Spydershaft Woes

[kleistang]

my point of view is, that everyone that has a driveshaft has a vibration but they just dont want to admit it. and when they take it out and try to resell it they state that there was a litttleeee vib in the top end.

 

[don_w]

my point of view is, that everyone that has a driveshaft has a vibration but they just dont want to admit it.

Sorry... but mine has been absolutely vibration-free for almost 3 years now.

 

[rojizostang]

I need to find a good shop in TX (haven't found one near me in Waco) then get the time to take it in and have it checked. I'm pretty sure now it's just a little out of balance. Was hoping for bad U-joints but they are pretty tight. Thought I found the problem when I found 2 of the tranny flange bolts a little loose but I think they loosened due to the vibration. If they loosen again, I see red locktite in their future.

I haven't tried turning it 180 but really don't see how that should help.

thrash driveshaft specialists in san antonio fixed mine. i'll post a linke in a minute

here ya go
http://www.thrashdriveshaft.com/

 

[Hawgman]

my point of view is, that everyone that has a driveshaft has a vibration but they just dont want to admit it. and when they take it out and try to resell it they state that there was a litttleeee vib in the top end.

My current setup is completely vibration free

 

[rojizostang]

My current setup is completely vibration free

mine is too. it is now, that is. i must have had driveshafts in and out at least 10 times.

it was a major pita because it required changing the pinion flange everytime

 

[DirtyDeedsInc]

thrash driveshaft specialists in san antonio fixed mine. i'll post a linke in a minute

here ya go
http://www.thrashdriveshaft.com/

How much did they charge you? SA is a little out of my way but I'll just say it's a road trip and that'll make it on my way to where ever.

 

[stkjock]

I never had any vibration, I had some harmonic around 80 that went away when we rotated the DS 180*, car's been 130 with the DS and no vibration

 

[racevert]

My Powerhouse has never had any vibrations at all. Installed once and problem free.

 

[rojizostang]

How much did they charge you? SA is a little out of my way but I'll just say it's a road trip and that'll make it on my way to where ever.

$69

i'm going to remove mine pretty soon and have the u joints upgraded and rebalanced again....that'll cost $129

 

[GERMANSHEPERD]

My SS seems to be ok

 

[KIMMER]

my spyder was good until after the accident, but I didn't get it in for a claim soon enough. I'm going to call my insurance and ask them if they can still put it under the same claim.

 

[DirtyDeedsInc]

Road trip, after I make sure it can't be anything else.

 

[DirtyDeedsInc]

Been thinking, I hadn't got my car up past 100 since I had the tires balanced last and now I'm not so sure I trust the people that balanced them. I think I'm going to do that first just to make sure it's not something simple. Can't tell if a weight came off as they're all on the inside. I'd love for it not to be the Spydershaft.

 

[rojizostang]

well, here's my story...1st ds, vibrated, 2nd ds vibrated, reinstalled 1st ds, had it balanced and foam filled, vibrated worse, tried 3rd ds, it vibrated the least of all three. took it to thrash (different from the shop that built it) and had them re-balance it. now, no vibrations.

i indexed, rotated, flipped forward, backwards, and everything else. i checked the pinion angle, it was at -2 with all the shafts, so i never adjusted it. finally got the third shaft on there and it's good....the only reason later i checked the pinion angle was because i bought a set of used adj lca's and had to check it when installing.

i think the pinion angle causing vibes is total b.s., unless it's waaaaay out.

 

[rojizostang]

Been thinking, I hadn't got my car up past 100 since I had the tires balanced last and now I'm not so sure I trust the people that balanced them. I think I'm going to do that first just to make sure it's not something simple. Can't tell if a weight came off as they're all on the inside. I'd love for it not to be the Spydershaft.

it's been my experience that a ds vibe is usually at a much higher frequency that a wheel vibe, imho

 

[scramblr]

I went through 3 DS' from two different companies. Two of them I sent to Thrash in San Antonio to have checked. One had run out so bad they couldn't fix it. The second was out of balance and had run out. They were able to fix that one and spun it to 200mph with zero problems. Back in the car and same vibrations. After all that, two pinion seals and two pinion bearings, I gave up and put the stocker back in. I run up to 125mph daily on the way to work and back and can't afford to keep replacing bearings. I'll make up the 2/10s some other way.

 

[DirtyDeedsInc]

My vibration is just noticeable at 70MPH and at 110MPH really gets bad. At that point it feels like the car is about to come apart, kinda like going over the line on the side of the highway. I really didn't notice it with the stocker but just got to thinking I hadn't run it up to that speed since the tires were balanced last. I emailed Thrash and already heard back. It'll be about $100-125 for them to remove, check, fix if needed and reinstall. That's be easier for me than shipping it and would give me an excuse for a road trip, not that I've ever needed an excuse. Gonna run it on jackstands first and see if anything is really noticeable.

 

[rojizostang]

good luck, i hope it works out for you

 

[SoundGuyDave]

Spydershaft here as well, no vibrations AT ALL following install. I've had the car up to 140+mph (road course) and have had no issues over 5000 miles. I've heard that it's not the shaft (as would be indicated by Thrash running it up to 200MPH with no problem), but something else... A little birdie has whispered the words "differential carrier runout" in my ear, which would be covered up by the two-piece shaft...

 

[Narsh]

Wow! Thanks to everyone for all the replies!

Let me go down the list of what I have done to date,

I purchased the drifeshaft from a good friend of mine. It did not vibrate in his car - he had the same mods as I did except 4.30's - he had 4.10's. But every car is different.
Before the driveshaft went on, I put the 4.30's in and had no vibration - little gear whine but that was to be expected with Motive making the FRPP gears.
We installed the DS and Steed Upper Control Arm, adjusted the pinion angle to resolve the rediculous vibration. The whine on the gears was also amplified 10 fold.
We readjusted the pinion angle to Steeda's specifications. The vibration shifted from 40-60mph where it sounded like a Cessna and vibrated accordingly over to 75 and up. This was more acceptable.
I had my gears re-set a second and third time to assure it isn't the gears.
I called the Manufacturer to seek advice and even though I didn't purchase it first hand they were very very helpful. The general advice I got there was to turn the shaft to 180 deg., rebalance it, or go with a detroit tru-trac.
So this is where I am at now.
Yesterday we removed the Spydershaft and put back the stock DS. There is still a slight vibration at 80mph. Nowhere and I mean nowhere near the Cessna-like vibration and noise (gear-whine included) I was getting before, but still a vibration.
I'll be slapping on new wheels and tires on Thursday or Friday. That will rule out tire balancing.
I will also adjust the pinion angle and try to make sure there is absolutely no vibration before putting on the Spydershaft.
I am definitely having it rebalanced before putting it on. I don't want to sell it because I already miss the quick acceleration I had before.
I'll keep everyone posted with the progress and thanks again for all your suggestions.

-Narsh