS....(3.5" OD). This works superb from idle to 220 kph (137 mph). Car is lowered 1.25" at the rear with Roush rear springs + Roush rear shocks. Car was lowered 1" at the front with Roush springs and shocks. Later on, front shocks replaced with oem shocks, so front is now only 1/2" lowered. (Roush front shocks are 1/2" shorter than OEM, from base of strut to the spring perch). Roush front springs are 1/2" shorter, and also stiffer, vs OEM.
Eng was lowered 1/4" via steeda eng mounts.

On the dyno, the one piece DS provided an extra 30 ft lbs of TQ @ 2500 rpm (14.3 hp), which rapidly diminishes above 2.5 krpm.

 

[brasil]

one piece aluminium driveshaft from Ford Racing is produced by Dana Spicer. A well known brand .

 

[GriffX]

On the dyno, the one piece DS provided an extra 30 ft lbs of TQ @ 2500 rpm (14.3 hp), which rapidly diminishes above 2.5 krpm.

Or, the faster you spin the DS the more energy you need. Speeding up from 2000 to 2100, needs less energy than from 2100 to 2200. With a lighter DS you loose less energy on lower rpm. With increased rpm the mass difference gets neglectable.

 

[snowsled]

I have the one piece alum DS from Ford Racing. It is connected so a Ford perf 3.73 gearset on a Torsen R2 differential. I definitely have some additional driveline noise in my car. Very responsive though and I think the right choice for a performance car.

 

[TrackPack89]

Ford's one piece is a good choice. If you have the money, the DSS one piece fiber drive shaft is a solid choice. Rev's a little quicker and quieter imo than the one piece aluminum ds. If going with a one piece aluminum make sure you get a safety loop.

 

[Pentalab]

Ford's one piece is a good choice. If you have the money, the DSS one piece fiber drive shaft is a solid choice. Rev's a little quicker and quieter imo than the one piece aluminum ds. If going with a one piece aluminum make sure you get a safety loop.

Good point. I installed the BMR 1/4" thick steel plate brace, and the optional 2" wide DS safety loop. Then the pair of steeda tubular / triangular braces between the BMR steel plate and outer frame on each side...which is steeda's version of subframe supports..... which were bolted and welded into place. . Then it's one continuous brace from side to side.

The DS safety loop is 2" wide x 1/4" thick.

 

[brasil]

Ford's one piece is a good choice. If you have the money, the DSS one piece fiber drive shaft is a solid choice. Rev's a little quicker and quieter imo than the one piece aluminum ds. If going with a one piece aluminum make sure you get a safety loop.

... safety loop? Why..? I am asking, because all the former Mustangs ..64 1/2 till 04 used to have a one piece driveshaft. And they all came without a safety loop... of the assembly line.

And I ( speaking for myself ) would prefer the aluminium over the fiber drive shaft. Because the aluminium is made by a well known autoparts maker.. While the fiber shafts come from -lets say small companies... my be I am wrong- but that is my thinking about those two materials. Fiber is great...if it was manufactured the correct way. It does not forgive the smallest issue !

 

[MrBhp]

The reason for the safety loop is to prevent the driveshaft from digging into the pavement at 100 mph when you break the front yoke/u-joint, catapulting you and the car into the air. Happens when you are on slicks doing hard launches on a prepped surface. It's also safety equipment that sanctioning bodies require, if you're running slicks and/or go quicker than a specified time.

 

[pass1over]

The reason for the safety loop is to prevent the driveshaft from digging into the pavement at 100 mph when you break the front yoke/u-joint, catapulting you and the car into the air. Happens when you are on slicks doing hard launches on a prepped surface. It's also safety equipment that sanctioning bodies require, if you're running slicks and/or go quicker than a specified time.

mythbusters busted this myth like 20 years ago.

I still run and suggest a safety loop, as it will prevent a lot of damage to the car while its flailing around under there, and it will probably end up in your trunk area, but it won't catapult your car.

 

[MrBhp]

Yeah, doesn't really matter if it works or not, still in the rule book. The thing only works if you break something on the transmission end. If the loop is positioned along the shaft itself, it will likely cut the shaft in two in the event you break. I know this from personal experience. Lost a transmission in the race car. Allowed the shaft to flop around, and get cut on the diff side of the loop. I was right around 140 mph when the piece of shaft that was attached to the rear began to dig into the track, and......attempt to catapult me. The rear came off the ground several times, but the car never went over. The worst part was the shrapnel that came thru the floorboards, thru the seat, and into my right leg/butt cheek. Fortunately, it didn't ruin my fire suit. I wasn't wearing it, or my helmet.

 

[brasil]

...understand. The safety loop is a - let´s say a racer equipment. Makes sense in a race car.
But for a "normal " street car that is not used for drag racing.. etc... the loop a little like "overkill".

 

[GriffX]

I remember Mythbuster did an episode with a falling down driveshaft

 

[Pentalab]

The DS safety loop cost dick. It was a simple add on to the BMR cross brace in my case.