who has one? what do you think of it?

 

These were a big hit in early 2000. Works great for a road race type application. Not so great for drag racing. Several people shattered them. Might still be photos floating around. Haven't heard about them in a couple of years.

 

if you shatter a drive shaft at the strip, what kind of damage are you looking at aside from just the shaft itself. i would think that it would probably blow at the highest hp point which would be 3rd in some really high rpm. To suddenly break free i would think the tranny and engine would just blow up. Is that what happens?

 

The rev limiter would catch the engine, if you have a ignition system with a soft-touch it wouldn't really hurt the motor that bad, except for maybe the valvesprings. The thing that would really hurt is hitting the factory rev limiter, which cuts fuel. But it'd be no worse the hitting it while free reving the engine.

As far as other damage, the tail-shaft would probably slip out of the tranny, which would then empty ALOT of tranny fluid, but the actual driveshaft would "broom" if it was properly constructed. That was one of the good things about C-F drive shafts.

Oh, and it wouldn't break in 3rd. That's a relatively low HP moment. You have to keep in mind that engine HP doesn't break driveshafts, torque breaks driveshafts. 3rd gear is a 1:1 gear, so the torque on the driveshaft is the engine torque. But at launch the torque on the driveshaft is engine torque MULTIPLIED by the torque convertor AS WELL as the transmission. So the torque at the driveshaft can be as much as 5-6 times what it is in 3rd gear(~2-2.2:1 through the TC, ~2.74:1 in the tranny)

I personally have never seen a driveshaft fail at the top end of the track, but on the 60' I've seen more than what I would like to see.

 

Boy, this is a blast from the past!

If I remember right, there where a few pissed off Lightning owners that went in on a group buy for them. I "think"is was around $950......... I almost got in myself.

They did "explode" pretty spectacular, from the look of the photos. Wonder if they are still around?

 

They were always mainly targeted towards the import crowd. They don't have that sudden hit of torque(do they even have torque?). Carbon Fiber usually doesn't take to well to shock, as it's a very stiff material. Shock+Stiff=Cracks Cracks=BOOM...

Aluminum will deflect is more of a "plastic" material(higher elasticity). Even though it has a lower yield strength then steel, it will deform more then a steel driveshaft.

Driveshaft strength has more to do with diameter then material.

 

Besides, the weight difference for carbon fiber wouldn't be that great. It would be more of an appearance mod than anything else... And, who wants to drop a grand, for an appearance mod that no one will see?

 

I have one I'll sell ya cheap.

There was a group buy on these a couple of years ago. I am the only one that broke one, to my knowledge. They use them on 1200 h.p. pro-stockers, so this one was either defective, or, since I didn't have traction bars at that time, a victim of axle wrap. Motor did not blow up then, but it and the tranny both expired shortly thereafter.

 

id be seriuosly surprised is the rev limiter kicked in so quick but if its really the torque thats killing it then .. well.. yeah 60ft should be where its at in which cause fuel cutoff should cover it.

I spent a good 5 minutes thinking what would happen if the shaft broke in 3rd at like 5500rpm with no limiter. Two nice big head size dents in your hood, complimented by 8 plug shots and 8 larger piston shots .

 

I don't know anyone that has one (yet). They 02HD guys are looking at them as we have that POS 2 pc. steel unit that is not very efficient at putting the HP to the rear wheels...

Just curious what the outcome was of the GB that was done a couple of years ago...

thx for the input

 

I've had one in my truck for over 2 years and I wouldn't be without it. CF is very rigid, there is no wrap up or torsional twist going on. Dale

 

Ive had one for over 2 years. Was in on the original group purchase. Absolutely no issues.

 

Who was the manufacture of the shafts?

 

I beleive it was Inland Empire in CA somewhere. At least that is who assembled the shaft. The CF tube itself was made by somebody else.

 

Any pics?? I tried to view Alphadoggys but it said I had to log in to view them.